Brown Butter Cinnamon Roll Cookies (Easy No-Roll Recipe)
Soft, chewy, and swirled with cinnamon-sugar, these Brown Butter Cinnamon Roll Cookies taste just like a cinnamon roll in cookie form — no rolling or yeast required. Topped with an optional cream cheese icing for that cinnamon roll taste.
If you love the gooey, cinnamon-sugar swirl of a cinnamon roll but wish you could have it in a soft, chewy cookie — this Brown Butter Cinnamon Roll Cookie recipe is your new favorite treat. It’s packed with cozy cinnamon flavor, swirled with buttery brown sugar filling, and drizzled with a tangy cream cheese glaze. Best of all? No rolling or fancy shaping required.
These cookies require some extra steps than your typical cookie recipe, but totally worth it. They are perfect for holiday baking, weekend treats, or when you want something that tastes bakery-fancy but is totally do-able at home. And yes — I’ll walk you through how to brown butter step-by-step so even if you’ve never baked before, you’ll nail it.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
No-roll, no-fuss: Just mix, swirl, scoop, and bake.
Double butter flavor: Brown butter in the dough + rich cinnamon filling.
Soft and chewy: Perfect texture every time.
Cream cheese glaze: Just like a cinnamon roll, but easier.
Cinnamon Roll Cookies with no icing.
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
¾ cup (170g) unsalted butter, browned and slightly cooled
¾ cup (157g) light brown sugar, packed
¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
2 cups + 2 Tbsp (255g) all-purpose flour
1 tsp cornstarch
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
Cinnamon Filling
3 Tbsp (34g) unsalted butter, melted
⅓ cup (65g) light brown sugar
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp flour
Pinch of salt
Cream Cheese Glaze
2 oz cream cheese, softened
2 Tbsp (28g) unsalted butter, softened
½ cup (60g) powdered sugar
½ tsp vanilla extract
1–2 Tbsp milk (to thin glaze)
Pinch of salt
No-roll cinnamon roll cookies with cream cheese icing.
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Brown the Butter (Don’t Skip This!)
This step gives your cookies that deep, nutty, caramel-like flavor.
Start with a light-colored pan — it makes it easier to see the butter changing color.
Cut the butter into chunks and place it in the pan over medium heat.
As it melts, you’ll see it foam and bubble — keep stirring or swirling the pan every few seconds.
After 4–6 minutes, you’ll see brown bits (milk solids) forming at the bottom and the butter will smell nutty, like toasted hazelnuts.
As soon as it turns golden brown (not dark brown!), remove it from the heat.
Pour into a heatproof bowl, making sure to scrape all the brown bits from the bottom — that’s where the flavor is. Stir the browned butter in the pan for about 5 secs and set aside.
Let cool for 10 minutes before using in the dough.
2. Make the Cookie Dough
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cooled browned butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth.
Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract. Whisk until combined and creamy.
In another bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture using a spatula until just combined. Don’t overmix — this keeps your cookies soft.
3. Make the Cinnamon Filling
In a separate small bowl, stir together the melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, flour, and a pinch of salt.
It should look like a thick paste, not runny. If it’s too loose, add an extra pinch of flour.
4. Swirl the Filling into the Dough
Drop small spoonfuls of the cinnamon filling all over the top of the cookie dough — don’t dump it all in one spot. This helps the filling spread more evenly.
Using a spatula or wooden spoon, fold the dough just 2–3 times. Think of it like making marble cake batter — you want visible streaks of filling, not a fully blended dough.
Important: If you see a big pocket of filling sink to the bottom of the mixing bowl, scoop up a little plain dough from another spot and gently press it under the filling. This keeps too much sugar-butter mix from sitting on the very bottom of any one cookie (which can turn hard like toffee during baking).
Stop folding as soon as you see ribbons of cinnamon running through the dough. Overmixing will make the filling disappear and can cause it to leak more when baking.
5. Chill the Dough
Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes. This keeps the cookies from spreading too much in the oven.
6. Scoop and Bake
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Scoop the dough into 2-tablespoon balls and place them 2 inches apart. When scooping, position the swirl toward the top of the dough ball and seal the bottom with plain dough (so filling isn’t in direct contact with the pan).
Bake for 9-10 minutes, until the edges are set, golden color and the centers look slightly soft.
Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.
7. Make the Cream Cheese Glaze
Beat cream cheese and butter together until smooth.
Add powdered sugar, vanilla, and a pinch of salt.
Mix in milk, a TBSP at a time, until the glaze is thin enough to drizzle.
8. Glaze the Cookies
Once cookies are completely cool, with a spoon dollop the glaze over the tops of the cookie and with the back of the spoon gently spread through the top of the cookies.
Overhead shot Cinnamon Roll Cookies with Cream Cheese Icing.
Expert Tips for Perfect Cinnamon Roll Cookies
Chill your dough: This stops overspreading and keeps them thick.
Don’t overmix the swirl: Folding too much will make the filling disappear into the dough.
Glaze after cooling: If cookies are warm, the glaze will melt off. d
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Do I have to brown the butter? No, but it’s what makes these cookies special. Browning butter adds a rich, toasty flavor you can’t get from regular melted butter.
Q: Can I make these ahead of time? Yes! You can refrigerate the dough for up to 48 hours before baking, or freeze scooped dough balls for up to 2 months. Bake straight from frozen — just add 1–2 minutes.
Q: How do I store these cookies? Keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, freeze without the glaze, then thaw and glaze before serving.
Q: Can I make them less sweet? Yes — reduce the brown sugar in the dough to ½ cup and the granulated sugar to 3 Tbsp. You can also cut the powdered sugar in the glaze in half.
Q: Can I skip the glaze? Sure! They’re still delicious without it, but the glaze adds that signature cinnamon roll finish.
¾ cup (170g) unsalted butter, browned and slightly cooled
3/4 cup (157g) light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk, room temp
1 TBSP vanilla extract
2 cups + 2 Tbsp (255g) all-purpose flour
1 tsp cornstarch
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
Cinnamon Filling
3 Tbsp (34g) unsalted butter, melted
⅓ cup (65g) light brown sugar
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp flour
pinch of salt
Cream Cheese Glaze
2 oz cream cheese, softened
2 Tbsp (28g) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup (60g) powdered sugar
½ tsp vanilla extract
1–2 Tbsp milk to thin out the glaze
pinch of salt
Instructions
Cookie Dough
Cut the butter into chunks and place it in the pan over medium heat (preferably a light colored pan). As it melts, you’ll see it foam and bubble — keep stirring or swirling the pan every few seconds. After 4–6 minutes, you’ll see brown bits (milk solids) forming at the bottom and the butter will smell nutty, like toasted hazelnuts. As soon as it turns golden brown (not dark brown!), remove it from the heat. Pour into a heatproof bowl, making sure to scrape all the brown bits from the bottom — that’s where the flavor is. Stir the browned butter in the pan for about 5 secs and set aside. Let cool for 10 minutes before using in the dough.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cooled browned butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth.
Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract. Whisk until combined and creamy.
In another bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture using a spatula until just combined. Don’t overmix — this keeps your cookies soft. Make sure to scrap the bottom the bowl fo any hidden flour.
Cinnamon Filling
In a separate small bowl, stir together the melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, flour, and a pinch of salt.
It should look like a thick paste, not runny. If it’s too loose, add an extra pinch of flour.
Drop small spoonfuls of the cinnamon filling all over the top of the cookie dough — don’t dump it all in one spot. This helps the filling spread more evenly. Using a spatula or wooden spoon, fold the dough just 2–3 times. Think of it like making marble cake batter — you want visible streaks of filling, not a fully blended dough. *Important: If you see a big pocket of filling sink to the bottom of the mixing bowl, scoop up a little plain dough from another spot and gently press it under the filling. This keeps too much sugar-butter mix from sitting on the very bottom of any one cookie (which can turn hard like toffee during baking). Stop folding as soon as you see ribbons of cinnamon running through the dough. Overmixing will make the filling disappear and can cause it to leak more when baking.
Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes. This keeps the cookies from spreading too much in the oven.
Bake Cookies
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Scoop the dough into 2-tablespoon balls and place them 2 inches apart. When scooping, position the swirl toward the top of the dough ball and seal the bottom with plain dough (so filling isn’t in direct contact with the pan).
Bake for 9-10 minutes, until the edges are set, golden color and the centers look slightly soft.
Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Cream Cheese Glaze
Beat or vigoursly whisk cream cheese and butter together until smooth.
Add powdered sugar, vanilla, and a pinch of salt.
Mix in milk, a TBSP at a time, until the glaze is thin enough to drizzle.
Glaze the cookies once cookies are completely cool, with a spoon dollop the glaze over the tops of the cookie and with the back of the spoon gently spread through the top of the cookies.
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