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Cinnamon Cinnabon Rolls
The cinnamon Cinnabon rolls are properly tender and beautifully aromatic. Such pastries are considered a classic American breakfast across the world. It's very pleasant to eat warm Cinnabons in the morning with a cup of coffee or hot tea.
Baking this delicate pastry is genuinely not difficult at all; the ingredients needed can be found in every home. You can add various berries and fruits to the filling, but today we have the classic recipe for cinnamon Cinnabon rolls with cinnamon and cream cheese frosting.
The whole recipe takes about 2 hours from start to finish. The recipe yields 16 individual rolls, perfect for a small family breakfast or a properly festive sharing-style gathering.
Preparation time: 2 hours.
Ingredients
Show ingredients
For the dough:
- flour – 530-560 g;
- eggs – 2 pcs;
- sugar – 80 g;
- salt – ½ tsp (or to taste);
- yeast – 7-8 g;
- butter – 80 g;
- milk – 240 ml;
- vanillin – ⅓ tsp.
For the filling:
- sugar – 100-130 g;
- cinnamon – 15 g;
- soft butter – 60-80 g.
Frosting:
- cream cheese – 100-150 g;
- powdered sugar – to taste;
- milk – as needed.
Preparation
- Prepare all the ingredients for making the yeasted dough. Sift the flour, the eggs and butter should be at proper room temperature, take them out of the refrigerator in advance. Warm the milk to a temperature of 32-36 degrees Celsius.
- First, you need to make the sponge. Add sugar to the warm milk, one teaspoon from the total amount. A couple of spoonfuls of flour, also from the total amount, and the yeast.
- Mix the mixture with a balloon whisk. Cover the bowl with a towel, plastic wrap, or a lid and place it in a warm place for about fifteen minutes total to activate the yeast properly.
- In a deep bowl, crack the eggs, add the remaining sugar and salt. Stir together gently.
- The yeast has risen well, forming a high foam cap on the surface.
- Pour the activated yeast mixture into the egg mixture.
- Gradually add the flour to the mixture. Vanilla was added to the flour in advance.
- Add soft butter to the dough. Continue to knead the dough with a balloon whisk.
- When it becomes difficult to mix with a whisk, sprinkle the work surface with flour and transfer the dough onto it. Continue kneading by hand for about seven to ten minutes total. The dough will be slightly sticky, sticking to the hands and the table. You can additionally add thirty grams of flour, but no more.
- Transfer the dough to a bowl previously greased with vegetable oil, cover with plastic wrap, and place in a warm place to rise. For this stage, it's very convenient to use the oven. Preheat the oven to thirty degrees and turn off the heating. In the oven, only turn on the light; it provides not only illumination but also maintains the temperature inside. Now place the bowl with the dough in the oven for one hour total.
- For the filling, prepare soft butter, sugar, and cinnamon. The butter should be properly soft.
- Mix the sugar with the cinnamon.
- After an hour, take the bowl with the dough out of the oven; it has doubled in size, becoming properly soft and fluffy.
- Lightly sprinkle the table with flour and place the dough on it. After rising, the dough completely stopped sticking to the hands. Stretch the dough into a rectangle.
- Fold the dough into an envelope shape.
- Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a thin rectangular sheet, 5-7 millimetres thick.
- Spread a layer of soft butter over the surface of the dough. The amount of butter should be chosen individually.
- Generously cover the layer of butter with the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
- Roll the dough into a log. The log should not be rolled too tightly, but it should also not come undone.
- Grease the mould with vegetable oil.
- Cut the log into portioned rolls. To make the rolls even, it's very convenient to cut the log using simple kitchen thread. Place the rolls in the mould with some space between them.
- Bake the Cinnabons for twenty-five to thirty minutes total at 180 degrees Celsius until properly golden brown.
- Cinnabons are distinguished by the fact that while still hot, they need to be topped with the cream cheese frosting. You will need cream cheese, powdered sugar, and milk (a few tablespoons as needed). Milk can be added if the frosting turns out too thick.
- Mix all the ingredients thoroughly into a dense, properly homogeneous mass.
- While still hot, we cover the cinnamon rolls with the most delicious cream. The rolls absorb the cream and become incredibly tender. And the cinnamon adds a fantastic aroma.
The cinnamon Cinnabon rolls are truly homemade baking. Bon appetit.
Tips and Tricks
Tip 1. Use the cold-thread method for cutting the dough log into individual rolls, since cutting with a knife disappointingly squashes the soft yeasted dough and ruins the iconic spiral pattern. The brief moment of using thread genuinely matters for the most beautifully spiral finished rolls every single time at home. Slide the thread under the log, cross the ends over the top, and pull tight to slice cleanly through.
Tip 2. Apply the cream cheese frosting while the rolls are still hot from the oven, since the heat properly melts the frosting into all the spiral crevices and produces the iconic Cinnabon-style finished appearance. To pair these beautifully classic American breakfast rolls with another properly festive homemade dessert from the same baking tradition, try our beautifully delicate French meringue at home as a contrasting light egg-based alternative.
Tip 3. Don't roll the dough log too tightly during the rolling step, since the dough still needs space to rise during baking and overly tight rolling produces noticeably dense finished rolls. The brief patience for proper loose rolling genuinely matters for the most beautifully fluffy finished texture every single time. The dough should look like a relaxed jelly roll, not a tight cigar.
Tip 4. Top the finished hot rolls with extra cream cheese frosting, a sprinkle of toasted pecans, or even a drizzle of caramel sauce for properly varied finished serving applications. For another properly classic homemade breakfast pastry recipe to add variety to your weekly morning menu, try our beautifully tender thin pancakes with milk and egg as a contrasting Russian-style breakfast alternative.
FAQ
Why didn't my dough rise properly?
Dough that won't rise usually means either the yeast was old (replace with fresh yeast), the milk was too hot when activating the yeast (above 40°C kills yeast), or the rising spot was too cold. Use fresh active dry yeast within its expiry date, warm the milk to a comfortable hand-warm 32-37 degrees Celsius (not hot), and find a properly warm draft-free spot for the rise (oven with light on works brilliantly). The combination produces beautifully risen finished rolls every single time at home.
Can I make these the night before?
Absolutely. Prepare the rolls through the cutting and arranging step in the baking dish, then cover and refrigerate overnight (about 8-12 hours) for a slow cold rise. In the morning, let the rolls warm up at room temperature for about 30 minutes before baking. The cold-fermented dough produces noticeably more complex finished flavour. This make-ahead approach is genuinely convenient for entertaining or special weekend brunches when fresh hot Cinnabons are desired without early morning work.
How long do these rolls keep?
Store the cooled frosted rolls covered tightly in the refrigerator for up to three days for best results. Bring to room temperature for about 20 minutes before serving for the best finished texture. Reheat individual rolls briefly in the microwave for about 15 seconds to restore the just-baked warm softness. The unfrosted baked rolls also freeze brilliantly for up to two months in airtight containers; thaw and frost just before serving for the freshest possible finished result.
Can I add other fillings?
Absolutely. Try adding chopped pecans, walnuts, raisins, dried cranberries, fresh berries, chocolate chips, lemon zest, cardamom, ginger, or even a layer of fruit jam alongside the classic cinnamon-sugar filling for properly varied finished flavour profiles. Each addition brings its own character to the rolls. The classic Cinnabon recipe focuses on cinnamon and cream cheese frosting, but the variations are genuinely endless thanks to the properly versatile base dough recipe at home.
