Cinnabons Cinnamon Rolls – a cinnabon copycat recipe, about the closest you’ll get to the real thing. Super easy to make.
Cinnabons
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.
Not to worry my friends! I have found the precious cinnabon recipe. 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. This book is great, it has a lot of copycat recipes of popular food items and this recipe for cinnabons was one of them. You can also check out Todd Wilbur’s website here.
I have to admit I was a bit skeptical at first, but as I was making them they were looking like the real thing. I have to tell you, they are about as close to the real thing as you’re going to get.
Oh My Goodness!! These are the best homemade Cinnamon Buns
Cinnamon Rolls
The cinnamon rolls are out of this world, and they cost a whole lot less. They’re huge, and they taste exactly the same. I felt like I hit the jackpot.
Although they’re not as big as the ones you buy because I wanted to make a dozen with this recipe, so I cut each roll so that’ it’s 1 1/2 inch in height whereas the original ones are 2 1/2 inches.
As these cinnabons were baking, the house smelled amazing, just like it does at the mall when you walk by the cinnabon store. I was so excited. And of course, you cannot have cinnabons without the yummy cream cheese icing.
Amazing recipe!! I’ve made it a couple of times at home, and the buns have been absolutely delicious every time!
Ingredients In Cinnabons
There are 3 parts to this recipe. The dough, the filling the that delicious cream cheese icing. Make sure to scroll down for the complete printable recipe. Here’s what you’ll need:
Dough:
- 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 degrees Fahrenheit (36.5 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.
Filling:
- 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.
Cream Cheese Icing:
- 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.
How To Make Cinnamon Rolls
- Bloom the yeast: Dissolve the yeast in the warm milk. You can add a tsp of sugar from the sugar needed for the dough to help activate the yeast. Let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes until it has foamed up nicely. If your yeast doesn’t get foamy, don’t move forward. Buy a new jar and store it in the freezer so it lasts longer.
- Make the dough: To the bowl of your mixer add the sugar, butter or margarine, salt, eggs, and flour and mix until well incorporated. Pour the milk/yeast mixture over the flour mixture and using the dough hook, mix well until well incorporated. Place the dough into an oiled bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place about 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in size.
- Prepare filling: Combine the brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl.
How To Roll Cinnamon Rolls
- Assemble cinnamon rolls: Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface, until it is approximately 16 inches long by 12 inches wide. It should be approximately 1/4 inch in thickness. Spread the 1/3 cup of butter evenly over the dough, then sprinkle with the sugar evenly over the surface of the dough. Working carefully, from the long edge, roll the dough down to the bottom edge. Cut the dough into 1 1/2 inch slices, and place in a lightly greased baking pan. You can also use floss to cut into slices, as seen in the video. Place the cut rolls in buttered pan. Cover with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let them rise for another 30 minutes, or until doubled in size.
- Bake the cinnamon rolls: Bake them in a preheated 350 F degree oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
- Make icing: While the rolls are baking make the icing by mixing all the icing ingredients and beat well with an electric mixer until fluffy and smooth. When the rolls are done, spread generously with icing.
My Best Tips
- Make sure your yeast has not expired. The number 1 question I get from my readers is “Why didn’t my dough rise?”. The answer always lies with your yeast. Test the yeast first before wasting ingredients. Try and bloom it and if it doesn’t get foamy, your yeast is no good.
- Don’t overheat your milk! Using milk that is too hot will kill your yeast and this will also prevent your dough from rising. Make sure your milk is between 98 and 105 degrees Fahrenheit (36.5 to 40.5 C).
- Use room temperature butter. This is for both the dough and the filling. To do this, take the butter out of the fridge a few hours before you plan to make the dough. Give it enough time to soften.
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 F degrees 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.
Craving More Cinnamon Roll Recipes? Try These
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Cinnabons Cinnamon Rolls
Equipment
Ingredients
Dough
- 2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast or instant yeast
- 1 cup milk lukewarm
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup butter unsalted, softened, or margarine
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 eggs
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
Filling
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- 3 tbsp cinnamon
- ⅓ cup butter unsalted, softened, or margarine
Cream cheese icing
- 6 tbsp butter unsalted, softened, or margarine
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar also known as icing sugar, or confectioner’s sugar
- ¼ cup cream cheese at room temperature
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ⅛ tsp salt
Instructions
- For the rolls, dissolve the yeast in the warm milk with a tsp of sugar (you can take a tsp out of the 1/2 cup of sugar) in a large bowl. Let it sit for about 5 minutes. If the yeast is good, it will start to froth up.
- To the bowl of your mixer add the sugar, butter or margarine, salt, eggs, and flour and mix until well incorporated.
- Pour the milk/yeast mixture over the flour mixture and using the dough hook, mix well until well incorporated and the dough comes clean from the side of the bowl.
- Place the dough into an oiled bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place about 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in size.
- Combine the brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl.
- Grease a 9×13 inch baking dish with cooking spray or butter.
- Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface, until it is approximately 16 inches long by 12 inches wide. It should be approximately 1/4 inch in thickness.
- Spread the 1/3 cup of butter evenly over the dough, then sprinkle with the sugar evenly over the surface of the dough.
- Working carefully, from the long edge, roll the dough down to the bottom edge.
- Cut the dough into 1 1/2 inch slices, and place in a lightly greased baking pan. You can also use floss to cut into slices, as seen in the video. Place the cut rolls in the prepared pan. Cover with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let them rise for another 30 minutes, or until doubled in size.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Place the baking pan in the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cooking time can vary greatly!
- While the rolls are baking make the icing by mixing all the icing ingredients and beat well with an electric mixer until fluffy and smooth.
- When the rolls are done, spread generously with icing.
Video
Recipe Notes
- Prep time does not include time to let the dough rise.
- Always check the expiration date on your yeast and make sure it hasn’t expired. All your yeast products whether it’s in a jar or a package should be stamped with a “Best if Used by” date. Always make sure you check this date, even when you purchase the yeast, who knows it could have been on the shelf past its expiry date.
- To keep your yeast fresh and longer lasting, unopened yeast packages or jars should be stored in a cool or dry place such as your cupboard. However, you can also store your yeast in the fridge or freezer. If you do store it in the freezer and need to use yeast for your baking, make sure you take out the amount you need and let it sit at room temperature for at least half hour before using.
- Once your yeast package or jar has been opened, you must refrigerate the yeast or freeze it in an airtight container.
- One thing to remember about your yeast, is that it is a living organism and over time it will lose activity, even if you’ve never opened the jar or package. So if you don’t bake often, buy the smaller yeast packages rather than a big jar of yeast.
- Make sure your milk is not too hot or it could kill the yeast which will cause your dough not to rise at all. The ideal temperature for the milk should be between 105 F degrees and 110 F for proofing. While 95 F degrees is the best temperature for yeast to multiply, that’s not warm enough for proofing active dry yeast.
- If after dissolving the yeast in the warm milk, the yeast didn’t start to froth up, do not continue with the rolls, your dough will not rise.
- TIP: To speed up the dough rising process, heat your oven to 200 F degrees. Turn off the oven and place your dough as specified in step 4 in the oven with the door closed. This will ensure a warm environment for your dough and the dough will rise fairly quickly, assuming the yeast was good.
- You could prepare this the day before up until step 10. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and place it 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 F degrees 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.
- To freeze unbaked rolls, complete everything up to and including step 10, then 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.
I’ve probably made these a dozen times since coming across this recipe! My husband swore they were BETTER than Cinnabons. So I ordered some to compare and he’s right! I don’t think I’ll ever buy Cinnabons again, they were so disappointing in comparison to these!!
Aw, thank you so much!!
Delicious!
i love the taste but my dough always comes out sooo so sticky- why ??
You can sprinkle a bit more flour onto the dough if it’s too sticky or have your hands oiled with some olive oil when working with the dough. Let us know how this helps.
So delicious! The yeast can be tricky- make sure you use very lukewarm milk (almost room temp)! I suggest measuring the temp to make it works. Soooo delicious and worth the labour 😋😍
Have you ever made it into 24 rolls? I want to make smaller to take to a cookout. There is always so much to sample I want to make them smaller. I was considering making them up to the rolling stage but cutting the dough lengthwise and making two rolls.
I have, you can definitely make them smaller. 🙂
I love this recipe, I always make a big batch and freeze them. I’ve baked them straight from the freezer / thawed first and haven’t noticed a huge difference either way, they still turn out almost as good as fresh.. who doesn’t love a fresh baked cinnamon roll!!!
Yes, Melissa, who doesn’t love a good cinnamon roll! So glad you enjoy these!
can i use bread flour?
Hi,
Yes you can definitely substitute all purpose flour with bread flour. Just keep in mind that bread flour will be higher in protein and might make the dough a little dry. Keep an eye on how the dough blends and if needed, you can add a bit more water to have the desired consistency.
Let us know how these turn out!
Yes! I always do. Makes a nicer texture in my opinion.
I baked these off and froze them … Will they be good to re heat or microwave?
Absolutely!! I usually just microwave them until warm, so good!