Best Recipe for Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

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

 

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.

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.

 

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.

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.

 

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.

Step 4:

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

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.

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.

 

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.

 

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.

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.

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.

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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