Sourdough Cinnamon Roll Cookies

5 from 1 vote

These sourdough cinnamon roll cookies are thick, chewy, and loaded with cinnamon flavor. Made with brown butter for a rich, nutty base, they come together easily without a mixer, then get swirled with cinnamon sugar and finished with a classic cream cheese icing.

Prep Time20

Cook Time14

Chill Time30

Total Time1 4

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: cookies

Author: Emily Christensen

Equipment

Ingredients

Cookie Dough

227 grams salted butter 1 cup
250 grams brown sugar 1¼ cup, packed
1 large egg
75 grams sourdough discard ⅓ cup
13 grams vanilla extract 1 Tablespoon
5 grams baking soda 1 teaspoon
3 grams salt ½ teaspoon
350 grams all-purpose flour 2½ cups

Cinnamon Sugar Filling

57 grams salted butter, softened 4 Tablespoons
100 grams brown sugar ½ cup
8 grams cinnamon 1 Tablespoon

Cream Cheese Icing

28 grams cream cheese, softened 2 Tablespoons
120 grams powdered sugar 1 cup
5 grams vanilla extract 1 teaspoon
30-45 grams milk 2-3 Tablespoons

Instructions

Begin by making the the cinnamon sugar filling. Do this by mixing the softened butter with brown sugar and cinnamon.
57 grams salted butter, softened, 100 grams brown sugar, 8 grams cinnamon
Spread a thin layer of the filling out on a piece of parchment paper. I find short and quick strokes work best when spreading it as the mixture likes to stick to the spatula.
Place the mixture in the freezer while making the cookie dough.
Brown the butter by cutting it into cubes. Add it to a light-colored pan, if you have one, so that you can easily see when the butter has browned. Heat over medium heat, stirring consistently to prevent the butter from burning. Heat for about 5-8 minutes or until the milk solids have turned a golden brown color and you can smell the nutty aroma. Remove from the pan and let it cool for a few minutes.
227 grams salted butter
Once the brown butter has cooled somewhat, mix the brown butter and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl.
250 grams brown sugar
Stir in the egg, sourdough discard, and vanilla extract.
1 large egg, 75 grams sourdough discard, 13 grams vanilla extract
Add the baking soda, salt and all-purpose flour until it is just incorporated.
5 grams baking soda, 3 grams salt, 350 grams all-purpose flour
Remove the cinnamon sugar filling from the freezer and bring the sides of the parchment paper together to start breaking it up into different sized pieces. If the mixture is not firm yet, return it to the freezer until it is firm and can be easily removed from the parchment paper.
Dump the cinnamon sugar pieces into the bowl and fold them into the dough until it's just incorporated; don’t overmix.
Use a 4-tablespoon cookie scoop or, if using a 2-tablespoon scoop, portion two scoops (about 60 grams total), and stack them on top of each other. Quickly roll the dough between your palms to form a tall cylinder, then place it on a lined baking sheet. You should end up with 16 cookies.
Cover the pan and put it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or up to 3 days.
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350ºF and put 8 cookies on a lined baking sheet. Bake for about 14 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned and the tops have lost their sheen. Repeat with the remaining cookies.
If you’re baking 2 cookie sheets at once, rotate the pans on the racks halfway through baking.
Remove the cookies from the oven and let them sit for a couple of minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
In a small bowl, mix together the cream cheese icing and drizzle it over the cookies.
28 grams cream cheese, softened, 120 grams powdered sugar, 5 grams vanilla extract, 30-45 grams milk

Notes

For perfectly round cookies every time, immediately after removing them from the oven, place a large round mason jar ring around each cookie and gently rotate it in a circular motion until it reaches your desired shape.
To get tall, thick cookies, shape the dough into a taller cylinder. This helps the cookies hold their height as they bake instead of spreading too much.
Don’t over-bake! Cookies continue to bake as they cool, so don’t over-bake these. Once they start to brown on the sides and lose the sheen on top, pull them out.
To get visible swirls of cinnamon sugar, avoid overmixing once the cinnamon sugar shards are added. Mix just until they’re evenly distributed.

Nutrition