Cinnamon Pinwheel Cookies

Cinnamon Pinwheel Cookies

Are you a fan of warm gooey cinnamon rolls and want that vibe in cookie form? If so, you’re in for a treat with our Cinnamon Pinwheel Cookies! These delightful treats are a perfect combination of a sugar cookie base and a luscious cinnamon swirl, making them a delicious cookie for a holiday cookie box or anytime really!

Ingredients for Cinnamon Pinwheels:

  • Unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • Sugar
  • Vanilla extract
  • All-purpose flour
  • Salt
  • Baking Powder
  • Egg
  • Cinnamon
  • Brown sugar
  • Cream cheese, softened
  • Powdered sugar
  • Milk or cream

Cinnamon Pinwheel Cookies

Supplies needed for Cinnamon Sugar Pinwheel Cookies:

  • Sheet Pan
  • Rolling Pin
  • ​Parchment Paper
  • Large mixing bowl
  • Cooling Rack

Instructions:

  1. Prepare the Sugar Cookie Dough: In a large bowl, cream together the room temperature butter, sugar, and egg until light and fluffy using an electric mixer.
  2. Combine Dry Ingredients:In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, salt and baking powder. Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients in the large bowl, mixing until a soft dough forms.
  3. Roll Out the Dough:On a lightly floured surface, roll out half of the dough into a large rectangle.
  4. Prepare the Cinnamon Swirl: Mix together brown sugar, ground cinnamon, and melted butter in a small bowl. Spread half of the cinnamon mixture evenly over the rolled-out dough.
  5. Create the Pinwheel: Use a rolling pin to roll the dough from the long side to form a tight log shape. Repeat the process with the remaining dough.
  6. Chill the Dough: Wrap each log in a piece of plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or until firm.
  7. Slice and Bake: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Using a sharp knife, slice the chilled dough logs into 1/4-inch thick rounds and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
  8. Bake to Perfection: Bake the cinnamon pinwheel cookies for 10-12 minutes or until the edges turn golden brown. Allow them to cool on a wire rack
  9. Glaze: Mix together softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, and a little milk or cream for a simple glaze to drizzle on cooled cookies. 
  10. Storage: Store these cinnamon pinwheel cookies in an airtight container for freshness. They can be enjoyed for several days.

If you liked these Cinnamon Roll Cookies you may also like:

Cinnamon Pinwheel Cookies

Cinnamon Pinwheel Cookies

Ingredients

For the Cookies:

  • 3 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 sticks butter, cold & cut into chunks
  • 1 egg
  • 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

For the Filling

  • 3 tablespoons butter- softened
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

For the Glaze:

  • 2 tablespoons cream cheese, softened
  • 1-2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1-2 tablespoons milk or cream

Instructions

  1. Stir together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
  2. Cream together the butter and sugar. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until mixed. Gradually add the flour mixture and mix until just combined. (Dough will be crumbly.)
  3. Transfer the dough to a well-floured surface and knead a few times until it is smooth. Divide the dough in half. Set one half aside.
  4. Roll the other into a 10 x 14 rectangle (give or take- it doesn't have to be exact.)
  5. Spread half of the softened butter over the dough- getting all the way to the edges.
  6. Stir together the brown sugar and cinnamon together, and sprinkle half of it over the dough, using your hand to create a thin, even layer to the edges.
  7. Slice the dough in half , creating two 10x7 rectangles, which will make it much easier to roll. Starting with the short side, roll the dough and place the first log seam down in the freezer.
  8. Repeat with the other half of the dough, and place that log in the freezer as well. Roll out the other half of the dough and repeat steps 4-7.
  9. Let all 4 logs of dough chill in the freezer for about 15-20 minutes, or until firm. Preheat oven to 375F.
  10. Slice the dough into rounds about a centimeter thick. Place the dough onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet and bake for 9-11 minutes, or until the edge is just golden brown. Repeat with the rest of the dough.

For the Glaze:

  1. Whisk together the softened cream cheese and 1 cup of powdered sugar. Add a tablespoon of milk/cream and stir together. Add more powdered sugar or milk as needed to create a thick glaze that will drizzle off the spoon.
  2. Drizzle the glaze on the cookies as they cool.

Notes

Base cookie recipe adapted from Bake at 350

Nutrition Information:
Serving Size: 1 grams
Amount Per Serving: Unsaturated Fat: 0g

Did you make this recipe?

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12 Comments

  1. These look amazing! I love the idea of a cinnamon roll in cookie form.

  2. A good helper is to make a slice vertically to an empty papertowel roll .. slip rolled cookie log into roll to keep the log from losing its round shape ! Works perfectly

  3. Is it possible to use the glaze for plain old cinnamon rolls? As opposed to the cream cheese one?

  4. What a genius idea! I had never thought to make cinnamon rolls in cookie form! These look soooo cute and I’m sure they taste delicious, too. Can’t wait to make these for my next tea party next week. I’ll let you know how they turn out, I hope they’ll come out at least half as cute as yours :)

    xo, Elisa

  5. These are THE CUTEST! I really thought they were mini cinnamon rolls…which would have also been great, but I think I like the concept even better in cookie form!

  6. I made these cookies over the weekend and they taste amazing! However, I had a lot of trouble rolling the dough as it keeps falling apart.

    I do realise after making that it’s best that my hands and work surface be as cold but do you have any tips?

  7. They are soo good! Had trouble rolling out, too crumby next time I’m going to use less flour!

  8. Michelle Roth says:

    I read the comments before making these today and they were Perfect ! Directions say to kneed the dough, instead I just worked the dough together a little bit with my hands to incorporate all of the flour before I removed the dough from my mixing bowl. I divided the dough in half & made sure all of the flour was incorporated and wrapped each half in wax paper and put in fridge before rolling out. Once dough chilled in fridge 15 minutes, I took one of the halves from fridge and rolled out on slightly floured wax paper. From there I followed the recipe exactly. Repeating with the other half of dough from fridge. These have a lovely pastry flavor and are good with or without a drizzle of icing. When iced they totally taste like a cinnamon roll.

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