The Best Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls Copycat Recipe
Who doesn’t love the cinnabons at the malls? Just walking by their stores and smelling these cinnabons baking, drives me up the walls. It’s very hard to keep on walking and not stop and spend $5 on a cinnabon. It’s been a few years now that I came across this book, More Top Secret Recipes: More Fabulous Kitchen Clones of America’s Favorite Brand-Name Foods, and inside it I found the copycat recipe for cinnabons. You can also check out Todd Wilbur’s website here. I have since modified the recipe to my liking and think I have the perfect cinnamon rolls recipe. I may be biased but the thousands of people who have tried this, kind of agree with me.
Active dry yeast – You can use instant yeast if that’s what you have. If you use instant, you won’t need to bloom it first, but it’s a good idea to test if it’s still alive. If your yeast doesn’t foam up your yeast is dead and the bread won’t turn out. Milk – make sure the milk is lukewarm. Lukewarm basically means the milk is between 98℉ and 105℉ (36.5°C to 40.5°C). I used whole milk (3.25%) but you can use whatever is in your fridge. Sugar – granulated sugar is fine, we just need a bit to sweeten the dough. Butter – unsalted as always. Unsalted butter gives us control on how much sodium is in our food. Salt – we always need to add a bit of salt to our baked goods, to bring out all the flavors. Salt basically makes everything taste better. Eggs – Use large eggs for this recipe. Flour – I used all-purpose flour for this.
Brown sugar – I prefer to use dark brown sugar. Make sure it’s packed. Cinnamon – the key ingredient in cinnamon rolls! Butter – unsalted again. You’ll want to make sure this is softened. Margarine can be used as well.
Butter – unsalted butter is what you’ll want to use. Powdered sugar – this is also known as icing sugar or confectioner’s sugar. Cream cheese – at room temperature. I always use Philadelphia cream cheese. Vanilla extract – just a bit to add a touch of vanilla in the icing. Salt – a little bit is all you need to bring out all the flavors.
This copycat Cinnabons recipe makes cinnamon roll making a cinch! Just follow my easy instructions. It’s just as good as the real deal! To start, you need to activate the yeast so that the cinnamon rolls rise! In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm milk along with a teaspoon of sugar. The sugar helps the yeast to properly bloom. Now, let the mixture sit for 5 to 10 minutes or until it is foamy. However, if it doesn’t get foamy that means your yeast is dead and you can’t move forward with the recipe. You will need to buy new yeast. With the yeast activated, you can begin the dough. Add the sugar, butter, salt, eggs, and flour to the bowl of a stand mixer. Then mix everything together until well combined. Next, pour the yeast mixture over the flour mixture. Now, use the dough hook to mix the yeast mixture into the dough until all the ingredients are well incorporated and the dough comes clean from the side of the bowl. Next, the dough needs to rise so that the rolls are super soft. So transfer the dough to a well oiled bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. Then set it in a warm environment for about an hour or until it doubles in size. Now, let’s make the best part of the Cinnabon rolls! To make the filling, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Then grease a 9×13 inch baking dish with cooking spray or butter. First, gently punch the dough to deflate. Then on a lightly floured surface, use a rolling pin to roll it out into a rectangle that is about 16 inches long, 12 inches wide, and ¼ inch in thickness. Next, spread ⅓ cup of soft butter evenly over the dough and then sprinkle the surface with the cinnamon sugar. Now, working carefully, from the long edge, roll the dough down to the bottom of the other edge tightly. It should look like a long log when you are done rolling. Once you have a long dough log, you can cut it into 12 rolls. To do this, very carefully cut the dough using a sharp knife or serrated knife. You can also use dental floss. After the cinnamon rolls are cut, place them in the prepared pan. Next, cover them with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap. Now, set the rolls in a warm place to rise for about 30 minutes or until doubled in size. Then while the rolls are rising, preheat your oven temperature to 350°F (177°C) to get it ready for baking. Once the formed rolls have doubled in size, transfer the pan to the preheated oven and bake them for about 20 minutes. The baking time can vary, but when done they should be golden brown and fully baked on the bottom. While the rolls are baking you can make the cream cheese icing. Just add the butter, powdered sugar, cream cheese, vanilla, and salt to a large mixing bowl. Then beat everything together with an electric hand mixer or use a whisk until it’s smooth and fluffy. Once baked, allow the rolls to cool for a bit when they come out of the oven. Then spread them with a nice thick layer of cream cheese frosting and serve.
Can I Speed Up The Dough Rise Time?
Yes, it is possible to speed up the dough’s rising time. To do this, heat your oven to 200℉ (95°C) and then turn it off. Now, place the dough in the oven with the door closed. The warm environment will encourage the dough to rise fairly quickly. Your oven may already have a PROOF function, if it does, use that.
What Else Can I Add To The Cinnamon Rolls?
You must keep the ratios of the cinnamon roll dough ingredients the same. This is really important in baking. However, you could add other warm spices like ginger, nutmeg, or cardamom to the filling along with the cinnamon. You could also sprinkle some raisins over the filling before rolling up the dough. Another option is to use other types of icing.
Make Ahead Cinnamon Rolls
These cinnamon rolls are great because they could be made ahead. Prepare everything as stated in the recipe up until step 10 where you place the rolls in the baking pan. Simply cover them up tightly with plastic wrap and store them in the fridge overnight. The rolls should continue to rise in the fridge but if by morning they have not doubled in size, turn your oven on to 200℉ until it warms up, then turn it off. Place the pan in the oven for about 30 to 45 minutes until the rolls double in size. Then you can bake them as instructed.
Can You Freeze Cinnamon Rolls?
Absolutely! Prepare everything as stated in the recipe up until step 10 where you place the rolls in the baking pan. Wrap the pan in two layers of plastic wrap. Freeze for 8 hours up to 6 weeks. The night before you want to bake the rolls, thaw them out in the refrigerator, still wrapped. They will thaw overnight. Finish the rest of the steps to bake them.
Other Delicious Cinnamon Rolls Recipes To Try
Apple Pecan Cinnamon RollsCinnamon BreadSweet Potato Cinnamon RollsPumpkin Cinnamon RollsNo Knead 1 Hour Cinnamon Rolls
