Cinnamon Rolls

5 from 1 vote

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The Best Homemade Cinnamon Rolls - make the night before and pop in the oven in the morning for a quick breakfast that will wake the entire house with the smell of cinnamon baking | Three Olives Branch

There is nothing like cinnamon rolls in the morning.

The pre-packaged, store bought varieties have NOTHING on these.  You will never want to eat cinnamon rolls out of a package or can again.

The Best Homemade Cinnamon Rolls - make the night before and pop in the oven in the morning | Three Olives Branch

The smell of these rolls are completely intoxicating.  The second these babies go in the oven, the entire house smells like cinnamon.  A great way to get everyone out of bed!

The Best Homemade Cinnamon Rolls - make the night before and pop in the oven in the morning | Three Olives Branch

These are regularly requested by all family members on both sides, especially at all holidays and large gatherings.  I double this recipe because people will go back for seconds, thirds, and even fourths, and then want some leftover for the next day.

The Best Homemade Cinnamon Rolls - make the night before and pop in the oven in the morning | Three Olives Branch
The Best Homemade Cinnamon Rolls - make the night before and pop in the oven in the morning | Three Olives Branch

You can make the rolls all the way up until they are ready to bake and then leave them out overnight if you wish since they take so long from start to finish.

The Best Homemade Cinnamon Rolls - make the night before and pop in the oven in the morning | Three Olives Branch

It is rather difficult to get up early enough to make these from the very beginning, especially on those coveted weekends where you want to sleep in, so leaving them out overnight has become my go-to method!

The Best Homemade Cinnamon Rolls - make the night before and pop in the oven in the morning for a quick breakfast that will wake the entire house with the smell of cinnamon baking | Three Olives Branch
The Best Homemade Cinnamon Rolls - make the night before and pop in the oven in the morning | Three Olives Branch

Everyone in our family is crazy about extra icing, so this recipe makes a lot of it.  You can easily halve the frosting part if you do not want a lot, but why would anyone prefer it that way?!?

The Best Homemade Cinnamon Rolls - make the night before and pop in the oven in the morning | Three Olives Branch

I also like to shake this up by adding some different flavors to the icing like orange extract, vanilla, or lemon zest.

The Best Homemade Cinnamon Rolls - make the night before and pop in the oven in the morning for a quick breakfast that will wake the entire house with the smell of cinnamon baking | Three Olives Branch

Adapted from this recipe.

Cinnamon Rolls

5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Holiday, Vegetarian, Winter
Servings: 12 rolls

Ingredients

Dough

  • ½ cup milk
  • 1 package active dry yeast (1/4 oz, not instant yeast)
  • 1/2 cup warm water
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/3 cup unsalted butter melted
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 large egg
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour

Filling

  • 1/3 cup unsalted butter melted (plus more for dishes)
  • 1 cup light brown sugar (dark is best but light is fine)
  • 3 Tbsp ground cinnamon
  • 3/4 cup raisins, chopped pecans, or chopped walnuts, optional

Icing

Instructions

  • In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup warm water as per package directions for the correct temperature to ensure that you keep your yeast alive.
  • In a large bowl, mix the 1/2 cup milk, sugar, melted butter, salt, and egg. Let it sit if the temperature of this mixture is over 110F otherwise it will kill the yeast. Once at 110F or below, add yeast mixture and mix to combine.
  • Add in 2 cups of flour and mix until smooth. Add additional flour 1/2 cup (or less) at a time until the dough is easy to handle (the amount of flour that you need will vary).
  • Roll the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 to 10 minutes. Place the dough into a greased bowl (you can use 1-2 tsp of vegetable oil to coat the bowl you mixed everything in). Cover bowl with saran wrap and then a kitchen towel. Let sit until the dough has doubled in size, approximately 60-90 minutes.
  • When dough has doubled in size, punch it down. Then put it back on a floured surface and using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a rectangle approximately 15×9 inches.
  • Spread the melted butter on top of the dough. Mix the cinnamon with the brown sugar and sprinkle the mixture over the butter. Top with walnuts, pecans, raisins, or a combination if you are using them.
  • From the long edge, tightly roll the dough all the way to the other long edge and pinch dough together to seal. Using a serrated knife, cut the log in half. Then cut each half into half again so that you have four equal pieces. Lining up two pieces at a time, cut each into three rolls so that you have a total of 12.
  • Coat the bottom of your 9×13″ baking dish with some additional melted butter and sugar to coat. Place the cinnamon roll slices close together in the dish (four rows of three) and let them rise until the dough has doubled again, approximately 45 minutes. (If you are making these the night before, once the rolls have doubled in size, cover them in plastic wrap and place them in the refrigerator. In the morning, pull them out to warm to room temperature before baking).
  • Preheat the over to 350F. Once the rolls have doubled in size, place them in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes or until they are starting to brown.
  • While the rolls are baking, prepare the icing. Whisk the cream cheese in a stand mixer until creamy. Add the milk and whisk in until combined. Sift in the powdered sugar and whisk until smooth. You can also add some flavorings such as vanilla, a teaspoon of orange extract, or another flavor.
  • When the rolls are done, let them cool slightly and then top with the icing. Serve warm.

Notes

This recipe makes a lot of frosting, so feel free to halve the frosting ingredients if you do not want a lot.
The rolls can be made all the way up to the point before they go in the oven and then left out overnight to save time in the morning.
By on February 1st, 2016

About Kim

Kim has grown up with a passion for cooking good food! You can find her in the kitchen experimenting with new recipes, making dog treats, and eating Italian food!

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9 thoughts on “Cinnamon Rolls”

  1. Hi Kim. Nice to find your blog. Holly Mais posted these on Facebook and I know her. Baking in Colorado can be a challenge and I just took a class at Sur la Table and the chef teacher told me she liked Instant Yeast for our conditions and altitude. I’m going to give these a try and let you know how instant works. What are your thoughts? And has Holly made these in Colorado using regular yeast?

    Reply
    • Hi Lea Ann,
      I tried this once with instant yeast when I was first starting to make them and I personally did not see a difference with how they turned out. When I use the regular yeast, my dough does rise as expected so I have stuck with that method. Do let me know how it turns out!

      Reply
  2. How are you not like 2347237846 pounds with rolls that look this good?!?!? I would easily eat each one of these and then lick the dishware clean. OMGut great job with these cinnamon rolls!!

    Reply
    • This is a question I ask myself often lol! I try to restrain myself when I do make them and give some away, they are dangerously good!

      Reply

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