Cinnamon Roll Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

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Cinnamon rolls are some of my favorite treats in the whole world, but they are a bit time consuming and to make on a whim and I had a major craving for cinnamon rolls.

Enter these bars with a bold pop of cinnamon flavor and tangy cream cheese frosting.

Cinnamon Roll Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting - All the flavor of cinnamon rolls, minus the work!! EASY, super soft, chewy, and the FROSTING truly is the icing on the cake!!

They deliver the flavors of cinnamon rolls in an easy bar form. That’s my kind of dessert.

For these very soft, dense, slightly chewy, buttery bars, I called upon my trusty blondie base. When I want an easy, fuss-free, one-bowl, no-mixer recipe that I know everyone will love, it’s my go-to. With 30+ versions, it’s a keeper.

Cinnamon Roll Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting - All the flavor of cinnamon rolls, minus the work!! EASY, super soft, chewy, and the FROSTING truly is the icing on the cake!!

It’s an easy recipe to memorize because everything is ‘one’. In the 1 bowl used, melt 1 stick of butter, stir in 1 egg, 1 cup of brown sugar, 1 tablespoon vanilla, 1 cup flour, and 1 tablespoon cinnamon. I used 1 tablespoon (3 teaspoons) of cinnamon for a bold burst of cinnamon flavor, but if you’re more sensitive to cinnamon reduce to taste.

You may have extra frosting leftover if you don’t love a thick, decadent layer of frosting like I do. It keeps for weeks in the fridge. A time-saving shortcut is to use storebought canned whipped cream cheese frosting. No shame. I could eat that, and any frosting, indiscriminately by the spoonful.

Cinnamon Roll Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting - All the flavor of cinnamon rolls, minus the work!! EASY, bold cinnamon flavor, super soft, chewy, and the FROSTING truly is the icing on the cake!!

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4.42 from 111 votes

Cinnamon Roll Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

By Averie Sunshine
The bars deliver the flavors of cinnamon rolls in an easy bar form. It’s an easy, fuss-free, one-bowl, no-mixer recipe that everyone will love. I used 1 tablespoon (3 teaspoons) of cinnamon for a bold burst of cinnamon flavor, but if you’re more sensitive to cinnamon reduce to taste. You may have extra frosting leftover if you don’t love a thick, decadent layer and it keeps for weeks in the fridge. A time-saving shortcut is to use storebought canned whipped cream cheese frosting.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 24 minutes
Additional Time: 1 hour 26 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours
Servings: 1 8x8-inch pan, 9 to 12 generous squares
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Ingredients  

Blondies

  • ½ cup unsalted butter, 1 stick, melted
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 2 to 3 teaspoons cinnamon, I use 3 but reduce to taste if you’re sensitive to cinnamon
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste

Frosting

  • 6 ounces cream cheese, softened (lite okay)
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
  • cinnamon, for garnishing

Instructions 

  • Blondies – Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8-by-8-inch baking pan with aluminum foil, spray with cooking spray; set aside.
  • To a large, microwave-safe bowl add the butter and heat to melt, about 1 minute on high power.
  • Wait momentarily before adding the egg so you don’t scramble it. Add the egg, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and whisk until smooth.
  • Add the flour, salt, and stir until just combined, don’t overmix.
  • Turn batter out into prepared pan, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula as necessary. Bake for about 20 to 24 minutes, or until top is set in center and done; don’t overbake. Blondies firm up as they cool. A toothpick should come out clean, or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter. Place pan on a wire rack to cool for at least 90 minutes before frosting.
  • Frosting – To a large bowl (or to the bowl of a stand mixer) add the cream cheese, butter, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, salt, and beat with an electric mixer (or use the paddle attachment of a stand mixer) until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
  • Turn frosting out over blondies and spread into a smooth, even, flat layer using a spatula or knife. Note – You may have a small amount of frosting left over if you don’t like an overly thick amount of frosting. Extra will keep airtight in the fridge for at least 2 weeks.
  • Evenly sprinkle with cinnamon for garnishing, slice, and serve. Blondies will keep airtight at room temp for up to 4 days or in the fridge for up to 1 week. I’m comfortable storing cream cheese frosting at room temp, but if you’re not store in the fridge noting blondies. will be more prone to drying out in the fridge.
  • Frosting from here

Nutrition

Serving: 1, Calories: 374kcal, Carbohydrates: 51g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 18g, Saturated Fat: 11g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g, Cholesterol: 68mg, Sodium: 313mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 39g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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4.42 from 111 votes (111 ratings without comment)

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Comments

  1. I brought these in for my co-workers this morning and everyone loved them! People were going back for seconds. I’ll definitely make these again :)

    *I cut the frosting recipe in half + added 2 tsp of cinnamon instead of 3*

  2. I messed up! Two nights ago, I made this with an unfortunate mistake — instead of 1 stick of butter for the blondies, I used two sticks. Hahaha! I read the recipe wrong and read “1 cup” rather than “1 stick.” Silly me! So, I made them again yesterday, and HOLY COW. These are INCREDIBLE. My whole family loved them, including myself!! We want to try the blondies when they are right out of the oven, all warm and gooey, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. This is amazing!! Thanks for the recipe!

  3. Your blondie base is extremely versatile (and fun to tweak). A dense bar with cream cheese frosting….yum! I know I wouldn’t have any leftover frosting…..I could only hope most of it would make it onto the bars!