Cookie Dough Cinnamon Rolls

Cookie Dough Cinnamon Rolls

These Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cinnamon Rolls are soft, fluffy, and baked with thick, melty chocolate chip cookie dough chunks in every swirl. The rolls rise tall, stay tender, and bake evenly with perfectly gooey centers. Finished with cookie-dough frosting and a brown butter cookie crumble, these taste like bakery cinnamon rolls crossed with warm chocolate chip cookies — the ultimate comfort baking recipe.

Why You’ll Love It

• Tall rolls with perfect spirals (strip method = gorgeous)
  
• Real cookie dough chunks, not streaks or ribbons
  
• Gooey centers without underbaking
  
• Heavy-cream brush for glossy, tender tops
  
• Cookie-dough frosting + crumble = unreal texture
  

Ingredient Overview

Cookie Dough Chunks:

Soft edible dough. Rolled, chilled, and cut into chunks.

Cinnamon Roll Dough:

Warm milk, yeast, sugar, egg + yolk, butter, vanilla, flour, salt, and optional milk powder.

Cinnamon Filling:

A filling of butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt — intentionally reduced so the cookie dough stays the star.

Cookie Dough Frosting:

Cream cheese + butter whipped with powdered sugar, vanilla, heavy cream, and mini chocolate chips.

Cookie Dough Crumble:

Brown butter mixed with flour, brown sugar, salt, vanilla, and mini chocolate chips, baked and crumbled.

Step Overview

1. Make cookie dough → freeze → cut into chunks.
   
2. Make cinnamon roll dough → rise.
   
3. Roll out dough → add filling → add cookie dough chunks.
   
4. Strip method: cut strips, roll individually.
   
5. Rise again.
   
6. Brush with heavy cream + bake.
   
7. Frost + add crumble.
   

Tips & Tricks

• Slightly tacky dough = the softest rolls.
  
• Brush the tops with cream to keep them super spft
  
• Roll individual strips for the tallest spirals.

Storage

• Room Temp: 1 day
  
• Fridge: 3–4 days
  
• Reheat: 10–12 seconds
  
• Freeze (unbaked): after shaping → thaw → rise → bake
  

These Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cinnamon Rolls are the perfect mashup of cozy cinnamon rolls and melty chocolate chip cookies. They’re indulgent enough for a special morning but simple enough for a weekend baking project — and they deliver warm, gooey, cookie-dough comfort in every bite.

Cookie Dough Cinnamon Rolls

Soft, fluffy cinnamon rolls swirled with thick chocolate chip cookie dough chunks, a cinnamon filling, and finished with cookie-dough frosting and a cookie crumble. Tall, tender, bakery-style rolls with melty cookie-dough pockets in every bite.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 35 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Rise Time 2 hours hrs

Total Time 3 hours hrs

Servings: 9 Cinnamon Rolls

Course: Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

Cookie Dough Chunks

• 70 g ½ cup minus 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour, heat-treated
• 85 g 6 Tbsp butter, softened
• 70 g ¼ cup + 1 Tbsp light brown sugar
• 35 g 3 Tbsp granulated sugar
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp fine sea salt
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 1 Tbsp 14 g cream cheese
• 1 –3 Tbsp milk or cream
• 2 –3 Tbsp mini chocolate chips

Cinnamon Roll Dough

• 240 ml 1 cup warm whole milk, 110°F
• 2¼ tsp active dry yeast
• 75 g ⅓ cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 85 g 6 Tbsp softened butter
• 1 Tbsp powdered milk optional
• 440 –460 g 3½–3¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Cinnamon Filling

• 50 g 3½ Tbsp softened butter
• 70 g ¼ cup + 1 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp vanilla
• Pinch fine salt
• 1 tsp cornstarch

Cookie Dough Frosting

• 113 g 4 oz / ½ cup cream cheese, softened
• 56 g 4 Tbsp butter, softened
• 100 –130 g ¾–1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Pinch salt
• 1 –2 Tbsp heavy cream
• 2 –3 Tbsp mini chocolate chips

Cookie Dough Crumble

• 40 g 3 Tbsp melted brown butter
• 50 g ¼ cup, packed brown sugar
• 60 g ½ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp fine salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 Tbsp mini chocolate chips

Equipment

• Stand mixer with dough hook
• Rolling Pin
• Pizza cutter or bench scraper
• Mixing bowls
• 9×3-inch baking pan
• Kitchen scale
• Offset spatula
• Hand mixer
• Parchment paper
• Rubber spatula

Method

 

Make the Cookie Dough Chunks

1. Heat-treat 70 g (½ cup minus 1 Tbsp) flour and cool.
2. Cream together 85 g (6 Tbsp) softened butter, 70 g (¼ cup + 1 Tbsp) brown sugar, and 35 g (3 Tbsp) granulated sugar.
3. Mix in ½ tsp vanilla, ½ tsp salt, and 1 Tbsp (14 g) cream cheese.
4. Add the cooled 70 g (½ cup minus 1 Tbsp) flour + 1 tsp cornstarch and mix until a dough forms.
5. Add 1–3 Tbsp milk or cream, 1 tsp at a time, until soft but not sticky.
6. Fold in 2–3 Tbsp mini chocolate chips.
7. Roll to ¼ inch thick between parchment and freeze 10 minutes.
8. Break into chunks.

Make the Dough

1. Combine 240 ml (1 cup) warm milk, 75 g (⅓ cup) sugar, and 2¼ tsp yeast; rest until foamy.
2. Mix in 1 egg, 1 yolk, 85 g (6 Tbsp) softened butter, and 1 tsp vanilla.
3. Add 440–460 g (3½–3¾ cups) flour, 1 tsp salt, and 1 Tbsp milk powder.
4. Knead 8–10 minutes until smooth and slightly tacky.
5. Place in greased bowl, cover, and rise 1–1.5 hours.

Make Cinnamon Filling

1. Combine all cinnamon-filling ingredients — the 50 g (3 ½ Tbsp) butter, 70 g (¼ cup + 1 Tbsp) brown sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon, ½ tsp vanilla, pinch of salt, and 1 tsp cornstarch (if using) — until smooth and paste-like.

Fill the Rolls

1. Roll dough into a 12×18 rectangle.
2. Spread the entire cinnamon filling mixture evenly over the rolled-out dough
3. Scatter all cookie-dough chunks evenly across the dough.

Strip Method

1. Cut the dough into 10–12 vertical strips.
2. Roll each strip individually into a spiral.
3. Place into a greased 9×13 pan.

Second Rise

1. Cover and rise 45–75 minutes until puffy and touching.

Bake

1. Brush the tops with 3–4 Tbsp heavy cream.
2. Bake at 350°F (177°C) for 24–28 minutes, or until the center rolls read 195–199°F.

Cookie Dough Frosting

1. Beat 113 g (4 oz / ½ cup) cream cheese and 56 g (4 Tbsp) butter.
2. Add 100–130 g (¾–1 cup) powdered sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, and a pinch of salt.
3. Add 1–2 Tbsp heavy cream until fluffy.
4. Fold in 2–3 Tbsp mini chocolate chips.
5. Spread onto warm rolls.

Add Crumble

1. Mix 40 g (3 Tbsp) melted brown butter, 50 g (¼ cup) brown sugar, 60 g (½ cup) flour, ½ tsp salt, and 1 tsp vanilla.
2. Bake 6–8 minutes at 350°F.
3. Crumble and stir in 2 Tbsp mini chocolate chips.
4. Sprinkle over frosted rolls.

Notes

TIPS & TRICKS.

• Slightly tacky dough = the softest, fluffiest rolls. Avoid adding too much flour.
• Brush the tops with heavy cream before baking — never pour it into the bottom of the pan.
• Roll each strip individually (strip method) for tall, perfect spirals.
  
  
• Frost while warm so the cookie dough frosting melts slightly into the spirals.
• Add crumble last so it stays crunchy.

STORAGE

• Room Temperature: Store tightly covered for 1 day.
• Refrigerator: 3–4 days in an airtight container.
• Reheat: Microwave 10–12 seconds for a soft, gooey center.
• Freezer (Unbaked): Shape rolls → freeze on sheet tray → transfer to bag → thaw overnight in fridge → rise → bake as directed.