Cinnamon Rolls with "Oreos"

Name: Cookies and Cream Cinnamon Rolls
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 24 min
Total time: 44 min
Ingredients: 7 gluten free chocolate sandwich cookies (, crushed into a sand like consistency); 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar; 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon; 2 teaspoons cocoa powder; 1/4 cup unsalted butter (or vegan baking stick, softened); 3/4 cup gluten free chocolate sandwich cookie crumbs (, sand like consistency); 1 2/3 cups multipurpose gluten free flour ((I use a gluten free multipurpose flour with xanthan gum already in it)); 1/3 cup cocoa powder (I like to fill the 1/3 cup with half Dutch and half dark cocoa powder); 1/4 cup granulated sugar; 4 teaspoons baking powder; 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/4 cup unsalted butter (or vegan baking stick, softened); 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk; 2 cups confectioners’ sugar; 4 ounces cream cheese (, room temperature); 2.5 tablespoons water (, room temperature); 3-4 chocolate sandwich cookies (, broken into pieces)

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Cinnamon Rolls with "Oreos" are sweet, rich and decadent while still being soft and fluffy! The chocolate dough is made with cocoa powder and chocolate sandwich cookie crumbs and the rolls are filled with more crushed chocolate sandwich cookies, cocoa powder and of course, cinnamon! Topped with a cream cheese icing, these Cookies and Cream Cinnamon Rolls are a show stopper for sure! Don't let their gorgeous looks fool you, they take less than an hour to make from start to finish and no mixer is needed! If that wasn't enough, these easy cinnamon rolls are gluten are, nut free, egg free and can easily be made vegan! Perfect for all you cookies and cream lovers!

Cookies and Cream Cinnamon Rolls in a round baking dish.

If you love my Cookies and Cream Cupcakes, these Cinnamon Rolls with "Oreos" are a no-brainer! They are the perfect decadent breakfast recipe. They only take 24 minutes to bake and have zero yeast to ensure you can have a delicious breakfast in under an hour! Best yet, these easy cinnamon rolls are naturally egg free so no egg replacer is needed! They're so soft and fluffy; you'd never know they're so simple to make!

For more cinnamon rolls, check out my No Yeast Cinnamon Rolls, my Chocolate and Cinnamon Rolls, Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls and my Blueberry Cinnamon Rolls.

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Reasons to Love These Cinnamon Rolls with "Oreos"
Ingredient Notes
Substitutions and Variations
How to Make Cinnamon Rolls with"Oreos"
Expert Baking Tips
Recipe FAQs
More Cookies and Cream Recipes You'll Love
📖 Recipe
Cookies and Cream Cinnamon Rolls

Reasons to Love These Cinnamon Rolls with "Oreos"

Allergy Friendly- These cinnamon rolls are gluten free, nut free, egg free and can easily be dairy free (vegan)!
Light and Soft- Even though they have zero yeast, these chocolate rolls are so super soft and delicious!
Cinnamon- They wouldn't be cinnamon rolls without this main ingredient!
Double the Chocolate- The dough and filling both have cocoa powder and crushed chocolate sandwich cookies!
Cream Cheese Icing- They're covered in a delicious easy cream cheese icing that makes them sweet and gooey!
Easy to Make- No yeast is needed and no electric mixer is needed either!

Ingredient Notes

Chocolate Sandwich Cookies- We need quite a few cookies in total for this recipe! You can of course use gluten free oreos, but keep in mind they do contain gluten free oats. I know some people with celiac cannot process oats even if they're certified. I use these gluten free/vegan chocolate sandwich cookies instead.
Gluten Free Flour- If you also have nut allergies, make sure to use a brand that’s made in a nut free facility. I really love to use this gluten free flour because it’s free of the top 9 allergens. It also contains xanthan gum which really helps give baked goods their bounce and prevents them from falling apart.
Cocoa Powders- I like to use both Natural Unsweetened and Dark to give the rolls a dark color, but if you only want to use one, use Dutch or Natural Unsweetened.
Granulated Sugar- Used in the dough instead of brown sugar to keep the rolls nice and light.
Baking Powder- 4 teaspoons are used in this recipe to make the rolls puff up nicely!
Butter/Vegan Baking Stick- Make sure to use softened and not melted.
Light Brown Sugar- Used for the filling to create that magical flavor with the cinnamon!
Cinnamon- Wouldn't be cinnamon rolls without this key ingredient!
Milk- If there are no dairy allergies or if you’re not vegan, you can use regular whole milk. For non-dairy, use a dairy-free milk of your choosing.
Confectioners' Sugar- Essential in icing recipes, this gives the cream cheese icing its sweetness!
Cream Cheese- For vegan, use a dairy-free block cream cheese.
Water- This frosting uses water instead of milk!

See my recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements.

Substitutions and Variations

How to Make these into Vegan Cinnamon Rolls

Use a gluten free flour that’s free from dairy.
Make sure the brands of sugars you use are vegan.
Use vegan baking sticks instead of butter.
Only use a non-dairy milk of choice.
Buy a dairy-free cream cheese or use my recipe below for vanilla icing.
Use gluten free chocolate sandwich cookies that are also vegan.

For All Purpose Flour

Use 1 ⅔ cups packed AP Flour (292 grams).
Also use ½ packed cup cocoa powder (38.67 grams).
Only use ¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon of milk.

Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls with Vanilla Icing

Use 2 cups of Confectioners's sugar and ¼ cup of room temperature water.
Mix together and pour over warm cinnamon rolls.

This recipe has not been tested with some of these substitutions and/or variations due to celiac disease and food allergies. If you change any of the ingredients, please let us know how the recipe turned out in the comments below!

Adding the sugary glaze to the baked rolls with a spatula.

How to Make Cinnamon Rolls with"Oreos"

Here are the step by step instructions to make these chocolate cinnamon rolls!

crushed up chocolate sandwich cookie in a bowl.

Step 1: Crush the Cookies for the Filling and Dough

Place 20 chocolate sandwich cookies in a zip top bag and seal it shut.

Crush the cookies with the flat side of a meat mallet or a rolling pin until they have a sand-like consistency.

Scoop out ¾ cup of crumbs and set aside for the dough.

After removing ¾ cup you should be left with ½ cup for the filling. If you have more, do not use more in the filling or dough and save it for topping.

Step 2: Make The Filling and Sprinkle some in the Pan

Whisk together the light brown sugar, cocoa powder, ½ cup cookie crumbs and cinnamon. Rip in pea-sized pieces of the soft butter. Work everything together with clean hands until you have a crumbly texture.

Once crumbly, sprinkle 1-2 tablespoons of filling into the bottom of the pan. Set the rest aside.

a whisk with the chocolatey dry ingredients.

Step 3: Whisk Together The Dry Ingredients

In a large bowl, whisk together the gluten free flour, granulated sugar, ¾ cup cookie crumbs, baking powder and salt.

Step 4: Add the Butter into the Dry Ingredients

Use clean hands to rip pea-sized pieces of soft butter into the dry ingredients and then work them all together.

Step 5: Add in the Milk

Use a spatula to mix the milk in and then form into a dough.

Step 6: Roll Out The Dough

Lightly dust a clean work surface, your hands and your rolling spatula with cocoa powder.

Knead the dough a few times just so it comes together.

If it seems super sticky dust with some more cocoa powder so it is easier to work with.

Then roll the dough out into a rectangular shape about 17 inches in length. If you notice it sticking as you roll, then sprinkle some more cocoa powder on it.

You want it to be about ¼ inch in thickness.

Step 7: Sprinkle The Filling

Sprinkle all the filling (minus 1 tablespoon) onto the dough. Then use clean hands gently pat the filling down into the dough.

Step 8: Roll The Dough Into a Log

Roll the dough away from you into a tight log.

The log should be about 12 inches in length.

Step 9: Slice and Place The Rolls In the Baking Dish

Using a sharp knife, cut the log into 9 thick slices. Then place the rolls swirl side up into the baking dish.

The rolls will be touching one another.

Sprinkle the extra tablespoon of filling on top of the rolls.

Dark brown rolls packed tightly into a round baking dish.

Step 10: Bake

Bake the cinnamon rolls at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 24 minutes until puffed up.

Step 11: Make The Easy Cream Cheese Icing

Use a spatula to combine the confectioners' sugar and cream cheese.

Once combined, slowly whisk in the water a little at a time until you get the desired consistency. You may not need all the water.

Grabbing a sandwich cookie chunk from the Cookies and Cream Cinnamon Rolls.

Step 12: Add the Cream Cheese Icing and Cookie Chunks

Lastly, use an icing spatula to frost the warm cinnamon rolls with the cream cheese icing. Break 3-4 chocolate sandwich cookies into chunks and sprinkle them on top of the warm icing.

Expert Baking Tips

You can use Pre-packaged Crumbs- If your grocery store has pre-packaged gluten free/vegan chocolate sandwich cookie crumbs, you can use those. You’ll need ½ cup for the filling and ¾ cup for the dough. If you have more, reserve it for the topping.
Make the Cookie Crumbs- Place the gluten free chocolate sandwich cookies into a zip top bag and seal it. Use a rolling pin or the flat side of a meat mallet to smash the cookies. You want them to have a sand-like consistency.
Make the Filling First- You will need to sprinkle some of the filling in the bottom of the baking dish, so do this step first.
Use Packed Cups of Flour- Normally in baking we do not use packed cups however, when working with gluten free, I've found using packed cups works best to help the baked goods keep their shape. Or read the gram measurement.
Use 2 Types of Cocoa Powder- The 2 types of cocoa powders give the rolls their dark hue. If you only have one type on hand, use natural unsweetened or dutch...just know the color will not be as dark as mine. Do not use dark alone; it will make your chocolate cinnamon rolls too dry and bitter.
Dust with Cocoa- If you notice the dough is way too sticky to roll out, don't add more flour to the dough. Simply dust the dough with cocoa powder until it is workable. This ensures the dough stays soft and doesn't get overly dense.
Making The Icing- If the icing appears too watery, then add more confectioners’ sugar 1 tablespoon at a time. If it appears too thick, add more water ¼ teaspoon at a time. You want the glaze thin enough to coat but thick enough to solidify on the cinnamon buns.

Recipe FAQs

Can I make these oreo cinnamon rolls ahead of time?

Since these have no yeast, are gluten free and eggless, they really taste best served the same day.

Can I use yeast in this recipe?

No. This recipe is strictly for no yeast.

How many chocolate cinnamon buns does this recipe make?

This recipe can make 9-12 rolls, depending on how large you cut them.

I like my rolls larger, so I make 9.

Do you have a vanilla icing recipe instead of cream cheese?

Yes! I listed a vanilla icing recipe in the section above entitled, "substitutions and variations." It also happens to be vegan.

How do I store these Cinnamon Rolls with "Oreos"?

Storing: Once the icing has hardened, store the rolls in an airtight container or cover the pie dish with aluminum foil in the fridge for up to 2 days. They must be stored in the fridge due to the cream cheese icing.

Reheating: For best results, reheat each roll in the microwave for about 15-30 seconds prior to eating.

If wrapped in foil, please remove the foil prior to microwaving. Be careful not to burn your mouth on hot icing and filling.

Freezing: Once the icing has hardened, wrap individual rolls in foil, pop in a zip top bag and freeze for up to 30 days.

To defrost, place in the fridge the night prior or leave at room temperature until soft; about 1 hour. Once defrosted, remove the foil and reheat in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds. Be careful not to burn your mouth.