A few weeks ago I was invited to a potluck brunch with some friends from work. I spent a few days debating what to make before deciding on this recipe. One of the great things about these cinnamon rolls, besides how awesome they taste, is that they can be prepped the night before and then baked the next morning for breakfast. This worked out perfectly for me since I didn’t want to wake up early in the morning to make cinnamon rolls!
These rolls are super easy to make and the end result is a delicious, cinnamon filled roll with a smooth cream cheese frosting. It would be easy to adapt these cinnamon rolls to include raisins or nuts in the filling.
Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 packages Active Dry Yeast (0.25 ounce packets)
- 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
- 2/3 tsp. baking powder
- 1/3 tsp. baking soda
- 2 tsp. salt
- 1/3 cup butter, melted
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 tbl. ground cinnamon
- 4 1/2 oz. cream cheese, softened
- 2 tbl. butter, softened
- 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
- 3/4 tsp. vanilla
- dash salt
Directions
- To make the dough, heat the milk, vegetable oil and sugar in a medium sauce pan over medium heat until just before the mixture boils. Set aside to cool until it is warm to the touch. Sprinkle the yeast over the top and let it sit for 1 minute.
- Add 4 cups of flour and stir until just combined. Cover with a kitchen towel and set aside in a warm place for 1 hour. After an hour, add the baking powder, baking soda, salt and the remaining 1/2 cup flour. Stir to combine. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour or up to 3 days.
- Roll the dough into a 30 by 10 inch rectangle on a lightly floured counter, the dough will be very thin.
- Pour the melted butter over the surface of the dough. Use the back of a spoon or pastry brush to spread the butter evenly over the surface. Sprinkle the cinnamon and sugar over the butter.
- Starting at the end farthest from you, roll the dough tightly towards you. When you’ve finished rolling the log, pinch the seam together. Use a sharp knife to cut 1 1/2 inch rolls. Place the rolls in a well buttered pan, leaving space between the rolls to allow them to rise. A round pie pan will hold about 7-8 rolls.
- Cover the pans with a towel and place in a warm area to allow the rolls to rise for at 30 minutes. Bake at 375 degrees for 15-18 minutes until the top of the rolls are golden brown.
- While the rolls are baking, you can prepare the frosting. Combine the cream cheese and butter in a mixing bowl and beat until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and beat until combined and fluffy. Mix in the vanilla and salt.
- When the rolls are finished, allow them to cool for a few minutes then spread the frosting on the warm rolls. Serve and enjoy!
Makes: About 2 dozen rolls
Annie – you are ‘evil incarnate’ to publish this recipe! Cinnamon rolls are my kryptonite – bye bye diet
Beth Nyberg Dreams are the touchstones of our character.
haha, but a good cinnamon roll is worth bailing on the diet for a day right?
This has to be my favorite recipe for cinnamon rolls that I’ve made to date. Super easy and always turns out great!
I agree! I’ve made them several times and they always come together to easy and they turn out great
These look delicious! Great with a nice cup of coffee I can imagine.
I bet they’d be perfect with a cup of coffee!
They look absolutely delicious! How long will they keep for (not that they’re likely to last long in my household)?
I’m not sure, mine were all consumed the day I made them! I think they’re best right out of the oven, but I bet you could re-heat them for at least a day or two after and they’d still be good. You can also freeze the dough in the pan before baking if you wanted to make the dough several days in advance.
these look so good