Craving a big yummy Cinnabon Cinnamon Roll Recipe? Look no further! These are a great copycat version (maybe even better than Cinnabon, but don’t tell them we said that!).
Five or six years ago I went on the quest for the perfect cinnamon roll. After trying half a dozen recipes I quickly learned that everyone wants something different in cinnamon rolls. For me, I like them chewy, a robust cinnamon flavor, and BIG! Think Cinnabon. Yeah, I know you can all taste it just by hearing the name.
I prefer straight-up cream cheese frosting, but adding a few tablespoons of maple syrup would take these babies to a whole new level.
My favorite time of year for cinnamon rolls is any cold season. Naturally, this makes it hard for the bread to be fluffy and rise well, so my favorite way to make these is by using the dough cycle in a bread machine.
Cinnabon Copycat Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
For the Roll:
- 1 cup warm milk
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 5 tablespoons butter
- 2 large eggs
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 packet active dry yeast 1/4 ounce packet or 2 and 1/4 teaspoons
- 1 teaspoon salt
For the Filling:
- 2/3 to 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons cinnamon
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter a little shy of 6 tablespoons, softened
For the Frosting:
- 1 package cream cheese 8 ounces
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter 4 tablespoons
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- Pinch of salt
- 2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
Mixing by Bread Machine:
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Add milk, sugar, butter, vanilla and eggs into bread machine. Cover liquids with flour. Top with yeast and salt. Run on dough cycle making sure to check the dough consistency. You want it to be slightly tacky - ball forming, but still be able to touch it with a quick tap and not stick. (See notes for hand mixing instructions.)
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Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
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For the filling, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl.
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Place dough onto clean surface and roll into rectangle.
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Spread the softened butter over the surface of the dough, then sprinkle the sugar mixture evenly over the surface.
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Working carefully, from the long edge, roll the dough down to the bottom edge. Cut the dough into 1 1/2 inch slices, and place in a lightly greased baking pan. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size.
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Bake for 15-20 minutes or until light golden brown.
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While the rolls are baking, combine the icing ingredients, adding the powdered sugar a little bit at a time to avoid a mess.
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Beat well with an electric mixer until fluffy.
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Frost rolls once removed from the oven.
Recipe Notes
Mixing by Hand:
Mix milk, sugar, butter, vanilla and eggs with a whisk or a stand mixer.
Add flour (one cup at a time), yeast and salt.
Knead for about 5-7 minutes.
Place in a greased bowl, cover, and set aside to rest until doubled.
Dress it Up:
Add 2-3 tablespoons maple syrup to the icing.
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Maple syrup in the icing? Yum! Hey you should link to my sister’s linky party to grab some extra traffic, if you want. http://polkadotsonparade.blogspot.com/2013/10/wow-me-wednesday-119.html
Cherish- don’t know if we have a link button, but I will have to look into it haha. The maple is sooooo yummy! BTW you should totally do a post on canning for us sometime if you want!
I made these today for my dad for Christmas. They were amazing and super easy!! Thanks for the awesome recipe!
Glad they worked out so well for you Jill!
If I wanted to make these the night before and bake them the next day, what should I do? Should I bake them and then reheat in the morning or something different? Thank you!
Amanda! Sorry, just saw this comment. This is Christina and I love making these ahead because I am so not a morning person. So, you’ll want to go all the way through to the shaping (so first rise, roll, spread filling, and then roll and cut). Then place the unbaked rolls on a baking sheet. Place in fridge with loosely covered plastic wrap (don’t put on too tight or it will hold in moisture and heat and make them rise despite being in the fridge). Then take out in the morning, let them rise to the doubled size while preheating your oven (could take 30-60 minutes depending on your climate and altitude). Then just cook as directed and frost afterwards. They will be oh so much better this way right out of the oven!
Wondering if these can be frozen before baking them? Kinda like a freezer meal?
I have put these in the fridge the night before loosely covered in plastic wrap to slow down the rising process. I have never frozen them though. I think it’s a great idea! I looked into it and you should be able to freeze them in the pan (so I’d use a disposable pan, of course, if you did that). Make sure to cover in plastic wrap and with aluminum foil to avoid freezer burn. And then, get them out, remove the foil and make sure it’s just covered loosely in the plastic wrap and let them thaw and do the final rise before baking. The second rise will take a lot longer than stated in the recipe since you are starting really cold. You can also freeze after baking and before icing, or after icing. But I’m gonna be honest, I think I prefer fresh rolls coming out of the oven instead of just a reheat in the microwave, so I would definitely lean towards the first way myself! I’ll see if I have a chance to try this soon and report back on how it went!