Cinnabon Cinnamon Roll Recipe

The best homemade cinnamon rolls ever! If you love gooey cinnamon buns, THIS is the recipe with the secret ingredient that makes all the difference. Everyone raves about these better-than-Cinnabon homemade rolls.Table of Contents

Cinnamon rolls are one of the BEST breakfasts. You can make quick and easy cinnamon rolls or you can make pancakes or bread pudding, but this right here is the best Homemade Cinnamon Roll recipe.

It’s been over 5 years since we first unveiled our favorite cinnamon roll recipe. And since that first day the recipe made its appearance on Tastes of Lizzy T, you all have loved it.

We thank you so much for your support and excitement for this recipe. We love hearing from you about the many ways these secret ingredient cinnamon rolls find their way to your table, bringing your family together just as it has ours for over 23 years.

If this sweet roll recipe is new to you, you’re in for a treat! We’ve got the ultimate cinnamon roll guide to give you every bit of information you need for making the gooiest, best cinnamon rolls ever.

Homemade Cinnamon Rolls {Cinnabon Copycat}

The best homemade cinnamon rolls ever! If you love gooey cinnamon buns, here’s the secret ingredient. Everyone raves about these homemade yeast rolls.

Prep: 30min

Total: 119min

Serving Size: 1 serving

Nutrition Facts: calories 618 kcal, Carbohydrate 85 g, Protein 7 g, Fat 28 g, Saturated Fat 17 g, Cholesterol 109 mg, Sodium 427 mg, Fiber 1 g, Sugar 47 g, servingSize 1 serving

Ingredients:

• 1 cup warm milk ((about 115 degrees F))
• 2 1/2 teaspoons instant dry yeast* ((I like Red Star Platinum Baking Yeast))
• 2 large eggs (at room temperature)
• 1/3 cup salted butter** ((Melted, but make sure it isn’t over 110º Fahrenheit. Just softened is fine.))
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour ((divided))
• 1/2 cup salted butter ((almost melted))
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons cinnamon
• 1/2 cup heavy cream*** ((for pouring over the risen rolls))
• 6 ounces cream cheese ((softened))
• 1/3 cup salted butter ((softened))
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 tablespoon maple extract ((or vanilla))

Instruction:

1. Pour the warm milk in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast overtop.
2. Add the eggs, butter and sugar. Mix until combined.
3. Add in salt and 4 cups (save the other 1/2 cup and add only if you need it) of flour and mix using the beater blade just until the ingredients are barely combined. Allow the mixture to rest for 5 minutes so the flour has time to soak up the liquids.
4. Scrape the dough off the beater blade and remove it. Attach the dough hook.
5. To knead, beat the dough on medium speed for 5-7 minutes, adding in up to 1/2 cup more flour if needed to form a dough. The dough should be elastic and smooth. **The dough should be tacky and will still be sticking to the sides of the bowl. That’s ok! Don’t be tempted to add more flour at this point. We generally add about 4 1/2 cups, but start with 4 cups.
6. Spray a large bowl with cooking spray.
7. Use a rubber spatula to remove the dough from the mixer bowl and place it in the greased large bowl.
8. Cover the bowl with a towel or wax paper.
9. Set the bowl in a warm place and allow the dough to rise until double. I like to turn on the oven to the lowest setting for 1-2 minutes. Then turn off the oven and place the dough to rise in there. It normally takes about 30 minutes for the dough to rise. Do not allow the dough to rise too much or your cinnamon rolls will be airy.
10. While the dough is rising, prepare the cinnamon filling. In a medium bowl, combine the soft butter, brown sugar and cinnamon, mixing until well combined. Set aside.
11. Sprinkle a pastry mat generously with flour. Turn out the dough onto the pastry mat and sprinkle the top of the dough with additional flour.
12. Flour a rolling pin and roll the dough to about a 24×15″ rectangle. (the size of the rectangle can vary…it does not have to be exact!)
13. Use a rubber spatula to smooth the cinnamon filling over the whole dough rectangle.
14. Starting on the long end, roll the dough up tightly jelly roll style.
15. Cut into 12 slices and place in a greased 9×13 baking pan.****
16. Cover the pan and allow the rolls to rise for 20 minutes or until nearly double.
17. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
18. Warm the heavy cream until the chill is off. Don’t make it hot…you just don’t want it cold. It should be warm to the touch.
19. Once the rolls have risen, pour the heavy cream over the top of the rolls, allowing it to soak down in and around the rolls.
20. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-22 minutes, until the rolls are lightly golden brown and the center rolls are cooked through. Note…the time will vary based on how big the rolls are, what type of pan, how close the rolls are packed, etc. They could take up to 25-27 minutes. Check the rolls at 20 minutes. If they are getting too browned, cover loosely with foil for the remaining baking time.
21. While the rolls are cooling, prepare the cream cheese frosting.
22. In a large bowl, combine the softened cream cheese and butter using a hand mixer. Blend well.
23. Add in your favorite extract and the powdered sugar. Beat until combined.
24. Spread the frosting over the cooled rolls.
25. Store in an airtight container.

Cinnabons Cinnamon Rolls

Cinnabons Cinnamon Rolls – A Cinnabon copycat recipe, adapted from Todd Wilbur’s “More Top Secret Recipes” cookbook. About the closest you’ll get to the real thing. Super easy to make.

Prep: 20min

Total: 130min

Serving Size: 1 roll

Nutrition Facts: servingSize 1 roll, calories 502 kcal, Carbohydrate 77 g, Protein 7 g, Fat 19 g, Saturated Fat 12 g, Cholesterol 76 mg, Sodium 262 mg, Fiber 3 g, Sugar 42 g, Trans Fat 1 g, unSaturated Fat 6 g

Ingredients:

• 2¼ teaspoon active dry yeast (or instant yeast)
• 1 cup milk (lukewarm)
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ⅓ cup butter (unsalted, softened, or margarine)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup brown sugar (packed)
• 3 tablespoons cinnamon (ground)
• ⅓ cup butter (unsalted, softened, or margarine)
• 6 tablespoons butter (unsalted, softened, or margarine)
• 1½ cups powdered sugar (also known as icing sugar, or confectioner’s sugar)
• ¼ cup cream cheese (at room temperature)
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ⅛ teaspoon salt

Instruction:

1. For the rolls, dissolve the yeast in the warm milk with a teaspoon of sugar (you can take a teaspoon out of the ½ cup of sugar) in a large bowl. Let it sit for about 5 minutes. If the yeast is good, it will start to froth up.
2. To the bowl of your mixer add the sugar, butter or margarine, salt, eggs, and flour. Next, pour in the yeast mixture and mix well until well incorporated and the dough comes clean from the side of the bowl.
3. Place the dough into an oiled bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place about 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in size.
4. Grease a 9×13 inch baking dish with cooking spray or butter. Combine the brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl.
5. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface, until it is approximately 16 inches long by 12 inches wide. It should be approximately ¼ inch in thickness. Spread the ⅓ cup of butter evenly over the dough, then sprinkle with the sugar evenly over the surface of the dough. Working carefully, from the long edge, roll the dough down to the bottom of the other edge tightly. It should look like a long log when you are done rolling.
6. Cut the roll into 1½ inch slices, and place in a lightly greased baking pan. You can also use floss to cut into slices, as seen in the video.
7. Place the cut rolls in the prepared pan. Cover with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let them rise for another 30 minutes, or until doubled in size.
8. Preheat oven to 350°F.
9. Place the baking pan in the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cooking time can vary greatly!
10. While the rolls are baking make the icing by mixing all the icing ingredients and beat well with an electric mixer until fluffy and smooth.
11. When the rolls are done, spread generously with icing.

Copycat Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls

These Copycat Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls are one of my favorite recipes of all time! I could eat a whole pan (and sometimes do)!

Prep: 10min

Total: 40min

Yield: 12

Ingredients:

• 1 cup warm milk
• 1 (1/4 ounce) package active dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons) ((see note for Instant yeast substitution))
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 4 1/2 cups bread flour or regular flour ((bread flour makes for a lighter cinnamon roll))
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon ((see Note))
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 4 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 – 3/4 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Instruction:

1. Microwave milk for 45-60 seconds in the microwave (about 110 degrees F). Dissolve yeast in warm milk in a large bowl and let it bubble and react for about 5 minutes. Add sugar, butter, salt, eggs, and flour. Mix well. Knead dough into a large ball, using your hands dusted lightly with flour or with a stand mixer for about 5 minutes. Put in a bowl sprayed with cooking spray and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place about 1 hour or until dough has doubled in size. *Our house is so cold I have a hard time getting things to rise. If I turn on the oven and then put the rolls on top of the stove, the oven generates enough heat for them to rise.
2. In a small bowl, thoroughly combine brown sugar and cinnamon. Spray surface with cooking spray or sprinkle flour on it. Roll dough into a 16×21 inch rectangle about 1/4 inch thick. Spread dough with 1/3 cup softened butter and sprinkle evenly with sugar/cinnamon mixture. Roll up dough starting with the longer side and cut into 12 large rolls (or 18 smaller rolls). Place rolls in a lightly greased 9×13 inch glass baking dish (or you may need 2 dishes if you make smaller ones). Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30-60 minutes. If making the night before I let them rise covered with a dish towel on the counter overnight.
3. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake rolls in preheated oven until golden brown, about 18-20 minutes or until center of the roll is cooked. Add more time if not cooked. While rolls are baking, beat together cream cheese, butter, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract and salt. Spread half the frosting on them while they are still warm so that the frosting melts into the roll and the other half after they’ve sat for a couple of minutes. That’s what the Cinnabon people do (I asked them). Makes 12-18 rolls.

Copycat Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls

FAQ

What is the secret ingredient in Cinnabon?

Why are Cinnabon cinnamon rolls so good?

• 1) Melt the butter in the same bowl you make the filling. …
• 2) Use a bench knife (or bowl scraper) for neat corners. …
• 3) Don’t roll the dough too tightly. …
• 5) Do yourself a favor and get rigid plastic half sheet pan covers. …
• 7) Let the rolls cool for 10 minutes.

What is the secret to great cinnamon rolls?