Easy Cinnamon Rolls Recipe
Cinnamon rolls. Who can resist them? I certainly can’t and I don’t know many that can. I’ve tried numerous cinnamon roll recipes. Like, a TON of cinnamon rolls recipes, but I always come back to this one.
The recipe I’m referring to is The Pioneer Woman’s Cinnamon Rolls. I remember my first time making this. I had this irrational fear of working with yeast. I’m not sure if it was because I didn’t understand it or that maybe it would grow and possibly turn into a sci-fi movie.
THE HISTORY OF CINNAMON ROLLS
By the 1600s, cinnamon was widely available in Europe through Arab traders, and bakers started incorporating it more in their recipes, especially in their sweet breads. Through this, the cinnamon roll was born, or at least a variation of it. It was eventually bought to the US by German and Swedish immigrants through Philadelphia, which was a hotspot for German settlers.
It wasn’t until 1985 when the cinnamon rolls became wildly popular. This was due to the first Cinnabon store opening in Seattle, Washington. Now, you can’t walk through any malls or airports without seeing a Cinnabon store.
In 1956, Pillsbury developed a canned cinnamon roll that you can bake at home. While it is a convenient way to satisfy a sweet tooth, nothing beats homemade cinnamon rolls. With so many recipes circulating today, anyone can find a recipe that works best for them.
THE RECIPE
This easy Cinnamon roll recipe is extremely easy to make. It comes together first with the dough, then allowing it to rise. You can make the dough several days in advance and leave it in the refrigerator covered.
The icing is a maple coffee flavor icing but you can change the icing to cream cheese or whatever you like. I’ve made this using aluminum pie plates (6-7) and gifting them to friends and neighbors. Just be careful, you may not be able to get rid of them if you gift these.
WHAT YOU WILL NEED:
- Dough
- 1 quart whole milk
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 packages (4 1/2 tsps) active dry yeast
- 9 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 heaping teaspoon baking powder
- 1 scant teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 2 cups butter, melted plus more as needed
- 1/4 cup ground cinnamon
- 2 cups sugar, plus more as needed
- 2 pounds powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 6 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1/4 cup strongly brewed coffee
- Dash of salt
- 1 tablespoon maple extract
Step 1: Make the Dough
Heat 1 quart of milk, 1 cup of vegetable oil, and 1 cup of sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat; do not allow the mixture to boil. Set aside and cool until lukewarm. Sprinkle the yeast on top and let it sit on the milk for 1 minute.
Add 8 cups of the flour. Stir until just combined, cover with a clean kitchen towel, and set aside in a relatively warm place for 1 hour. I like to run my dryer for a minute, turn it off, then put it in the dryer to rise.
After it has risen, remove the towel and add 1 heaping (a little over a smidgen more than a teaspoon) teaspoon of baking powder, 1 scant (almost full) teaspoon of baking soda, 1 tablespoon of salt, and the remaining 1 cup of flour.
Use the dough right away or place it in a mixing bowl and refrigerate for up to 3 days, punching down the dough if it rises to the top of the bowl.
Step 2: Assemble the Dough
Remove half the dough from the bowl. On a floured surface, roll the dough into a large rectangle, about 30 x 10 inches.
To make the filling, pour 1 cup of melted butter over the surface of the dough. I find this method to be really messy, so I use room-temperature butter and mix in my cinnamon and sugar to form a paste. Make sure to leave about 2 inches from the edges.
Beginning at the end farthest from you, roll the rectangle tightly toward you. Use both hands and work slowly, being careful to keep the roll tight. When you reach the end, pinch the seams together.
The best method to cut your rolls is using unflavored floss. Place the floss under the roll and “tie” the rolls to cut, about 1 1/2 inch slice. One roll will produce 20 to 25 rolls.
Repeat with the other half of the dough.
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Use floss to easily cut rolls
Step 3: Baking the Rolls
Preheat your oven to 375°F. Pour a couple of tablespoons of melted butter into your desired pans or baking dish. Swirl to coat. Place the rolls in the pan, being careful not to overcrowd. Don’t make this mistake!
Cover the pans with a kitchen towel and set aside to rise on the countertop for at least 20 minutes before baking. Remove the towel and bake for 13 to 17 minutes, until golden brown. Don’t allow the rolls to become overly brown. Make the icing as the rolls bake.
Step 4: Make the Icing
In a large bowl, whisk together 2lbs of powdered sugar, 1/2 cup of milk, 6 tablespoons of melted butter, 1/4 cup of strongly brewed coffee, and a dash of salt. Add 1 tablespoon of maple extract.
Whisk until smooth. Taste and add in more maple, sugar, butter, or other ingredients as needed until the icing reaches the desired consistency. The icing should be thick but still pourable.
While the rolls are still warm, drizzle the icing over the top. As they sit, the rolls will absorb some of the icing’s moisture and flavor, getting better with time.
VARIATIONS
You can add finely chopped pecans to the rolls after sprinkling on the cinnamon and sugar. You can also substitute 8 tablespoons of orange marmalade and 1 cup of brown sugar for the cinnamon and white sugar, then substitute orange juice for the maple and coffee on the icing.
I’ve made this also with cream cheese frosting and it’s do die for!
STORING YOUR CINNAMON ROLLS
After the rolls are assembled in the pan, you can freeze them, ensuring that they are tightly covered with foil. When ready to bake, allow them to thaw and rise before baking.
You can also bake, ice, and then freeze. When you are ready to eat, pull them out of the freezer and warm them in a 250°F oven for 15 minutes.
Easy Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
Dough
1 quart whole milk
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
2 packages (4 1/2 tsps) active dry yeast
9 cups all-purpose flour
1 heaping teaspoon baking powder
1 scant teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon salt
Filling
2 cups butter, melted plus more as needed
1/4 cup ground cinnamon
2 cups sugar, plus more as needed
Maple Icing
2 pounds powdered sugar
1/2 cup whole milk
6 tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 cup strongly brewed coffee
Dash of salt
1 tablespoon maple extract
Instructions
Make the Dough
Heat the milk, vegetable oil, and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat; do not allow to boil. Set aside and cool to lukewarm.
Sprinkle the yeast on top and let sit on top of milk for 1 minute.
Add 8 cups of flour. Stir until just combined. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and set aside to rise for 1 hour.
Remove the towel and add the baking powder, baking soda, salt, and the remaining 1 cup of flour. Stir thoroughly to combine.
Use the dough right away or place in a mixing bowl and refrigerate for up to 3 days, punching down the dough if it rises to the top of the bowl.
Assemble the Dough
Remove the dough from the bowl. On a floured surface, roll the dough into a large rectangle, about 30 x 10 inches.
Pour 1 cup of melted butter over the surface of the dough. Use your fingers to spread the butter evenly.
Generously sprinkle half of the ground cinnamon and 1 cup of sugar over the butter.
Beginning at the end farthest from you, roll the rectangle tightly toward you, being careful to keep the roll tight.
When you reach the end, pinch the seam together.
Using floss, place the floss under the roll and cut into 1 1/2-inch slice. One log will produce 20-25 rolls.
Pour a couple of tablespoons of melted butter into your desired pan or baking dish, swirling to evenly coat.
Place the sliced rolls in the pan, being careful not to overcrowd.
Repeat the rolling/sugar/butter process with the other half of the dough.
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Cover the pans with a kitchen towel and allow to rise for 20 minutes before baking.
Remove the towel and bake for 13 to 17 minutes, until golden brown. Don’t allow the rolls to become overly brown. Make the icing while the rolls bake.
Make the Icing
In a large bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, butter, coffee, and salt.
Add in the maple extract and whisk until smooth. Taste and adjust as needed, adding more maple, sugar, butter, or any ingredients as needed until the desired consistency is reached. Icing should be thick but still pourable.
While the rolls are still warm, drizzle the icing over the top, making sure the edges are covered.
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Notes
For the filling, you can also let your butter come to room temperature, then add your sugar and cinnamon to make it less messy.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
413.84
Fat
17.59 g
Sat. Fat
8.29 g
Carbs
61.64 g
Fiber
1.64 g
Net carbs
60.01 g
Sugar
38.56 g
Protein
4.11 g
Sodium
290.97 mg
Cholesterol
32.13 mg
