I can’t think of many things that make your house smell as amazing as homemade cinnamon rolls. This Copy Cat CinnaBon Recipe is no exception! The house will smell heavenly when you bake these!
These are just beautiful rolls that melt in your mouth and warm you from the inside out!
While homemade rolls take a little time, they are worth every single second. Don’t skimp out on the frosting because… it is amazing! Seriously… it’s the best!
These taste exactly like the cinnamon rolls I love to get at the mall! I’ve made them so many times and they turn out soft and perfectly every time!
Mmmm…. perfect for breakfast or dessert… or snack. Ok, makes a good brunch too, and I’m not saying I’ve never eaten them for dinner… but I’m not saying I have either.
Items you’ll need for this recipe:
* Active Dry Yeast * Cinnamon * Vanilla Extract *
Ingredients
- 1 cup milk
- 2 eggs room temperature
- ⅓ cup butter room temperature
- 4 to 4 ¼ cups bread flour (plus extra for rolling)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 0.25 ounce active dry yeast 1 packet, about 2 ¼ teaspoons
Filling
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- 3 tablespoons cinnamon
- ⅓ cup butter softened
Frosting
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- ¼ cup butter softened
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Combine 2 cups of the flour and yeast in a large mixing bowl. In a saucepan, combine milk, butter, sugar, and salt over medium heat until temperature reaches 120 to 130°F (butter will be almost melted). Add milk mixture to flour mixture along with eggs and mix with an electric mixer on low for 30 seconds. Stir in as much of the flour as you can. (see note below for bread machine)
- Place dough a floured surface and knead in as much of the remaining flour as possible. Continue to knead the dough until it is very smooth and elastic (this will take about 5-10 minutes). Cover dough with oil or cooking spray and plastic wrap. Let rest covered for about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon and set aside.
- Roll the dough into a 18x21-inch rectangle. Spread ⅓ cup butter on the dough and top with the brown sugar and cinnamon mixture.
- Starting with the long side, roll up dough so you have an 21" log. Cut into 12 even rolls. Grease a 9x13 pan and place the rolls in the pan. Cover with plastic wrap and a tea towel or kitchen towel and let rise until nearly doubled, about 45 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400°F.
- Bake rolls on the center rack about 15 minutes or until lightly browned.
- While the rolls are baking, combine cream cheese, ¼ cup butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract and salt with a mixer until fluffy.
- Allow rolls to cool for about 10-15 minutes and spread frosting on warms rolls.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Dessert
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Here are some more recipes you’ll love
* Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls * Apple Pie Roll Ups * Apple Pie Tacos *
This recipe was slightly adapted from Allrecipes.com
I just made my dough last night and was wondering when I ate my dough out and let it sit to ge room temp should I take the plastic wrap off or not?
Please someone give me some advice as this is th first time I’ve ever made dough before!! 😳
I would recommend leaving the dough covered.
I love this recipe!
Can these be made in advance and refrigerated, then baked the next day?
These can be made the day before and stored in the fridge overnight before baking. Take them out and let them sit on the counter for 30 minutes, then follow the recipe to bake. They might need a couple extra minutes in the oven. Enjoy Michelle!
I have made these twice now and this recipe is excellent. Everyone loved them.
I made these for a potluck once and almost 2 years later people still talk about them and ask me to make them! They are time consuming but they are oh so worth it.
For precise accuracy every time I like to weigh my flour do you happen to know?
We have this guide for properly scooping flour if that helps! We didn’t weigh the floor in this recipe but we did follow these instructions for measuring our flour.
Taking these to the Sheboygan County Fair in Wisconsin for Open Class judging tomorrow. I have taken 1st place with clone of cinnabon a couple times. Looking to win a Merit award for these!!! (kind of a best in show) I took a smidge out of a center one to test after they cooled a bit and ended up eating a whole one before supper! This recipe rolled up more evenly than previous recipes I tried. A tip for cutting cleanly is to slide a piece of unflavored or cinnamon flavored dental floss under, cross over the top and pull to make a clean slice without flattening any of the remaining dough. (mint floss leaves a flavor!) I cut the whole log in half, then each half in half and then 3 even rolls out of each section to make the most even pan of rolls. As a chef, I have used many of your other recipes for my 5 course wine tasting dinners as well!
Blue Ribbon again!!!!! Only comment the judge made was that they were a little dark. I have this problem every time. I have to bake them til they register 190 degrees to insure the middle is done but it makes them a bit dark. My only thought is to cut them a bit smaller and make 16 or so instead of 12 so they bake through faster.
I love this recipe too🥰 Congratulations on your blue ribbon. I’m suspecting the browning is because of the high content of sugar I only put half the sugar in.
Perfect cinnamon rolls every time. Thank you!
I think there is a miss print and it should have 1/2 tablespoon salt not teaspoon.
Hi Mary, the recipe is correct as written. Thanks for checking!
I have tried so many cinnamon roll recipes. This one is the best. Thank you.
Hint hint: During the milk process and half a cup of coffee and use 1 cup of sugar instead of half. Have a delicious treat!
I have made a similar recipe for years and years. The only difference the original recipe, which I can’t find, called for a 1/4 cup instant vanilla pudding when you make the dough. Not sure how critical it is, but the text is not something I have seen in a cinnamon roll recipe without the pudding. The rolls have a bit of cake texture. I came looking for this recipe to get the baking time correct.
One other note: I make this for the office once in a while. I make the dough the night before, place it the frig and pull it our two hours before I am going to bake it. Turns out perfect every time.
Can you convert this to metric?
Hi Michele, I do not have a metric conversion for this recipe however Holly’s cookbook does include metric for all recipes and variations!
I made the dough in the bread machine and needed to add another half cup milk. That really helped soften the dough and the rolls turned out wonderful!
I’m about to make these again. My other batches have been met with raves from the family!
This weekend, we have a guest who can’t do any dairy. Sooo I’m going to try this with coconut oil instead of butter. Almond milk instead of milk. Sadly, the amazing icing will be a thin sugar and milk combo. BUT, I’m betting I will still
have an empty pan!!
how did it turn out with the coconut oil? asking for a friend ;)
where do you live? there are SEVERAL brands of vegan cream cheese in stores
I’ve read some comments saying if using a dark metal pan to cook at 375, do you agree with that? What pan do you recommend as being the best to use? I have glass and dark metal. Btw BEST recipe ever! This recipe has officially ruined cinnamon rolls for me because I can’t have them any other way now! I’m just trying to perfect the recipe for myself at this point
Yes, I do agree that a dark pan browns faster. I would recommend either a lighter pan or glass.
I used glass and it came out dark on top and raw in the middle.
Oh no, I am sorry to hear that Juliette. We have never had that problem with this recipe. Did you bake it at 400°F? Does your oven run hot?
This recipe is great I love it as well as my friends, while making these I experimented a little bit with some maple bacon I had on hand , pre cooking the bacon and chopping fine sprinkeling generously on top after frosting . I didnt have cream cheese ,so I made buttercream frosting.