Description
These classic cinnamon rolls are soft, fluffy, and packed with a sweet cinnamon-sugar filling. Perfect for breakfast or a cozy treat, they’re topped with a smooth vanilla glaze. The dough rises twice to achieve maximum fluffiness, making these rolls irresistibly tender and flavorful.
Ingredients
Scale
Yeast
- ½ cup warm water, 110°F
- 1 (¼-ounce) package active dry yeast or instant yeast
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
Dough
- ⅓ cup melted butter or coconut oil, plus more for brushing
- ½ cup milk, at room temperature
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 2¾ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading
Filling
- ½ cup dark brown sugar
- 1½ tablespoons cinnamon
Glaze
- 1½ cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 3 to 4 tablespoons milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Other Frosting Options
- 1 recipe Cream Cheese Frosting (optional alternative to glaze)
Instructions
- Prepare baking dish: Grease an 8×11 or 9×13-inch baking dish thoroughly and set aside.
- Activate yeast: In a small bowl, combine warm water, yeast, and granulated sugar. Stir gently and let sit for 5 minutes until the mixture becomes foamy, indicating the yeast is active.
- Make dough: In a medium bowl, mix melted butter, milk, sugar, and salt. Stir in the foamy yeast mixture until combined. Place flour in a large bowl, then add wet ingredients and stir until incorporated. The dough will be sticky; turn it out onto a floured surface and knead for 3 to 4 minutes until smooth, adding flour as needed. Shape into a ball.
- First rise: Butter a large bowl and place dough inside. Cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm spot to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Prepare filling: Mix dark brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl until combined.
- Roll and fill dough: Punch down the risen dough and roll it on a floured surface into a 20×14-inch rectangle. Brush surface with 2 tablespoons melted butter, then sprinkle cinnamon-sugar mixture evenly over the dough, leaving a ½ inch margin at the edges.
- Form rolls: Starting at one short end, tightly roll the dough into a log. Slice into 12 equal rolls using a sharp knife. Place them cut-side up in the greased baking dish. Cover and let rise again until doubled, about 1 hour.
- Preheat oven: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Prepare glaze: Whisk powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons milk, and vanilla extract together in a bowl until smooth. Add more milk as needed to reach desired consistency. Alternatively, prepare cream cheese frosting if preferred.
- Bake: Remove cover and bake rolls for 25 to 30 minutes until lightly golden on top.
- Cool and glaze: Let rolls cool for 10 minutes after baking, then drizzle with glaze or spread cream cheese frosting before serving.
Notes
- Make sure the water temperature for the yeast is around 110°F to avoid killing the yeast.
- Knead the dough just until smooth to keep rolls soft and tender.
- Allowing the dough to rise twice helps achieve the perfect fluffy texture.
- You can substitute the glaze with cream cheese frosting for a richer topping.
- Use melted coconut oil in place of butter for a dairy-free version.
- Roll the dough tightly to avoid the rolls falling apart during baking.
- Serve warm for best taste and softness.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cinnamon roll
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 18g
- Sodium: 220mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 45g
- Fiber: 1.5g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 35mg
