Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

Friday, November 13, 2020
Homemade Cinnamon Rolls are the best for breakfast or brunch. These are soft, tender, and gooey.

A special strep makes these homemade yeast rolls from scratch the best Cinnamon Roll Recipe! 

Worlds Greatest Cinnamon Rolls drizzled with Buttermilk Cream Cheese Icing on a white plate.

It's Monday and my husband had the day off, so I had made the Worlds Best Cinnamon Rolls recipe. 

I refrigerated them so we could have hot ooey gooey Cinnamon Rolls this morning for breakfast. 

I also might have been buttering him up to help pick blackberries today to freeze and make Blackberry Jam tomorrow. 

There is nothing better then throwing some Cinnamon Rolls in the oven and 30 minutes later a life altering event will occur to your taste buds. 

I love refrigerating the dough so all I have to do is turn on the oven and throw in the rolls, my eyes don't even need to open yet. 

My Granny would make Cinnamon Rolls at least a few times a month growing up and it still brings back warm fuzzes with every bite, yet I was never able to have her recipe as she had passed before I was of age to ask. 

I usually make Cinnamon Rolls for Christmas morning and have been working on the ultimate Cinnamon Roll recipe for years and I feel confident enough to share this luscious recipe finally! 

After trying just about every Cinnamon Roll I could get my hands on over the years I feel confidently saying these belong on the list of the World's Greatest Cinnamon Rolls. 

Here's how to make these amazing Homemade Cinnamon Rolls:

Water, yeast and sugar being mixed together in a liquid measuring cup.

Heat 1/2 cup water to under 110 degrees.

Stir in:
  • 1/2 teaspoon Sugar
  • 2 packages (1/4 ounce each) Active Dried Yeast 
Mix until dissolved.

Foamy yeast mixture.

After about 8 minutes the yeast will look like this. 

Add to a mixer fitted with a dough hook.

Egg, Buttermilk, Vanilla added to yeast mixture in a mixing bowl.


Place yeast mixture into a mixing bowl fitted with a whisk attachment add:
  • 1/2 cup Buttermilk, Luke Warm
  • 1/2 cup Whole Milk
  • 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
  • 1/4 cup Brown Sugar
  • 2 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract
  • 2 whole Eggs
  • 3 whole Egg Yolks
Mix until well blended.

Flour and Salt added to Cinnamon Roll dough.

Mix in:
  • 5 1/4 cup All-Purpose Flour
  • 1 teaspoon Salt
Mix on speed 2 until dough starts to pull together then increase mixer to speed 4.

Homemade Cinnamon Roll dough being kneaded.

Mix for about 5 minutes until dough is smooth and elastic. If more flour is needed now would be the time to add slowly until dough is smooth yet soft and pulls away from the side of the bowl. 

My dough required 5 1/2 cups flour this time, but it will depend on humidity and the flour as to how much you'll need.

Butter being added to Homemade Cinnamon Roll dough.

While kneading on 4 add 14 tablespoons Butter 1 tablespoon at a time, trying to evenly distribute around the dough and in the middle.

Butter being kneaded into Homemade Cinnamon Roll dough,

See all the little pats of luscious butter.. Those are going to make a tender roll when we are all done.

Cinnamon Roll Dough coming apart midway through kneading.

It will look like this about midway through kneading. Just keep kneading. 

It will take up to 8 minute to have a nice smooth dough again. Do not panic! It will pull back together.

Homemade Cinnamon Roll dough in a greased stainless steel bowl.
 
Place dough in a greased mixing bowl and cover. Rise until double in size about 2 hours.

Homemade Cinnamon Roll dough rolled into a square and spread with butter and cream cheese.

Divide dough into 2.

Roll dough on a large cutting board. I required no extra flour, but if sticking go ahead and add a light dusting of flour. Roll to a 12 x 12 square.

Spread 2 1/2 ounce of cream cheese and 1 tablespoon of Softened Butter onto the dough and spread evenly all the way to the edge.

 This step makes nice little small pockets like when making a danish pastry dough.

Cinnamon Roll dough spread with cream cheese and being folded into 3rds.

 Fold dough into 3rds like a letter.

Cinnamon Roll dough being folded in thirds.

Now another set of thirds going the other direction to form a square. Repeat with other half of dough.

Set aside dough while making the filling.

Cinnamon Roll Smear in a stainless steel bowl.

Time to make the Cinnamon Rolls Filling Smear mix together:
  • 6 tablespoons Butter, Softened
  • 1 cup Brown Sugar
  • 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
  • 3 heaping tablespoons Honey
  • 2 tablespoons Ground Cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla
  • 1/2 teaspoon Salt
Stir in:
  • 3/4 cup Raisins
  • 1 cup Walnuts
Mix  until well combined.

Cinnamon Roll dough rolled into a rectangle and smeared with Cinnamon Filling.

Roll your cream cheese filled dough into a 12" x 18" rectangle. Slather with half of filling mixture. Spreading to 1/2" from the edge.

Press your hand on top of the raisins and nuts to help adhere.

Cinnamon Roll dough being rolled into a long rope.

Now it's time to get rolling. Roll the long way tightly,  pressing and tucking, as to have a long roll and not a short roll.

Cinnamon Roll dough log seam being pinched shut.

Pinch seam tightly and roll seam side down.

Slicing Cinnamon Roll dough.

Now you should still have an 18" long roll you will cut it every 2" for a finish product of 9 rolls per log. 

Repeat with remaining dough the steps above.

Cinnamon Roll dough buns unbaked in a greased pan.

Place into a greased pan or rimmed cookie sheet. I used a large rimmed baking sheet and a 8 x 8 glass pan.
Cover and slip into the refrigerator for morning.

Next Morning: Remove rolls from refrigerator and allow to sit out until doubled in size and preheat oven to 375 degrees.

 Bake Cinnamon Rolls for 30- 35 minutes until the center comes out clean.

Homemade Cinnamon Rolls being glazed with Cream Cheese Buttermilk Icing.

 While rolls bake make Cream Cheese Buttermilk Icing.

Beat together:
  • 2 tablespoons Butter, Room Temperature
  • 3 ounces Cream Cheese, Softened 
  • 1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
Add:
  • 1 1/4 cup Sifted Powdered Sugar
  • 1/3 cup Buttermilk
Mix until smooth and creamy.

Drizzle with cream cheese icing and allow to cool for 10 minutes.

Homemade Cinnamon Rolls drizzled with Cream Cheese Buttermilk Icing.

Homemade Cinnamon Rolls are always a favorite for breakfast, brunch or Christmas morning in our house.

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American
Yield: 18
Author: Serena Bakes Simply From Scratch
Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

The World's Greatest Homemade Cinnamon Roll recipe from Serena Bakes Simply From Scratch.
Prep time: 35 MinCook time: 35 Mininactive time: 14 HourTotal time: 15 H & 10 M

Ingredients

Cinnamon Roll Dough
  • 1/2 cup Water, Warmed To 110 Degrees
  • 2 (1/4 ounce) packages Active Dry Yeast
  • 1/2 teaspoon Granulated Sugar
  • 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
  • 1/4 cup Brown Sugar
  • 1/2 cup Buttermilk, Luke Warm
  • 1/2 cup Whole Milk, Luke Warm
  • 2 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract
  • 2 whole Eggs
  • 3 whole Egg Yolks
  • 5 3/4 cups All-Purpose Flour
  • 1 teaspoon Salt
  • 14 tablespoons Butter, At Room Temperature
Smear For Dough
  • 5 ounces Cream Cheese, Room Temperature
  • 2 tablespoons Butter, Room Temperature
Cinnamon Filling Smear
  • 6 tablespoons Butter, Softened
  • 1 cup Brown Sugar
  • 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
  • 3 tablespoon Honey, Heaping
  • 2 tablespoons Ground Cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon Salt
  • 1 cup Walnuts, Chopped (Optional)
  • 3/4 cup Raisins (Optional)
Cream Cheese Buttermilk Drizzle
  • 2 tablespoons Butter, Softened
  • 3 ounces Cream Cheese, Softened
  • 1 1/4 cup Confectioners Sugar, Sifted
  • 1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
  • 1/3 cup Buttermilk

Instructions

Cinnamon Roll Dough
  1. To make the dough take water, 1/2 teaspoon sugar and yeast. Mix and allow to sit until bubbly, around 8 minutes.
  2. Place yeast mixture into a mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add remaining sugars, buttermilk, milk, vanilla and egg. Mix until combined.
  3. Add 5 1/4 cups flour and salt. Mix on 2 or low (not mix or you'll ruin the motor) until starting to combine. When ingredients are combined well enough to avoid flour flying everywhere turn to 4 or medium and knead for about 5 minutes until smooth and elastic. It will still be soft but not sticky. Add more flour at this point if needed to make a soft, smooth, elastic dough.
  4. Continue kneading at speed 4 or medium while adding butter 1 tablespoon at a time evenly distributing the butter around the edges and in the middle of dough. It will be gooey do not panic continue to knead for up to 8 minutes, dough will become soft and smooth again.
  5. Place into a large greased bowl. Cover and let rise for 2 hours or until doubled in size.
  6. When dough has doubled in size punch down and divide into 2 equal halves. 
  7. Roll each half of dough to a 12" x 12" square using flour as needed to keep dough from sticking to the surface. 
  8. Spread 2 1/2 ounces of cream cheese and 1 tablespoon of butter over each square. 
  9. Fold each square into thirds in both directions to form a square. 
  10. Allow to rest while making filling.
Cinnamon Filling Smear
  1. Mix all ingredients together by hand or in a mixer fitted with paddle attachment.
  2. Take one square and place seem side down. Roll into a 12" x 18" rectangle.
  3. Take half of filling and smear all over the dough leaving 1/2" space around the longest edge farthest from you.
  4. Press nuts and raisins into dough to help ad hear.
  5. Starting with edge closest to you roll dough into a tight roll, pressing and tucking as needed. Roll should be 18" long. Pinch long seam closed with fingers.
  6. Roll seam side down and cut in 2" intervals.
  7. Repeat with remaining square.
  8. Place into a greased pan 12" x 17" pan plus a greased 8 x8 pan. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the following day.
  9. Remove rolls from the refrigerator, allow rolls to come to room temperature and doubled in size for about 30 minutes- 1 hour.
  10. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 
  11. Bake rolls for 30-35 minutes until knife inserted in center comes out clean. 
  12. Drizzle with a spoon cream cheese icing over the top of the hot cinnamon rolls. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before enjoying.
Cream Cheese Drizzle
  1. While cinnamon rolls bake make cream cheese drizzle. 
  2. Place butter, cream cheese and vanilla into mixer bowl fitter with whisk attachment. 
  3. Beat until smooth and creamy. 
  4. Add sifted confectioners sugar and buttermilk. Beat until smooth.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

504.59

Fat (grams)

20.78

Sat. Fat (grams)

10.07

Carbs (grams)

73.00

Fiber (grams)

2.35

Net carbs

70.65

Sugar (grams)

39.29

Protein (grams)

8.43

Sodium (milligrams)

342.72

Cholesterol (grams)

91.37

The nutritional information and metric conversions are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee the accuracy of this data. If this important to you, please verify with your favourite nutrition calculator and/or metric conversion tool.

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Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

1 comment

  1. These look like the world's best cinnamon rolls - OMGoodness =)) Can't wait to try them =)) Have a wonderful weekend!!!

    ReplyDelete

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