Cinnamon Rolls
Sticky-sweet, and freshly baked, these cinnamon rolls are amazing! Soft, gooey, and warm, each doughy spiral is brimming with cinnamon-laced, buttery brown sugar, and a satiny, vanilla glaze. From the sweet vanilla canopy to the ultra-soft core, these are the best cinnamon rolls you will ever make.
This recipe was written for the Arizona Republic.
These cinnamon rolls are made with seven ingredients. And since we take advantage of a store-bought shortcut, they’re ready in half the time it takes to make traditional cinnamon rolls!
Use store-bought pizza dough!
Pizza dough is the absolute best substitute for homemade yeast dough, and I promise you won’t detect the swap. The only difference is the amount of time you’ll save – no kneading or waiting for yeast to proof. Pizza dough is sold in the refrigerated section of most grocery stores – from Whole Foods to Trader Joe’s to your local market. Your neighborhood pizza shop might sell it too. If you can’t find it, just ask. Oddly, my store puts the pizza dough next to the sushi. I didn’t ask why. Choose regular or whole wheat, both work great. I haven’t tested gluten-free pizza dough, but if you’re a fan of a particular variety, give it a whirl.
The ideal thickness for cinnamon rolls is really a personal preference. If you roll the dough out to 1/2-inch thickness, the rolls will be more bread-like. If you roll the dough out to 1/4-inch thickness, the rolls will have more sugary spirals, which means they’ll be gooier. I rolled my dough out to 1/4-inch thickness.
Cut the dough into slices before rolling up! Most cinnamon roll recipes instruct you to roll up the entire batch of sugar-coated dough jellyroll-style. You must then use thread, unflavored dental floss, or a very sharp knife to cut the dough into individual cinnamon rolls. Sounds easy enough, but, in my opinion, too much filling still oozes out. We want the filling twisting and turning throughout the dough, not on the counter.
Underbake your cinnamon rolls. Yes, underbake them! Stop baking when the dough is just golden, not dark brown. This is the ultimate tip for cinnamon rolls that are soft and pillowy in the middle.
Add the glaze when the rolls are warm, not hot. When you pull the cinnamon rolls from the oven, let them cool for 10 minutes before you frost them. Hot rolls will melt the glaze. Don’t wait too long though, if your cinnamon rolls are cold, the glaze will clump, not spread out.
You can freeze these cinnamon rolls after baking. To freeze these cinnamon rolls before serving, bake them as instructed and let them come to room temperature. Do not glaze them. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and foil and freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw the cinnamon rolls at room temperature and then reheat them in a 350-degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes. Glaze the cinnamon rolls just before serving.
Make “overnight cinnamon” rolls if desired. This isn’t just a morning time-saver, chilling the cinnamon rolls before baking (instead of letting them rise on the counter) produces “cold fermentation”, a process where the yeast releases carbon dioxide more slowly, creating a more complex, full-bodied flavor. To make overnight cinnamon rolls, assemble them as directed, cover the pan with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight. Pull the pan from the fridge 30 to 45 minutes before baking to allow the rolls to come to room temperature.
Save leftovers! Wrap leftover cinnamon rolls in plastic wrap or store them in an airtight container (you can store the entire batch or wrap them individually). Freshly baked cinnamon rolls will last up to 2 days on the counter, or up to 5 days in the refrigerator. Reheat individual cinnamon rolls in the microwave for 30 seconds or reheat the whole batch in a 350-degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes.
Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
For the Cinnamon Rolls
- 16 ounces store-bought pizza dough
- 4 tablespoons butter, softened
- 2/3 cup light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
For the Glaze
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons half-and-half, cream, or milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Coat an 11×7-inch baking dish with cooking spray or a thin layer of butter. You can also use a 13×9-inch pan, or a non-standard baking dish, such as 12×8 inches. My pan was 12×8 inches.
- Line your counter with parchment paper or dust with flour. Roll the pizza dough into a 13×9-inch rectangle. The dough will be about 1/4-inch thick.
- In a small bowl, combine the butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon and mix until well blended. Spread the mixture all over the dough, to within 1/8-inch of the edges (I find using the back of a spoon simplifies this process).
- Starting from the longer side, slice the dough into 12 even strips. Tightly roll up the strips and place them side-by-side in the prepared pan, cut-side-up. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and a warm kitchen towel and let the rolls rise in a warm place for 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Remove the plastic wrap and towel from the cinnamon rolls and bake for 22 to 28 minutes, until light golden brown (remember, we want them slightly undercooked in the middle so they’re super soft). Remove the pan from the oven and let the cinnamon rolls cool for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, to make the glaze, whisk together the powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons of the half-and-half, and vanilla. Whisk until smooth. If you prefer a thinner glaze, whisk in more half-and-half. Drizzle or spoon the glaze over the cinnamon rolls and serve.