Homemade Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting

Cinnamon rolls are a special treat in our house.  They take a little more work than most of our breakfasts (and they get eaten way too fast!), but they are frugal and fun treat to have every now and then.

One way that I’ve simplified cinnamon rolls is by letting one of our favorite recipes do double duty.  I love it when tried and true recipes can serve multiple purposes.

My recipe for Soft French Bread makes the most delicious soft and fluffy bread ever!  I like using it for loaves, breadsticks, and cinnamon rolls.  The cinnamon rolls by themselves aren’t overly sweet, but with some cream cheese icing, they’re just the right sweetness for me.

Here’s a photo tutorial showing you how to make these delicious homemade cinnamon rolls.  In fact, I’ll let the kids show you how it is done so you can see how easy these cinnamon rolls are!

Let’s start out with the dough.  I have a full photo tutorial for Soft French Bread here if you want the detailed version with all the pictures.  If you just want the recipe, here it is:

Dough Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons Yeast
• 3 Tablespoons Sugar
• 1/2 Cup Hot Water
• 2 Cups Hot Water
• 1 Tablespoon Salt
• 5 Tablespoons Oil
• 6+ Cups Flour, divided

Dough Instructions

In a small bowl, mix together yeast, sugar and 1/2 cup hot water. Let sit.

In a large bowl, mix 2 cups hot water, salt, oil, and 3 cups of flour.

Add yeast mixture. Mix until incorporated.

Add in 3 more cups of flour and mix until dough pulls away from sides and forms a ball. You may have to add up to 1/2 cup more flour. You want the dough so that it isn’t too sticky to touch.

When dough is a nice consistency, move to a floured surface. Knead 30 times.

Set a timer for 10 minutes. When it beeps, come back and knead the dough 20 times. Set the timer again and repeat 4 more times for a total of five kneading sessions.  Each session just takes two minutes.

Cinnamon Roll Instructions

After you’ve gone through five kneading sessions (or however many you have time for, sometimes I cheat if I’m in a hurry), divide your dough in half.  Now, it’s time to roll half of your dough out into a rectangle.

If you have room temperature butter, you can spread it nicely over your dough.  Most of the time I don’t have room temperature butter, so I stick some in the microwave, which usually melts it.  That’s works too!  Just spread your melted butter across your dough rectangle.

I don’t bother measuring anything more.  I don’t even make a cinnamon sugar mixture.  I just generously sprinkle cinnamon and brown sugar on top of the butter.  I use a spoon to even out the sprinkling.

Depending on what we have on hand, we may choose some other add-ins, like raisins or chopped walnuts.  My five-year-old requested pineapple the last time we made cinnamon rolls, and it was a hit, too!

Carefully roll your dough up, from long side to long side being sure to incorporate those mix-ins (instead of pushing them along).

When I was a kid I learned to cut cinnamon rolls with sewing thread, so that’s the way I still do it.  It’s a great way to not smash your rolls.  If you’d rather use a knife, that’s fine too.  I know wonderful bakers who have success with a knife.

If you’re new to cutting with thread and want to give it a try, I’ll explain.  Scoot your thread under your log of dough to where you want to cut (I usually make each roll about 2 inches).  Pull either side of the thread up, cross them, and pull.  Instead of the downward pressure of a knife that could smash the cinnamon roll, cutting with a thread gives pressure from all sides, ending in the middle of the roll.

You can use just about any baking pan for cinnamon rolls.  Use butter or pan spray to grease the pans.  I like to choose something where the rolls will be touching once they rise and bake so you have more of the inner-fluffy texture than the outer crustier texture.  I often use a round pan or pie plate.

Cover cinnamon rolls and allow to rise 30-60 minutes.  The time really depends on the temperature of your house.  You can speed up the process by putting your rolls in a warm place like a warm (not hot!) oven.

When they’re plump and touching, then they’re ready to bake.

Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes.  They’re best (softest) if you pull them out before they get golden on top, so you’ll want to watch closely to know what time that is on your particular oven.

While the rolls are rising or baking, I make the icing.  Truthfully, I make something between frosting and icing.  It’s more substantial than a pure milk and powdered sugar icing, but it’s a bit thinner than a frosting I would use on a cake.

I’ll give you the base recipe I use, but (like my mother and grandmother) I rarely measure when I’m making frosting.

I start with half a cube of butter (1/4 cup) and half an 8 ounce package of cream cheese, both softened.  I beat the butter and cream cheese until it’s smooth.  Then I add 2-4 cups of powdered sugar.  You can taste it as you go and make it the way you like it.  To get the right consistency, I add a few tablespoons of milk.  Add the milk slowly, one tablespoon at a time; a little goes a long way.

You can put the icing on the whole pan at once or on the rolls individually.  It’s best to let them cool slightly first, so they are still warm, but not so piping hot that all of the icing completely melts off.

Tips for a “make-ahead” breakfast

Another thing I love about cinnamon rolls is that they are a great for a make-ahead breakfast.  Often I will make them the night before and put them in the fridge before letting them rise.  The cold fridge slows down the rising process.  They’re pretty risen in the morning.  I just take them out in the morning and let them come to room temperature before putting them in the oven.

Another way I make cinnamon rolls ahead of time is putting them in the freezer!  After cutting them, I cover the pan and put the it in the freezer.  I take them out of the freezer and put them in the fridge the night before I’m planning to use them.

Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting

 

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Soft and fluffy cinnamon rolls with sweet cream cheese frosting.

Author: Stephanie @ SixFiguresUnder.com

Cuisine: American

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons Yeast
• 3 Tablespoons Sugar
• ½ Cup Hot Water
• 2 Cups Hot Water
• 1 Tablespoon Salt
• 5 Tablespoons Oil
• 6+ Cups Flour, divided
• Butter, softened
• Cinnamon
• Brown Sugar
• 4 oz cream cheese, softened
• ¼ cup butter, softened
• 2-4 cups powdered sugar
• 2-4 Tablespoons milk

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, mix together yeast, sugar and ½ cup hot water. Let sit.
2. In a large bowl, mix 2 cups hot water, salt, oil, and 3 cups of flour.
3. Add yeast mixture. Mix until incorporated.
4. Add in 3 more cups of flour and mix until dough pulls away from sides and forms a ball. You may have to add ½ cup more flour. You want the dough so that it isn't too sticky to touch.
5. When dough is a nice consistency, move to a floured surface. Knead 30 times.
6. Set a timer for 10 minutes. When it beeps, come back and knead the dough 20 times. Set the timer again and repeat 4 more times for a total of 5 kneading sessions.
7. Divide dough into two parts. Roll first half into long rectangle.
8. Spread dough completely with soft or melted butter. Sprinkle thoroughly with cinnamon, then sprinkle generously with brown sugar. Add raisins or chopped walnuts if desired.
9. Roll dough from long side to long side.
10. Cut dough in 2 inch increments and place into a greased pan (spiral side up) with an inch or so or space on all sides to allow for rising.
11. Repeat with second half of dough.
12. Cover and allow to rise 30-60 min, until plump.
13. While rising, make frosting by mixing ¼ cup softened butter with 4 oz softened cream cheese until smooth. Add 2-4 cups of powdered sugar. Achieve desired consistency by adding several tablespoons of milk. Add one tablespoon at a time, mixing thoroughly between each addition.
14. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Cinnamon rolls are best just before they start to turn golden, so watch them carefully and avoid overcooking. Cool slightly before frosting. Best when eaten warm. Microwave leftovers (if you have any) before serving.

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