The Best Cinnamon Rolls

One of my requested recipes by far and such a crowd pleaser. I often take a batch of these as gifts and am always heavily complimented.

This recipe is easy to follow and if you’ve been thinking about make cinnamon buns or rolls but haven’t yet this is the time. If you can make a cake you can make these. 

Freshly baked cinnamon rolls topped with creamy white icing in a baking dish.

Eggs & Vegan

You don’t have to use eggs with dough, I’ve given alternate measurements without egg and I often make this dough eggless and it works beautifully. I’ve also tested this using vegan butter and plant based milk and it works like a dream. Soya or oat milk are the best but any will work. 

Yeast

I like to use instant yeast as it doesn’t need activating and works quickly and effectively, always check your yeast is in date.

Two bowls on a wooden surface; one with brown sugar and cinnamon, the other with butter.

Sugar

If you’d like less sugar you can halve the amount and they’ll still be delicious.

Thick vanilla cream being stirred in a glass bowl

Icing

I love the rolls with or without icing, if you want to skip icing you could brush some honey on top of the rolls as soon as they’re out of the oven to keep them moist 

Cinnamon rolls with white frosting in a baking dish

Prepare them the night before — instead of the doing the last 30 min cover and rise just do 20 min and place in the fridge covered air tight till the morning, cook straight from the fridge for an extra 5 min 

Freshly baked cinnamon rolls with spiraled design in a baking dish.

Cinnamon Rolls / Cinnamon Buns

Resting time:

1 hr 30 min

Hands on time:

40 minutes

Cooking time:

20 min 

Ingredients

Dough: 

  • 7g instant yeast 

  • 260ml milk and 1 x egg or 310ml milk (if no egg)

  • 85g melted butter (salted) 

  • 480g bread flour 

Filling:

  • 60g softened Butter 

  • 70g brown sugar 

  • 2 x tsp cinnamon 

  • 100ml cream or milk to pour over before cooking 

Icing:

  • 150g icing sugar 

  • 80g soft cheese

  • 1 x tsp vanilla paste 

  • 1 - 2 Tbs milk (add 1 first and see if you need more) 

Instrustions

  1. Mix all the dough ingredients together in the order listed. If you’re using an egg, add it in after the flour. Mix until combined and knead on a well-floured surface for 5-10 minutes (10 minutes is best). I recommend kneading on a wooden surface rather than a granite-type worktop. Cover and rest for 60 minutes.

  2. While it’s rising, take your butter out and let it soften and measure out your filling ingredients. Line the bottom of your dish with parchment paper. I put a bit of butter on the bottom so the paper doesn’t move, and I butter up the sides of the dish.

  3. Once the dough has risen, punch it down and shape it into a rectangle. Roll it out lengthwise and sideways to create a rectangle shape about 1/2 to 3/4 cm thick. I do measure the width of mine and divide by 8, but you don’t have to do this; you can approximate.

  4. Rub the softened butter over the dough. Sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon, press it down and smooth it out with your hand. Cut into 8 strips, flatten down the opposite end of where you’ll start rolling so the side of the bun sticks down nicely. Roll them up and place them in your dish at least 1 inch apart as they’ll grow on the second rise and in the oven.

  5. Cover your dish and let rise for 30 minutes, meanwhile heating up your oven to 180°C.

  6. Once risen, pour over your cream or milk between the buns and bake for 20-22 minutes.

  7. Make your icing while they’re in the oven by whisking the ingredients together. Start off with 1 tablespoon of milk and add more if needed, just 1 teaspoon at a time. I don’t like the icing super thick. Spread it and let them cool for 10-15 minutes and enjoy warm or cold.

    D 🫶🏻