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If you love Cinnamon Rolls as much as my family does, then you must try these Copycat Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls. Delicious and easy to make.
Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls Recipe:
We love making cinnamon rolls from the can and from scratch. These Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls are ooey gooey and are a family favorite. I love copycat recipes and this recipe is better than the Cinnabon ones at the restaurant.
Cinnamon Rolls make the best breakfast and brunch idea. I love making a big breakfast on Saturday morning; it has become our weekly tradition. My family always request this cinnamon roll recipe with a side of bacon and fruit.
Also try Bacon Cinnamon Rolls and Paula Deen Cinnamon Rolls.
Why we love this Cinnamon Roll Recipe:
- Made from scratch – This cinnamon roll recipe Cinnabon is made from scratch. The ingredients are not complicated but they come together easily to give this recipe so much flavor.
- Loaded Cinnamon Flavor – I love the soft, buttery, cinnamon and sugar flavor these cinnamon rolls have. The delicious icing on top is always a family favorite.
- Save time and Money – We love making copycat recipes. I have a large family and it gets expensive buying everyone their own cinnamon roll. Now I can make them at home for less money.
- No Fancy Equipment needed – There is no need for a bread machine. The process is mixing the ingredients together and letting your dough rise.
Ingredients for Cinnamon Rolls:
FOR THE DOUGH:
- Warm Milk
- Active Dry Yeast (¼ oz)
- Granulated Sugar
- Unsalted Butter, softened
- Large Eggs, room temperature
- Salt
- All Purpose Flour
THE FILLING:
- Brown Sugar, packed
- Ground Cinnamon
- Unsalted Butter, softened
FOR THE FROSTING:
- Cream Cheese, softened
- Unsalted Butter, softened
- Powdered Sugar
- Vanilla Extract
- Salt
How to Make Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls:
- Mix Milk and Yeast together – Pour the milk into a large bowl. Stir in the yeast and let it sit for 5 minutes to allow the yeast to activate (it will start to froth or bubble).
- Mix Ingredients together – In the bowl of a stand up mixer, beat together the sugar, butter, eggs, salt and flour until well combined.
- Add in Yeast Mixture – Then add in the milk/yeast mixture and combine using the dough hook. Mix until the dough comes clean from the side of the small bowl.
- Let Dough Rise – Then transfer the dough to an oil bowl. Cover with kitchen towel and let the dough rise until it has doubled in size (will likely take approximately 1 hour).
- Prepare Baking Dish – Then spray a 9X13 baking dish with a non-stick cooking spray.
- Mix Brown Sugar and Cinnamon – In a separate bowl, mix together the brown sugar and ground cinnamon for the filling.
- Roll the Dough – Roll the dough out onto a lightly floured surface into a rectangle that is approximately 16X21 inches and is approximately ¼ inch thick.
- Add the Filling to dough – Then spread the filling softened butter on top of the rolled out dough and sprinkle the cinnamon and sugar mixture evenly on top.
- Roll dough – Then roll the dough tightly starting at the long end.
- Cut into Slices – Then cut into approximately 12 slices with either a knife or dental floss.
- Place rolls in prepared pan – Place the rolls in the prepared 9X13 baking pan. Cover the pan with a towel and allow the rolls to rise until the rolls have doubled in size (for at least 30 minutes but you can allow them to rise overnight as well).
- Prepare Oven – Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Bake Cinnamon Rolls – Bake for 18-20 minutes until the top of the rolls are golden brown and they are cooked through.
Make the Cinnamon Roll Icing:
- Prepare Frosting – While the rolls are baking, prepare the cream cheese frosting. Beat together all the frosting ingredients together in a large mixing bowl with either a hand held mixer or stand up mixer.
- Begin Frosting Cinnamon Rolls – When you remove the rolls from the oven, top the rolls with half of the frosting while the rolls are warm and the frosting will melt down into the rolls.
- Add More Frosting – Then allow the rolls to cool for 10-15 minutes and then top them with the remaining frosting.
- Serve and Enjoy – Then the rolls are ready to serve and enjoy!
Cinnamon Roll Filling:
The Cinnamon Roll Filling is made with only 3 ingredients. These ingredients include butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. We like to softened the butter and spread over the dough. Then we sprinkle the brown sugar and cinnamon over the top.
If you prefer you can also add a few teaspoons of vanilla extract to the top to add that warm flavor to the cinnamon roll. But we have done it both ways and they both have turned out delicious.
Tips for The Best Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls:
- Yeast – Make sure that your yeast has not expired. Yeast is a living organism and over time it will lose its activity.
- Warm Milk – The milk should be warm but not hot (around 110 degrees F). If the milk is too hot, it will kill your yeast.
- Room Temperature – We recommend that your eggs should be at room temperature before mixing with the other ingredients.
- Mixing the Dough – To mix the dough ingredients together, we used a stand up mixer with the dough hook. If you don’t have a stand up mixer, you can combine the dough with your hands. Just remember the dough will be sticky..
- Flour – Start with the 4 cups of flour when combining the dough ingredients. If you add to much flour then you cinnamon rolls will be dry. You want your dough to be a little tacky after combining the ingredients. If you feel like it needs more, then add in a tablespoon at a time.
How to Roll Cinnamon Rolls:
After the dough has risen in the oil covered bowl, now you are ready to roll the dough to slice into cinnamon rolls.
- Place dough onto a floured surface.
- It is okay if flour does get on the dough as it helps to begin rolling out the dough.
- After it is flattened out, then begin spreading the cinnamon filling onto the flatten dough.
- Then begin rolling the dough into a jelly style roll to begin cutting the dough into slices.
- Cut into 12 slices to fit into a 9×13 pan. You can use a knife to cut or dental floss.
Make Ahead Cinnamon Rolls:
Yes, these are the perfect Cinnamon Rolls to prepare ahead of time. Prepare the cinnamon rolls up to the point of the second rise.
Allow to rise overnight and bake the next morning as normal. This will help to cut down on preparation if you are trying to serve the rolls for breakfast.
This method is also perfect for holidays or when hosting guests. It is a practical way to work ahead and reduce the preparation time.
Can you Freeze Cinnamon Rolls?
Yes, this is easy to do and a great way to enjoy cinnamon rolls anytime you want without the work. There are a couple of ways to freeze this recipe.
- Freeze before baking – One method is to freeze them before baking. Simply, roll the dough out and cut into individual rolls. Wrap the unbaked rolls with plastic wrap in a pan and freeze.
- Freeze after baking – Let the rolls sit at room temperature and rise in warm place until dough has doubled. Then bake as normal. Allow to cool and wrap in plastic wrap. Freeze and reheat when ready to enjoy.
Recipe Variations:
- Add Nuts – Before baking add in nuts.
- Pumpkin Seasoning – You can sprinkle in pumpkin seasoning into the filling.
How to Store:
Cover and refrigerate any leftover cinnamon rolls in an airtight container. Microwave them for 20-30 seconds when enjoying the leftovers. They should last for up to 1 week if stored correctly.
Print Recipe here for Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls:
Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls
If you love Cinnamon Rolls as much as my family does, then you must try these Copycat Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls. Delicious and easy to make.
Ingredients
FOR THE DOUGH:
- 1 cup Warm Milk
- 1 page Active Dry Yeast ¼ oz
- 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
- 1/3 cup Unsalted Butter softened
- 2 Large Eggs room temperature
- 1 tsp Salt
- 4 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour
FOR THE FILLING:
- 1 cup Brown Sugar packed
- 3 Tbsp Ground Cinnamon
- 1/3 cup Unsalted Butter softened
FOR THE FROSTING:
- 4 oz Cream Cheese softened
- 1/4 cup Unsalted Butter softened
- 1 cup Powdered Sugar
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1/8 tsp Salt
Instructions
- Pour the milk into a large bowl. Stir in the yeast and let it sit for 5 minutes to allow the yeast to activate (it will start to froth or bubble).
- In the bowl of a stand up mixer, beat together the sugar, butter, eggs, salt and flour until well combined.
- Then add in the milk/yeast mixture and combine using the dough hook. Mix until the dough comes clean from the side of the bowl.
- Then transfer the dough to an oil bowl. Cover and let the dough rise until it has doubled in size (will likely take approximately 1 hour).
- Then spray a 9X13 baking dish with a non-stick cooking spray.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the brown sugar and ground cinnamon for the filling.
- Roll the dough out onto a lightly floured surface into a rectangle that is approximately 16X21 inches and is approximately ¼ inch thick. Then spread the filling softened butter on top of the rolled out dough and sprinkle the cinnamon and sugar mixture evenly on top.
- Then roll the dough tightly starting at the long end. Then cut into approximately 12 slices with either a knife or dental floss and place the rolls in the prepared 9X13 baking pan. Cover the pan with a towel and allow the rolls to rise until the rolls have doubled in size (for at least 30 minutes but you can allow them to rise overnight as well).
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes until the top of the rolls are golden brown and they are cooked through.
- While the rolls are baking, prepare the cream cheese frosting. Beat together all the frosting ingredients together in a large mixing bowl with either a hand held mixer or stand up mixer.
- When you remove the rolls from the oven, top the rolls with half of the frosting while the rolls are warm and the frosting will melt down into the rolls.
- Then allow the rolls to cool for 10-15 minutes and then top them with the remaining frosting. Then the rolls are ready to serve and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Make sure that your yeast has not expired. Yeast is a living organism and over time it will lose its activity.
The milk should be warm but not hot (around 110 degrees F). If the milk is too hot, it will kill your yeast.
Cover and refrigerate any leftover cinnamon rolls in an airtight container. Microwave them for 20-30 seconds when enjoying the leftovers. They should last for up to 1 week if stored correctly.
Nutrition Facts
Calories 499kcal, Carbohydrates 75g, Protein 8g, Fat 19g, Saturated Fat 12g, Polyunsaturated Fat 1g, Monounsaturated Fat 5g, Trans Fat 1g, Cholesterol 77mg, Sodium 275mg, Potassium 147mg, Fiber 2g, Sugar 37g, Vitamin A 639IU, Vitamin C 0.1mg, Calcium 85mg, Iron 3mg
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