Cookies and Cream Cinnamon Rolls
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These incredible cookies and cream cinnamon rolls combine two of your favorite sweet treats: cinnamon buns and oreo cookies!
Soft, delicious brioche dough is packed with cream cheese and crushed Oreos, shaped into giant rolls, and baked to golden brown perfection. An Oreo milk frosting is drizzled on top followed by a drizzle of crushed Oreo pieces to finish these cinnamon rolls with the perfect amount of cookies and cream flavor.
If you are an Oreo fan you will also love this scrumptious Oreo Poke Cake recipe!
Homemade cinnamon rolls are a classic sweet breakfast and can be a tasty dessert, too. For this recipe, we’ve replaced the traditional cinnamon and sugar filling with a delicious cookies and cream mixture. These rolls are soft, fluffy, and absolutely irresistible!
While these oreo rolls are from scratch, if you are looking for a shortcut I would highly recommend this tiktok cinnamon roll hack. Also, you don’t want to miss our Air Fryer Cinnamon Rolls if you’re as obsessed with your air fryer as we are.
But you’re here for the Oreo cinnamon rolls, so let’s get to it! They’re a fun twist on the classic cinnamon roll, and your kids are going to love them. Make them for a special occasion, like Christmas morning, or for a special birthday—or no reason at all!
Ingredients
This section includes ingredient notes and substitution options. Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable recipe card at the end of this post.
- Milk— Any milk of your choice is fine for both the dough and the glaze. It needs to be slightly warmed for the dough. We prefer whole milk for richer flavor.
- Granulated sugar— You’ll need granulated sugar for both the dough and the filling. In the dough, it serves as the food source for the yeast and sweetens the dough.
- Warm water— The warm water helps activate the yeast.
- Yeast— Active dry yeast is best for this recipe.
- Eggs and egg yolk— Use eggs at room temperature so that they’re easier to mix into the dough and help it to rise better.
- Brown sugar— This gives the cinnamon rolls added caramel-like flavor. If you don’t have any, you can substitute granulated sugar, but it will alter the flavor of the cinnamon rolls.
- Vanilla— Pure vanilla extract boosts the flavor of these yummy homemade cinnamon rolls.
- Flour— You’ll need 9 cups of flour for this recipe, so make sure you have enough before you get started! The all-purpose flour needs to be carefully measured. Level off the measuring cup (without packing the flour) by using the flat edge of a knife to scrape the excess off the top of the cup.
- Salt— This helps with the timing of the rising of the dough and adds just the right amount of salt to balance out the sweet ingredients.
- Butter— Unsalted butter, cubed and softened to room temperature for both the dough and the filling.
- Cream cheese— Softened, full-fat cream cheese works best for cinnamon rolls.
- Oreos— Get that classic cookies and cream flavor with everyone’s favorite cookie. You can use any chocolate sandwich cookies you’d like. Make quick of crushing them by using a food processor!
- Powdered Sugar— This goes into the frosting. It’s also called confectioner’s sugar or icing sugar.
Equipment You’ll Need to Make Oreo Cinnamon Rolls
- Stand mixer
- Rolling pin
- Whisk
- Mixing bowls
- Sharp knife
- Baking sheets
- Measuring cups and spoons (for liquids and dry measures)
- Food processor (optional – for chopping the cookies)
How to Make Cookies and Cream Cinnamon Rolls
This section shows you how to make the recipe with step-by-step photos and instructions. For the full printable recipe, see the recipe card below.
Step 1: Combine the milk, sugar, water, and yeast in a bowl of a stand mixer. Let the mixture stand for 5 minutes to proof the yeast.
Tip: It should become frothy. If it does, you’re good to go. If not, your yeast is expired or the water was too hot and killed the yeast. In that case, start again.
Step 2: Once the mixture is frothy, add the eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla extract. Whisk together. Next, add the flour and salt. Use a dough hook attachment to bring the dough together. Let the dough knead for 5 minutes on medium speed.
Step 3: Add the cubed butter and continue kneading. Once the butter has been incorporated, knead for 8 more minutes.
Step 4: After the dough has been kneaded, roll it into a ball, return it to the mixing bowl, and cover it with a damp towel. Set it in a slightly warm place to let the dough rise for 1 hour or until it has doubled in size.
Step 5: Once the dough has doubled in size, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Dust the dough with flour, and use a rolling pin to roll it out into a large rectangle (about 21×27-inches).
Step 6: Make the filling by whisking together the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add the sugar, and whisk until combined.
Step 7: Spread the cream cheese filling over the top of the dough and then cover with crushed Oreos.
Step 8: Roll the cinnamon roll dough up in a tight log, gently pinching the seams together. Cut the roll into 12 two-inch rolls or 24 one-inch rolls.
Step 9: Carefully lay the rolls in greased baking sheets or pans. Place the pans in a slightly warm area, allowing them to rise for 30 minutes or until almost doubled in size.
Step 10: While the rolls are rising, preheat the oven to 350°F. When they’re ready, place the pans in the oven, and bake for 26 to 32 minutes, or until baked through. Bake time will vary based on how tightly the rolls were placed in the pans and how large they are.
Step 11: Once they’re done baking, remove them from the oven, and place the rolls on a cooling rack to cool slightly before frosting.
Step 12: To make the frosting, place the milk of choice and Oreos in a bowl, letting the cookies soak for 5 minutes. The Oreos will be very soft and almost dissolved into the milk. Stir the milk mixture until smooth.
Step 13: Add the Oreo mixture to the powdered sugar and whisk together until a smooth frosting forms. Drizzle the frosting over the rolls. Sprinkle some crushed cookie pieces on top of the frosting.
Serving Suggestions
Enjoy a pillowy cinnamon roll with a tall glass of milk or a hot cup of coffee!
If you’re serving these fluffy cinnamon rolls for breakfast for a special occasion, like Christmas morning, pair them with some savory dishes as well, like this farmer’s breakfast casserole, biscuits and gravy casserole, or these sausage squares.
Storage and Freezing
Store oreo cinnamon rolls at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
To freeze baked cookies and cream cinnamon rolls, place them in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- If the yeast mixture does not become frothy during the proofing stage, it may be either because the milk or water were too hot, killing the yeast. Or the yeast could be expired. Either way, you need to start over to prevent wasting additional ingredients.
- Make sure you knead the dough well before letting it rise. Kneading promotes the development of gluten, creating elasticity, which makes for soft and fluffy rolls.
- If the frosting is too thick, whisk in 1 or 2 teaspoons of milk until you get the desired consistency. If it’s too thin, whisk in 1 or 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar.
- Out of brown sugar? You can substitute regular granulated sugar in its place. It will taste a little different, but will still bake up the same.
- If cream cheese isn’t your thing, you can make a butter filling instead. However, the flavor of the cream cheese helps balance out the sweetness of the Oreos,
Additions and Variations
Try Golden Oreos. You can use any flavor of Oreos you like for these cinnamon buns. Golden Oreos with their vanilla flavor would work nicely, but you’ll want to add cinnamon, too, so they have more depth of flavor. Just don’t use Double Stuffed or Mega Stuffed Oreos because the extra filling will introduce too much sweetness and moisture.
Try a different type of cookie. Instead of Oreo cookies, try a different type altogether. Gingersnaps could be a delicious option, especially for the holidays! Perhaps Nutter Butters are more your style if you’re a fan of peanut butter!
Cookies and Cream Cinnamon Rolls Recipe FAQ
Dry cinnamon rolls are often a result of adding too much flour to the dough. This can happen when you don’t measure carefully. Make sure you use measuring cups for dry ingredients, spoon your floud in and scrape off any excess from the top of the cup.
No, they don’t have to touch when baking, but it helps when spreading frosting over the cinnamon rolls since you don’t need to be as meticulous. Usually they will be touching by the time they are done baking anyway.
Yes, you absolutely can. However, it will have less of a “caramel” taste that the brown sugar gives due to the molasses in the sugar.
It’s important not to overfill your cinnamon rolls. Spread out the mixture in a thin layer, and seal and roll your log up tight. If you want more “filling,” make some extra and use it as a glaze for dipping.
We recommend all-purpose flour because that’s what many people keep in their pantries. You can, however, use bread flour if you prefer.
More Sweet Breakfast Recipes
- Apple Danish with Crumb Topping
- Best Easy Monkey Bread (with canned biscuits)
- Blueberry French Toast Casserole
- Unicorn Bread
- Cinnamon Swirl Pumpkin Spice Pancakes
Cookies and Cream Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 1 ⅔ cups warm milk
- ⅓ cup + 3 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup warm water
- 4 teaspoons yeast
- 4 eggs + 1 yolk
- 3 Tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 9 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 ½ cups softened butter cubed
For the Filling
- 8 ouncees cream cheese
- ½ cup butter room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 3 cups crushed Oreos
For the Frosting
- ¼ cup milk
- 6 Oreo cookies
- 2 cups confectioners sugar
- ½ cup coarsley crushed Oreos for topping
Instructions
Make the dough
- Mix the milk, sugar, water, and yeast together in the bowl of a stand mixer. Let stand for 5 minutes to allow the yeast to proof.
- Once the mixture is frothy, add the eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla; whisk together. Next, add the flour and salt.
- Using the dough hook attachment, bring the dough together and then let the dough knead for 5 minutes on medium speed.
- Add the cubed butter and continue kneading. Once the butter has been incorporated, knead for 8 more minutes.
- Roll the dough into a ball, return to the mixing bowl, and cover with a damp towel. Set in a slightly warm place to rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
Assemble the rolls
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Dust the top with flour and use a rolling pin to roll it out into a large, thin rectangle (approx. 21 x 27 inches).
- To make the filling, whisk together the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add the sugar, and whisk until combined. Spread the cream cheese filling over the surface of the dough, then cover it with crushed Oreos.
- Roll the dough up in a tight roll and gently pinch the seams together. Use a sharp knife to cut the roll into 12-2” rolls or 24-1” rolls.
- Carefully lay the rolls in one large or two medium-sized, greased baking sheets or pans.
- Place the pans into a slightly warm area to rise for 30 minutes or until almost doubled in size.
Bake and glaze
- While the rolls are rising, preheat the oven to 350° F. Once risen, place the pans into the preheated oven to bake for 26-32 minutes, or until baked through. The bake time will vary based on how tightly the rolls are placed in the pans and how large the rolls are.
- Once baked, remove from the oven and place onto a cooling rack to cool slightly before frosting.
- To make the frosting, place the milk and Oreos in a bowl and let soak for 5 minutes. The Oreos will be very soft and practically dissolved into the milk. Stir together to finish breaking up the Oreos until smooth. Add the Oreo milk to the powdered sugar and whisk until a smooth frosting has formed.
- Drizzle over the rolls then sprinkle crushed Oreo pieces on top of the frosting.
Notes
- If the yeast does not become frothy when proofing, it may be either because the milk or water were too hot and killed the yeast, or the yeast has expired. In either case, you will need to start over to prevent wasting any additional ingredients.
- Be sure to knead the dough well before letting it rise. Kneading allows the gluten to develop, creating elasticity which in turn creates soft, fluffy rolls.
- If the glaze is too thick, whisk in 1-2 teaspoons of milk until the desired consistency has been achieved. If the glaze becomes too thin, whisk in 1-2 Tbsp powdered sugar.
- Store rolls at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
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