Homemade Cinnamon Rolls (Cinnabon Copycat)
Homemade cinnamon rolls will fill your home with the most incredible aroma, and they will disappear within minutes of being made, just like Cinnabon!
How many of you remember your very first time on the internet? Do you recall what you did, or what you found? I do, because cinnamon rolls were involved!
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Somehow, I came upon the alleged recipe for Cinnabon cinnamon rolls. I have no idea what site it was, or where I found the recipe, but I wrote it into my recipe binder.
Whether this is the original Cinnabon recipe or not, I really don’t care, because I’ve been making these babies for over 25 years and everyone who has tasted them, practically swoons when they eat them. My father constantly asks me to make them when he’s visiting, and my son, who doesn’t really go looking for sweets, loves these buns!
It’s definitely a great recipe, but keep in mind what I keep repeating over and over: if you don’t use the best ingredients, your homemade cinnamon rolls won’t be “swoon-worthy”!
When I made these yesterday morning, I don’t think I was quite awake when I started measuring ingredients. I wanted to double the recipe, but instead of one cup of water and buttermilk, I accidentally used two cups of each liquid, essentially quadrupling the recipe instead!
All I can say is that some neighbors and the firemen at the local fire station were happy campers yesterday! I would strongly advise against making 4x the recipe, unless you need about 50 homemade cinnamon rolls and plan on staying in the kitchen for hours! Because I was making so many cinnamon rolls, I iced them when they were completely cool.
Chelsea Buns are a similar yeast dough roll from the UK.
If you ice them while still warm, they will have more of a glaze on top, as the icing slightly melts. You could even drizzle it on, whatever your preference is.
And yet another recipe using a very similar dough: Scottish Cream Buns
I make half the amount of icing as the original recipe as I personally don’t like an inch of ‘sweetness’ on top of my cinnamon roll, but feel free to adjust it to your own liking.
Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
slighly adapted from an online recipe originally found as the “Cinnabon recipe”
FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW makes 12 rolls
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 packet (1/4 oz) of yeast (I have used less with perfect results)
- 1/2 cup (4 oz) warm water (105-115ºF)
- 1/3 cup (2 1/2 oz) sugar (plus 1/2 tsp)
- 1/2 cup (4 oz) warm milk (I use buttermilk)
- 1/3 cup (2 1/2 oz) melted butter
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 egg, slightly beaten
- about 4 cups (17 1/2 oz) all purpose flour (more or less to attain a firm, yet slightly sticky dough)
Filling
- 1/4 cup (2 oz) melted butter (good quality, like Kerrygold) plus more for trays
- 1/2 cup (3 1/2 oz) brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp (1 oz) sugar
- 2 ½ tsp cinnamon (if you don’t use good quality cinnamon, your rolls will not taste nearly as good!)
Brush the inside of two 8″ or 9″ round tins, or a 9″ x 13″ tray with melted butter.
NOTE: I made these homemade cinnamon rolls in my stand mixer. If you are using a bread machine, simply put all the wet ingredients in first, and top with the flour, placing the yeast in a well in the center and run on ‘dough cycle’.
Stand mixer (or by hand) instructions: place the water, yeast and 1/2 teaspoon of sugar in a large mixing bowl and set aside. Combine the milk, 1/3 cup of sugar, melted butter, salt and egg in another bowl or measuring jug. Stir this mixture well, then add to yeast and water in bowl.
Add half the flour and beat until smooth, using the dough hook. Add the remaining flour until the dough is firm, but will be slightly sticky. Cover, and let rise until doubled in size.
Punch down dough after it has risen and let rest for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, mix the cinnamon with the brown and white sugar in a small bowl.
Roll out the dough with rolling pin into a 7″ x 10″ rectangle. Spread the 1/4 cup melted butter on the dough, then sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar mixture, going almost to the edges. Roll the dough, starting from the longest edge (see below.) Pinch the edges to seal.
Cut into quarters using dental floss (unflavored), then cut each quarter into 3 equal pieces. Place into two 8″ or 9″ round buttered tins or a rectangular baking tray, and place in oven (unheated) for about half an hour or until doubled in size.
Once risen, remove from the oven and preheat oven to 350ºF.
When ready, place the rolls in the center of the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
While the rolls are baking, make the icing.
Icing for Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup (2 oz) good quality butter
- 1 1/2 cups (6 1/2 oz) powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1 to 2 Tbsp warm milk or water
Mix all ingredients together, until the icing has a smooth spreading consistency.
The rolls will rise and be golden brown when ready.
Aren’t they lovely?
While still a little warm, spread with the icing.
Now enjoy the “rolls” of your labor!
Homemade Cinnamon Rolls (swoon-worthy!)
Special Equipment
- 1 baking pan 9"x13" or 2 round 9" baking pans
Ingredients
Dough:
- 2 ½ tsp dry yeast (I have used less with perfect results)
- 4 oz water (warmed to 105-115ºF)
- ⅓ cup sugar (plus ½ tsp)
- 4 oz milk (warmed, I use buttermilk)
- ⅓ cup butter (melted)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 egg (slightly beaten)
- 4 cup all purpose flour (more or less to attain a firm, yet slightly sticky dough)
Filling:
- 2 oz butter (melted)
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 2 ½ tsp cinnamon
Icing:
- 2 oz butter (good quality, like Lewis Road Creamery)
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar (confectioner's sugar)
- ½ tsp vanilla
- 1 Tbsp water (or milk)
Instructions
- Brush the inside of two 8" or 9" round pans or a 9" x 13" tray with melted butter.
- Stand mixer (or by hand) instructions: place the water, yeast and ½ teaspoon of sugar in a large mixing bowl and set aside. Combine the milk, ⅓ cup (66 grams) sugar, melted butter, salt and egg in another bowl or measuring jug. Stir this mixture well, then add to yeast and water in bowl.
- Add half the flour and beat until smooth, using the dough hook. Add the remaining flour until the dough is firm, but will be slightly sticky. Cover, and let rise until doubled in size.
- Punch down dough after it has risen and let rest for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, mix the cinnamon with the brown and white sugar in a small bowl.
- Roll out the dough with rolling pin into a 7" x 10" rectangle. Spread the melted butter on the dough, then sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar mixture, going almost to the edges. Roll the dough, starting from the longest edge (see below.) Pinch the edges to seal.
- Cut into quarters using plain dental floss, then cut each quarter into 3 equal pieces. Place into two 8" or 9" round buttered tins or a rectangular baking tray, and place in oven (unheated) for about half an hour or until doubled in size.
- Once risen, remove from the oven and preheat oven to 350ºF.
- When ready, place the rolls in the center of the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
- While the rolls are baking, make the icing.
- Mix all the icing ingredients together, until it has a smooth spreading consistency.
- The rolls will rise and be golden brown when ready. While still a little warm, spread with the icing.
Notes
- NOTE: I made these homemade cinnamon rolls in my stand mixer. If you are using a bread machine, simply put all the wet ingredients in first, and top with the flour, placing the yeast in a well in the center and run on 'dough cycle'.
Nutrition
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I made these buns with homemade sourdough. They are amazingly delicious! Thanks for the detailed recipe!
I think Charlotte was being cheeky since your direction to pinch comes before the direction to roll. 🙃
Oh my goodness, how on earth did that happen? Thank you, Angela! You caught it! Fixed now! :)
My husband fell in love with me all over again after he tasted these. I’ve always been a pretty good cook. Baker? Not so much. But your instructions were easy to follow and the results were simply. terrific.
(Perfect to go with coffee made in the beautiful MOKA coffeemaker, which would look so good in my little red kitchen!)
Hi Christina do I use unsalted or salted butter? I dont really know if it matters.
Hi Priscilla, it’s not critical with this recipe, so either one will work. If you use unsalted, add another ¼ tsp of salt. Otherwise, it’s fine. Enjoy!