Easy Cinnamon Rolls Recipe with vanilla cream cheese icing, delicious and super fully rolls made from scratch with simple ingredients. These homemade cinnamon rolls are the best you can get with very little prep or effort.
The dessert of all desserts has finally made it to my blog! It has taken me only about 6 years to do so, but I guess better later than never. I do have a similar recipe on the blog, Easy Pumpkin Pie Cinnamon Rolls, but that one has an autumn touch, so they are best enjoyed during the Fall season.
But the classic cinnamon rolls recipe is one of a kind. That's what I most like about classic recipes, they are simple, but totally delicious, so there is little wonder why they are still so popular even years and years later.
And what's not to like about cinnamon rolls? Super fluffy buns, a super simple, but perfectly divine buttery cinnamon and sugar filling, and cream cheese icing that makes you want to lick your fingers clean.
To me, that's the best description of happiness. But what's so great about this recipe is that it beats by far any ready-made cinnamon rolls you can buy. Once you try making them yourself, you'll never go for the bought ones again.
Step-by-step photos and instructions
The dough
There are many options out there when it comes to the dough - but your best bet is the homemade roll dough - it really can't be replaced with any store-bough cheap variations.
I must say, I had to bin the first batch of cinnamon rolls I made simply because the dough wasn't as good as it should have been, so the rolls were rather tough, instead of perfectly fluffy. And I know why, so let's see how to make the perfect dough!
- warm up the milk - it has to be warm to the touch, but not hot, as a hot milk will stop the yeast from working its magic
- add the yeast, a teaspoon of sugar and a teaspoon of flour
- mix well, then set aside for 10 minutes until the mixture becomes frothy - if it doesn't, it means that the yeast is no longer active, do not use it, otherwise the dough won't rise
- in a large bowl, sift the flour, add the yeast mixture, egg, remaining sugar, and melted butter - make sure the egg is at room temperature
- mix everything well to get a soft dough, and knead that well for 3-4 minutes until it's elastic and no longer stick to the hands - add a bit more flour if necessary, but you shouldn't need more than 1-2 tablespoons
- cover the bowl of dough with clingfilm and a clean tea towel, and leave to prove in a warm place for at least 1 hour, or until it doubles its volume
The filling
Once the dough has proved, it's time we got to the second stage. Super easy:
- use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a rectangle
- spread the butter all over the dough, then sprinkle the cinnamon and sugar mixture
- roll the dough into a sausage, starting from bottom up, then use a sharp knife to cut it into 12 rolls
- arrange the rolls onto a baking tray lined up with non-stick paper or a large baking dish (this has to be buttered and floured), making sure there is some gap between each roll
- cover the tray with a tea towel, then leave to prove again for the second time, the rolls will rise further, and close them gap between them - see photos 6 and 7
- once the rolls have prove for the second time, bake them in the preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius (350 Fahrenheit) for 20 minutes
The icing
Some might argue that the icing is the best bit when it comes to cinnamon rolls - or to any dessert that has icing on it. Well, I tend to agree that the icing is pretty impressive, and it can make the difference between some alright cinnamon rolls and some fabulous rolls.
If it's not needed for cupcakes, which need a pretty stiff icing, I absolutely love the cream cheese icing, this one is a bit sloppy, but perfect for spreading.
To make it, beat the butter with icing sugar, vanilla extract and milk until everything is well mixed, then add the cream cheese and beat again until super smooth. And that's it, just spread it all over the rolls, and job done.
Wait until the rolls have cooled down before adding the icing, otherwise you will end up with a big mess. Well, it won't be that bad, since all the sugary mess will be soaked up, but I guess presentation wise it won't be the same.
And that's it! The best dessert you can possibly get, ready for you in under 3 hours. It might sound like a lot of time, but trust me, the wait is so worth it!
If you’ve liked my EASY CINNAMON ROLLS RECIPE or any other recipe on the blog then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see more delicious food and what I’m getting up to.
Easy Cinnamon Rolls Recipe
Ingredients
For the dough
- 3 cups plain flour
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
- 1 egg
- 1 cup milk
- 2 teaspoon dried instant yeast
- 4 tablespoon sugar
For the filling
- 4 tablespoon butter, soften
- 4 tablespoon sugar
- 2 tablespoon ground cinnamon
For the icing
- 50 g butter
- 50 g cream cheese
- 100 g icing sugar (confectioners' sugar)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon milk
Instructions
- To make the dough, warm up the milk (just warm to the touch, not hot), add the yeast, a teaspoon of sugar and a teaspoon of flour, and mix well.
- Set aside for 10 minutes until it becomes frothy.
- In a large bowl, sift the flour, add the egg, yeast mixture, remaining sugar and melted butter.
- Knead well into a dough that is elastic and it does not stick to the hands - add more flour if necessary.
- Cover the bowl of dough with clingfilm and a clean tea towel, and leave to prove in a warm place for 1-2 hours or until it's double in size.
- Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a rectangle, then spread the butter over, and sprinkle the mixed sugar and cinnamon.
- Roll the dough into a sausage, rolling it from bottom up, then use a sharp knife to cut it into 12 rolls.
- Line a baking tray with non-stick paper, then arrange the rolls making sure there is some gap between them.
- Cover the tray with a tea towel, and leave to prove again for maximum an hour, until the rolls have risen further and the gap between them is closed.
- Bake in the preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius (350 Fahrenheit) for 20 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and leave to cool down.
- To make the icing, add the sifted icing sugar and butter to a food processor together with the milk and vanilla extract.
- Mix until well combined, then add the cream cheese and mix again until really smooth.
- Spread the icing all over the rolls, then serve.
Notes
- To see the measurements in cups and ounces, please click on the US CUSTOMARY link.
- The amount of ingredients listed can be adjusted depending on the number of servings you need, just click on the number next to SERVINGS.
Nutrition
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