Cinnamon buns have to be one of the most comforting treats, and in my opinion they are always a good idea! As a kid, my mom would make huge batches of these and keep them in the freezer. It was the best. Making these with her was the first time I ever saw yeast in action and I can literally still remember the first time I saw her put the yeast in the warm water and watching it bubble.
This is a really easy recipe – no kneading involved! And I promise they are not so bad for you either! They won’t replace any Cinnabon but you also won’t feel so absolutely terrible afterwards from the sugar overload. And as mentioned, they can be made in a big batch and then frozen for later!
Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
Dough:
- 175 ml milk warm
- 1 pack dry active yeast
- 55 g butter melted
- 50 g sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 yolk
- ½ tsp salt
- 360 g flour
Filling:
- 30 g butter softened
- 100 g sugar brown or white
- 1-2 tbsp cinnamon
- raisins as preferred
Frosting:
- 130 g powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp milk
- 2 tbsp butter unsalted & melted
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp vanilla
Instructions
- In an electric mixer bowl, combine the milk, yeast, butter, sugar and eggs. Whisk until combined.
- Add in the flour and salt. Using the dough hook, mix the dough for about 6-8 minutes on medium speed. In the end, the dough should not be sticking to the walls of the bowl.
- Transfer the dough to a well oiled bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until doubled in size (about 1-1.5 hours).
- Turn the dough out on a floured surface. Roll into a 14 x 9 inch rectangle.
- Spread the butter and then sprinkle the sugar, cinnamon and raisins evenly across the dough.
- Starting from the short edge, roll the dough tightly into a log.
- Cut into 1 inch slices and place them on a greased and lined baking pan. Either a 9×9 inch square pan or a 9 inch round pan works well.
- Cover with plastic wrap and a dish towel and let rise again until doubled in size (½ hour).
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Bake for about 25 minutes or until lightly golden brown.
- Whisk the frosting ingredients until you get a smooth consistency. Spread over the warm rolls as you like.
Notes
Cinnamon buns are best eaten the same day (like literally right out of the oven in my opinion). They are okay the next day if they are stored in an air tight container. They can also be frozen! After they are baked and have cooled, I wrap each one individually in plastic wrap. Then pop them in the oven for a couple of minutes when I want one. It works great.