Description
Enjoy the delightful twist on classic sugar cookies with these Cinnamon Roll Sugar Cookies featuring a luscious cinnamon sugar filling swirled throughout soft, buttery dough. This recipe creates tender, flavorful cookies with hints of cinnamon reminiscent of a cinnamon roll, perfect for cozy gatherings or a sweet snack.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Cinnamon Sugar Filling:
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 1/2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- Pinch salt
Cookies:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened but still cool to the touch
- 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
- 1 3/4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F and position racks near the center. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside to ensure non-stick baking surfaces.
- Prepare Cinnamon Sugar Filling: Combine softened butter, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt in a small bowl. Mix well using a spatula or fork until fully combined. Freeze this mixture for about 10 minutes while you prepare the cookie dough to firm it up.
- Make Cookie Dough: Using a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and granulated sugar together until the mixture becomes light and creamy. Add vanilla extract, the whole egg, and egg yolk. Beat again until the mixture is smooth and fully incorporated, scraping the bowl as needed.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, cornstarch, and salt. Gradually add these dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat until just combined, avoiding overmixing for tender cookies.
- Layer Dough and Cinnamon Sugar: Remove half of the cookie dough and set aside. Spread the remaining half evenly on the bottom of the mixing bowl. Take the chilled cinnamon sugar filling from the freezer and scatter small teaspoon-sized pieces over this dough layer. Then spread the reserved half of the dough on top, pressing it gently. Add the remaining cinnamon sugar pieces on top of this second dough layer.
- Fold Dough Briefly: Gently fold the layered dough and cinnamon sugar mixture just twice by scraping and folding, followed by one to two stirs with a rubber spatula. This technique keeps distinct chunks and swirls of cinnamon sugar within the dough.
- Scoop and Chill Dough Balls: Using a cookie scoop, portion two-tablespoon-sized dough balls ensuring each has cinnamon sugar mixed in. Place the balls on a plate and freeze for 10 minutes to firm up the butter preventing excessive spreading during baking.
- Arrange and Bake: Place chilled dough balls spaced a couple inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. For thicker cookies, keep the dough in high mounds; for thinner cookies, gently pat them down. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the edges begin to brown and centers are slightly underdone. Watch for some cinnamon sugar melting out which may cause slight misshaping.
- Cool and Serve: Transfer baking sheets to wire racks and allow cookies to cool completely. They will firm up while cooling, resulting in tender, soft cinnamon roll-inspired sugar cookies perfect for sharing.
Notes
- See note regarding flour measurement: spoon and level the flour to avoid dense cookies.
- Cookies that spread too much can be shaped immediately after removing from the oven by rolling them between your palms into a perfect round shape.
- Dough balls that don’t fit on the baking sheet can be refrigerated (not frozen) until the current batch finishes baking.
- Be careful not to overmix the dough after adding cinnamon sugar to preserve the swirled effect.
- Freezing dough balls before baking helps control the cookie spread and maintains texture.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 14g
- Sodium: 90mg
- Fat: 10g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3.5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 22g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 40mg
