Cinnamon Rolls

Soft and fluffy cinnamon rolls topped with cream cheese frosting is the indulgent sweet breakfast, dessert or snack of your dreams. 

There are few things as indulgently delicious as a cinnamon roll. A giant swirl of dough filled with cinnamon sugar, baked until golden brown then smothered in cream cheese frosting? Uh, yes please! It’s the perfect recipe for the holidays because the buns can be made the night before and baked the morning before serving. We also love putting a twist on the cream cheese frosting for Christmas. These rolls are elevated by the addition of warming chai spices in the icing. Served warm and gooey, these are the ideal Christmas morning treat served with coffee.

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Instant yeast. 
• Warm milk. I used whole milk but almond milk
• Sugar. Honey can be substituted.
• Flour. All purpose flour or cake flour work well.
• Butter. I used salted butter but unsalted butter can be substituted.
• Egg.
• Salt.
• Heavy cream. 
• For the filling: softened butter, brown sugar, ground cinnamon. Other spices like nutmeg, ginger or all spice can also be added.
• For the frosting: room temperature cream cheese, powdered sugar/icing sugar, vanilla extract or paste and a teaspoon of lemon juice. For Christmas I always make a chai-spiced frosting – the recipe can be found in the recipe card.

How to make cinnamon rolls

1. The dough: The dough used for these rolls is an enriched yeast dough. I prefer using my stand mixer to knead the dough but you can make it by hand in a large mixing bowl too. Once the egg and room temperature butter are added to the dough, knead for a few minutes and the dough should come away from the sides of the bowl. The dough will be slightly sticky but shouldn’t be wet and very sticky. If it is, add a few tablespoons of flour, one at a time and knead in. Allow the dough to rest, covered in a greased bowl in the fridge overnight. This slow fermentation will develop flavor and makes it a lot easier to make these rolls for breakfast or brunch.
2. The cinnamon sugar filling: Mix together softened butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. Roll the cinnamon roll dough out on a lightly floured surface using a rolling pin until it is approximately half a centimeter thick. Spread the butter mixture over the dough then roll into a tight roll. Cut rolls of approximately 5cm/2 inches with a sharp knife or use a piece of cotton thread/unflavored dental floss to effortlessly cut through the dough.. Place rolls into a baking dish or baking pan lined with parchment paper. Space them 1-2cm apart as they will expand during their second rise. Cover with plastic wrap then allow to proof while you preheat the oven. At this point you can put the buns in the refrigerator overnight to proof before baking the next morning. Pour the cream over the cinnamon rolls.
3. Baking: Bake the rolls in a preheated oven until they are golden brown and cooked through, approximately 25 minutes.

How to make cinnamon roll icing

1. Mix together room temperature cream cheese with powdered sugar/confectioners’ sugar. It’s important that the cream cheese is at room temperature otherwise it won’t combine into a smooth icing. Add the vanilla and lemon juice and mix well.
2. When the cinnamon rolls come out of the oven, top with the icing so that it can melt into all the nooks and crannies then allow to cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Freezing and making ahead

1. Make ahead: The rolls can be made and kept, un-baked, covered in the fridge for up to 2 days. Baked rolls will last for a day but are best reheated before serving. To reheat, place in the microwave oven for 20-30 seconds.
2. Freezing: Unbaked rolls can be frozen until solid then transferred to a freezer bag. To bake, place the frozen rolls on a parchment lined sheet. bake for 30-45 minutes until baked through.
3. Leftovers: Any leftovers can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in the in the microwave for 10-15 seconds before serving.

Serving Suggestions

Cinnamon rolls are an excellent weekend breakfast or brunch and even more so during fall or winter. It’s a go-to during the festive season when you need to prepare as many dishes as possible in advance. We love it served with a cup of coffee but it’s also great as part of a breakfast spread. Served alongside a breakfast board or fruit and yogurt cups, it’s guaranteed to impress.

1. Easy breakfast board
2. Easy breakfast yogurt and fruit cups

Christmas breakfast recipes