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Cinnamon Blondies combine a dessert with a breakfast treat for a fantastic cookie bar! They are one of my favorite EASY blondie recipes full of brown sugar and cinnamon and topped with a cream cheese frosting. These are heavenly, and everyone asks me for the recipe every time I make them!
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Best Ever Cinnamon Roll Blondies
Do not underestimate these blondies. Yes, they look a little plain, and yes, they’re brown instead of golden. But what they lack in looks they make up in flavor – these cinnamon roll blondies are one of my all-time favorite blondie recipes.
You guys know me – I get inspiration everywhere, and when I thought about combining cinnamon rolls with blondies, I just had to try it. Breakfast meets dessert in these easy cinnamon blondies with cream cheese frosting, and, let me just say, it’s fantastic.
There’s something about the rich blondie and the warm cinnamon that is just…right. And then they’re frosted with cream cheese frosting! It’s like a cinnamon roll…in blondie form.
This recipe starts with my basic blondie recipe, which is my favorite bar cookie recipe ever. It’s got butter and two full cups of brown sugar in it. That makes them stay super soft and gives them a very rich cookie taste.
This recipe is from my cookbook: Crazy for Cookies, Brownies and Bars! You can order your copy here – you’re not going to want to miss this book.
Cinnamon Blondie Bars Recipe Video
Ingredients in Cinnamon Roll Bars
Butter: Softened unsalted butter is perfect for these bars.
Brown Sugar: Two whole cups of it!
Large Eggs: Makes them nice and chewy and helps them with that fudgy texture
Vanilla extract and Cinnamon: For flavor
Baking Powder: Instead of soda, we use baking powder for these, which helps keep them soft.
Salt and All-purpose flour: Regular blondie ingredients
Cream Cheese, Powdered sugar, Cream: To make the frosting.
How to make Cinnamon Roll Blondies
- Cream the brown sugar and ½ cup of softened butter in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment (or you can use a hand mixer).
- Add the eggs and one tablespoon of vanilla and beat well until combined.
- Mix in the cinnamon, baking powder, salt.
- Add the flour and mix until smooth.
- The dough will be sticky, so coat your hands with cooking spray and press the dough into the pan. The cooking spray will keep the dough from sticking to your hands.
- Bake the cinnamon roll cookie bars for 18 to 22 minutes. Be sure not to overbake the bars. You will know when they are done when the center is still jiggly. They will continue cooking in the pan and will set as they cool.
- For the cream cheese frosting, cream softened butter and cream cheese in a large bowl. Slowly mix in the powdered sugar and vanilla. Add the cream and mix again. If your frosting is too thick, you can add a little more cream to thin it.
- Spread the frosting over the top of the cooled cinnamon roll cookie bars. Slice and serve!
FAQ
Spray your hands with nonstick cooking spray to keep the dough from sticking to them.
Blondies are done when they start to lose their glossy sheen. Cinnamon roll squares will still be a little jiggly in the center, too.
For the best fudgy brownies, don’t overbake them.
Store cinnamon roll blondies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Freeze the bars in a single layer in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to one month. If you love cinnamon, cream cheese frosting, and fudgy blondies, you will love these cinnamon roll blondies.
I can’t get enough of them when I make a batch – you won’t either! So, give them a try and fall in love as I did the first time I made them. They are simply the best. Enjoy!
More Blondie Recipes You Should Try
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Cinnamon Blondies Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups (400g) brown sugar
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups (248g) all purpose flour
For the Frosting
- 2 tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, softened
- 4 ounces (112g) cream cheese softened
- 2 cups (226g) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1-2 teaspoons heavy whipping cream or milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9×13” pan with foil and spray with cooking spray.
- Cream brown sugar and ½ cup butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add eggs and 1 tablespoon vanilla and beat until combined. Add cinnamon, baking powder, salt, and flour and mix.
- Press into prepared pan (dough is sticky, spray your hands with cooking spray to avoid it sticking to your hands).
- Bake for about 18-22 minutes. (Be careful not to overcook – the center will still be jiggly when you take these out of the oven and they will finish cooking and firming up as they cool.) Cool completely before frosting.
- To make frosting: cream butter and cream cheese with a hand mixer until smooth. Slowly mix in the the powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Add 1 teaspoon heavy whipping cream and mix until smooth, adding more as needed for desired consistency. Frost the cooled bars, then cut into squares.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze in a single layer for up to 1 month.
Recipe Video
Recipe Nutrition
Cinnamon Roll Blondies combine a dessert with a breakfast treat for a fantastic dessert bar! Can’t wait for you to try them!
Last Updated on September 18, 2022
how long would these bake for if I make them in an 8″ x 8″ pan? (that would be half right? or would it be a 9″ x 9″ pan?
thanks so much
Just put these in the oven. I’m wondering why the need for foil? I was thinking the foil might shred a bit when cutting into squares and I HATE foil in my mouth!
what if I add raisins???
These look amazing! I’m going to make them ASAP. One question, does the icing harden at all, or does it stay completely soft? I would want to pack them up in a box, but I’m unsure if I’d be able to stack them. Thanks so much!
It doesn’t get hard but dries a bit. If you want to stack them, I’d chill them first and then use layers of wax paper between them!
I was a little disappointed in these.. I cooked for 20 minutes and took them out because of your multiple warnings not to overcook.. I wish you had some type of guideline for how much jiggle was ok because after cooling and attempting to cut, I found they were severly undercooked and were a mushy mess. The edge pieces were the only edible ones, and while they were delicious I’m going to say something quite blasphemous…. With the frosting they were just too sweet. And this is coming from someone who eats a pint of Ben & Jerry’s in one sitting. Maybe it was just an off day for me but I don’t think I’ll be attempting these again .
On another note , I disagree with what everyone is saying on the visual appeal. Yours turned out absolutely gorgeous and are well worthy of a blog post! Some hints on how you made the cool swirling effect with the frosting would be nice!
I’ve never cooked these blondies more than 20 minutes or so, but I did give an 18-22 minute range to allow for differences in oven temperature. I take them out once the edges look done and the center is just a bit jiggly, not liquid, but soft. If they were still that underdone after 20 minutes, that would be strange. By any chance, have you checked your oven temperature lately? Did you make any changes to the recipe/pan size?
As for the frosting, it’s cream cheese frosting, so it’ll be sweet. If you find it too sweet in the future, you can add some extra salt to help counterbalance.
Just made these for a graduation party. They were DELISH!
I don’t care if these are brown and ugly, I would eat a whole pan!
Brown isn’t the prettiest color, but I love the idea! Can’t wait to try them!
sometimes the things that are the least pretty and the most….brown–TASTE THE BEST!
These look amazing.. I just want to lick that frosting right off my screen!
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