Brown Butter Cinnamon Roll Cookies

This Brown Butter Cinnamon Roll is packed with cozy cinnamon flavor, swirled with buttery brown sugar filling, and drizzled with a tangy cream cheese glaze. They are perfect for holiday baking, weekend treats, or when you want something that tastes bakery-fancy but is totally do-able at home.

Author: Browndis

Meal Type: Peanuts Free

Cuisine: American

Difficulty: EASY

Prep. Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 12 minutes

Total Time: 32 minutes

Servings: 16 cookies

Calories: 221 kcal per serving

Ingredients

¾ cup - unsalted butter
¾ cup - light brown sugar
¼ cup - granulated sugar
1 - egg + egg yolk
1 tbsp - vanilla extract
2 cups - all-purpose flour
1 tsp - cornstarch
½ tsp - baking soda
½ tsp - baking powder
½ tsp - salt
3 tablespoons - unsalted butter
⅓ cup - light brown sugar
1 tbsp - ground cinnamon
1 tsp - flour
1 pinch - salt
2 ounces - cream cheese
2 tablespoons - unsalted butter
½ cup - powdered sugar
½ tsp - vanilla extract
1 tbsp - milk
1 pinch - salt

Instructions

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 forming at the bottom and the butter will smell nutty, like toasted hazelnuts. As soon as it turns golden 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.
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.
Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes. This keeps the cookies from spreading too much in the oven.
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.
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.
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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