The Greatest Home made Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls

April 19, 2025

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These Cinnamon Rolls are the last word Cinnabon clone. Chewy, smooth, and fully do-it-yourself. Throw out your outdated recipes since you’ll by no means want one other Cinnamon Roll Recipe once more! These rolls are smooth, buttery, and topped with a luscious Cinnamon Roll Icing that can have everybody actually drooling. Are you able to imagine I wrote this recipe means again in 2013 and it’s nonetheless certainly one of my hottest recipes.

Elements Wanted for Clone of a Cinnabon

Okay guys, HERE IT IS, my CopyCat Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls Recipe! I’m fairly certain that is probably the most anticipated recipe I’ve overestimated in a really very long time–and for good motive! These Cinnamon Rolls are completely heavenly and I’ve been working laborious, making over 200 cinnamon rolls, attempting to get this recipe as scrumptious as doable. SO SO thrilled to be sharing this recipe with you all at this time!

Whereas this listing could appear slightly lengthy, it really is the naked fundamentals. A number of pantry staples! Most of you’ll have already got the primary elements wanted for Home made Cinnamon Rolls. Right here’s what you’ll want:

For the Dough

heat water + energetic dry yeast– since that is an enriched dough, I like to offer the yeast a head begin by proofing it in some heat water. I take advantage of Pink Star Platinum Yeast (speedy rise variety). Be happy to double the yeast on this recipe to make sure a great rise, particularly in the event you’re working in a drafty kitchen.
granulated sugar– to maintain the dough candy and assist the yeast rise
buttermilk– Out of all of the ‘cloned’ recipes I regarded by on-line, NONE of them had buttermilk!! If you happen to search Cinnabon secret ingredient on YouTube, you’ll discover the creator speaking about her ingredient. She by no means says what it’s, however buttermilk suits the invoice of every little thing she was saying!
egg– used for construction
canola oil– provides a smooth texture to the cinnamon roll dough
all function flour+ salt– each yeasted bread product on the market completely wants flour for the gluten (chewy texture!) and salt for taste.

For the Cinnamon Sugar Filling

softened butter– Cinnamon rolls are crammed with ridiculous quantities of butter and my recipe isn’t any completely different. It’s what makes them so good.
gentle brown sugar– darkish brown sugar will work right here, however I favor gentle.
floor cinnamon– I really like the spiciness of Saigon cinnamon, however when you’ve got plain cinnamon in your cabinets, use that. (Do you know that Cinnabon sources and imports their very own cinnamon?)
cornstarch– a little bit of a bizarre ingredient for cinnamon rolls, I do know, but it surely helps with conserving the cinnamon roll filling within the roll as they bake.

For the Cream Cheese Frosting

cream cheese -use at room temperature so it blends in completely with no lumps!
softened butter (or butter)- salted butter pairs rather well with the cream cheese on this frosting.
vanilla extract– for scrumptious taste!
corn syrup– makes our frosting actually shiny
contemporary lemon juice – provides slightly additional zing which you can’t get from cream cheese alone.
powdered sugar– for a non-granular sweetness that melds in fantastically to this cinnamon roll icing.

Cinnamon Roll Variations

Listed here are just a few methods to make this do-it-yourself cinnamon roll recipe your individual:

Use entire wheat flour for a heartier roll
Swap heavy cream for buttermilk if that’s what you might have
Add a handful of chopped nuts or mini chocolate chips to the filling
Strive orange zest within the frosting for a vibrant twist
Use melted butter within the filling as a substitute of softened—both works

The best way to Make Copycat Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls

The most important factor you should bear in mind when making do-it-yourself Cinnamon Rolls is to have persistence. Nothing about this recipe is tough per say, however there are loads of steps. Hold with it! You may completely observe this recipe and find yourself with a pan of Cinnamon Rolls simply as lovely as mine! I offer you plenty of instructions under, however there’s a entire lot extra within the printable recipe card on the backside of this put up.

1. Make the Dough

Within the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, pour in water, yeast and 1 tablespoon of the granulated sugar. Stir and proof 5 minutes.

A hand pours water from a clear measuring cup into a glass mixing bowl; spices and a lemon wedge are visible in the background.

As soon as the combination seems bubbly and frothy, pour in remaining sugar. Stir on low for 15-20 seconds. In a small bowl, measure buttermilk, oil, and egg. Whisk elements collectively till egg is integrated to different two elements. Pour contents into the water and yeast combination. Stir one other 20 seconds within the mixer.

Sugar is being poured into a glass mixing bowl with a foamy liquid inside, next to a metal dough hook attachment.

Pour 2 cups of flour and salt into mixer and stir on low till integrated. Sprinkle flour in by 1/4 cup increments till dough cleans the perimeters and backside of the bowl.

A person adds flour from a measuring cup into a stand mixer with a glass bowl, preparing ingredients for mixing.

Professional Tip: You might not use your complete quantity of flour to get to this stage. THAT’S OK! When the dough is cheesy however not sticky sufficient to stay to your palms when touched, it’s good. As soon as it has reached this stage, knead for five minutes.

Take away dough from bowl, grease and substitute again into identical mixing bowl {because it’s virtually clear in any case.} Cowl with plastic wrap and a dish towel. Rise 1-2 hours or till the dough has doubled in dimension. It’s a very enriched dough, so it’d take longer for it to rise. That’s high-quality and regular!

A hand stirs clear liquid in a glass mixing bowl with a wooden-handled spatula; a pink cloth is beside the bowl.

A Observe About Enriched Dough

This Cinnamon Roll Recipe makes use of a extremely enriched dough. What’s enriched dough? Mainly a bread dough that’s made with extra than simply the essential water, yeast, salt and flour. The additions of butter, buttermilk, sugar and eggs make this an enriched dough. Why is that essential to know? Enriched doughs inhibit yeast progress which implies this dough will take longer to rise than a typical bread dough. It can develop! It can simply take longer. I like to recommend both utilizing speedy rise yeast or doubling your energetic dry yeast to get issues going.

2. Filling and Forming Cinnamon Rolls

In a medium-size bowl, stir brown sugar, cinnamon, and cornstarch collectively till mixed. Put aside.

A bowl is being filled with brown sugar or graham cracker crumbs from another bowl, likely for baking or making a dessert crust.

Punch down dough. Flour a big clear desk liberally with flour. Evenly flour dough as nicely. Roll dough out to be a 20×30 giant rectangle {or as near that as doable} whereas transferring dough round to make sure it’s not sticking to your work floor. If it’s slightly quick or uneven, be happy to chop off the perimeters to even all of it out.

A hand punches down risen dough in a glass bowl, deflating it after proofing.

Unfold softened butter over dough, being certain to go proper to the perimeters leaving a 1-inch strip untouched on one of many longer sides of dough. Dump brown sugar combination onto the center of the dough and unfold along with your palms, creating a good layer over high of the butter, nonetheless leaving that 1-inch strip of dough untouched. You probably have any filling that falls off the perimeters of the dough, use a bench scraper to exchange. Evenly press the sugar combination into the butter utilizing a rolling pin.

A hand uses a pink silicone pastry brush to spread melted butter over a flat sheet of dough.

Roll the dough up into a decent log, ending with the plain dough on the underside to seal your complete factor collectively. Lower off the uneven ends to even out the log.

Hands rolling up dough covered with a layer of cinnamon and sugar mixture on a flat surface.

Rating log each 2 inches after which slice your rolls utilizing these marks. Place onto parchment paper lined, butter greased pans. 12 match right into a 9×13, 3 remaining match right into a loaf pan, or 8×8 with the small ends. Cowl pans with plastic wrap and dish towels.

A knife slices into a rolled piece of dough resting on a white surface.

Let rolls rise one other 1-2 hours or till they’re touching and have risen nearly double. In case you are not utilizing fast rise yeast, have added an excessive amount of flour or are working in a cold kitchen, it might take 3-4 hours in your rolls to rise. My rolls all the time unfold out greater than up, so simply bear in mind that they are going to almost certainly unfold out greater than up.

A baking pan filled with unbaked cinnamon rolls covered in plastic wrap, ready to rise before baking.

3. Bake

Bake in a preheated oven at 350° F for 17-20 minutes, or till tops begin to flip golden brown. Watch them fastidiously!!

A tray of freshly baked cinnamon rolls arranged in three rows, showing a golden-brown, swirled pattern on each roll.

4. Make Cream Cheese Icing

Whereas the rolls are baking, whip cream cheese and butter collectively. Stir in vanilla, corn syrup and lemon juice. Scrape sides and blend once more. Pour in powdered sugar and stir slowly till it begins to include. Then combine on excessive for five minutes or till frosting begins to lighten in colour. Scrape sides and blend once more briefly.

A glass bowl containing cubed butter and cream cheese sits on a pink textured cloth.

Professional tip: If you’d like your frosting to look extra like Cinnabon, whip it 5-7 minutes or till it lightens in colour.

5. Frost Cinnamon Rolls

As soon as rolls have been faraway from the oven, frost utilizing half the quantity made. Then after they’ve cooled just a few extra minutes, frost once more with remaining frosting. The primary frosting will soften down into the rolls and the second layer ought to keep put. Serve heat.

A spatula spreads icing on freshly baked cinnamon rolls arranged in a rectangular baking pan lined with parchment paper.

Storage + Make Forward Instructions For Cinnamon Rolls

Hold in an hermetic container at room temp for as much as 3 days, or refrigerate for as much as 5 days. Reheat gently for that fresh-from-the-oven really feel.

Are you able to make Cinnamon Rolls forward of time?

Sure, you may! Comply with the instructions up till letting the dough rise after filling and rolling them. At this level, you may retailer them within the fridge in a single day in case you are making them forward of time.

To make them the subsequent day, convey them as much as room temp and allow them to rise earlier than baking. (After I took the pan out of the fridge, I allow them to rise 4 hours. It takes some time to take the chilliness off.) After that, put together the icing and observe the instructions as regular.

Are you able to freeze this recipe?

Sure! Freeze the unbaked rolls within the pan earlier than the second rise. Thaw in a single day within the fridge and bake as directed.

Cinnamon Roll FAQ’s

Can I substitute Margarine for Butter?

Sure, you completely can simply substitute butter for margarine on this cinnamon roll recipe. Cinnabon lists margarine on their elements listing, so that’s the reason I take advantage of it once in a while, however most households most likely would favor butter.

Why do you employ Cornstarch within the filling?

I do know cornstarch is a completely random ingredient, however it helps maintain the filling within the cinnamon roll as a substitute of oozing out whereas baking. It nonetheless oozes, however not practically as a lot. (Cinnabon really makes use of a chemical/meals gum to assist it not ooze which is REALLY appetizing I do know.)

Do I’ve to make use of Corn Syrup within the frosting?

Nope, you don’t have to make use of it! It does add a pleasant shine (and is discovered on that darn Cinnabon listing of elements as nicely) so I like to make use of it, but it surely received’t destroy your cinnamon rolls in the event you merely omit it.

My Cinnamon Rolls didn’t rise! What did I do improper?

Cinnamon Rolls NOT rising (or rising actually slowly) could possibly be brought on by a lot of causes. Your yeast was not fast-acting, your yeast was outdated, you kneaded in an excessive amount of flour, your kitchen was on the colder aspect, and so forth. and so forth. If you happen to’re actually involved about it, merely double the yeast to have some additional insurance coverage. These rolls are made with a really enriched dough (see my notice above about enriched doughs) which make it a sluggish rise. That is completely regular! Once more, in the event you’d like to hurry issues up, merely double the yeast.

Can I over knead my dough?

Kneading dough in a stand mixer is an environment friendly technique to make any sort of bread dough, nonetheless, it might probably get *too* environment friendly and there’s a tendency so as to add in an excessive amount of flour. It ought to nonetheless stick with the underside of the bowl, however draw back from the perimeters. Additionally, once you really feel it, it needs to be cheesy however not sufficient to stay to your palms and depart a residue. Kneading the cinnamon roll dough by hand is a good way to make sure the dough doesn’t recover from kneaded.

My rolls are nonetheless uncooked within the center after baking! What did I do improper?

Usually, cinnamon rolls keep uncooked within the center for 2 causes: (1) they have been rolled too tightly and by no means had an opportunity to rise within the center OR (2) they want extra time within the oven to bake. How can we repair this? Roll your cinnamon rolls to be tight sufficient to keep up their form, however not so terribly tight that the dough can’t rise. Apply does make good! Additionally, be sure you make your rolls within the backside third of the oven.

Extra Candy Breakfast Recipes!

If you happen to loved this recipe as a breakfast deal with, you’re going to like my different candy breakfast recipes! Listed here are a few of my favorites:

Subsequent time you’re craving actual cinnabons, skip the shop and bake your individual. You’ll by no means look again. They’re TOTALLY well worth the wait! The printable recipe card is under. Have an amazing day! 🙂

If you happen to make this recipe, I’d actually recognize it in the event you would give it a star score and depart your evaluate within the feedback! You probably have an image of your completed dish, put up it on Instagram utilizing the hashtag #laurenslatest and tagging me @laurens_latest.