These no knead cookies and cream cinnamon rolls are fluffy, gooey, packed with oreos and topped with a cream cheese frosting. Oreos (or your favourite chocolate sandwich cookie) are added into the dough, the cinnamon filling, and the topping for ultimate cookies and cream flavour! I've included an overnight option to make your mornings a breeze.
The no knead dough is so easy to make. It’s my go to no knead enriched dough recipe with oreos added right in! They give it a beautiful subtle chocolate flavour. It's my favourite dough to make because you just throw everything into a bowl and give it a good mix with a large spoon or your hands. Then you let it rise. After that you just shape the rolls and you're all set. Seriously, the best dough ever.
The best thing about the dough is the less you handle it, the fluffier and softer the cookies and cream cinnamon rolls will be! How's that for foolproof? I use this dough in Twisted Gooey Cinnamon Rolls Recipe, Blueberry Cinnamon Rolls – No Knead, and Funfetti Cinnamon Rolls – No Knead.
The key to gooey success
The simple key to getting the ultimate gooey and fluffy cinnamon rolls is - heavy cream! Pour heavy cream (I used whipping cream) over the rolls right before baking. The cream will help them steam making them super fluffy and will mix with the cinnamon sugar to create gooey bottoms. Don’t use milk - it just won’t work out the same! For a dairy free version you can use coconut or cashew cream.
Overnight option
To make your life even easier, I've included an overnight option for these cookies and cream cinnamon rolls! Prepare the rolls the night before and stop before letting the assembled rolls rise (second rise). Wrap baking tray tightly to cover and immediately place in the refrigerator for up to 12 hours. Once you are ready to bake them, let them come to room temperature and rise to fill out any gaps in the pan. Pour with cream and bake according to the rest of the instructions.
Key ingredients
Full ingredients and recipe are in the recipe card below. Read through this section for all the ingredient substitutions and baking tips!
Oreos: Cookies and cream calls for - you guessed it, oreos! Use your favourite oreo flavour or other similar sandwich cookie. Golden oreos will work great for a vanilla alternative. I crushed the oreos in a food processor but you can easily chop them up on a cutting board or crush them in a large plastic bag with a rolling pin.
Active dry yeast: You could use instant dry yeast but I prefer the flavour of active dry yeast. You only need 1 packet or 7 grams.
All purpose flour: Weigh the flour to get the most accurate results. If you don’t have a scale, measure properly by stirring the bag and spooning gently into a measuring cup. Scrape the excess off the top with the flat edge off a knife without packing it into the cup.
Butter: Use a good quality real better for the best flavour and results. You want it to be very soft – almost melted for both the dough and filling. That way it will incorporate very easily.
Eggs: Have the eggs at room temperature so that the dough rises better.
Milk: Use your milk of choice for the dough and glaze. I’ve tried all kinds of milks and they all work great! Make sure that the milk is slightly warmed.
Heavy cream: Heavy cream is essential for creating cinnamon rolls that are gooey on the bottom and fluffy inside. Whipping cream works great! Do not use anything with less fat content, you’ll end up with soggy rolls that aren’t gooey. If you don’t do well with dairy you can use coconut cream or cashew cream instead.
Icing sugar: These rolls are dusted with powdered sugar and it also goes into the glaze. Powdered sugar is the same as icing sugar.
Brown sugar: Brown sugar goes into the filling to make the perfect gooey cinnamon filling. I use an old fashioned, medium brown sugar for the best flavour (not too mild, not too dark). Don’t replace it with granulated sugar. Your rolls will be bland.
Ground cinnamon: The star of the show! Don’t use very old or expired cinnamon because it won’t give the rolls that same burst of flavour.
Rolls
- Combine warm water, 1 teaspoon sugar, and yeast in a small bowl. Stir until yeast dissolves. Let it sit for about 5 minutes so that a foam starts to form on top. If a foam doesn’t form in 10 minutes, discard and try again with another packet of yeast.
- In a large bowl combine flour, salt, and stir. Make a well in the middle and add the crushed oreos, butter, eggs, vanilla, milk, and yeast mixture.
- Mix until a cohesive dough forms. Cover the bowl with a dish cloth and place in a warm place (see notes) to rise until doubled, about 45 minutes. Butter a 9”x12” baking pan while it rises and prepare the cinnamon filling: Combine cinnamon, sugar, and butter in a medium bowl and mix well to combine. Have the butter very soft, almost melted to blend easier. Set aside to use later.
- Punch down the dough and transfer onto a floured surface. Roll the dough into a large rectangle, about 18” by 24”.
- Spread the cinnamon filling on top of the dough, leaving a 1” border on the top edge. Sprinkle crushed oreos over the filling.
- Roll into a log, starting at the long bottom edge. Mark the roll into 12 equal pieces. Using a large sharp knife, cut into 12 equal rolls. Arrange each roll into the baking pan (Stop HERE and check out recipe notes for the overnight option). Let rise until doubled in size in a warm place, about 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Pour the heavy cream evenly over the rolls. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the rolls are golden brown on top. Let the cookies and cream cinnamon rolls cool inside the pan – make the frosting meanwhile.
Frosting
- Beat the butter, sugar, and salt in a stand mixer or with electric hand beaters until light and fluffy.
- Add chunks of cream cheese into the butter in a few additions, beating very well in between. It should be fluffy. Add vanilla and cream, and beat until fluffy.
- Spread on top of the rolls while they are still warm so that the frosting melts into the rolls a little bit. Top with more crushed oreos. Serve warm!
FAQ
The most important step to getting buttery, light, and fluffy cinnamon rolls is making sure the flour is properly measured. I use a scale to weigh the flour for the most accurate results. A cheap kitchen scale works wonders.If you don’t have a scale on hand, you can measure the flour properly using dry measuring cups. Fluff up your flour with a spoon, spoon it into your measuring cup, and level off the top with the flat edge of a knife without packing in the flour. It isn’t as accurate as using a scale but it’s the next best option!
My favourite tip however, is to handle the dough as little as possible. The less effort I put into the roll dough, the fluffier they turn out – every time!
The heavy cream poured onto the rolls before baking really make a huge difference! They turn the filling into a beautiful gooey mess and steam the dough into puffs of clouds.
The dough is going to be very sticky and a little bit wet as soon as you mix all of the ingredients together. It will look more like a dough after it rests and rises as the flour absorbs more liquid. If it looks too sticky and runny (like a pancake batter and not a dough), then add a little more flour to make it resemble a dough.
That could happen because the dough was over-proofed. Only let the dough rise until it is doubled in volume – not more! Sometimes I even let it rise less to make sure I get tighter rolls. Also be careful not to overbake which could dry out the funfetti cinnamon rolls, making them shrink.
I recommend using any other chocolate sandwich cookie. For a fun twist you can use flavoured oreos! For a vanilla version use golden oreos or a similar sandwich cookie.
The cream will steam the rolls making them super fluffy. It will also combine with that cinnamon sugar mixture and create gooey bottoms. Don’t skip this step! If you prefer a non-dairy option you can use coconut or cashew cream.
Check out my other no knead recipes:
- Chocolate Tahini Babka (No Knead Recipe)
- Gooey Strawberry Cream Cheese Rolls – No Knead
- Funfetti Cinnamon Rolls – No Knead
Happy baking! xx
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📖 Recipe
Cookies and Cream Cinnamon Rolls
Equipment
- 9"x12" baking pan
Ingredients
No Knead Dough
- ½ cup water warm
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 packet activated dry yeast 7g
- 4 ⅔ cups all purpose flour 560g
- ½ cup crushed oreos about 4 oreos
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter softened
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¾ cup milk warm
- ½ cup heavy cream (whipping cream)
Filling
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- 2 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup crushed oreos about 7 oreos
Cream Cheese Frosting
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
- 4 oz cream cheese softened (113g)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoon heavy cream or milk for a runnier frosting
- 4 oreos crushed
Instructions
Dough
- Combine warm water, 1 teaspoon sugar, and yeast in a small bowl. Stir until yeast dissolves. Let it sit for about 5 minutes so that a foam starts to form on top. If a foam doesn’t form in 10 minutes, discard and try again with another packet of yeast.½ cup water, 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, 1 packet activated dry yeast
- In a large bowl combine flour, salt, and stir. Make a well in the middle and add the crushed oreos, butter, eggs, vanilla, milk, and yeast mixture.4 ⅔ cups all purpose flour, ½ cup crushed oreos, ¼ teaspoon sea salt, ¾ cup unsalted butter, 2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, ¾ cup milk
- Mix until a cohesive dough forms. Cover the bowl with a dish cloth and place in a warm place (see notes) to rise until doubled, about 45 minutes. Butter a 9”x12” baking pan while it rises and prepare the cinnamon filling.
- Punch down the dough and transfer onto a floured surface. Roll the dough into a large rectangle, about 18” by 24”.
- Spread the filling on top of the dough, leaving a 1” border on the top edge. Sprinkle crushed oreos over the filling.1 cup crushed oreos
- Roll into a log, starting at the long bottom edge. Mark the roll into 12 equal pieces. Using a large sharp knife, cut into 12 equal rolls. Arrange each roll into the baking pan. (Stop HERE for overnight option - check notes!) Let rise until doubled in size in a warm place, about 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Pour the heavy cream evenly over the rolls. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the rolls are golden brown on top. Let cool inside the pan – make the frosting while it cools.½ cup heavy cream
Filling
- I like to make the filling as the dough rises to save on time. Combine cinnamon, sugar, and butter in a medium bowl and mix well to combine. Have the butter very soft, almost melted to blend easier. Set aside to use later.⅓ cup unsalted butter, 1 cup brown sugar, 2 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Frosting
- Beat the butter, sugar, and salt in a stand mixer or with electric hand beaters until light and fluffy.½ cup unsalted butter, 1 cup powdered sugar, ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
- Add chunks of cream cheese into the butter in a few additions, beating very well in between. It should be fluffy. Add vanilla and cream, and beat until fluffy.4 oz cream cheese, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 3 tablespoon heavy cream
- Spread on top of the rolls while they are still warm so that the frosting melts into the rolls a little bit. Top with more crushed oreos. Serve warm!4 oreos
Video
Alex
They were so easy to make and tasted like oreos! Turned out very soft and fluffy. Bottoms were very gooey. Will make again for sure! Thanks for the recipe!
Mary
Thank you so much, I'm so happy you liked them!