Cinnamon Rolls are also called also cinnamon buns, cinnamon snail, or cinnamon swirls. They are sweet rolls made from flour, sugar, butter, and cinnamon as the main ingredients. Cinnamon roll is common in Scandinavian countries where it is called by different names; place of origin is from Sweden and Denmark. The cinnamon roll is also known as kanelbulle in Sweden and kanelsnegl in Denmark; It is called Kanelbolle, Skillingsboller or Kanelsnurr in Norway, and in Finland, it is known as korvapuusti.
Today, I will show you the steps on how to make cinnamon rolls at home. Included in this easy homemade cinnamon rolls recipe is the process of making the cream cheese frosting (icing). These will be the best and tasty cinnamon rolls you can make at home.
Table of Contents
Ingredients
- 3 cups of all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp of Cinnamon Powder
- 1/2 cup of Soft Brown Sugar
- 1 and a quarter tsp of active dried yeast
- 3 tbsp of Suga
- 1/4 cup of Milk
- 1 Egg
- 1/2 cup of unsalted butter
- 1 tsp of Salt
How to Make Cinnamon Rolls at Home
- Dissolve the active dried yeast in warm milk and add 1/2 tbsp of sugar to it; stir and cover, then allow it to sit in a warm place for 5 minutes for the yeast to be activated.
- To make the cinnamon roll dough; add 1 egg to a large mixing bowl. Make sure the egg is at room temperature.
- Add the remaining 2 and a half tbsp of sugar to the bowl; also add 1/4 cup of soft butter, the remaining 1/4 cup of the butter will be used on the dough. Make sure the butter is soft in order to mix easily in the mixture we are about to make.
- Now, pour the activated yeast and milk mixture into the bowl and whisk all the added ingredients together to combine nicely.
- Bring in your 3 cups of flour and gradually add to the batter and stir as you add.
- Once a dough is formed, use your clean hands and knead the dough until you have a smooth, non-sticky, and stretchy dough. This may take up to 5 minutes. If the dough is still sticky after 5 minutes, you can add some flour; but if it is too firm, you can add a tbsp of warm water, a little at a time, and knead.
- Now, cover and allow the dough to rest in the bowl for 5 minutes to make it manageable – it becomes so soft and stretchy and does not cut while rolling it into a desired cylindrical shape.
Rolling the dough into a cylindrical shape
- After 5 minutes, transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and roll it into a flat rectangular shape; you can sprinkle a little bit of flour on the surface of the dough to prevent it from sticking to the rolling pin. Roll the dough to a size of about 18 inches by 15 inches in length and wide respectively; and 1/4 inch in thickness.
- Use a flat spoon to rub a 1/4 cup of soft butter to the surface of the flattened dough.
- Now, add 2 tbsp of cinnamon powder to 1/2 cup of brown sugar and stir to combine. Use this mixture and sprinkle it to the surface of the dough over the butter.
- After that, use one edge of the dough and roll it into a cylindrical shape; just as you would fold a mat. When you reach the end of the dough, press firmly on the edges to glue the end of the dough.
Cutting the dough into smaller rounded portions
- Use a thin clean thread and pass it under the rolled out, cylindrical dough. Cross the ends of the thread to contralateral sides and use it to make a fine cut so that you have a smaller cylinder from the bigger one. You can use a sharp knife for this also but the knife may deform the even rounded shape of the cinnamon rolls. You can use a measuring tape to cut out equal lengths of the dough so as to have cinnamon rolls with equal heights and sizes.
- Arrange the cut-out cinnamon rolls in a greased baking pan or tray with almost the same height as the dough if possible. You can give a little space in between them.
- Cover with a clean towel or plastic wrap and place in a warm place and allow the cut-out cinnamon rolls to double in size. This may take about an hour.
- Now, bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 18 to 20 minutes or until the cinnamon rolls are golden brown in color.
While the cinnamon rolls are baking, start preparing the cream cheese frosting.
Ingredients for making cream cheese frosting for cinnamon rolls
- 2/3 cup of Cream Cheese
- 3 tbsp of soft butter
- 1 tsp of Vanilla essence
- 1/4 tsp of Salt
- 1 cup of Sugar Powder (Icing Sugar, Confectioner’s Sugar)
How to make icing for cinnamon rolls
- To make cinnamon rolls cream cheese frosting, add 2/3 cup of cream cheese to a mixing bowl, also add 3 tbsp of butter and 1/4 tsp of salt.
- Beat using a hand mixer until it becomes fluffy and light yellow in color.\
- Then, add 1 tsp of vanilla and 1 cup of icing sugar and beat again to mix.
Once the cinnamon rolls are baked, remove them from the oven and apply the cream cheese frosting to the surface. The heat of the cinnamon rolls will help to melt the icing into the cinnamon rolls spaces, making it sweet with every bite.