fluffy cinnamon rolls;
Originally posted April 24, 2020. Updated June 22, 2022 for content and clarity.
These cinnamon rolls are a recipe that my mother-in-law found online, and to be honest, they’re better than the recipe I had in my arsenal. To be fair, no recipe for cinnamon rolls can be BAD. But I love this one for the light and fluffy texture. They’re so delicious and moist and they reheat in the microwave pretty well—assuming they don’t disappear immediately of course.
I’ve been craving comfort food, like the whole world seems to be with the stress of social distancing. So I thought why not make cinnamon rolls which has been on my list for a while to make and share. I honestly am not a cinnamon fan. Not that I dislike it, I just usually prefer chocolate (duh) or other desserts over cinnamon things.
But fresh from the oven cinnamon rolls are my one exception. Especially because all of my family loves them, and it’s a fun treat to share with everyone, so I have really positive memories of making people happy with cinnamon rolls. My husband especially is a fan, so what’s not to love! His favorite part is the fact that this recipe is paired with cream cheese icing, which I think really rounds out the delicious flavors.
Cinnamon rolls are a bit of work because they’re a yeasty dough, which means time for a first rise of the dough and a second rise in the pan. But fresh, hot out the oven cinnamon rolls, slathered in gooey cream cheese icing can’t be beat! If you have a breadmaker available to you, you can have it do a lot of the hard work for you.
I’ve made it both with and without a bread maker so I can attest to both! My parents have a bread maker and those turned out great, but this time I opted to do it by hand. (Also because I don’t have a breadmaker so I didn’t really have a choice.) The breadmaker simply takes care of the kneading and rising for you in one convenient place, but still takes an hour or two depending on your breadmaker settings.
Fluffy cinnamon rolls are perfect for a special occasion, and good news, you can start the dough the night ahead! Prepare the dough and let it rise fully for the first rise. Roll out the dough, add the cinnamon sugar, roll and cut, placing them in a buttered baking dish. Then immediately place in the refrigerator to chill. They can be kept overnight, but I haven’t tried any longer than that, and honestly why would you want to wait?? Remove them from the fridge and allow the dish to sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes and then resume the instructions for baking. Works like a charm!
The secret ingredient to these bad boys is actually—pudding mix! Surprise! I know right? I feel like these days adding pudding mix to any baked good is on trend, and I am behind this trend for sure! From these fluffy little guys, to one of my all time requested recipes, cookies and cream cookies, it just makes things taste good. I think it adds a concentrated depth of flavor that’s hard to get otherwise, and it’s just so easy to add to the bowl for that added oomph.
How are you settling into quarantine? We’ve started to figure out our routines now, and while I’ll still have bouts of crazy frustration at the situation, I think my emotions have evened out a little. I miss the intensity of in-person workouts if I’m being honest, especially with some of my stress baking. But I’m trying to still have balance and keep up with exercise and keep access to fresh fruits and veggies where I can!
These cinnamon rolls are definitely more of a splurge, but man, they’re oh so decadent. Plus being around the house all the time means it’s easy to make the dough and let it rise even outside special occasions! If you need a little quarantine pick-me-up to change your everyday, then try this recipe! I promise you won’t regret it.
secrets to success;
- If you want to use a bread maker to help make the dough, you can! It’s helpful when you want to set-and-forget it, but don’t worry, I include the recipe with the option to make it by hand too.
- I’m here for the cream cheese icing. I think it pairs so wonderfully with a creamy, slightly tangy, mostly sweet mouthful in every bite. But if you prefer a more classic icing without cream cheese, then skip the cream cheese and swap in another ¼ cup of softened butter. For a smoother icing that’s more drippy and less frosting-like, melt the butter and stir together the ingredients. But if you’re deciding between the two, I always go for the cream cheese icing.
- Don’t skip the vanilla pudding mix! It helps make the cinnamon rolls extra flavorful and fluffy. It’s one of those ingredients that you wouldn’t know was there, but it really adds extra flavor and makes these extra sweet and fluffy. You can use other pudding mixes too if you want to experiment. I prefer vanilla since it’s classic and pairs delectably with the recipe, but you could go for chocolate or butterscotch or pistachio. It won’t come out as a “chocolate” cinnamon roll–so don’t expect that even if you use a chocolate pudding mix. It just gives some subtle complexity to the flavor to make them extra yummy.
Looking for other breakfast recipes? Check out these delicious recipes:
- Want to go all in on the chocolate for breakfast? Try these s’mores cinnamon rolls for a s’mores twist on a cinnamon roll classic!
- For a healthful option, these greek yogurt pancakes are a perfect choice! Not going to lie, I love the fluffy texture and small batch size so these are a go-to even when I’m not looking for something exceptionally healthy.
- Strawberry apple hand pies are like a homemade toaster strudel–only extra delicious because I suggest you drizzle them with chocolate!
- For a quick but healthful option on the go, check out these protein yogurt flavors: strawberries and cream & cookie dough.
fluffy cinnamon rolls;
Ingredients
Dough
- ¼ cup water at room temp.
- 1 cup warm milk
- 2¼ tsp yeast or 1 .25oz packet
- ¼ cup butter melted
- ½ pkg instant vanilla pudding mix
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 1 egg room temperature
- 4 cups bread flour
- ½ tsp. salt
Cinnamon Filling
- ½ cup butter softened
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 4 tsp cinnamon
- ¾ cup chopped pecans optional
Cream Cheese Icing
- 1 4 oz package cream cheese
- ¼ cup butter softened
- ⅓ cup powdered sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1½ tsp milk
Instructions
Dough (Manual)
- Measure out milk and water in a measuring cup and heat until warm but not hot to the touch. Approx. 15-30 seconds in the microwave.
- Add yeast and set aside to allow to activate.
- In a large bowl, add the melted butter, instant pudding mix, sugar, and egg and mix together.
- When yeast has been activated (approximately 5 minutes) add to bowl with the mixture and mix together to form a slurry.
- Add the bread flour and salt, mixing until the mixture comes together. Knead until springy, then set aside topping with a moist paper towel for 1-2 hours. Dough should double in size.
Dough (Breadmaker)
- If you have a bread maker available, steps 1-5 can be replaced by combining all ingredients in the bread maker and running on the dough cycle according to machine instructions. Mine suggests adding the yeast to the bottom, then water and milk, followed by dry ingredients.
- Set to the dough cycle. You'll want to make the dough and have it rise, but not bake a loaf. While waiting for the dough, continue with the cinnamon filling.
Cinnamon Filling
- Mix together the butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and pecans.
- Roll dough into a rectangle approx. 10”x17” and spread the filling mixture across the dough. You may need to spread the mixture with your fingers and press into the dough for even coating.
- Spray a 9” x 13” baking dish by spraying with oil or butter it.
- Roll the dough starting on the long side. Slice into 16, 1” slices and place rounds into the prepared baking dish.
- Cover and allow to rise 45 minutes. Alternatively, cover and immediately store the in the fridge. Remove 45 minutes before baking.
- Bake for 15-25 minutes or until golden brown.
Icing
- Using an electric mixer, mix together all ingredients and top cinnamon buns while still warm.
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