Cinnamon Rolls with Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting or Simple Vanilla Glaze
Yes! I’m stoked to post this recipe, finally. It took a few tries to get it right, and I think I’m finally satisfied with this one. This recipe was adapted from about 7 different recipes to find the right balance between simple and flavorful. One recipe I examined asked for instant mashed potato flakes (?!), but it had the perfect frosting. So, after examining how to make cinnamon rolls efficiently, here’s the equation I came up with.
I tried to find a cinnamon roll recipe that you could make in under an hour. Trust me, it’s never happening. It’s never gonna happen, especially if you want something made from scratch. Real bread needs to be made from yeast, and it kneads needs time to rise properly! I could ask you to buy those Pillsbury canned frozen cylinder things to make these, but that’d go against my code of trying to make up my own recipes. I understand that those things are quick, but sorry, dude. Trust me on this. You can make cinnamon rolls from scratch without losing precious (studying) time. (or whatever else you’re doing with your time!)
Fortunately for you, you can make this recipe without needing a bread maker. Yes, you can totally make bread by hand. Here’s a bonus: these rolls can be made in advance. You can prepare them in advance, throw them in the fridge, and pop them in the oven in the morning when you rise. Or, you can make them immediately after the dough has risen. The flexibility of this recipe should encourage you to make these. Now.
I have two adjusted recipes below, for whether you decide to use active dry yeast or instant (aka rapid-rise) yeast. I’ve screwed up way too many recipes using active dry yeast when the recipe called for instant yeast, so learn from my mistakes. The recipes also include two kinds of frosting/icing: a vanilla cream cheese frosting and vanilla glaze. They’re optional, but seriously. You sorta kinda needa make the vanilla cream cheese frosting. Also, I love raisins and nuts in cinnamon rolls, and I hope this recipe converts you. You can definitely omit the two for a more traditional cinnamon roll.
Post your results in the comments section below, or email me if you find success with this recipe!
Here’s what you need:
All-purpose flour, milk, an egg, butter, water, salt, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, raisins(optional), and walnuts(optional).
So if you’re using active dry yeast (as opposed to instant or rapid rise yeast), dissolve sugar in some warm water. Warm means it’s just slightly warmer than luke warm, and when you touch it, you’re not screaming. We don’t want steaming hot water.
Throw the active dry yeast in the sugary water and stir it around til the yeast dissolves. Let the bowl sit in a warm dry place for 10 minutes…
Here’s what it looks like. How bubbly. Now, you can go ahead and dump it in a large bowl to start making the dough. Or….. if you’re using instant yeast, here’s what you gotta do:
Instant yeast does not need to dissolve, so the recipe starts a little differently. I need you to melt some butter in some milk. Microwave it for 30 seconds to 1 minute, just until the milk is warm to the touch.
What does warm to the touch mean, you ask? Just like this. I can dip my finger in it, and it’s just warm, not hot enough to burn me
After the butter and milk mixture is all melted and warm, dump it in a bowl with an egg and some water. If you’re using the active dry yeast mixture, dump it in the bowl now with the milk and egg and go from here.
Whisk, whisk, whisk it all around. Til it’s all mixed, ok?
Now add 1 cup of flour, sugar, instant yeast, and salt. Obviously, if you’re using the active dry yeast mixture, you’re not going to be adding the instant yeast. (follow the recipes below if you’re not following me)
This recipe is made to glorify your hands. We don’t need no bread machine here. Use your hands to whisk that all around. Til it looks like a thin pancake batter. More like a crepe batter.
Now add 2 1/2 cups of flour and mixed it all around. It’s messy, but fun.
If it’s too sticky, add a few tablespoons of flour to make the dough easy to handle. You don’t need to plop the dough onto the counter. Just mix it around in the bowl. This is how easy this recipe is!
Now I want you to knead the dough for 6-8 minutes til it is smooth and elastic. This gives a slight chew to the cinnamon rolls. Like the ones you get at Cinnabon. But without the added chemicals and preservatives.
Now form the dough into a ball and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Go set it in a dry warm place for 2 hours and wait. Patience is a virtue, mis amigos.
As you’re waiting, go ahead and mix up some cinnamon, chopped walnuts(or pecans), raisins, and brown sugar (light or dark works). Like I said before, nuts and raisins are optional.
This would go pretty well on oatmeal.
Now grease a large baking pan. With butter, of course. Don’t be trying to use margarine on me.
After two hours, here’s where it gets fun. Flour a smooth surface. Just FYI, the flour you use to flour the surface is called “bench flour.”
Now, sucker punch the dough. It should’ve doubled in size. If it didn’t, your yeast was probably expired, or your water was too hot. I hope that does not happen for you.
Put it on the surface and sprinkle some flour on the top.
Roll it out to an 18 inch by 12 inch rectangle. Use a ruler please. (You still have the one you used in elementary school, don’t you?) If it’s too elastic and keeps wanting to shrink back inwards, keep trying to stretch it out without ripping the dough.
Spread some softened butter evenly over the rectangle. Leave a 1/2 inch border unbuttered around the whole thing.
Sprinkle the brown sugar mixture evenly over the softened butter layer. Keep that 1/2 inch border free, ok?
Now start pinching and rolling tightly, starting at the long edge near you.
What do I mean by pinching, you ask? Like this. We want it to be tight and secure, so roll slowly if you must. Cram all the raisins and sugar in the log as you roll.
Keep at it. Keep rollin’. Did you get to practice rolling when you made Vietnamese Spring Rolls?
That’s what I’m talking about. We want THAT. A nice log for our cinnamon rolls.
Now cut some 1-inch slices.
You’d think we would get 18 slices since the log is technically 18 inches long, right? Wrong. The dough is pretty elastic, so you can get anywhere between 15-18 slices. Don’t worry about it.
Now place them in the buttered baking pan. Ideally, you would place them 1/2 inch to 1 inch away from them so they are not touching. I got lazy, but this step is pretty important so that your rolls rise properly. So, take the time to place them far enough apart from each other so they don’t hinder their neighbors’ growth.
They should double in size after about 40 minutes. Like I said, if you place them far enough apart from each other (1/2 inch to 1 inch apart), they would rise more so than in this picture.
Now bake them for 20-25 minutes in an oven preheated to 375 degrees F, or just until the tops are nice and golden. We’re almost done.
While they’re cooling, make some frosting. Mix powdered sugar, cream cheese, milk, and vanilla extract together.
Whisk that all around til you get this deliciousness.
If you don’t have cream cheese or you want a lighter icing, make a vanilla glaze. You need powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract.
Mix til you get this decadence.
While the rolls are still super hot, go ahead and frost it with the cream cheese frosting or vanilla glaze. (omg, are we almost done?)
After about 5 minutes of cooling, you have my permission to devour as many rolls to your heart’s content.
If using instant or rapid-rise yeast:
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Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting or Vanilla Glaze
Total time: 3 hours 25 minutes
Prep: 3hr 5 min
Cook: 20 min
Yield: 15-18 rolls
Level: Easy
Ingredients:
Dough:
1 cup whole milk
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for greasing pan
¼ cup water
1 large egg
3 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour, divided
¼ cup white sugar
2 ¼ teaspoons rapid-rise or instant yeast (from 1 envelope yeast)
1 teaspoon salt
Filling:
¾ cup (packed) light brown sugar
¾ cup chopped walnuts (optional)
¾ cup raisins (optional)
2 ½ tablespoons ground cinnamon
¼ cup (half a stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
Optional – Choose either cream cheese frosting or vanilla glaze:
Cream cheese frosting:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ½ cups sifted powdered sugar
Vanilla glaze
1 ¼ cups sifted powdered sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
4 tablespoons heavy cream or 3 tablespoons whole milk, enough to make a soft, spreadable icing
Directions:
Combine milk and butter in glass measuring cup. Microwave on high until butter melts and mixture is just warmed(but not steaming hot) to touch, about 30 seconds or up to 1 minute. Pour mixture into a large bowl. Whisk in egg and water until mixed. Add 1 cup flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. Mix with your hands until flour is absorbed and no lumps remain, scraping down sides of bowl, about 1 minutes(consistency should be like thin pancake batter). Add 2 ½ cups of flour and continue to mix ingredients with hand until dough begins to form ball and pulls away from sides of bowl. If dough is too sticky, add anywhere between 2-4 tablespoons of flour and mix it just until dough begins to form ball. Knead dough in bowl until smooth and elastic, adding more flour if sticky, about 6-8 minutes. Form into a ball. Cover dough ball in bowl with plastic wrap and let dough rise in a warm area until doubled in volume, about 2 hours.
For filling, mix brown sugar, nuts, raisins, and cinnamon in medium bowl. Grease large baking dishes with unsalted butter.
After dough has doubled in volume, punch down dough with fist to deflate. Transfer dough to floured work surface. Roll out to 18×12-inch rectangle. Spread softened butter over dough, leaving 1/2-inch outside border without butter. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar mixture evenly over butter. Starting at 1 long side, roll dough into log, pinching gently to keep it rolled up. With seam side down, cut dough crosswise with thin sharp knife into 15-18 equal slices (each about 1 inch thick).
Divide rolls between baking dishes, arranging cut side up, leaving ½ inch to 1 inch space around each roll. Cover baking dishes with plastic wrap. ***If not making rolls immediately, please see note below. If using immediately, allow rolls to rise in warm, draft-free area until almost doubled in volume, 40 to 45 minutes.
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375°F. Bake rolls until tops are golden, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from oven and cool in pan for 5 minutes. If frosting rolls, see directions below.
To make spreads:
For cream cheese frosting: Combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter, and vanilla in small bowl. Beat with a whisk until smooth and no lumps remain. Spread frosting evenly on warm rolls. Refrigerate or freeze remaining frosting. Serve rolls warm or at room temperature.
For vanilla glaze: Combine powdered sugar, heavy cream or milk, and vanilla extract in a small bowl. Beat with a whisk until smooth and no lumps remain. Spread glaze evenly on warm rolls. Serve rolls warm or at room temperature.
***For overnight buns: If not using rolls immediately or if you are preparing rolls for the next morning or day, cover baking sheet with unrisen cut rolls using plastic wrap and place in refrigerator overnight or for up to 16 hours. When ready to bake, remove the pans from refrigerator and allow rolls to rest at room temperature for 30-40 minutes. After, bake rolls in a preheated 375 degree F oven for 20-25 minutes, or until tops are golden. Spread glaze or frosting on rolls, and serve warm or at room temperature.
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If using active dry yeast:
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Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting or Vanilla Glaze
Total time: 3 hours 35 minutes
Prep: 3hr 15 min
Cook: 20 min
Yield: 15-18 rolls
Level: Easy
Ingredients:
Dough:
½ cup water(warm to touch, not too hot or steaming)
2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
4 tablespoons white sugar, divided
¾ cup warm whole milk
3 tablespoons melted unsalted butter, plus more for greasing pan
1 large egg, beaten
3 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour, divided
1 teaspoon salt
Filling:
¾ cup (packed) light brown sugar
¾ cup chopped walnuts (optional)
¾ cup raisins (optional)
2 ½ tablespoons ground cinnamon
¼ cup (half a stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
Optional – Choose either cream cheese frosting or vanilla glaze:
Cream cheese frosting:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ½ cups sifted powdered sugar
Vanilla glaze:
1 ¼ cups sifted powdered sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
4 tablespoons heavy cream or 3 tablespoons whole milk, enough to make a soft, spreadable icing
Directions:
Microwave water in a small bowl for 30 seconds until warm to the touch and not hot or steaming. Dissolve 2 tablespoons of sugar in water and add yeast. Allow yeast to rest for 10 minutes until foamy bubbles form on top of water.
Pour yeast mixture into a large bowl. Whisk in warm milk, melted butter, and egg until mixed. Add 1 cup flour, sugar, and salt. Mix with your hands until flour is absorbed and no lumps remain, scraping down sides of bowl, about 1 minutes(consistency should be like thin pancake batter). ). Add 2 ½ cups of flour and continue to mix ingredients with hand until dough begins to form ball and pulls away from sides of bowl. If dough is too sticky, add anywhere between 2-4 tablespoons of flour and mix it just until dough begins to form ball. Knead dough in bowl until smooth and elastic, adding more flour if sticky, about 6-8 minutes. Form into a ball. Cover dough ball in bowl with plastic wrap and let dough rise in a warm area until doubled in volume, about 2 hours.
For filling, mix brown sugar, nuts, raisins, and cinnamon in medium bowl. Grease large baking dishes with unsalted butter.
After dough has doubled in volume, punch down dough with fist to deflate. Transfer dough to floured work surface. Roll out to 18×12-inch rectangle. Spread softened butter over dough, leaving 1/2-inch outside border without butter. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar mixture evenly over butter. Starting at 1 long side, roll dough into log, pinching gently to keep it rolled up. With seam side down, cut dough crosswise with thin sharp knife into 15-18 equal slices (each about 1 inch thick).
Divide rolls between baking dishes, arranging cut side up, leaving ½ inch to 1 inch space around each roll. Cover baking dishes with plastic wrap. ***If not making rolls immediately, please see note below. If using immediately, allow rolls to rise in warm, draft-free area until almost doubled in volume, 40 to 45 minutes.
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375°F. Bake rolls until tops are golden, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from oven and cool in pan for 5 minutes. If frosting rolls, see directions below.
To make spreads:
For cream cheese frosting: Combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter, and vanilla in small bowl. Beat with a whisk until smooth and no lumps remain. Spread frosting evenly on warm rolls. Refrigerate or freeze remaining frosting . Serve rolls warm or at room temperature.
For vanilla glaze: Combine powdered sugar, heavy cream or milk, and vanilla extract in a small bowl. Beat with a whisk until smooth and no lumps remain. Spread glaze evenly on warm rolls. Serve rolls warm or at room temperature.
***For overnight buns: If not using rolls immediately or if you are preparing rolls for the next morning or day, cover baking sheet with unrisen cut rolls using plastic wrap and place in refrigerator overnight or for up to 16 hours. When ready to bake, remove the pans from refrigerator and allow rolls to rest at room temperature for 30-40 minutes. After, bake rolls in a preheated 375 degree F oven for 20-25 minutes, or until tops are golden. Spread glaze or frosting on rolls, and serve warm or at room temperature.
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