Do you know anyone that would turn down a homemade cinnamon roll? Gooey with cinnamon and topped off with some of the best icing you’ve ever had? If you do know someone, it’s because they haven’t made this recipe yet. Like almost everything I post here, this is a recipe that anyone can make- no special ingredients, no advanced techniques. Just the perfect combination of sugar, spices, and flour. Let’s brighten our day, yeah?
I remember being the kind of kid that would stop dead in her tracks in the middle of the mall food court to stare at the Cinnabon storefront, and there wasn’t much that could be better than getting handed one of those cardboard boxes with a humongous cinnamon roll covered in gobs of amazing icing inside. I mean, honestly, I would still do that if I could find a local Cinnabon out here in the Pacific Northwest. But because I can’t, this recipe is better than a close second, it is as close to a duplicate as I can find. I’ve been making it for years and with a few adjustments here and there over time, I’m not too proud to say that it’s as perfect as I can get it.
I’ve sent this recipe to friends with rave reviews returned, and I’m not surprised. Making these rolls is remarkably easy, super tasty, and satisfies a particular craving that anything not a cinnamon roll just can’t. You can even prep them (all the way up to just before the baking step) the the night before. They also reheat very well in the microwave after baking, for that round two we all need later in the day! And, well, the icing is sublime. I’m not a huge fan of cream cheese in general, but this icing tastes exactly like what you remember from Cinnabon. Try the recipe the way it’s written the first time, even if you usually balk at cream cheese. You will not be sorry!
Refrigerating Cinnamon Rolls
If you’re a make-ahead kind of baker, then you’re a person after my own heart. I have made these and left them in the fridge for up to 36 hours before baking them. You should follow the recipe as written, but instead of allowing them to rise the second time right before baking, you should tightly cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge. When you are ready to bake, you will want to warm up your rolls and complete the rising process before baking. To do this, turn your oven on to 225 degrees and allow it to come to temperature. Once it has, turn it off. Put your baking dish into the oven and allow the dough to rise for about 30 minutes, and then remove. At this point, your rolls will have puffed up and you can follow the normal baking time in the recipe.
Freezing Cinnamon Rolls
You can absolutely freeze this recipe. Sometimes it’s easier to make a couple batches at once and them use them 2 or 3 at a time as you need them. To do this, after you’ve made the rolls and cut them to size, put them in the freezer in a casserole dish covered in plastic wrap. Allow them to harden up overnight. Once they’re very solid, you can take them out of the dish and store them all in a airtight Ziploc bag to save on space. Just try to press as much air out of the bag as possible before you call it good. To defrost, place as many of the frozen rolls as you need into the dish you plan to bake them in and leave them, dish covered, in the fridge overnight. Then just follow the directions for refrigerated rolls.
My Cinnamon Rolls Look Sloppy! Why?!
The trick to rolling up your dough so that you can a nice cinnamon swirl is all in the technique. If you roll it too loosely, your rolls can flop apart. If you roll it too thickly, your rolls won’t have all those amazing cinnamon layers. The best way I’ve found to roll the dough is, as you turn it over in a ‘log’ shape, to sort of tuck it under itself as you roll it up. Keep your rolling surface well floured so that the dough doesn’t stick and pull as you roll it. I also use a pizza cutter to square off the edges of my dough before I roll it. Use your sharpest knife the cut the rolls from the log. While doing all this stuff is not hard, practice will definitely help make it perfect. Don’t sweat it too much if your first or second effort looks a little less than what you desired. You’re going to cover those suckers in icing, and they will taste amazing regardless!
Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
Dough
- 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
- 1 cup milk warm
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1/3 cup butter unsalted
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 cups flour all purpose
Filling
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 3 Tbsp cinnamon
- 1/2 cup butter unsalted, softened
Icing
- 1/2 cup butter unsalted, softened
- 2 cups confectioner's sugar
- 1/4 cup cream cheese softened
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
- Combine the yeast and warm (not boiling hot) milk and allow to sit 5 minutes, or until creamy. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together the sugar and butter. Add in the eggs and salt. Mix well.
- Add 2 cups of flower to the butter mixture, and mix with the dough hook attachment of your mixer. Pour in the milk/yeast, mix again, and then add in the final two cups of flour. Continue to mix until well combined (the dough will be sticky).
- Scrape the dough into a clean, lightly oiled bowl, cover with a damp towel and put in a warm place to rise for about 1 hour.
- Make the roll filling by mixing together the brown sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl.
- Roll out your dough on a floured surface. Make a rectangle shape, about 18" long and 12" high. You can square off your edges with a pizza cutter if it helps you get the correct shape. Spread the butter across the rolled out dough and then press the cinnamon/sugar mixture into the butter.
- Roll up your dough. You can either roll it from the top or from the side. I like to roll across the dough because it gives you more cinnamon layers, but either way is fine.
- Cut the rolled up dough into 12 even sections and place in a 9" by 13" baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and allow to rise another 45 minutes. (If you are making the rolls the day before, at this point you should place the covered dish in the fridge rather than allowing the rolls to rise the second time.)
- While the rolls rise in the dish, heat your oven to 350. Bake 25 minutes or until the rolls are lightly browned on the top.
- As the rolls cool, combine the powdered sugar, butter, cream cheese, vanilla and salt in a bowl. Ice the rolls individually after they are cut from the baking dish.
So, how did they turn out for you? Go ahead and let me know in the comments!
