THE BEST CINNAMON ROLLS

THE BEST CINNAMON ROLLS you’ll ever have. They’re pillowy soft, fluffy and have so much delicious flavor when topped with a cream cheese frosting. I have another cinnamon roll recipe on here which most people probably won’t be able to tell the difference, but these I knead by hand and the dough is less dense and not so stiff. It is more flimsy which in my opinion is what contributes to that pillowy soft texture.

If you are a cinnamon roll fanatic like myself than you may know what I am referring to – some cinnamons are stiff and when held it will keep its round shape without collapsing or falling apart (these tend to be crunchier on the outside with more burnt edges), then there are some that are so soft and fluffy when you pick them up you need to use two hands or even a spatula. It’s almost as if the entire roll is the center/middle, and we all know everyone loves that middle piece. Does anyone eat the center of the cinnamon roll first, or is that just me?!

If you are one of those people, than this recipe is for you because the ENTIRE roll is as soft as the center spiral. You can even tell, in the pictures below, that when frosted, there are hardly any crunchy edges or burnt pieces that are dry; you know the outer parts that everyone leaves on their plate when they are finished. You won’t be letting any part of these cinnamon rolls go to waste. This is exactly how I love my cinnamon rolls.

TIPS

KNEADING – most cinnamon rolls I knead using my stand mixer, but for some reason when you put a little love into these and knead by hand they turn out so much better! There truly is not a difference when kneading using a mixer or your hands besides a little workout, but I have always kneaded these by hand. It’s your preference!

CINNAMON SUGAR FILLING – I have made the filling two ways (both turn out amazing); combine all the ingredients together – softened butter, cinnamon and brown sugar – until it forms a paste like texture and than spread on rolled out dough. OR you can spread the softened butter directly on to the dough and than sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture on top! I love both, they both turn out incredible and will work just fine.

ACTIVE DRY YEAST – for some reason I trust yeast more when it is active dry yeast and I can actually see it blooming, which is why this is the type I always tend to use. If you are using active dry yeast be sure to let bloom in the warm milk mixture for at least 10 mins. You should be able to see it start to bubble and froth and become a little bit thicker. If it does not “bloom” or become frothy than your yeast may not be good anymore in which case it is not “alive”.

FROSTING CAN BE MADE INTO ANY FLAVOR – you can add pumpkin spice in the fall for all those pumpkin lovers, maple syrup for those that love that maple flavor, vanilla (the classic), apple butter, cinnamon, etc. Add milk or powdered sugar according to the texture of you prefer. I like mine a thick but still a little runny and not like a buttercream frosting.

BEST CINNAMON ROLLS

Recipe by sugaredkneadsCourse: ALL RECIPES, BREADS u0026amp; ROLLS, RECIPE INDEX, RECIPES

Servings

12-16

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Ingredients

• DOUGH

• 1 ⅔ cup milk; warm

• 1 Tablespoon Active Dry Yeast; need to let bloom

• ⅓ Cup of Sugar

• 1 teaspoon honey

• 3 Tablespoons sour cream

• 2 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream

• ½ cup (1 stick – 8 tablespoons) unsalted butter; melted

• 4 cups flour; + ½ – 1 cup for kneading

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• FILLING

• ½ cup butter (1 stick – 8 tablespoons); room temperature

• 1 cup brown sugar

• 2 tablespoons cinnamon

• CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

• 4 ounces cream cheese; softened ( ¼ cup)

• 4 tablespoons butter; softened

• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla

• 2 cups powdered sugar (more or less depending how thick or thin you like your frosting)

• 2 – 4 teaspoons milk depending on how thick or thin you like your frosting

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (after the doughs second rise)
• FILLING
• Add the softened butter, cinnamon and brown sugar to a bowl to form a paste. You can also spread the butter directly on to the dough and then sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon on top. Set aside
• DOUGH
• Warm your milk until it’s about 100 – 110 degrees F. In a separate saucepan, melt the butter and let cool slightly
• In a large bowl, pour the milk in and add the active dry yeast, sugar, honey, whipping cream and sour cream. Allow to bloom in a warm location for about 10 mins – my toaster oven has a “proofing” setting which I use at bout 85-90 degrees
• Once the yeast has bloomed and formed some foam like bubbles, add the melted butter and stir to combine
• Add the flour and mix until incorporated. Cover and let rest for about an hour and has doubled in size (again I use my toaster oven on the proofing setting)
• On a clear surface, add about a half cup of flour, turn the dough out and add another half cup of flour on top plus the baking powder. Kneads for about 10 mins, almost all of the flour should have been incorporated into the dough. It should no longer be sticky and when poked with a finger it should spring back and be smooth in texture.
• Take a rolling pin and roll the dough out into a rectangle that is about 1/2 in thick. It will be large.
• Add the cinnamon sugar and butter to the dough, however you prefer, as stated above, can either combine all 3 ingredients or spread the butter and then sprinkle on the cinnamon and sugar
• Roll the dough up as tight as you can. You can roll it either the long or short way. If you start with the shorter end you will get less cinnamon rolls but they will have more layers. OR if you need more cinnamon rolls, roll it starting with the longer end which will give you more rolls with less layers
• Using a sharp knife or unscented dental floss, cut the rolls about 1 – 1 1/2 inches thick. Place them in a lined baking dish
• Let the cinnamon rolls do another rise in a warm place, in the baking dishes, for about 20 – 30 mins.
• Drizzle over some heavy whipping cream on each roll or until the bottom of the dish has a thin layer covering it
• Bake for about 35 mins, let sit for 2-3 mins before adding frosting
• FROSTING
• With a handheld or stand mixer, whip together the cream cheese and softened butter until smooth and light
• Add in the vanilla and powdered sugar and mix
• Add small amounts of milk at a time until the perfect consistency. I usually like mine a bit more runny rather than a buttercream type frosting but it’s all preference.