Cinnamon buns in the form of a cookie complete with the telltale swirly middles and powdered sugar icing. So cute and charming. Like mini cinnamon rolls. Minus all the work.
These are what you call “refrigerator” cookies. Just like cinnamon buns the vanilla cookie dough is rolled out into a rectangle and brushed with egg white then sprinkled all over with cinnamon sugar.
The dough gets rolled up, chilled well then sliced into cookies, baked and iced with a sweet and sticky glaze.
Kind of crispy around the edges with soft middles, they taste exactly like cinnamon buns.
My family was crazy for them. As was I. They disappeared faster than I would have liked.
Next time I’m baking a double batch!
Cinnamon buns in the form of a cookie complete with the telltale swirly middles and powdered sugar icing.
Ingredients
Instructions
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl beat together the sugar, butter, salt and vanilla on medium speed about 3 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the flour and stir until the dough comes together. Flatten into a disk, wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate about 1 hour or until well chilled.
- Lightly flour a piece of parchment or waxed paper and roll the dough into a 9x12-inch rectangle.
- In a small bowl whisk the egg white and water together until foamy. In a separate small bowl whisk the sugar and cinnamon together. Brush the egg white all over the dough and sprinkle the cinnamon sugar evenly over top.
- Starting with a long edge roll the dough carefully into a log sealing the edge with the egg white. Wrap in plastic wrap or parchment and freeze until firm.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease or line 2 cookies sheets with parchment or silpats. Use a sharp knife to gently cut the log into 1/2-inch slices. Transfer them to the baking sheets and bake 12 to 15 minutes until lightly golden. Remove to wire racks to cool.
- Sift the confectioners' sugar into a medium-sized bowl and whisk in the cream and vanilla until smooth. Drizzle over the cooled cookies or use a piping bag or baggie with the corner cut off to decorate.
Notes
Adapted from King Arthur Cookie Companion


















These are awesome! Made them for work and my mommy’s group. Everyone loved them! I followed the icing the first time but used cream cheese icing the second.
Thanks Erin! Love the idea of cream cheese icing!
I love these cookies! I found the original KAF recipe very hard to roll but this was so easy and they looked beautiful. I did add a few drops of cinnamon oil to the swirl mixture to bump up the cinnamon taste. I also rolled it thinner and bigger and got 40 cookies yield.
Thanks a lot Michele! I love that you added cinnamon oil! Great idea.
The dough was so dry and crumbly I couldn’t even get it to roll the whole. What is it that I did wrong I followed the recipe and the directions along with the time in the fridge.
I’m not sure Saba but it sounds like you had too much flour or not enough butter? I’m sorry it didn’t work out! The recipes been tested. Here is the link to Steph who made them and posted it. I hope you’ll try them again.
Hi Saba! Crumbly is ok as long as it stays put when you pack it together. It should be a soft, thick dough. I would try kneading it a little bit to see if it comes together better.