Description
Soft, swirled cinnamon roll sugar cookies with icing—sweet, cozy, and perfect for holiday trays or a fun dessert twist on a classic favorite!
Ingredients
Scale
For the Cookie Dough:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
For the Cinnamon Filling:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
For the Glaze (optional):
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1–2 tablespoons milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl, beat together the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. This creates a soft texture for the cookies.
- Add Egg and Vanilla: Mix in the egg and vanilla extract, ensuring everything is well combined.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing until a soft dough forms.
- Roll Out Dough: Place the dough between two pieces of parchment paper and roll it into a large rectangle about 1/4-inch thick for even baking and easy rolling.
- Add Cinnamon Filling: Brush the rolled out dough with melted butter. In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar and ground cinnamon, then evenly sprinkle this mixture over the buttered dough.
- Shape & Chill Dough: Starting at one long side, gently roll the dough into a tight log. Wrap the log in parchment or plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to firm up.
- Preheat Oven: When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- Slice & Bake: Slice the chilled dough into 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick rounds. Arrange cookies on the prepared baking sheet, leaving space between them. Bake for 9–12 minutes, until the edges are just starting to turn golden.
- Cool: Let the cookies cool on a wire rack before glazing to set their shape.
- Glaze (Optional): Whisk together powdered sugar, 1–2 tablespoons milk, and vanilla extract until smooth. Drizzle over cooled cookies and let the glaze set before serving.
Notes
- Chilling the dough is essential: it makes slicing easier and prevents the cookies from spreading too much during baking.
- If the dough cracks slightly while rolling, pinch it back together to seal the swirl.
- You can prepare the dough log up to 2 days ahead and keep it chilled until ready to slice and bake.
- For neater cookies, trim the ends of the dough log before slicing.
- The glaze is optional, but it adds that classic cinnamon roll finish.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 145
- Sugar: 11g
- Sodium: 45mg
- Fat: 6g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 21g
- Fiber: 0.3g
- Protein: 1.5g
- Cholesterol: 19mg