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Beginner in baking? Have no time to pursue a hobby? A sudden tea party may be! Cinnamon rolls can be the answer to those. The best part is that there is a lot of the best cinnamon roll recipes you can try, and among them I really loved, the Cinnabon cinnamon rolls, Pumpkin cinnamon rolls, Banana Cinnamon rolls, and strawberry cinnamon rolls. They are delicious and so easy to bake and prepare ahead of time recipe. The beautiful cinnamon swirl is to die for, and the aroma fills your house with its pleasing fragrance. Devour them as it is or experiment with a few frosting ideas to make them even more flavorful.
Traditional cinnamon roll recipes sometimes take quite a long, but this recipe is an easy and quick fix. This will yield soft and fluffy rolls with the same great bakery-like taste. When you are done, you can store the cinnamon rolls, and when needed, you can consume them. Just reheat the cinnamon rolls in the oven and you are all set to enjoy these rolls. Let’s get started!
Ingredient Notes
The ingredients you throw in the baking mixtures do a lot for their texture, aroma, and taste. So be sure to get the best of them
The mighty yeast
Yup, that’s right! When you are to bake something like dough, you have to get the best, strong, and dependable yeast. It helps the dough to rise and creates air bubbles in it, which makes it soft and fluffy. If you are short of time, find some instant yeast that will save you from the second time rise.
Milky milk…
Use whole milk. That’s it. Non-fat or low-fat milk will not do the job. The fat content of whole milk not only makes it wholesome but also results in a smooth texture and holds all the ingredients together. If you have to use a substitute, then buttermilk is the next best option.
Sugar
The granulated one. It not only gives the sweet texture but also allows the yeast to do its job.
All-purpose Flour
Flour forms the structure of any baked item. For the cinnamon rolls, All-purpose flour works well because regular bread flour might make the roll chewy. The same goes with almond flour, which gives a nutty flavor that does not go very well in the classic cinnamon rolls.
Tools You’ll Need
Ingredients For Cinnamon Rolls
For dough
- 3 ½ cups All purpose flour
- 3 tbsp. warm milk
- 1 egg whisked
- ½ cup lukewarm water
- 4 tbsp. melted butter
- 3 tsp. sugar
- 2 ½ tsp. Instant yeast
- ½ tsp. salt
- ½ tbsp. oil
- Chocolate syrup
For cream cheese frosting
- ¾ cup Cream Cheese
- ¼ cup Salted butter (at room temperature)
- 1 ¼ cup sugar
- 1 tbsp. Milk
- ½ tsp. Vanilla essence
Other ingredients
- ½ cup Brown sugar
- 2 to 3 tsp. Cinnamon powder
How to make traditional cinnamon rolls with icing?
Prepare the filling and frosting
Filling:
For the start, grind the brown sugar finely and mix it with cinnamon powder. Set aside. This will be used as a filling in the cinnamon rolls.
Frosting:
Pour in cream cheese in a bowl. Take softened butter which is kept in room temp and add to the cream mixture. Add half of the powdered sugar to the mixture. Use a spatula to mix it well until you achieve a smooth consistency. Now add the remaining sugar. Sugar is added in portions to avoid getting any lumps. Add one tbsp of milk to this and mix again. Using a whisk, mix it again until no lumps remain.
Preparation of the dough
In lukewarm water, dissolve yeast and set aside. The warm water activates the yeast for its action on the flour and sugar. It releases carbon dioxide which causes the mixture to fill with air and results in a soft, spongy texture of the cinnamon rolls.
Combine whisked egg, softened or preferably melted butter, salt, and milk in a bowl. Add the yeast mixture to it.
Use fresh All-purpose flour for this recipe. Mix flour in the yeast mixture and knead it to form a smooth dough. If required, add more flour. Knead well so that the gluten breaks and yeast can do its job.
Cover the dough and allow it to rest in a warm place. With the action of yeast, it will become almost double in size.
After one hour, take the dough out and knead it again.
Rolling up:
On a flat surface, roll out the dough using a rolling pin and form a neat, rectangular dough sheet.
On this sheet, spread some softened butter evenly until the entire surface is covered.
Use the prepared brown sugar and cinnamon mixture and spread generously on top of the butter layer. Coat the surface evenly.
Start rolling tightly from the longer side. When rolled up, slice the roll into 1.5-inch thick slices.
The baking.
Line a baking tray with butter paper and glaze it a bit with butter or oil. Place the cinnamon rolls on the sheet.
Allow to rest them for another 30 minutes so that they will double up again in size.
Baking in the oven
If you have an oven, preheat it and allow the cinnamon rolls to bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 12 to 14 minutes.
Baking without the oven
Fill a large cooking pot with salt. Salt absorbs heat and delivers the indirect heat needed for baking. It will also allow your pot to preheat without burning. Place a steam rack over the salt layer.
Preheat this cooking pot on high flame for 15 minutes.
Place the cinnamon rolls in a round pan lined with butter paper. Set the pan on the steam rack.
Cover and bake for 15 minutes.
The cream cheese indulgence….
Allow the rolls to cool down completely.
Pour over the cream cheese frosting and drizzle some chocolate syrup.
Freezing instructions
You can freeze the unbaked cinnamon rolls in any storage box lined with butter paper.
When you need them, take them out of the freezer 2 hours before. Bake as per instructions.
Alternative Recipes You Can Try:
- Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls
- Best Swiss Cake Rolls
- Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
- Banana Cinnamon Rolls
- Easy Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls
- Pie Crust Cinnamon Rolls
Frequently Asked Questions
Baking requires the exact right balance of ingredients. A tough baked product, especially cinnamon rolls means that there is too much flour. Too little of it will also make them soggy and give a dense texture. Measure the right amount of flour and at each stage of kneading, check if the dough is soft and smooth. Start with small amounts of flour and add more as desired.
Just to get their light and airy texture. A second rise means that cinnamon rolls need to be kept for almost an hour just before baking, and this is also called proof. Proofing may double their size and incorporate more air within the dough, which makes the rolls fluffy. But don’t overdo the proofing, because if the dough will fall after rising, the buns will be tight after baking and may become chewy.
If you want to store baked cinnamon rolls, store them in an airtight container. You can also wrap individual rolls tightly in plastic wrap and store them in the freezer. The key is to keep them moist and fluffy.
Easy Cinnamon Rolls With Icing
Ingredients
For dough
- 3½ cups All purpose flour
- 3 tbsp warm milk
- 1 egg whisked
- ½ cup lukewarm water
- 4 tbsp melted butter
- 3 tsp Powdered Sugar
- 2½ tsp Instant yeast
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tbsp Olive Oil
- Chocolate syrup
For cream cheese frosting
- ¾ cup Cream Cheese
- ¼ cup Salted butter at room temperature
- 1¼ cup Powdered Sugar
- 1 tbsp Milk
- ½ tsp Vanilla essence
Other ingredients
- ½ cup Brown sugar
- 3 tsp Cinnamon powder
Instructions
- Grind ½ cup brown sugar thoroughly
- Pour in a bowl and mix in cinnamon powder. Set aside.
Frosting
- In a bowl, pour half the sugar. Mix in cream cheese, butter, and vanilla essence. Mix well.
- Add the remaining sugar and mix well.
- Pour in the milk while whisking the mixture. Refrigerate until needed.
Dough
- In a bowl, take some lukewarm water and add yeast and sugar to it. Mix well. Cover and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
- In another bowl, mix well the egg, sugar, milk, butter, and salt. Add the yeast mixture to this and mix well.
- Gradually add all-purpose flour and knead to form a smooth dough.
- Grease it with a bit of cooking oil, cover it, and allow it to rest at a warm place for 1 hour until it doubles up.
- After an hour, knead the dough again and roll it out in a rectangular shape. Glaze the dough with butter and spread the cinnamon-butter mixture.
- Rub it throughout the dough sheet and spread it until the cinnamon mixture forms a uniform layer. Roll the dough tightly starting from the longer end. Pinch well at the ends to prevent opening up. Cut the roll into 1.5-inch thick slices.
- Line a baking tray with greased butter paper and set all the cut Cinnamon rolls onto the sheet. Keep them somewhere for 30 minutes to double them up in size.
Baking in Oven
- Preheat the oven. Bake the rolls at 180 degrees Celsius for 12 to 15 minutes.
Baking without Oven
- In a large cooking pot, pour in a generous amount of salt and place a steam rack in it. The steam rack should be at least 2 inches high. Preheat on high flame for 15 minutes.
- Place the baking tray. Cover and bake on a medium flame for 12 to 14 minutes.
Presentation
- Allow the cinnamon rolls to cool.
- Spread the cream cheese frosting over the cinnamon rolls. Decorate with chocolate syrup and serve.
