Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

These homemade cinnamon rolls are finger-licking delicious. Soft, light, and fluffy loaded with cinnamon flavor then topped with a condensed milk glaze. The recipe is simple and easy and can be ready in a little over an hour.

Table of Content

• Why make these cinnamon rolls?
• Ingredients and substitutes
• Step by step instructions
• More sweet bread recipes
• Frequently asked questions
• You may also like
• Printable Recipe
• Join the conversation

Do you love cinnamon rolls? Who doesn't, right? But, have you tried making them?

I will admit that when I started baking, more than 10 years ago, these were not the easiest for me to make. My very first batch became toast because I over-baked them. And my next batch had too much cinnamon. But, now, these become perfect every single time.

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Why make these cinnamon rolls?

• Most of the ingredients are simple pantry staples you can make them any time at all
• The recipe is very simple and easy to make just like any other bread.
• The dough can be proofed for as little as 20 minutes or kept in the fridge overnight which is perfect for breakfast over the weekends.
• The rolls are filled with delicious cinnamons sugar but you can also try adding chocolate to your filling.
• Today, I am using condensed milk for glazing my cinnamon rolls but cream cheese is of course always a popular alternative.
• The process could not be any more simple.
  • Prepare the dough - 10 minutes
  • Rise the dough - 20 mins up to overnight
  • Fill and shape the rolls - 10 mins
  • Proof the rolls - 20 to 30 mins
  • Bake the rolls - 20 mins
  • Glaze - 10 mins

Ingredients and substitutes

• Flour – You can use both all-purpose flour or bread flour for these rolls.
• Instant dry yeast – I like to use instant dry because I’ve always had great success with it.
  • 2 ¼ or one package Active dry yeast
  • 21 grams of fresh yeast
• Sugar/Honey - this is a sweet bread and you can use honey or sugar in the dough instead of sugar.
• Butter – This is an enriched dough. I like adding butter not just to feed the yeast but also to add flavor. I highly recommend adding the butter.
• Eggs - Add a lot of flavor to the bread, give a tender crumb and strengthen the texture.
• Milk - Enhances the flavor, tenderizes the dough giving it a soft texture.
• Cinnamon - Use good quality cinnamon from a trusted source that will give you that cinnamon flavor, not just the woody texture.

Step by step instructions

Dough

• In the bowl of a stand mixer with the hook attachment combine warm milk (110 F), yeast, honey, butter, and eggs.
• Measure the flour and salt in a bowl. Add it to the yeast mixture and combine well.
  Pro-tip - if you do not like kneading I highly recommend using a stand mixer with the hook attachment.
• Knead-
  • By hand - transfer to a well-dusted worktop and knead for 5 to 6 minutes
  • Stand mixer - once all the flour is well incorporated knead on medium for 4 to 5 minutes
• When the dough is soft, shiny, but still slightly sticky shape into a ball. Place the dough in an oiled bowl seam side down. Coat the surface with oil to prevent drying. Cover with a clean kitchen cloth or plastic wrap.
• Leave in a warm place. Let rise for 30 to 40 minutes until double in volume.
  Pro-tip - If you place the bowl in a warm oven with the light on, the dough will rise in just about 20 minutes. Alternatively, you can leave the dough in the fridge overnight. Thaw it for an hour before shaping.

Cinnamon sugar filling

• Combine both sugars, butter, cinnamon, and vanilla extract. Set aside.
• Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface. Roll into a 16 x 12 rectangle. (16 inches long and 12 inches wide)
  Pro tip - the measurement is a guideline. You want to roll the dough to about ⅛ thickness. Too thin will make the rolls hard and too thick will make bulky cinnamon rolls.
• Drop spoonfuls of the cinnamon mixture then use an offset spatula to spread evenly making sure to get to all the edges too.
• Working from the long side, roll the dough from one side to the other (similar to a Swiss roll). Pinch the seams together. Then, cut into 16 equal pieces. First, cut in half then half again until you have 16 buns.
  Pro tip - You use a sewing thread or knife but a bench scraper works well too.

Bake

• Lightly spray a 13 x 9 baking pan or a sheet pan. Place the cinnamon rolls equally spaced in the pan leaving enough space for them to rise. Cover and leave to rise until almost double in volume for about 20 to 30 minutes.
  Pro tip- if you place them in a warm oven with the light only they will rise in just 20 minutes.
• About 10 minutes before baking, preheat the oven at 375°F /190°C / Gas Mark 5
• Once the rolls are doubled in volume, bake for about 20 to 25 minutes until the tops are lightly golden brown. If necessary, tent the top with foil to prevent browning too much.
  Pro tip - if you are not going to glaze them with cream cheese you may want to brush them with an egg wash before baking (egg what is one beaten egg with 2 tablespoon of water).
• When done, remove from the oven and cool until just warm.
  Pro tip - I like to add the cream cheese glaze on the cinnamon rolls when they are warm so some of the melted glaze gets absorbed inside the rolls.

Condensed milk glaze

• Drizzle condensed milk right out of the can over the warm cinnamon rolls.

Sugar glaze

• Combine the powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk until it's a smooth pouring consistency. Then, drizzle over the warm cinnamon rolls.
  Pro tip - you can also serve some cinnamon rolls without glaze because these are delicious on their own too.

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Frequently asked questions

You may also like

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Printable Recipe