Homemade cinnamon rolls. The most comforting and inviting aroma to welcome any guest or family member who walks into your home. And this enticing and sweet smell is only the prelude to the mouth-watering and delicious rolls one knows they’re about to devour. And with fall upon us, what better way to spend a crisp afternoon than making cinnamon rolls! The memories attached to eating cinnamon rolls brings me back to my days in Canada. Coming home from school on a cold day, and by cold I mean -40 (yes, that’s actually a temperature in Saskatchewan), and immediately forgetting about the icicles formed on my eyelashes, and quickly throwing off my mukluks and toque to dive into a roll. Speaking of colder weather, feel free to take a look at this adult drink recipe to enjoy alongside your cinnamon roll, The Best Boozy Hot Chocolate Recipe.
Now, to be fair, some people find cinnamon rolls to be a tad daunting because a) You have to make your own dough, b) You have to set aside a good amount of time to make them, and c) With the amount of time it takes to make them, what if they don’t turn out? Wasted time is the worst. Well look no further! This recipe is foolproof, seriously. And that’s coming from me, someone who’s strong suit isn’t sweets or desserts. Hey I’l be the first to admit it! I LOVE cooking, because you get to experiment with a dash of this and a pinch of that, essentially, you get to make up the rules as you go! But baking on the other hand, you need to follow the rules and recipe measurements step by step. Which takes me back to the first time I baked cookies…
A dark memory indeed. I was 19 years old and determined to try baking cookies for the first time, in my new apartment, and without the help and guidance of my mother. I baked them like I cooked; loosely following the directions. And let me tell you, as I took them out of the oven, I was incredibly pleased. I poured myself a glass of milk while they cooled – milk I specifically went out and bought for these cookies – and sat their anxious to eat them. It was time. I placed 2 cookies on a plate, sat down at the table, and took a huge bite out of this beautiful chocolate chip cookie. GAHG. HOLY MOTHER OF SALT. There wasn’t enough milk in the house to cleanse my pallet of the salt. I learned from that moment on, follow. the. damn. recipe.
The story of 19 year-old Carmen baking, isn’t meant to scare you into not making this recipe (lol). Instead, I’m hoping it resonants with some of you to let you know – I KNOW (firsthand) that baking can be challenging, which is why this recipe I created is easy to follow, and below are a few helpful hints while making these rolls.
When making homemade cinnamon rolls
- Be patient; although this recipe is foolproof, it’s not patient-proof, meaning there’s a bit of energy and time that goes into making these. You know the saying, “Good things come to those who wait.”? I’m certain that was written about cinnamon rolls
- Be gentle, and don’t over work the dough when you first begin folding it. And do not, I repeat, do not get flour-happy when kneading it. Sprinkle flour when/if needed
- This is a dish to enjoy, meaning it has some calories. But don’t skimp on the butter or cream cheese – just enjoy this treat!
Homemade cinnamon rolls overnight
- You can make the dough in the evening, roll out, fill, cut rolls and place them into the baking pan. Do not give them time to rise. Immediately cover, and place them in fridge. In the morning, take out rolls, let them rise, pour in cream, and place them in the oven. *Keep in mind, they’ll need about 45min to rise.
A few items to consider having on hand when homemade cinnamon rolls
- KitchenAid Mixer PSA this is not needed to make rolls, but it’s handy, and can always be used for future recipes you’ll want to tackle
- KitchenAid 2-piece Silicone spatula set
- Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls, these are freaking awesome! I have them, and love them.
And there you have it folks! Good luck, and enjoy your rolls!
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Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
- Prep Time: 30min
- Cook Time: 25min
- Total Time: 2hrs
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
Description
Homemade Cinnamon Rolls that are guaranteed to get you raving reviews! They’re soft. They’re gooey. And they’re downright delicious.
Ingredients
For the Dough:
- 1 cup milk (115°)
- 2 eggs (room temp)
- 1/4 oz packaged yeast
- 1/3 cup butter (melted, not hot)
- 1 tsp pink Himalayan salt
- 4 cups of flour
- 1/3 cup sugar (granulated)
- 1/2 cup of heavy cream* added after second rise
For the Filling:
- 1 cup butter (melted, not hot) *plus additional butter for pan
- 2 cups brown sugar
- 4 Tbs cinnamon
Cream Cheese Icing:
- 1/4 butter (softened)
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 2 cups powered sugar
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, pour in milk, and sprinkle yeast on top. Let sit (few minutes). Add eggs, butter, sugar and salt
- Lightly mix, breaking up eggs with spatula
- Gently mix in the flour, folding dough, until dough is able to be handled *it will be tacky, but refrain from adding more flour, since more flour will be added when kneading dough
- Begin kneading dough on lightly floured surface for 8-10min. If needed, you can slowly sprinkle in more flour
- Place ball of dough in greased bowl, cover with towel, let rest until dough has doubled in size – around 1hr
- While dough is resting, make your filling
- Filling: Add butter, brown sugar and cinnamon into a bowl, stir until mixed thoroughly. Set aside
- When dough has doubled, punch down dough, and roll out onto floured surface. Roll into 12 by 15-inch rectangle, and use spatula to spread 1/2 – 3/4 of filling over the whole dough rectangle
- Starting on the 15″ side, role dough up, and pinch edge to seal. Cut into 12 slices
- Add butter into baking pan, and lightly sprinkle in remaining filling. Place 12 slices into baking pan
- Cover pan, and let rolls rise until doubled, around 30min
- Preheat your oven to 350°
- Once rolls have doubled, pour over heavy cream (not hot, room temp.), and let soak into the dough
- Bake at 350° for 22-25 minutes, or until rolls are golden brown
- While rolls cool, make filling. Add butter, and softened cream cheese, blending well. Slowly add and powered sugar, and mix until combined
- Spread frosting onto rolls, and enjoy
Keywords: Homemade Cinnamon Bun
