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Best Recipe for Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

Best Recipe for Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

recipe for homemade cinnamon rolls

Want to make amazing cinnamon rolls at home? This recipe shows you exactly how to do that, using a family recipe for homemade rolls. They are truly the best I have ever eaten. I’ve grown up eating these cinnamon rolls as well as making them, along with the homemade rolls on which this recipe is based : How To Make Homemade Rolls From Scratch: Mom’s Recipe for Yeast Rolls A neighbor taught my mother how to make both of these delicious treats before I was born, and I learned how to make them when I was a very young sous chef.

At a Glance: The Best Recipe for Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

  • Replace store-bought rolls and their “neon” ingredients with a clean, from-scratch recipe you can trust.
  • If you can make a basic yeast dough and roll a rectangle, you can master these; it’s just like making a jelly roll.
  • Set aside about two hours for the process as most of that is “slow living” time while you wait for the dough to rise.
  • Mastering this recipe is a step toward practical freedom and meaningful self-reliance in your own home.

Best Recipe for Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

Homemade rolls are not difficult to make, and neither are homemade cinnamon rolls, not nearly as hard as you might think. For these, you are just making homemade roll dough, then instead of making nice round rolls, you flatten the whole thing into a rectangle, add cinnamon, sugar and butter, and roll it up. If you have ever made a jelly roll or seen one made, it is like that.

I guess I am lucky, because I grew up in the kitchen with a mother who is an incredible baker and cook, so my training was hands on. However, the photos and instructions should walk you through the whole process, and if you end up with questions, I am happy to answer them. Just add a comment below.

Making homemade cinnamon rolls requires time, a couple of hours from start to finish. The process, however is pretty simple, and a lot of that time, you will just be waiting for your dough to rise, which you certainly do not have to stand around and watch. T

Once you make these and see how easy they are to make, as well as how incredibly delicious they are, you will want to make homemade cinnamon rolls all the time. Hopefully, that is a good thing. People ask me to make them all the time, especially my kids. I make a special point to have them ready on holiday mornings, but also like to just surprise them sometimes.

The recipe is tested and tried over a 100 times. No worries there. Never had a bad batch, and never, ever had a single one left over.

Supplies You Need To Make Homemade Cinnamon Rolls:

Supplies:

  • Mixing Bowl
  • Electric mixer or a whisk
  • 1 Cookie Sheets or large rectangular baking dish
  • Measuring Cups
  • Measuring Spoons
  • Pastry Brush
  • Rolling Pin
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You will need ingredients for all of the following:

homemade cinnamon rolls from scratch

Roll Dough:

  • 3/4 cup warm water
  • 2 Tablespoons sugar
  • 2 packages yeast (rapid rise is fine, just cuts rising times)
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 cups very warm water
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 8 to 9 cups flour
  • Cooking oil
  • 2 Tablespoons butter, softened, or shortening

Homemade Cinnamon Roll Filling

  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/3 cup cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted

Homemade Cinnamon Roll Icing

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons milk
  • 2 Tablespoons butter, softened

Here’s how to make the roll dough:

Most of this is from the roll dough recipe in this post. Basically, you do the same thing, but stop at the step where you shape the rolls.

Step 1:

Mix 3/4 cups water, 2 tablespoons of sugar and 2 packages of yeast in a container that will hold at least double that amount. Set aside.

Step 2:

Cream butter and sugar. Add 2 eggs, 2 cups of water, salt and 3 1/2 cups flour. Beat at low speed until mixed, then at high speed for 3 minutes. Add yeast mixture and 2 more cups of flour. Mix for 2 more minutes. Add one more cup of flour if needed for workable dough. (This just means the dough needs not to be too sticky. If it still sticks to your hands more than a little bit, add more flour) Knead for five minutes, adding flour to working surface as needed to prevent sticking.

Step 3:

Oil large mixing bowl. Make a ball with the dough and roll it in the oil in the bowl to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and warm, damp, dish towel. Set on pilot light or in warm spot. If you have a larger bowl, you can fill it with warm water and place this bowl inside. Filling the sink with warm water and setting the bowl in there will also work great. Let rise one hour.

Step 4:

Grease cookie sheet or rectangular pan with your softened butter or shortening. Use softened butter or crisco to grease a cookie sheet.

This is what you do to turn your dough into cinnamon rolls:

Step 5:

homemade cinnamon rolls

Flour a countertop or large cutting board, basically a flat, clean work surface. Take the dough out of the bowl and lay it flat. Using a floured rolling pin, make a rectangle with the dough.

Step 6:

how to make homemade cinnamon rolls recipe for homemade cinnamon rolls

Get out these ingredients and mix them in a bowl:

Filling

  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/3 cup cinnamon
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Step 7:

Melt 1/2 cup of butter. Using a pastry brush, cover the dough with melted butter.

Step 8:


Sprinkle the dry ingredients, the brown sugar white sugar and cinnamon, over the butter on the dough. Use a butter knife to gently spread the ingredients evenly.

Step 9:

Starting at one of the short side of your dough rectangle, roll toward the center until you have a cylindrical shaped roll of dough with all your filling inside.

Step 10:

Slice into 1 inch pieces with a knife. Your cuts do not have to be exact. They will all look good and taste good, some may just be a little taller or shorter than others. They will rise in the next step, and even out a little, anyway.

Step 11:

Place cut pieces in a pan, placing them close together, but not necessarily touching. If you want cinnamon rolls that pull apart, have them touch. If you would like them to be individual pieces, place them at least an inch apart.

Step 12:

Cover your cinnamon rolls with plastic wrap. If possible, put them in a warm place to rise. Let rise for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

how to make homemade cinnamon rolls

Step 13:

Bake at 375 degrees for 22 minutes or until the tops have turned a light golden brown.

Step 14:

Mix Icing from this recipe. I use a fork or small whisk to make mine. The butter needs to be very soft for this to work. You can put it in the microwave set on defrost for a couple of minutes to speed it along. It may end up a little melted, then, but that is ok.

recipe for homemade cinnamon rolls

Homemade Cinnamon Roll Icing Recipe

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons milk
  • 2 Tablespoons butter, softened

Step 15:

Ice Cinnamon Rolls and Serve

recipe for homemade cinnamon rolls

Want to see how to make cinnamon rolls in 30 minutes flat? Now you can with this video from POPSUGAR Food:

That’s all, fellow homesteaders! Did you enjoy our recipe for homemade cinnamon rolls? Let us know in the comments section below what you thought of our recipe for homemade cinnamon rolls. Do you have a favorite recipe for homemade cinnamon rolls that’s a staple on your homestead? Share it with us and we’ll give it a shot. We love doing DIY homesteading projects and becoming more self-reliant by learning more about how everything works around the homestead. That’s why Homesteading was created. We want all folks looking to lead a self-sufficient life, either on a homestead or in an urban environment, to come together and learn from each other! Of course, we welcome your help in creating a community of homesteaders. Come and share your homesteading tips and ideas, recipes and expect the best advice on self-reliance and homesteading trials from our team of long-time homesteaders, self-reliant wilderness, and preparedness experts. Want to write for Homesteading? Shoot us an e mail and make sure to stay in touch on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest!

FAQs: Best Recipe for Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

How do I know if my yeast is still good?

Mix your yeast with warm water and a pinch of sugar; if it doesn’t foam up in 10 minutes, the “system” has failed, and you need fresh supplies to ensure your dough rises.

Can I make homemade cinnamon roll “off-grid” without an electric mixer?

Absolutely! Just use a whisk and “some patience” for the initial mixing, then “knead for five minutes” by hand to develop the dough’s strength.

What is the best way to store homemade rolls?

Keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for two days, or freeze them to “store” your hard work and “protect” your food supply for later use.

Why didn’t my cinnamon roll dough rise properly?

Check your “warm spot”; if your house is cold, try setting the bowl on a “pilot light” or inside a larger bowl of warm water to give the yeast the environment it needs.

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