Cookies and Cream Cinnamon Rolls

Prep: 30 mins

Cook: 20 mins

Rise: 45 mins

Total: 95 mins

Servings: 8 roll

Yield: 8 rolls

When the line between breakfast treat and dessert are blurred, you know it’s going to be a delicious dish. Imagine your favorite batch of cinnamon rolls, but filled with a cookies and cream swirl, topped with a vanilla creme icing and then sprinkled with more crushed cream filled sandwich cookies on top. Pure brunch heaven.

The best part is, this fun family recipe doesn’t involve making a yeast dough from scratch. In fact, the dough for the cinnamon rolls is made from a loaf of frozen bread dough or pizza dough. All you have to do is thaw it out and then roll out the dough into a square.

This is a recipe where kids love to get involved in the cooking process. Younger kids can be in charge of crushing the cookies, while older kids love rolling up the rolls and watching them rise. It's fun for the whole family.

“When the average cinnamon roll just isn’t up to snuff, you can spice them up with a recipe like this! Just make sure not to over-bake, or the rolls might yet too hard.” —Noah Velush-Rogers

A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

Cookies and Cream Rolls:

• All-purpose flour, for rolling

• 1 (1 pound) frozen bread or pizza dough, thawed to room temperature)

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar

• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/4 cup crushed oreo cookies

• Cooking spray, as needed

Vanilla Cream Icing and Cookie Topping:

• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

• 1 cup confectioners' sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• 2 tablespoons milk, more as needed

• 2 tablespoons crushed oreo cookies

Steps to Make It

1. Gather the ingredients.

   

2. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 12×16 inch rectangle.

   

3. Brush with the melted butter.

   

4. In a small bowl combine the sugar, cocoa powder, and cinnamon.

   

5. Sprinkle over the butter, covering the surface evenly. Leave a 1/2-inch border all around.

   

6. Evenly distribute the crushed cookies over the dough.

   

7. Starting on long side, roll up the dough jelly roll style.

   

8. Cut into 8 equal pieces.

   

9. Place the rolls, cut side up in an 8- or 9-inch round baking pan that has been coated with non-stick cooking spray.

   

10. Cover rolls lightly with plastic wrap that has been lightly sprayed with non-stick cooking spray and let proof or rise until double in size. While the rolls are rising, position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 350 F.

    

11. Bake until the rolls are light golden, 15 to 20 minutes.

    

12. While the rolls are baking, make the glaze. In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese and butter. Mix until light and fluffy.

    

13. Add the confectioners' sugar and vanilla extract. Stir to combine. Add the milk and mix to combine. Add more milk 1 tablespoon at a time if necessary, until the glaze reaches desired consistency.

    

14. Remove the baked rolls from the oven and place on a wire rack. Let cool slightly.

    

15. Spread the icing over the top while still warm.

    

16. Sprinkle with remaining crushed cookies. Serve warm and enjoy!

    

Storage

Any leftover cinnamon rolls should be cooled then wrapped in plastic wrap or kept in an airtight container to keep them fresh and soft. You can also freeze the plain un-iced rolls.

How do you keep cinnamon rolls from getting hard?

There are two reasons cinnamon rolls become hard: a certain ratio of yeast to flour and over-baking. Since this recipe uses a pre-made bread dough, you don't have to worry about the ratios of flour to yeast. When baking the cinnamon rolls, setting a timer and removing them immediately after cooking helps prevent over-baking and getting to too hard.

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories	435
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 21g	27%
Saturated Fat 11g	55%
Cholesterol 45mg	15%
Sodium 293mg	13%
Total Carbohydrate 56g	21%
Dietary Fiber 2g	6%
Total Sugars 26g
Protein 6g
Vitamin C 0mg	0%
Calcium 33mg	3%
Iron 3mg	18%
Potassium 96mg	2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.