Easy Cinnamon Roll Cookies with Soft Chewy Texture

These cinnamon roll cookies add a brown-sugar cinnamon swirl to a soft cookie dough.

Ingredients

Measure the ingredients below before you begin. Optional additions are marked in the list.

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened (for cinnamon swirl)
• ⅓ cup packed brown sugar (for cinnamon swirl)
• 1½ tablespoons all-purpose flour (for cinnamon swirl)
• 2½ teaspoons ground cinnamon (for cinnamon swirl)
• Pinch of salt (for cinnamon swirl)
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened but still cool to the touch (for cookie dough)
• 1 ⅓ cups granulated sugar (for cookie dough)
• 1 ¾ teaspoons pure vanilla extract (for cookie dough)
• 1 large egg (for cookie dough)
• 1 large egg yolk (for cookie dough)
• 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour (for cookie dough, see note for measuring)
• ¾ teaspoon baking powder (for cookie dough)
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch (for cookie dough)
• ¼ teaspoon salt (for cookie dough)

How to make it

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) with racks near the center. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

2. For the Cinnamon Swirl Mixture: In a small bowl, combine 4 tablespoons softened unsalted butter, ⅓ cup packed brown sugar, 1½ tablespoons all-purpose flour, 2½ teaspoons ground cinnamon, and a pinch of salt. Mix until well combined using a small rubber spatula or fork. Place this mixture in the freezer for about 10 minutes while you prepare the cookie dough.

3. For the Cookie Dough: Using a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat 1 cup softened unsalted butter and 1 ⅓ cups granulated sugar until light and creamy. Add 1 ¾ teaspoons pure vanilla extract, 1 large egg, and 1 large egg yolk, and beat until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.

4. In a separate bowl, combine 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour (see note on properly measuring flour), ¾ teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon cornstarch, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat until just combined.

5. Remove half of the cookie dough from the mixing bowl and spread the remaining dough out across the bottom of the mixing bowl. Remove the cinnamon mixture from the freezer and use two spoons to scoop small pieces (about a teaspoon each) of the cinnamon mixture, placing them all over the dough in the mixing bowl.

6. Once half of the cinnamon mixture has been used, take the cookie dough you set aside and spread or press it with your fingers into a somewhat even layer on top of the cinnamon and dough in the mixing bowl. Proceed to add the remaining cinnamon mixture (in little pieces) all over the top of that piece of dough. Your bowl should now have two layers of cookie dough, each layer topped with cinnamon sugar bits.

7. Once the dough is layered, you are going to fold and mix it just barely. Do two folds, scraping up and over, followed by one to two stirs by hand with a rubber spatula. Do not use an electric mixer; this needs to be a brief stir that leaves some pieces of the cinnamon mixture in chunks and some pieces swirled into the dough.

8. Scoop the dough into two-tablespoon portions using a cookie scoop, ensuring each scoop has a fair amount of dough mixed with cinnamon. Place the dough balls on a plate and freeze for 10 minutes. This quick chill firms up the butter to prevent excessive spreading during baking.

9. Place dough balls a couple inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. For thicker cookies, leave the dough balls in higher mounds; for thinner cookies, give them a slight pat down before baking. Any dough balls that do not fit into the current batch should be refrigerated (not frozen) until the baking sheets have cooled and you're ready to bake them.

10. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the cookies have spread, the edges are beginning to brown, and the center is still slightly underdone.

11. Some of the cookies may bake up a little misshapen. See notes for shaping cookies as soon as they come out of the oven. Place baking sheets on wire racks and allow cookies to cool completely. They will firm up as they cool.

Tips and serving

Chill the dough as directed so the swirl keeps its shape during baking.

For more ideas, try Easy Homemade Churros Poppers Recipe with Cinnamon Sugar or Easy Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies with Gooey Centers.