Description
Delicious homemade cinnamon rolls featuring a soft, buttery dough filled with a sweet cinnamon-brown sugar mixture, topped with a smooth vanilla glaze. Perfect for breakfast or a cozy treat, these cinnamon rolls rise twice for maximum fluffiness and bake to golden perfection.
Ingredients
Scale
Yeast Mixture
- ½ cup warm water, 110°F
- 1 (¼-ounce) package active dry yeast or instant yeast
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
Dough
- ⅓ cup melted butter or coconut oil, plus more for brushing
- ½ cup milk, at room temperature
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 2¾ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading
Filling
- ½ cup dark brown sugar
- 1½ tablespoons cinnamon
Glaze
- 1½ cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 3 to 4 tablespoons milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Other Frosting Options
- 1 recipe Cream Cheese Frosting (optional, instead of glaze)
Instructions
- Prepare Yeast Mixture: In a small bowl, stir together the warm water, yeast, and granulated sugar. Set aside for 5 minutes until the mixture is foamy, indicating the yeast is activated.
- Make the Dough: In a medium bowl, combine the melted butter, room temperature milk, sugar, and salt. Stir in the yeast mixture. In a large bowl, place the flour and add the wet ingredients, stirring until combined. The dough will be sticky. Use your hands to roughly knead it, then transfer to a floured surface. Knead for 3 to 4 minutes until smooth, adding flour as necessary. Form into a ball.
- First Rise: Butter a large bowl and place the dough inside. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm spot to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Prepare Filling: In a small bowl, mix together the dark brown sugar and cinnamon.
- Roll and Fill Dough: Punch down the risen dough and roll it out on a floured surface into a 20×14-inch rectangle. Brush the dough with 2 tablespoons melted butter, then evenly sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture over the surface, stopping about ½ inch from the edges.
- Shape Rolls: Starting at one of the short edges (14-inch side), tightly roll the dough into a log. Use a sharp knife to cut the log into 12 equal rolls. Place the rolls cut-side up in a greased 8×11 or 9×13-inch baking dish. Cover and let rise for 1 hour until puffy.
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Make Glaze: In a medium bowl, whisk powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons milk, and vanilla extract until smooth. Adjust consistency with additional milk if needed. Alternatively, prepare cream cheese frosting to use instead.
- Bake Rolls: Uncover the risen rolls and bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the tops are lightly golden brown.
- Cool and Glaze: Remove the rolls from the oven and allow them to cool for 10 minutes. Drizzle the prepared glaze or spread cream cheese frosting over the rolls before serving.
Notes
- Ensure water temperature for the yeast is around 110°F to properly activate the yeast without killing it.
- Use room temperature milk to help the dough rise better.
- You can substitute melted butter with coconut oil for a dairy-free option.
- Letting the dough rise in a warm place is crucial for fluffy rolls.
- For a richer topping, try cream cheese frosting instead of the glaze.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container; reheat gently before serving for best taste.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cinnamon roll
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 18g
- Sodium: 220mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 44g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 35mg
