Recipe Background
Copycat Cinnabon® Rolls bring the quintessential cinnamon-sugar aroma to your kitchen, perfect for savoring the sweet taste of independence.
My decision to recreate Cinnabon® Rolls was born on a cool afternoon after passing my driving test. Picture it: the delicious feeling of freedom met the delightful craving for something sweet and nostalgic. I desperately wanted that cinnamon-sugar aroma but wasn't keen on venturing out yet again. So, with excitement, I raided the kitchen for ingredients. Luckily, I always keep brown sugar and cinnamon stocked, nestled alongside the yeast packets in my pantry.
The true challenge came with the dough. Kneading became a meditation to calm my post-test nerves, and I discovered the joy of watching it rise. A tip if you try this at home: resting the dough in a subtly warm spot makes a world of difference. Once doubled, it was ready for its cinnamon-sugar makeover. The trick is in the rolling technique. Roll tightly to ensure each bite is a perfect swirl of goodness. Fresh out of the oven, as the cream cheese frosting melted into each roll, I knew I'd created something special. Enjoy it warm for the full experience.
Passing that test felt monumental, and these rolls became a delicious symbol of independence. Every bite was a blend of seamless textures and sweet freedom, smothered in icing that draped luxuriously over the warm rolls. Sharing them with family that evening, I realized food, much like driving, is all about the journey, spiced with little victories.
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 2 1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast or instant yeast
- 1 cup milk lukewarm
- 1 teaspoon plus 1/2 cup granulated sugar divided
- 1/3 cup butter unsalted softened
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- 4 cups all-purpose flour plus more, for dusting a work surface
For the filling:
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- 3 tablespoons cinnamon
- 1/3 cup butter unsalted softened
For the cream cheese icing:
- 6 tablespoons butter unsalted softened
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup cream cheese room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Directions
- Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm milk with 1 teaspoon of the granulated sugar in a large bowl.
- Whisk the yeast, milk, and sugar together and let the mixture sit for 5 minutes to activate the yeast. A good sign yeast is activated is it will start to froth up.
- To the bowl of a stand mixer, add the remaining granulated sugar, 1/3 cup of the butter, the salt, the eggs, and 4 cups of the flour, mixing until well-incorporated.
- Pour the yeast mixture over the flour mixture.
- Using the dough hook attachment, mix until well incorporated and the dough comes clean from the side of the bowl.
- Place the dough into a greased bowl.
- Cover the bowl and let it rise in a warm place until it has doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar and the cinnamon.
- Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- Using the extra flour, lightly dust a work surface. Roll the dough out on the prepared surface until it is about 16x12-inches wide about 1/4-inch in thickness.
- Spread 1/3 cup of the softened butter evenly over one side of the dough.
- Sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar evenly over the buttered surface of the dough.
- Working carefully, from the long edge, roll the dough evenly down to the bottom edge.
- Cut the dough into 1 1/2-inch slices, and place the slices in the prepared baking pan, swirl-side up.
- Cover the baking pan with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let the rolls rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Place the baking pan in the oven and bake until golden-brown, about 20 minutes.
- Combine the remaining 6 tablespoons of the butter, the powdered sugar, the cream cheese, the vanilla extract, and the salt in the bowl of a stand mixer.
- Mix until the icing is fluffy and smooth.
- When the rolls are done cooking, cool them slightly, and then generously spread the icing over top. This helps them melt slightly and drape on the rolls.
- Serve warm!
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