Description
These classic Cinnamon Rolls are soft, fluffy, and filled with a sweet cinnamon-sugar mixture, then topped with a smooth vanilla glaze. Perfect for breakfast or brunch, they are made from scratch with a simple yeast dough and baked to golden perfection.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Yeast
- 1/2 cup warm water, 110°F
- 1 (1/4-ounce) package active dry yeast or instant yeast
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
Dough
- 1/3 cup melted butter or coconut oil, plus more for brushing
- 1/2 cup milk, at room temperature
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading
Filling
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon
Glaze
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 3 to 4 tablespoons milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Other Frosting Options
- 1 recipe Cream Cheese Frosting (optional, instead of glaze)
Instructions
- Prepare the yeast: In a small bowl, stir together the warm water, yeast, and sugar. Set aside for 5 minutes until the yeast becomes foamy, indicating it’s active.
- Make the dough: In a medium bowl, combine the melted butter, room temperature milk, sugar, and salt. Stir in the yeast mixture. Place the flour in a large bowl, add the wet ingredients, and stir until combined. The dough will be sticky.
- Knead the dough: Use your hands to roughly knead the dough, then transfer it onto a floured surface. Knead for 3 to 4 minutes until the dough is smooth, adding flour as needed to prevent sticking. Form into a ball.
- First rise: Brush a large bowl with butter, place the dough inside, and cover with plastic wrap. Set in a warm place to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Prepare the filling: In a small bowl, mix together the dark brown sugar and cinnamon thoroughly.
- Shape the rolls: Punch down the risen dough and roll it out on a floured surface into a 20×14-inch rectangle. Brush with 2 tablespoons melted butter and evenly sprinkle the cinnamon sugar filling, leaving a ½ inch border around the edges.
- Roll and slice: Starting from one short end, roll the dough tightly into a log. Using a sharp knife, slice the log into 12 even rolls. Arrange the rolls cut-side up in a greased 8×11 or 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Second rise: Cover the rolls and let them rise again in a warm place for about 1 hour until puffy and nearly doubled.
- Preheat oven: Heat the oven to 350°F (177°C) while the rolls finish their second rise.
- Make the glaze: In a medium bowl, whisk together the sifted powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons milk, and vanilla extract until smooth. Add more milk if the glaze is too thick. Alternatively, prepare cream cheese frosting if desired.
- Bake the rolls: Uncover the rolls and bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the tops are lightly golden brown and the rolls are cooked through.
- Cool and glaze: Remove the baking dish from the oven and let the rolls cool for 10 minutes. Drizzle the prepared glaze or spread cream cheese frosting on top before serving.
Notes
- Use room temperature milk to ensure the yeast activates properly without killing it.
- Do not over-flour the dough; it should be soft and slightly sticky to keep the rolls tender.
- For extra rich flavor, substitute coconut oil or butter in the dough as preferred.
- Letting the dough rise in a warm environment helps speed up fermentation for a fluffy texture.
- Cream cheese frosting can be made ahead and stored refrigerated until ready to use.
- Ensure the water is not too hot when activating yeast to avoid killing the yeast.
- If you prefer a stronger cinnamon flavor, increase cinnamon to 2 tablespoons.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 roll
- Calories: 310 kcal
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 210 mg
- Fat: 11 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 44 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 35 mg
