Out of all of the foods that tempt me to cheat, CINNAMON ROLLS are the hardest for me to resist!
As most of you know, I avoid gluten, and now dairy, 99% of the time. But, I made these for my mom’s birthday in January and I just had to have one. And you know what? It was WORTH IT! I wish I could take credit for this recipe, because they are divine. The original is from Jo Cooks, and I tweaked the directions slightly so that these Cinnabon Copycat Cinnamon Rolls can be made in advance. Because who has time to allow dough to rise twice the same morning you’re planning to serve them, am I right?
Her recipe is wonderful, though, and I’m so happy I found it and tried them! I will certainly make them again.
To make these ahead of time, I made the dough and let it rise. While it was rising I made the filling. Then I rolled the dough out, spread the filling on top, rolled them up, and cut them into 14 pieces. You could make them larger, but they would probably need more time during the second rise. I also made the icing the day before, and kept it in the refrigerator. 
Another tip I realized after the fact is that you should not overcrowd the baking pan. I believe my cinnamon rolls would have been larger if I had allowed them more space.
After cutting them into individual rolls, I refrigerated them overnight. Before baking them the next morning, I preheated the oven to the lowest temperature setting, then turned it off. I placed the pan of cinnamon rolls in the warm oven for about 40 minutes. (Some ovens have a setting specifically for rising dough). While they are rising, bring the icing to room temperature.
Once they have finished rising, remove them from the oven. Preheat the oven again according to the instructions, and bake until light golden brown. Frost the cinnamon rolls while they are still warm. Serve, and enjoy!
| Servings |
rolls
|
- 1 package dry active yeast
- 1 cup whole milk or half and half warm
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 3 Tbsp cinnamon
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter softened
- 6 Tbsp unsalted butter softened
- 1/4 cup cream cheese softened
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/8 tsp salt
Ingredients
Dough
Filling
Icing
|
|
- In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm milk.
- Combine the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl. (I used a stand mixer). Add the eggs, one at a time. Gently stir in the flour and salt and mix until well incorporated.
- Add the yeast and milk mixture. Using a dough hook attachment, mix until well incorporated. (I could not find my dough hook, but I mixed it gently by hand with a large spatula).
- Place the dough into a large, well oiled bowl and cover. Set in a warm place and let it rise for about an hour, or until it has doubled in size. While the dough is rising, make the filling and the icing.
- Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface until it is 16x12 inches and 1/4 inch thick.
- Evenly spread the filling out over the dough.
- Carefully roll the dough, starting on one of the 12 inch sides. Using a serrated knife, gently cut the rolls into 14 pieces. They will be about 1 1/2 inches thick.
- Place the rolls into a greased baking pan or casserole dish - one with sides. This may take more than one pan to allow plenty of room.
- Cover the pan with saran wrap, and refrigerate overnight. (If you wish to eat the cinnamon rolls the same day, you can cover the pan with a damp towel and allow them to rise for 30 minutes in a warm place. Then follow the same baking and icing instructions below).
- Remove from the refrigerator about 2 hours before you are planning to serve them. Preheat an oven to the lowest setting. Once it reaches the temperature, turn the oven off. Place the uncovered rolls in the oven and allow to rise for 40 minutes. Remove from the warm oven.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake the cinnamon rolls for 20 minutes, or until lightly golden brown. Ice the cinnamon rolls while still warm. Enjoy!
- Combine the softened butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Set aside while the dough rises.
- Cream the butter and the cream cheese together.
- Add the salt and the vanilla and mix just until incorporated.
- Gradually add the powdered sugar, and mix well. Keep the icing refrigerated until the morning of serving the cinnamon rolls.
- Just before rising and baking the cinnamon rolls, bring the icing to room temperature. Frost the rolls after they have baked, while they are still warm.
These cinnamon rolls were delicious! Thanks for making them for my birthday!
It was my pleasure, Mom! 🙂
nothing makes my mouth water quite like a fresh-from-the-oven cinnamon roll! these look amazing!
I completely agree, Grace!