Welcome to the Sweet Start of Your Day: Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

Embrace the delightful aroma of freshly baked cinnamon rolls to kickstart your morning with a homemade touch. Learn our step-by-step guide to crafting homemade cinnamon rolls, allowing you to skip the store-bought versions and customize them to your taste. Discover our secret ingredient for a moist, fluffy dough, and find out how to prepare the rolls ahead of time for a quick breakfast or brunch.

Step 1: Prep Cinnamon Roll Dough

Cinnamon rolls begin with a sweet dough made from milk, sugar, butter, and eggs, combined with flour, yeast, and salt. Inspired by our potato cinnamon roll recipe, we'll guide you through the process. Here’s how to get your dough started:

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine all-purpose flour and active dry yeast.
2. In a medium saucepan, mix milk, mashed potatoes (our secret ingredient for softness!), butter, granulated sugar, and salt. Heat until warm (around 120°F to 130°F) and the butter is nearly melted.
3. Add the milk mixture to the flour, along with 2 eggs. Beat on low for 30 seconds, scraping the bowl constantly. Then, beat on high for 3 minutes. Stir in additional flour as needed (up to 2 1/2 cups).

Begin by adding the minimum amount of flour. Adding too much can result in a heavy, dry bread.

Cinnamon Roll Ingredient Tips

For the best results, follow these tips from our Test Kitchen:

• Flour: Replace up to 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour with whole wheat or spelt flour for a different flavor and texture. Start by replacing 1/2 cup with alternative flours.
• Milk: Use skim or low-fat milk to save calories and fat. For richer rolls, opt for whole milk.
• Yeast: Check the expiration date to ensure your dough rises properly.
• Eggs: Eggs add richness, structure, tenderness, and color to the rolls.
• Potato: Adding mashed potato to the dough creates a light, tender texture.
• Butter: Use real butter for richness and flavor. If the recipe calls for salted butter, omit the added salt.

Step 2: Knead the Dough

Cinnamon rolls require moderately soft dough, slightly sticky and kneaded for 3 to 5 minutes.

To knead, fold the dough over and press down with the heel of your hand. Turn, fold, and press again. The dough is ready when it’s smooth and elastic. Shape it into a ball.

Step 3: Let the Dough Rise

Place the dough ball in a greased bowl at least twice its size, turning once to grease the surface. This prevents drying.

Cover the dough and let it rise in a warm place until doubled in size (approximately 45 to 60 minutes). After rising, gently press two fingers into the dough. If the indentations remain, it’s ready. Punch down the dough, then let it rest before shaping to calm it and make it easier to work with.

Step 4: Roll Out the Dough

Roll the dough into a rectangle measuring 18x12 inches, alternating rolling from the center to the sides and diagonally to the corners. Gently push and pull the corners to make them square and even. Spread softened butter over the dough, leaving a 1-inch border at the edges.

Step 5: Fill and Roll the Cinnamon Rolls

Basic filling is a mixture of brown sugar and ground cinnamon. For a classic touch, stir in additional ingredients like raisins, apricots, fruit bits, cherries, chocolate pieces, nuts, or a combination.

Sprinkle the filling on the dough, leaving a 1-inch border unfilled on the long sides. Roll the dough firmly but not too tightly, pinching the edge to seal.

Step 6: Slice the Dough

Score the dough roll with a knife to mark 12 rolls. Use dental floss to cut the rolls without squishing them. If dental floss isn’t available, gently cut with a serrated knife.

Step 7: Bake Cinnamon Rolls

Arrange the rolls in a greased pan, let them rise until nearly doubled, then bake at 375°F for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden. Cool slightly before frosting.

For a later bake (for breakfast or brunch), cover the dough, let it rise, then refrigerate for 2 to 24 hours. Let the rolls stand at room temperature before baking.

Step 8: Frost the Cinnamon Rolls

After cooling slightly, transfer the rolls to a cooling rack. Drizzle with cinnamon roll icing or spread with cream cheese frosting. Enjoy your homemade cinnamon rolls!

How to Make Cinnamon Roll Icing

Our favorite part of cinnamon rolls is the icing. Explore our favorite options, including browned butter frosting, cream cheese frosting, and powdered sugar frosting.

More Fun Ways to Use Cinnamon Rolls

Expand your cinnamon roll creativity with our classic recipe, or try cinnamon roll pancakes, a giant cinnamon roll in a skillet, or cinnamon rolls in pie crusts like cinnamon roll apple pie or a pumpkin pie crust. The possibilities are endless!