Who doesn’t just love cinnamon? It’s definitely one of my favourite spices. While it usually reminds me of cold winter nights and apple strudels, this time I wanted to enjoy it as a rich and decadent breakfast. This Homemade Cinnamon Rolls Recipe is a foolproof way to get great quality results. However, you just need a bit more preparation.
Growing up with cinnabons, I always thought cinnamon rolls were the result of an intricate process and a long list of ingredients. But to my surprise, it was quite an enjoyable and straightforward dessert to bake.
After a lot of experimentation, I’ve got to a point where not a single one of these cinnamon rolls remains uneaten. They’re fluffy, soft and buttery, covered with a velvety and delicious cream cheese icing.
Side notes:
- Be careful not to boil your milk. You should just heat it until it’s a little bit hot to the touch. Otherwise, you might inactivate the yeast.
- The butter for the filling and the eggs for the dough should be at room temperature.
- When choosing flour types, I found out that bread flour works best. The high percentage of protein in bread flour helps the dough to form gluten. That gives these homemade cinnamon rolls that characteristic fluffiness.
Make Ahead Instructions:
- If you want to make overnight cinnamon rolls, just place the formed rolls in the refrigerator. Next, bring them to room temperature and let them rise for 45 minutes to 1 hour before baking.
- This dough can be frozen after you’ve made the cinnamon rolls in step 8. Cover them tightly with plastic wrap and aluminium foil. When you want to bake them, thaw overnight in the fridge. Then put them in a warm place for 30 minutes to 1 hour to activate the second rise.
The cream cheese icing is sweet, creamy and it spreads easily. You can drench the cinnamon rolls in this icing or you can use a piping bag to drizzle your desired amount.
Homemade Cinnamon Rolls Recipe
Ingredients
For the dough
- 60 g unsalted butter melted
- 50 g granulated white sugar
- 400 g bread flour
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1 egg room temperature
- 1 egg yolk room temperature
- 180 ml milk
- 7 g dry yeast
For the filling
- 135 g brown sugar
- 60 g unsalted butter room temperature
- 2 tbsp cinnamon
For the frosting
- 120 g cream cheese room temperature
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter room temperature
- 75 g powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Warm milk until it's a little bit hot to the touch, sprinkle the yeast on top and let it activate until it foams up, about 10 to 15 minutes. Add in sugar, egg, egg yolk and melted butter and mix until well combined.
- Stir in flour and salt and knead the dough on a floured surface for 8-10 minutes. If you have a stand mixer you can knead the dough on medium speed for 8 minutes. It should form a slightly sticky ball. If it sticks to the bowl you can add a tablespoon or two of flour.
- When the dough ball has formed, transfer it in a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and allow it to rise for 1 hour to 1 and a half hours, or until doubled in size.
- After the first rise is complete, on a well floured surface use a rolling pin to form a 35/20 cm rectangle.
- Spread softened butter on the dough, leaving a centimeter margin on the long side. Mix brown sugar with cinnamon and sprinkle over the dough, rubbing gently into the butter.
- Roll the dough tightly, starting from the long side which has a margin and place it seam side down, making sure that the roll is sealed. Cut the ends of the roll, about 2 cm from each side, because they will not have enough cinnamon and sugar filling.
- Divide and cut the dough with a serrated knife into 8 large pieces or 12 smaller ones.
- Arrange them cut side up in a baking pan lined with parchment paper, cover with plastic wrap and let them rise again for 30-45 minutes, or until doubled in size.
- After the second rise, bake them in a preheated oven at 180°C for 20-25 minutes, or until golden-brown.
- While the rolls are baking, beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter and vanilla essence until smooth and creamy.
- Let cinnamon rolls to cool down for 10 minutes, frost them with cream cheese and serve immediately. To reheat, place them in the microwave for 30-45 seconds.
