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Best Recipe for Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

cinnamon-roll-recipe

Want to make amazing cinnamon rolls a home? This recipe shows you exactly how to do that, using a family recipe for homemade rolls.best-cinnamon-rolls-recipe-cover

 

They are truly the best cinnamon rolls I have ever eaten.  I’ve  grown up eating and making these cinnamon rolls, as well as these homemade rolls: How To Make Homemade Rolls From Scratch: Mom’s Recipe for Yeast Rolls  A neighbor taught my mother how to make both of these delicious treats before I was born, and I learned how to make them when I was a very young sous chef.

Homemade rolls are not difficult to make, and neither are homemade cinnamon rolls — not nearly as hard as you might think. For these, you are just making homemade roll dough. But instead of making regular round rolls, you flatten the whole thing into a rectangle, add cinnamon, sugar and butter, and roll it up! If you have ever made a jelly roll or seen one made, it is a similar processt.

best-cinnamon-roll-recipe
Homemade Cinnamon Rolls: You roll up homemade bread dough, then cut it like you would a jelly roll.

I guess I am lucky, because I grew up in the kitchen with a mother who is an incredible baker and cook, so my training was hands on. However, the photos and instructions should walk you through the whole process. If you end up with questions, I am happy to answer them. Just ask in a comment below.

Making homemade cinnamon rolls requires time, a couple of hours from start to finish.  The process, however, is pretty simple. Much of the time you will just be waiting for your dough to rise, which you certainly do not have to stand around and watch!

Once you make these and see how easy they are to make, as well as how incredibly delicious they are, you will want to make homemade cinnamon rolls all the time. People ask me to make them all the time, especially my kids. I make a special point to have them ready on holiday mornings, but also like to just surprise my little ones with them sometimes.

The recipe is tested and tried over a 100 times. No worries there. Never had a bad batch, and never, ever had a single one left over.

Supplies & Ingredients You Need To Make Homemade Cinnamon Rolls:

 

Supplies:

Mixing Bowl

Electric mixer or whisk, plus some patience

Cookie sheets or large rectangular baking dish

Measuring cups

Measuring spoons

Pastry brush

Rolling pin

 

Ingredients:

Roll Dough:

3/4 cup warm water

2 tablespoons sugar

2 packages yeast (rapid rise is fine, just cuts rising times)

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 cups very warm water

1 teaspoon salt

8 to 9 cups flour

cooking oil

2 Tablespoons butter, softened, or shortening

Homemade Cinnamon Roll Filling

3/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup cinnamon

1/2 cup butter, melted

 

Homemade Cinnamon Roll Icing

1 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons milk

2 tablespoons butter, softened

 

Here’s how to make the roll dough:

Most of this is from the roll dough recipe in this post. Basically, you do the same thing, but stop at the step where you shape the rolls.

ingredients-for-cinnamon-rolls
These are the ingredients you need to make homemade roll dough for homemade cinnamon rolls. (Salt not pictured.)

 

Step One:

Mix 3/4 cups water, 2 tablespoons of sugar and 2 packages of yeast in a container that will hold at least double that amount. Set aside.

recipe-for-cinnamon-rolls
How To Make Homemade Cinnamon Rolls: Step One – Add yeast, water and sugar, then set aside

Step Two:

Cream butter and sugar. Add 2 eggs, 2 cups of water, salt and 3 1/2 cups flour. Beat at low speed until mixed, then at high speed for 3 minutes. Add yeast mixture and 2 more cups of flour. Mix for 2 more minutes. Add one more cup of flour if needed for workable dough. (This just means the dough shouldn’t be too sticky. If it still sticks to your hands more than a little bit, add more flour) Knead for five minutes, adding flour to working surface as needed to prevent sticking.

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How To Make Homemade Rolls- Step Two: Cream butter and sugar. Add 3 1/2 cups flour.
Recipes for Cinnamon Rolls
How To Make Homemade Rolls- Step Two: Add two cups of water
how-to-make-cinnamon-rolls-from-scratch
Homemade Cinnamon Rolls- Step 2: Beat at low speed until mixed, then at high speed for 3 minutes.
icing-for-cinnamon-rolls
Note: Your yeast will look like this after it has been set aside. The yeast mixture should foam up like this and double in volume.
cinnamon-roll-filling
Homemade Cinnamon Rolls- Step 2: Add the yeast mixture and 2 more cups of flour.
frosting-for-cinnamon-rolls
Add one more cup of flour if needed for workable dough. Now, I know workable dough is not something everyone is familiar with. Don’t be afraid. This recipe is a little bit forgiving here. You will know if the dough is too sticky, and you will learn to get it just right. Meanwhile, the rolls will taste about the same if you add a little too much or not quite enough.

 

Step 3:

Oil large mixing bowl. Make a ball with the dough and roll it in the oil in the bowl to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and warm, damp, dish towel. Set on pilot light or in warm spot. If you have a larger bowl, you can fill it with warm water and place this bowl inside. Filling the sink with warm water and setting the bowl in there will also work great. Let rise one hour.

how-to-make-cinnamon-rolls
How to Make Homemade Rolls- Step 3: Oil large mixing bowl. Make a ball with the dough and roll it in the oil in the bowl to coat.
how-to-make-homemade-cinnamon-rolls
How to Make Homemade Rolls- Step 3: Cover with plastic wrap and warm, damp, dish towel. Set on pilot light or in warm spot. If you have a larger bowl, you can fill it with warm water and place this bowl inside. Filling the sink with warm water and setting the bowl in there will also work great.
how-to-make-homemade-rolls-rising
How to Make Homemade Rolls- Step 3: Let Rise One hour. Your dough will double in volume like this.

Step 4:

Grease cookie sheet or rectangular pan with your softened butter or shortening.

how-to-make-homemade-rolls-recipe
Use softened butter or crisco to grease a cookie sheet.

Here is what you do to turn your dough into cinnamon rolls:

Step 5:

Flour a counter top or large cutting board, basically a flat, clean work surface. Take the dough out of the bowl and lay it flat. Using a floured rolling pin, make a rectangle with the dough.

Step 6:

Get out these ingredients and mix them in a bowl:

Filling

3/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup cinnamon

Step 7:

Melt 1/2 cup of butter. Using a pastry brush, cover the dough with melted butter.

homemade-cinnamon-roll-recipe
Homemade Cinnamon Roll Recipe

Step 8:

Sprinkle the dry ingredients, the brown sugar white sugar and cinnamon, over the butter on the dough. Use a butter knife to gently spread the ingredients evenly.

 

easy-homemade-cinnamon-rolls-recipe
This is the dough once you have added the cinnamon and sugars, then spread evenly with a knife.

Step 8:

Starting at one of the short side of your dough rectangle, roll toward the center until you have a cylindrical shaped roll of dough with all your filling inside.

best-homemade-cinnamon-roll-recipe
Roll your dough up like this until you have a cylinder of dough, your cinnamon and sugar layered inside.

 

Step 8:

Slice into 1 inch pieces with a knife. Your cuts do not have to be exact. They will all look good and taste good, some may just be a little taller or shorter than others. They will rise in the next step, and even out a little, anyway.

homemade-cinnamon-roll-icing
Using a knife, cut the dough into approximately 1 inch pieces.
homemade-cinnamon-rolls-instructions
This is what the cinnamon roll dough looks like when you slice it.

Step 9:

Place cut pieces in a pan, placing them close together, but not necessarily touching. If you want cinnamon rolls that pull apart, have them touch. If you would like them to be individual pieces, place them at least an inch apart.

best-homemade-cinnamon-rolls
This is what mine look like on the pan. (These have already started to rise a bit, but not completely)

Step 10:

Cover your cinnamon rolls with plastic wrap. If possible, put them in a warm place to rise. Let rise for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Step 11:

Bake at 375 degrees for 22 minutes or until the tops have turned a light golden brown.

homemade-cinnamon-rolls-11

Step 12:

Mix Icing from this recipe. I use a fork or small whisk to make mine. The butter needs to be very soft for this to work. You can put it in the microwave set on defrost for a couple of minutes to speed it along. It may end up a little melted, then, but that is ok.

Homemade Cinnamon Roll Icing Recipe

1 cup powdered sugar

2 Tablespoons milk

2 Tablespoons butter, softened

Step 13:

Ice Cinnamon Rolls and Serve

 

What do you think?

I am hoping that the pictures I took and the instructions clearly show you how to make these great cinnamon rolls. Please talk to us in the comments if you have any questions or feedback. I would love to hear how yours turn out. Good luck!

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Comments

  1. I found this recipe rather easy to make and the dough was easy to work with. They turned out light and airy. Definitely a keeper recipe! Thanks!

    • Absolutely. You will want to get to the step where they are cut into rolls, placed in a pan. I often get up early to take them out of the refrigerator to let them rise. Alternately, you can bake them the day before.

  2. Hi, thanks for the recipe. About how much is two pack of yeast? Can you please give it to my in oz or teaspoon, tablespoons? Thank you. I will definitely male this for the kids.

  3. These are a lot like the ones I make with just a few differences. My mother taught me..she made awesome cinnamon rolls! I am going to try your recipe…Thanks for sharing!

    • All purpose, plain. I have tried mixing in whole wheat and also have tried King Arthur Flour’s white wheat, but neither will get the same result as all purpose white.

  4. Sounds like a great recipe. Have you ever added pecans or other nuts? Would you add them in with the filling or wait and add in with the icing? I’ve never attempted cinnamon rolls but think I will give this a try. Thanks for the step-by-step instructions and especially the pics as that really makes it easier for me.

    • You are most welcome! I have put pecans in them, but I imagine other nuts would be wonderful as well. I add them before I roll the dough up, just sprinkle them over the sugar and butter. Good luck! Thanks

    • Absolutely. I love doing this, especially for holidays when I want to serve a special breakfast and need to have something predone. You can actually take them out of the freezer when you go to bed and they will be ready when you get up.

  5. You can use unflavored dental floss to cut the rolls. It make a perfect cut. Place the floss under the edge of the piece to be cut. Bring the floss up over the top and cross end over and pull through. One roll is cut. Just keep moveing back until all rolls are cut.

  6. Please tell me is it ok if i make these cinnamon rolls and freeze it before baking for later use. I will wait for your answer Mam.

  7. Is it ok if i make these cinnamon rolls and freeze it before baking for later use? Please tell me i will wait for your answer Mam, because i get this recipe so easy from others.

  8. Please tell me how much yeast is in 2 packets. I have not seen packets of yeast like that sold here in New Zealand.
    Great recipe and demo pictures, thank you.
    Helena

  9. Thank you so much for this recipe! It was great to follow the pictures and very clear instructions! thank you! thank you! thank you!

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