Glazed Honey Bun Cookies Recipe

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These honey bun cookies taste just like the swirled honey pastries I used to grab from the gas station on road trips, except now they’re a soft, chewy cookie. Warm cinnamon and honey fill the dough, and a sticky honey butter glaze gets swirled right on top. They’re easy enough for a weeknight but special enough for a holiday cookie tray.

My family used to keep a stash of those little wrapped honey pastries in the pantry for busy mornings.

I hadn’t thought about them in years until a jar of honey on my counter sparked the idea for this cookie. One test batch later, I knew I had to keep making them.

The best part is how simple they are compared to the original pastry version. There’s no yeast dough or rising time involved here at all.

You just mix, scoop, bake, and swirl on the glaze. It’s a weeknight-friendly cookie that still feels like a special treat.

If you love cozy, spiced cookies like this, you might also enjoy my brown butter snickerdoodles or my cinnamon sugar cookie bars. But today, let’s talk all about this honey bun cookie recipe.

Soft, spiced, and topped with a sticky honey swirl.

Why This Honey Bun Cookie Recipe Works

• The dough comes together in about 20 minutes with basic pantry staples.
• Honey in both the cookie and the glaze gives real, warm honey flavor.
• Cinnamon adds a cozy spice without overpowering the honey.
• The cookies stay soft for days when stored properly.
• The swirled glaze makes them look bakery-fancy with very little effort.
• They’re a fun way to bring nostalgic flavor into a homemade cookie.

Substitutions and Variations

• Swap the cinnamon for chai spice or apple pie spice for a fall twist.
• Make jumbo bakery-style cookies with a larger scoop and a slightly longer bake time.
• Try a different variety of honey, since flavor can vary quite a bit between types.

The Parts of This Recipe

This cookie really comes down to two parts.

The first part is the soft honey cinnamon cookie base, mixed and baked like a classic drop cookie.

The second part is the cinnamon honey butter glaze, which gets swirled on top after baking. Both parts use honey, so the flavor carries through the whole cookie.

Ingredient Notes for Honey Bun Cookies

• Honey: A good quality honey makes a real difference here, since it’s the star flavor.
• Butter: Room temperature butter for the cookies, melted butter for the glaze.
• Flour: Spoon and level your flour, or weigh it, so the cookies don’t turn out dry.
• Cinnamon: Used in both the dough and the glaze for that classic honey bun flavor.
• Egg: Room temperature egg blends into the dough more smoothly.

What You’ll Need

• 1 and 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 and 1/2 tablespoons honey
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 and 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (for glaze)
• 3 tablespoons honey (for glaze)
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon (for glaze)

I love using this small piping bag to swirl the glaze on top. It gives the cookies that classic honey bun look with barely any effort.

Shop My Favorite Piping Bags

How to Make Honey Bun Cookies

Step 1: Make the Glaze

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F.
2. Stir the honey and cinnamon into the warm melted butter until smooth.
3. Set the glaze aside to cool and thicken while you make the cookie dough.

Step 2: Mix the Dry Ingredients

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.

Step 3: Mix the Wet Ingredients

1. In a large bowl, cream the butter, sugar, and honey together until light and fluffy.
2. Mix in the egg and vanilla extract until fully combined.

Tip: Scrape down the sides of the bowl so everything mixes evenly.

Step 4: Bake and Glaze

1. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients just until combined.
2. Scoop rounded balls of dough onto a lined baking sheet, spacing them 2 inches apart.
3. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes, until the edges just begin to turn golden.
4. Cool on the pan briefly, then swirl the cooled glaze on top before serving.

Tip: Pull the cookies out as soon as the edges turn golden. They’ll keep baking a little on the hot pan.

Print

Honey Bun Cookies

Soft cinnamon honey cookies topped with a sticky swirl of cinnamon honey butter glaze.

Prep Time20 minutes

Cook Time8 minutes

Total Time28 minutes

Servings18 cookies

Ingredients

• 1 and 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 and 1/2 tablespoons honey
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 and 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (for glaze)
• 3 tablespoons honey (for glaze)
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon (for glaze)

Instructions

1. Stir honey and cinnamon into melted butter to make the glaze, then set aside to thicken.
2. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
3. Cream the butter, sugar, and honey until fluffy, then mix in the egg and vanilla.
4. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined.
5. Scoop dough balls onto a lined baking sheet and bake at 350°F for 7 to 10 minutes.
6. Cool briefly, then swirl the glaze on top.

Notes

• Store cookies unglazed for the longest freshness, then glaze right before serving.
• Nutrition values are estimates and will vary based on exact ingredients used.

Nutrition (per serving)

• Calories140
• Total Fat6g
• Saturated Fat4g
• Cholesterol26mg
• Sodium98mg
• Total Carbs19g
• Dietary Fiber0.4g
• Sugars10g
• Protein2g
• Calcium6mg
• Iron1mg
• Potassium22mg

Serving Ideas for Honey Bun Cookies

• Serve alongside a warm cup of coffee or spiced tea.
• Add them to a holiday cookie tray next to gingerbread and sugar cookies.
• Sandwich two cookies around a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a fun treat.

Tips for the Best Honey Bun Cookies

• Spoon and level your flour instead of scooping straight from the bag, so the dough doesn’t turn out too dry.
• Let the glaze cool and thicken before swirling, so it holds its shape on top.
• Use a piping bag or a plastic bag with the tip snipped off for the cleanest swirl.
• Watch the bake time closely, since a minute or two too long can dry the cookies out.
• Line your pan with parchment paper so the cookies release easily.
• Let the cookies cool fully before stacking, so the glaze doesn’t smear.
• Double check your oven temperature with a thermometer, since ovens can run hot or cold.

Notes and Frequently Asked Questions

• Do I need to chill the dough before baking? No, this dough bakes well right away, though you can chill it up to 24 hours ahead if that’s easier.
• How do I store leftover cookies? Keep unglazed cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days.
• Can I freeze honey bun cookies? Yes, freeze the baked, unglazed cookies for up to three months.
• Can I freeze the cookie dough instead? Yes, scoop the dough into balls, freeze them, and bake straight from frozen when ready.
• Why did my cookies turn out dry or puffy? This is usually from too much flour. Spoon it into your measuring cup gently instead of packing it down.
• Can I double this recipe? Yes, this recipe doubles easily if you want a bigger batch for a party or cookie exchange.

A few readers have also asked if this dough works for jumbo, bakery-style cookies.

It does. Just use a larger scoop, about 4 tablespoons of dough per cookie, and add a minute or two to the bake time.

Keep an eye on the edges so they don’t overbake.

A Few Final Thoughts

These honey bun cookies bring back so many good memories every time I make them.

They’re simple, cozy, and always disappear fast around here.

I hope they bring a little bit of that same nostalgia to your kitchen.

They’re simple enough to make on a whim, but special enough that people always ask for the recipe afterward.

Thank you so much for stopping by today. I can’t wait to hear how yours turn out.

If you grew up loving those little gas station honey pastries too, I hope this cookie brings back the same warm memories for you.

Jessica MooreHi, I’m Jessica! I bake and share simple, cozy recipes here on CookieRecipesOnline.com. Thanks for stopping by my kitchen.