Say Goodbye To Basic Cinnamon Rolls With This Sweet And Creamy Cookie-Based Filling

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The only thing better than dessert is two desserts in one. Introducing the unexpected filling your cinnamon rolls need: cookie butter. When the flavor of Biscoff cookies meets the pillowy mouthfeel of cinnamon rolls, the resulting treat is oh-so right. For the unacquainted, cookie butter is made from spiced speculoos cookie crumbs mixed with vegetable oil, flour, and sugar to form a luscious spread with a smooth, nut-butter-like consistency. In cinnamon rolls, this spreadability makes cookie butter easy to smear over the tender dough. It transforms into a sticky, gooey filling that gives cinnamon rolls a buttery, caramel-y flavor. 

Per Tasting Table's ranking of cookie butters, Lotus Biscoff is the best for its complex speculoos taste and well-balanced profile, which leans neither too sweet nor overly salty. To give your next batch of cinnamon rolls a cookie-butter-style upgrade, start by assembling the dough as you normally would. If you're making the dough from scratch, follow Stephanie Rapone's homemade cinnamon rolls recipe for specific directions and measurements. You can substitute Lotus Biscott cookie butter for the traditional cinnamon filling in our recipe, or spread it directly on top of the normal cinnamon roll filling for double the spiced, cinnamon-y flavor.

Alternatively, store-bought refrigerated biscuit dough can do the job, too. A 16-ounce can of Pillsbury Grands Southern Homestyle Buttermilk Refrigerated Biscuit Dough makes eight cinnamon rolls. Separate the biscuits and roll each into a flat oval. Then, smear the dough with a generous layer of Biscoff cookie butter before tightly rolling up the oval; to form the cinnamon roll shape, slice that rolled-up oval in half to create two smaller buns. To finish, bake according to package directions or until the surface is golden brown.

Biscoff cookie butter doesn't have to be the only filling in these rolls, either. For a toothier bite, you could also tuck each roll with chopped walnuts, charred pecans, gooey dates, or baked apples. If you're feeling ambitious, you could even glaze these rolls with a Biscoff-inspired icing. Just mix a dollop of melted cookie butter with powdered sugar and softened cream cheese, then drizzle it over the still-hot rolls after baking. Or, to capture an autumnal flavor profile perfect for cold weater treats, try out this two-ingredient maple icing that's tailor-made for elevating cinnamon rolls. The maple would make a complementary counterpart to the spiced caramel taste of the cookie butter. 

For a texturally dynamic finishing touch, sprinkle each glazed roll with crushed Biscoff cookie crumbles. The icing will help the crumbles adhere, ensuring a kick of spiced flavor and crunch in every bite. However you garnish them, Biscoff cinnamon rolls make a comforting, warming breakfast or an elevated dessert — especially when paired with a hot cup of coffee or tea with milk.