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You are here: Home / Skills / Cooking & Food / Baking / Best Recipe for Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

Best Recipe for Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

Reading Time: 6 minutes

January 3, 2025 By Pioneer Settler Contributor 10 Comments

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.

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.

homemade cinnamon rolls recipe
Homemade Cinnamon Rolls: You roll up homemade bread dough, then cut it like you would a jelly roll

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 whisk plus some patience
  • 1 Cookie Sheets or large rectangular baking dish
  • Measuring Cups
  • Measuring Spoons
  • Pastry Brush
  • Rolling Pin

 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.

easy homemade cinnamon rolls recipe
These are the ingredients you need to make homemade roll dough for homemade cinnamon rolls. (Salt not pictured)

 

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.

best homemade cinnamon rolls
How To Make Homemade Cinnamon Rolls: Step One – Add yeast, water and sugar, then 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.

recipe for homemade cinnamon rolls
How To Make Homemade Rolls- Step Two: Cream butter and sugar. Add 3 1/2 cups flour.
how to make homemade cinnamon rolls
How To Make Homemade Rolls- Step Two: Add two cups of water
homemade cinnamon roll recipes
Homemade Cinnamon Rolls- Step 2: Beat at low speed until mixed, then at high speed for 3 minutes.
easy homemade cinnamon rolls recipe
Note: Your yeast will look like this after it has been set aside. The yeast mixture should foam up like this and double in volume.
how to make homemade cinnamon rolls, easy homemade cinnamon rolls
Homemade Cinnamon Rolls- Step 2: Add the yeast mixture and 2 more cups of flour.
homemade cinnamon rolls
Add one more cup of flour if needed for workable dough. Now, I know workable dough is not something everyone is familiar with. Don’t be afraid. This recipe is a little bit forgiving here. You will know if the dough is too sticky, and you will learn to get it just right. Meanwhile, the rolls will taste about the same if you add a little too much or not quite enough.

 

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.

how do you make homemade cinnamon rolls
How to Make Homemade Rolls- Step 3: Oil large mixing bowl. Make a ball with the dough and roll it in the oil in the bowl to coat.
how-to-make-homemade-cinnamon-rolls
How to Make Homemade Rolls- Step 3: 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.
how-to-make-homemade-rolls-rising
How to Make Homemade Rolls- Step 3: Let Rise One hour. Your dough will double in volume like this.

Step 4:

Grease cookie sheet or rectangular pan with your softened butter or shortening.

easy homemade cinnamon rolls recipe
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

Get out these ingredients and mix them in a bowl:

Filling

  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/3 cup cinnamon

Step 7:

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

homemade cinnamon rolls from scratch

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.

homemade cinnamon rolls
This is the dough once you have added the cinnamon and sugars, then spread evenly with a knife.

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.

best homemade cinnamon rolls
Roll your dough up like this until you have a cylinder of dough, your cinnamon and sugar layered 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.

easy homemade cinnamon rolls recipe, homemade cinnamon roll recipes
Using a knife, cut the dough into approximately 1 inch pieces.
best homemade cinnamon roll recipe
This is what the cinnamon roll dough looks like when you slice it.

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.

 homemade cinnamon rolls from scratch
This is what mine look like on the pan. (These have already started to rise a bit, but not completely)

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.

homemade-cinnamon-rolls-11

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.

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

easy 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!

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Filed Under: Baking, Breads, Breakfast, Cooking & Food, Recipes Tagged With: easy homemade cinnamon roll recipe, easy homemade cinnamon rolls, easy homemade cinnamon rolls recipe, homemade cinnamon roll, homemade cinnamon roll recipe, homemade cinnamon roll recipes, homemade cinnamon rolls, homemade cinnamon rolls from scratch, homemade cinnamon rolls recipe, how do you make homemade cinnamon rolls, how to make homemade cinnamon rolls, recipe for homemade cinnamon rolls

Comments

  1. Road Runner says

    December 7, 2018 at 1:05 PM

    What should the dimensions of the rectangle be? Would be helpful to know, so that one could get a sense of the density of the future rolls and estimate the number of resulting rolls.

    Reply
  2. sreekanth says

    June 5, 2019 at 9:07 PM

    can u please tell which flour is used here? rice flour , wheat flour, maida flour?
    which flour is used in making breads in general?

    Reply
    • ifnotfouryou says

      April 7, 2020 at 1:15 PM

      I’m not sure what she used but since it just says flour my assumption it was an all purpose which is what I use for most all breads that I make. Hope after almost a year this is helpful to you now lol.

      Reply
    • betty says

      September 10, 2020 at 2:08 PM

      I used bread flour

      Reply
  3. sreekanth says

    June 5, 2019 at 9:16 PM

    can u please specify what type of flour is used here? rice flour, wheat flour, or maida flour?
    Can you also please tell, what type of flour is making breads in general?

    Reply
  4. Rita Ridgeway says

    July 17, 2019 at 12:35 PM

    Are there printable directions for your recipes?

    Reply
    • Donna says

      May 10, 2023 at 4:41 PM

      If you go to the top of your page above the recipe there is a < tap it and then just tap on the printer. It took me a few minutes but mine is printing

      Reply
  5. BARB says

    September 6, 2019 at 4:58 PM

    I would love to print a recipe or project from this site that was printer friendly.

    Reply
  6. ifnotfouryou says

    April 7, 2020 at 1:17 PM

    I just made these today and they’re huge :-O I think next time I will divide my dough. Thank you for the post, they’re truly deliciously giant.

    Reply
  7. david desfonds says

    January 14, 2022 at 4:20 AM

    hello, I would like to know the weight in grams of the ingredients.

    Reply

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