These Cinnamon Roll Blondies combine dense, chewy brown sugar blondies with gooey cinnamon sugar swirls and a thick layer of cream cheese frosting. I love how the cinnamon swirl creates little pockets of flavor throughout the bars, giving you all the deliciousness of a homemade cinnamon roll without making yeast dough. They're buttery, rich, and packed with warm cinnamon flavor, and that creamy frosting takes them over the top. Perfect for sharing, although I wouldn't blame you for keeping a few extra in the fridge for yourself!
Featured Review
"These cinnamon roll blondies were so easy to make and came out delicious! Beyond delicious I might add. My hubby said they were his new favorite!! Thank you Elizabeth! Aka Baking Queen"
Angela
Cinnamon rolls, are one of my true loves. And I actually enjoy making them from scratch. I've got a great recipe for making cinnamon rolls the night before and baking first thing in the morning. Let me tell you, unreal. There is NO comparison to store-bought vs homemade cinnamon rolls. It's worth it and not hard at all. Enough about them.
When developing these Cinnamon Roll Blondies, I knew I wanted a dense, chewy blondie rather than something light and cakey. I also wanted the cinnamon flavor to really stand out, which is why I created a cinnamon sugar swirl instead of simply mixing a bunch of cinnamon into the batter. And because my favorite homemade cinnamon rolls have cream cheese frosting, there was no way I was going to settle for a thin glaze here! I also discovered that I love these blondies chilled. After storing a batch in the fridge during testing, I found that the bars became even chewier, and I've been a fan of eating them cold ever since.
Don't miss all of my favorite bar recipes.
What You Need For Cinnamon Roll Flavor
- Brown Sugar: I always use light brown sugar because I've found it gives the blondies their chewy texture and warm caramel flavor.
- Melted Butter: I like using melted butter here because it creates a denser, chewier blondie texture instead of something cakey.
- Ground Cinnamon: I've found adding cinnamon both in the batter and swirl gives the bars a more true cinnamon roll flavor throughout.
- Cream Cheese Frosting: I always make the frosting fresh - it balances the sweetness and makes the blondies taste even more like cinnamon rolls.
- Vanilla Extract: I like adding plenty of vanilla because it softens the cinnamon flavor and gives the bars a more bakery-style taste.
Baking is a science and to really achieve the best results I highly recommend investing in a kitchen scale. This OXO Kitchen Scale is the one I use and is also the number one recommended kitchen scale by Cook's Illustrated. Think about it -what one person scoops into a "cup" is completely different from what someone else scoops!
For ingredient quantities please reference the recipe card below. On the recipe card there is a button for US or M (Metric) measurements.
My Method For Gooey Cinnamon Swirls
I honestly prefer these chilled straight from the fridge - the frosting gets extra creamy and the blondies become even chewier.
★★★★★ Please let me know if you make this recipe by leaving a star rating and comment below!
Make sure to join our Newsletter and follow us on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, & Twitter.
PrintRecipe Card
Cinnamon Roll Blondies with Cream Cheese Frosting
These Cinnamon Roll Blondies combine dense, chewy brown sugar blondies with gooey cinnamon sugar swirls and a thick layer of cream cheese frosting. I love how the cinnamon swirl creates little pockets of flavor throughout the bars, giving you all the deliciousness of a homemade cinnamon roll without making yeast dough. They're buttery, rich, and packed with warm cinnamon flavor, and that creamy frosting takes them over the top. Perfect for sharing, although I wouldn't blame you for keeping a few extra in the fridge for yourself!
- Total Time: 1 Hour 31 Minutes
- Yield: 9-16 Bars 1x
Ingredients
Blondies
- 4oz (½ Cup) Butter, melted
- 150 grams (¾ Cup) Light Brown Sugar
- 1 Large Egg, at room temperature
- 2 Teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract
- 125 grams (1 Cup) All-Purpose Flour
- ½ Teaspoon Baking Soda
- ½ Teaspoon Salt
- ½ Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
Cinnamon Swirl
- 2 Tablespoons Butter, melted
- 2 Tablespoons Light Brown Sugar
- ½ Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
Frosting
- 3oz Cream Cheese, at room temperature
- 1 Tablespoon Butter, at room temperature
- 120 grams (1 Cup) Confectioner's Sugar, sifted
- 1 Teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
- 1 Teaspoon Heavy Cream
- Sprinkle of Ground Cinnamon
Instructions
Cinnamon Blondies
- Preheat oven to 350/180C and grease and line an 8-inch square pan with foil to overhang on the sides so you can easily remove the bars from the pan.
- In a large bowl whisk together the butter and brown sugar, mixing until fully combined. Add in the egg and vanilla extract, beat for one minute. Gently fold in the flour, baking soda, salt, and ground cinnamon. Mix just until no flour streaks remain. Pour batter into prepared pan, press into a flat layer.
Cinnamon Swirl
- In a small bowl mix together melted butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon.
- Using a spoon drop dollops of cinnamon swirl onto the blondie mixture. Using a knife swirl the spoonfuls. Bake for 23-26 minutes, until blondies are golden brown and have set.
- Let cool for at least 45 minutes before icing. I let the blondies cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack then using the foil overhand I pull the blondies out of the tin to cool faster. You cannot frost the blondies while they are warm.
Frosting
- In the bowl of an electric mixer beat cream cheese and butter for 1 minute. Add in powdered sugar, vanilla, and heavy cream, mixing on low to prevent a powdered sugar storm. Once all combined beat on high for 3 minutes. Spread on top of blondies and add sprinkles of ground cinnamon. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Prep Time: 20 Minutes
- Cool Time: 45 Minutes
- Cook Time: 26 Minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Laura Dembowski says
Elizabeth, I made and LOVE these! They are seriously perfection and I want to eat them every day forever and ever. I posted about them on my blog too!
Diane M Cammer says
Not yet - but - going to this weekend.
Sounds soooo yu m m y.
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Diane, I would love to knnow what you think about the recipe, please do report back! XX Liz
Anoush says
These were so delicious and so easy to make! I already had everything at home. It was so tasty and moist and that cream cheese frosting is to die for. The cinnamon roll plus blondie is the ultimate combination that will have your taste buds rejoicing!! Definitely will make again!
Barbara says
Is there of making these from semi scratch instead of totally from scratch? Please let me know. Thanks
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Barbara, I have never done it but I would guess you could take store-bought refrigerated sugar cookie dough, take a 1lb package and press it into the pan then pour the cinnamon sugar swirl on top of that and bake until done. I would bake them in an 8-inch pan and guess the baking time would take 15-20 minutes. Then make the cream cheese frosting. Please let me know if you have any other questions or if you try the recipe I would love to know what you think! XX Liz
Rachel says
This is one of my favorite recipes on your site! I love your original cinnamon rolls, but when I'm in the mood for quick and easy these suffice!
Elizabeth Waterson says
Thank you so much for the lovely review Rachel, so glad you enjoy the bars and rolls! XX Liz
Stacey says
I found the batter quite thick, more like cookie dough. Will probably add some milk or another egg next time. Very tasty though!
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Stacey, yes if you want it fluffier definitely do that! I personally like the denseness of them, but I am so glad you enjoyed the flavor! 🙂
Angela Anibal says
These cinnamon roll blondies were so easy to make and came out delicious! Beyond delicious I might add. My hubby said they were his new favorite!! Thank you Elizabeth! Aka Baking Queen
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Angela, thanks so much for the lovely review so glad you all enjoy the bars! Take care. XX Liz