These quick and easy cinnamon roll blondie bars are delightful! Swirled cinnamon + sugar cookie dough is topped with a cream cheese drizzle.

These cinnamon roll blondie bars combine all the tasty flavors of a yummy cinnamon roll wrapped up in a fun little bar cookie.

They are quick and easy to make, and if you promise to underbake the cookie bars just slightly, you’re going to absolutely fall in love with them!

Two cinnamon roll blondies stacked on each other on wood cutting board.

Cinnamon Roll Blondie Batter

The batter for the cookie dough is straightforward and simple.

AND, the recipe calls for melted butter, which makes the bars even easier to make. Grab a bowl and a spatula or spoon and you’re good to go. No need to lug out the heavy industrial mixer.

The batter is basic except for the addition of ground cinnamon. Even though cinnamon and sugar will be added to the top of the bars, the extra cinnamon in the cookie dough gives a boost to that necessary flavor!

Cinnamon roll blondie cookie batter in glass bowl.

Spread and Swirl

Once the batter is spread in the pan, a simple mixture of brown sugar + granulated sugar + cinnamon is sprinkled on top and then swirled into the batter.

There’s no real scientific way to do the swirling. I grab a butter knife or small offset spatula and run back and forth until the cinnamon and sugar is cut into the batter and everything looks nice and swirly-ish.

Remember: cream cheese frosting is yet to come, so the top of the bars don’t need to be completely symmetrical and picture perfect. We’re championing the art of delicious chaos here.

It is important at this time that I implore you not to over bake the bars. In fact, if you’re going to err on one side or the other, do it on the side of under baking just slightly. You don’t want them raw and overly gooey – just soft and buttery.

Cinnamon and sugar swirled in top of cookie batter in metal 9X13-inch pan.

Cream Cheese Frosting

The frosting is really just a mini batch of pretty typical cream cheese frosting:

  • cream cheese
  • butter
  • vanilla
  • powdered sugar
  • bit of cream or milk

It’s probably just enough frosting to spread a thin layer to completely cover the bars.

But I like to scoop the frosting into the corner of a ziploc bag, snip the corner, and pipe the frosting over the bars in zigzaggy lines.

Pro Tip: add a few more tablespoons cream or milk to the frosting recipe for a thinner frosting/glaze that can be drizzled across the bars instead of being piped.

Iced cinnamon roll blondie bars in 9X13-inch metal pan.

The soft, sweet cream cheese frosting with the chewy, cinnamon sugar topped cookie bars is a dreamy, dreamy combination.

With the prominent cinnamon and sugar vibes, these bars could also pass for a snickerdoodle blondie.

But it’s the cream cheese frosting that defines these as a delectable cinnamon roll blondie bar.

Cinnamon roll blondie bar with cream cheese frosting swirl on white plate.

I’m never going to resist a good old-fashioned chocolate chip cookie bar (or any other cookie bar recipe), but sometimes, it’s fun to take a departure from the classics and go with something new.

These cinnamon roll blondie bars are fantastic.

One-bowl batter
Crackly cinnamon and sugar topping
Cream cheese frosting

For all my cinnamon lovers out there, these bars are for YOU. And me. (It’s been a month and I’m happy to help myself to all the cinnamon roll blondie bars as part of my new year, just-over-here-trying-to-survive, new me plan.)

I hope you love them!

Two cinnamon roll blondie bars stacked on each other on wood cutting board.

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four cinnamon roll bars on two stacked white plates

Cinnamon Roll Blondie Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

4.91 stars (30 ratings)

Ingredients

Cookie dough:

  • 1 cup (227 g) butter, melted (I use salted)
  • 1 cup (212 g) lightly packed brown sugar
  • ½ cup (106 g) granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 large (100 g) eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 1/4 (320 g) cups all-purpose flour

Cinnamon + Sugar:

  • 3 tablespoons (27 g) granulated sugar
  • 3 tablespoons (27 g) brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Cream Cheese Frosting:

  • 2 tablespoons (28 g) cream cheese, softened
  • 1 tablespoon (14 g) butter, softened
  • ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup (114 g) powdered sugar
  • 1 tablespoon cream or milk

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a metal 9X13-inch pan (if using glass or a dark nonstick pan, decrease the oven temp to 325 degrees) or line the pan with parchment or foil and lightly grease.
  • In a large bowl, stir together the melted butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt until well-combined.
  • Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well. Stir in the flour until no dry streaks remain.
  • Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan.
  • Stir together the brown sugar, granulated sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle evenly over the batter. Use a butter knife to swirl the batter back and forth so the cinnamon sugar is cut into the batter.
  • Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden and edges are slightly puffed (add time if the batter is still wet, but don't overbake – the bars should be soft in the center).
  • Let the bars cool completely.
  • For the cream cheese frosting, in a medium bowl with a handheld electric mixer (or in the bowl of a stand mixer), mix the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla together until light and creamy, 30-45 seconds. Add the powdered sugar and cream or milk and mix until well-combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. If desired, add additional cream or milk for a thinner consistency (to drizzle rather than pipe).
  • Scoop the cream cheese frosting into the corner of a ziploc or other plastic or piping bag. Snip the corner and pipe the frosting across the bars in zigzag or straight lines. Cut into squares and serve. Store leftovers well-covered in the refrigerator.
Serving: 1 bar, Calories: 262kcal, Carbohydrates: 33g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 15g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Cholesterol: 63mg, Sodium: 278mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 32g