Easy Cinnamon Rolls

3

This is my ultimate indulgence. I have always had a soft spot for fresh baked cinnamon rolls ever since childhood. We used to go to the mall and there was this Cinnabon establishment that beckoned me with its seductive aromatics of cinnamon, sugar and butter. Its a truly dangerous combination. Was a cinnamon roll purchased at the Mall? Probably not, only on rare occasion. That’s what makes them so special.

Dough Ingredients:

What makes this dough super flaky and moist is the BUTTER. The other ingredients are pretty standard: all purpose flour, sugar, salt and yeast (make sure it fresh or your dough rolls won’t rise). For the wet ingredients, melt your butter, milk and water in a microwave or on your stove top. We only want the mixture to reach a temperature of 110 degrees F, so don’t boil it. You want it warm. If it gets too hot, wait until it cools off to that temperature before adding it to the flour mixture.

Filling ingredients:

The filling is another standard cinnamon roll mix. Make sure the first thing you do for this recipe is take out the butter so that it softens/comes to room temperature; it needs to be easily spreadable. Brown sugar and white sugar work with the filling.

the Dough prep:

Mix the dough with your hands or use a stand mixer. Once your soft dough mostly combines, you will transfer it to a clean, lightly floured work surface. This dough is super easy to work with. Make sure you kneed it for 3 minutes and then transfer to a lightly sprayed/oiled bowl and loosely cover it for 10 minutes to rest. Now’s a great time to make the cinnamon sugar filling.

Next, roll the dough out into a 14 x 8 inch rectangle. Do the best you can, it doesn’t have to be perfect. Spread the butter out first, followed but a generous coating of the cinnamon sugar. Roll up the dough the long way and then cut 12 rolls (about 1.5 inches thick), try to make sure they are the same width. Butter your baking dish and transfer the rolls into it leaving a little space in between. Tightly cover them with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and place the dish in a warm, draft-free environment for 60-90 minutes to rise (they should double in size).

PRO TIP: turn on your oven to 200 F. for 1 minute and then shut it off. Place your baking dish and rolls in the oven to rise for the 90 minutes.

Bake them for 25-28 minutes in a 10.5 x 7.5 inch greased baking dish (a round 9 inch pie dish should work as well). I had to cover mine loosely with aluminum foil at the 15 minute mark because they started to brown too much along the edges.

The ICING is super simple and delicious! You can make it with the milk or some strong brewed coffee for a mocha flavor. Either way, these cinnamon rolls will make your house smell like love.

Thank you for swinging by Hungry Happens! If you make this, or any other dish on the site, we would greatly appreciate you commenting and rating the dish! LOVE YOUR LIFE!

Easy Cinnamon Rolls

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5 from 1 vote

Servings: 12

Prep Time: 1 hour hr 40 minutes mins

Cook Time: 25 minutes mins

Total Time: 2 hours hrs 5 minutes mins

Ingredients 

US CustomaryMetric

Rolls:

• 2¾ cups all purpose flour
• 1 packet instant yeast (2¼ tsp)
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1/4 cup water
• 3 tbs unsalted butter
• 1 egg

Filling:

• 2 tbs unsalted butter, room temp.
• 1 tbs cinnamon
• 1/4 cup brown sugar

Icing:

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbs milk (or strong coffee)

Instructions

• In a large bowl, whisk the flour, yeast, sugar and salt.
• Melt your milk, butter and water on low heat until smooth. Make sure the tempearture of the mixture is in and around 110°F. when you add it to the flour mixture. Add the egg to the bowl too and use your hands to combine to form a soft dough.
• Lightly flour a clean work surface and knead your dough for 3 minutes. Transfer to a lightly sprayed bowl, cover loosely with a towel and let it rest for 10 minutes.
• Next, roll out the dough into a 14 x 8" rectangle. Spread the softened butter out evenly. Mix the cinnamon sugar together and then sprinkle it all over.
• Time to roll up the dough the long way (see video) – not too tight but not too loose. Cut into 12 even rolls and transfer to a greased baking dish. They should not be touching. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and place in a draft-free, warm environment to rise for 60-90 minutes. They should double is size.
• Preheat your oven to 375° F. Bake the rolls uncovered for 25-28 minutes. Keep an eye on them and if they start to brown too much, loosely cover/tent them with aluminum foil.
• Allow them to cool for 1 hour and then whisk together the icing ingredients until smooth and drizzle on top of the rolls.

Notes

Recipe slightly adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction

I used a 10.5 x 7.5 inch baking dish but a 9 inch round should work too.

Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Store in your fridge for up to 5 days. 

Make Ahead: The dough ball can be made the night before. Cover it with plastic wrap and let it rest in the fridge over night. The next morning, remove from your fridge and let it rest in a warm environment for 1 hour.

Nutrition

Calories: 244kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 111mg | Potassium: 69mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 217IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 2mg

Author: Stella Drivas