Cinnamon Rolls

5 from 1 rating

from kristineskitchenblog.com

These Cinnamon Rolls are simply the best! They're soft, fluffy and filled with a generous amount of gooey cinnamon sugar filling. Slather the baked rolls with our sweet and tangy cream cheese frosting or drizzle on our simple and sweet icing - find both icing recipes below. This cinnamon roll recipe is perfect for the holidays or a special weekend breakfast.

Prep Time45

Cook Time22

Rise Time1 30

Total Time2 37

Servings: servings

Calories: 356kcal

Ingredients

For the Dough

1 cup warm milk 105-115° F, whole milk is best
2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast* or one packet
⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar divided
1 teaspoon salt
1 large egg at room temperature
3 cups all-purpose flour plus more if needed
4 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature, cut into 4 pieces

For the Filling

½ cup packed light brown sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 ½ tablespoons ground cinnamon
4 tablespoons unsalted butter softened to room temperature

Cream Cheese Frosting*

4 ounces brick-style cream cheese at room temperature
2 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
1 ¼ cups confectioners' sugar powdered sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
small pinch of salt

Instructions

Make the Dough

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the warm milk, yeast and 1 tablespoon granulated sugar. Whisk gently. Set aside for 5 minutes, until the mixture starts to bubble and/or foam.
Add the remaining ⅓ cup sugar, salt, egg and flour. Mix on low speed with the paddle attachment until combined. Then mix in the butter pieces on low speed.
Switch to the dough hook and knead the dough on low speed until it is smooth and only slightly sticky to the touch, about 8 minutes. The dough is supposed to be slightly sticky, but if it is very sticky you can add a little more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time. Avoid adding too much flour, because this will make the rolls more dense instead of light and fluffy. The dough should stick to your finger a little bit when you touch it but not be so sticky that you won't be able to roll it out.
Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let the dough rise for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

Make the Filling & Shape the Rolls

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and fold it a few times, shaping it into a rectangle. Use a rolling pin to roll it out into an 18x12-inch rectangle. If the dough resists rolling out into a large enough rectangle, let it rest for a few minutes and it will relax.
To make the cinnamon sugar filling, in a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar, granulated sugar and cinnamon.
Spread the 4 tablespoons of softened butter evenly over the rolled out dough, leaving about ½-inch of dough on one long edge without butter. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture evenly over the buttered dough.
Starting with the long edge opposite the edge without cinnamon-sugar, tightly roll up the dough into a log, pinching closed at the seam. Then use a sharp knife or flavorless dental floss to cut the log into 12 equal rolls. Place each roll in a greased 9x13-inch baking dish.
Cover the rolls with a clean kitchen towel and let rise for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350° F.

Bake and Make Frosting

Bake the cinnamon rolls in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown on the edges. Let them cool for 10 minutes before frosting.
Meanwhile, prepare the cream cheese frosting (or use the simple icing recipe in the notes below). Using an electric mixer, beat the softened cream cheese and butter together on medium low speed until creamy, 1-2 minutes.
Add the powdered sugar and beat on low speed until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the vanilla extract and salt and beat on medium-low speed until incorporated and frosting is creamy.
Spread the icing over the cinnamon rolls. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Video

Notes

Active dry yeast may be used instead of instant yeast, but may require longer rising time. Let the dough rise until doubled in size for the first rise and 30 minutes to 1 hour for the second rise if using active dry yeast.
To make a simple icing instead of cream cheese icing: In a small bowl, stir together 1 cup confectioner's sugar, 2 tablespoons milk and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract. If the icing is too thick, stir in up to one more tablespoon milk. Drizzle over warm cinnamon rolls.
To make cinnamon rolls without a stand mixer, you can mix the dough in a large bowl using a wooden spoon. When it becomes too hard to mix with a spoon, switch to mixing with your hands. Then knead the dough by hand on a lightly floured work surface.
Make Ahead Instructions: You can make the cinnamon rolls the night before and then bake them in the morning. Make the dough, let it rise, roll it out and shape the rolls. Immediately after putting the cut cinnamon rolls in the baking dish, cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. When you are ready to bake, take the cinnamon rolls out of the refrigerator and let them come to room temperature for 30 minutes while the oven preheats. Then remove the plastic wrap and bake as directed in the recipe.
Storage Instructions: With cream cheese frosting: cover with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. If you frosted the rolls with the simple confectioner's sugar icing, they can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
To Freeze (before or after icing): Store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight or for an hour or so at room temperature and then gently warm in the oven or microwave before serving.

Nutrition

Nutrition information is only an estimate.