Name: Mom's Cinnamon Rolls
Prep time: 90 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 120 min
Ingredients: 1 cup butter (melted); 2 cups brown sugar; 6 tablespoons cinnamon; 1 ½ cups half-and-half ((can substitute 3/4 cup cream and 3/4 cup milk)); 2 tablespoons instant yeast; 3 tablespoons granulated sugar; 1 ½ teaspoons salt; 6 tablespoons butter ((room temperature)); 2 eggs; 4¼ cups flour ((may need up to 4 ½ cups))

My mom has spent years trying to perfect her cinnamon roll recipe. This spring, she was gracious enough to share the result of her experiments. This was the very first recipe in which I attempted to use yeast and let me say – if I can make these cinnamon rolls, anyone can. The recipe makes two pans of rolls, and it has been a joy to share them with many, many friends throughout this crazy year. They have been one of the brightest points of 2020, and I hope you enjoy the recipe as much as we have!

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If you’re looking for a good topping for these cinnamon rolls, I highly recommend either a hearty cream cheese frosting, or my dad’s favorite: a maple coffee glaze.

My mom's cinnamon rolls are famous - and I'm happy to share her cinnamon roll recipe with you. A single cinnamon roll sits on a shite plate, slightly off center.

Ingredients

For the cinnamon roll dough, you will need:

1 ½ cups half-and-half
2 tablespoons instant yeast
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 ½ teaspoons salt
6 tablespoons butter (room temperature)
2 eggs
4¼ cups flour

The cinnamon roll filling is relatively basic. You will need:

1 cup butter melted
2 cups brown sugar
6 tablespoons cinnamon

How to make cinnamon rolls

Start by preparing your cinnamon filing. Melt butter in a large bowl, then add brown sugar and cinnamon. Mix thoroughly to incorporate before setting aside.

Next, we’ll start on the dough. Pour milk and heavy cream (or half-and-half, if you already have it on hand for coffee) into a heatproof measuring cup. Microwave until lukewarm; I usually do two increments of 30 seconds. Add warmed milk and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer and combine using the whisk attachment. Sprinkle instant yeast over the mixture and allow to bloom whilst you gather your other ingredients.

Add salt, softened butter, and eggs to the bowl; combine with whisk attachment until butter is incorporated. (It’s okay if you can still see pieces of the butter; it doesn’t need to be smooth right now.) Add 1 cup of flour and whisk on low until incorporated.

Switch to your bread hook attachment. Add 3 cups of flour, one cup at a time, stopping as necessary to scrape the sides of the bowl. Stop mixing once these three cups are just incorporated.

Now, take a look at the texture of your dough. If you raise your dough hook and the dough pulls off, leaving your hook clean, you’re ready to move forward. If not, mix in ¼ to ½ cup of flour. Your dough is ready when it pulls away from the hook and from the sides of the bowl. It should be velvety and smooth.

When your dough is the proper texture, turn the mixer speed to medium and allow to knead for 8 minutes. (You are also welcome to knead by hand on a floured surface, if you want an extra arm workout.)

Lightly grease a mixing bowl and place kneaded dough inside. Cover and place in a warm area of your home to rise. (I usually utilize our oven, turned off but with the light on.) The dough should double in size in 30-40 minutes.

After the dough has doubled, divide it in half. Roll the first half on a clean, floured (or silicone) surface, forming a a rectangle roughly ⅓ inch thick. Cover rectangle in half of your cinnamon filling.

Tightly roll the long edge of your rectangle until you have a log. Using a serrated knife, cut the log into slices approximately 1 inch wide. Place sliced rolls into a greased pan, with about 1 inch between each roll. Repeat steps with second half of risen dough.

Cinnamon rolls in progress. A roll of uncut cinnamon rolls rests on the left side of the image. 7 unbaked cinnamon rolls are scattered across a silicone mat. A serrated knife rests at the bottom of the image and a marble rolling pin rests at the top.

Cover the sliced rolls, place in a warm spot, and allow to rise to 20-30 minutes. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (and make sure your rolls aren’t rising in your oven when you turn it on).

Left: rolls before rising. Right: rolls risen and baked.

Bake the cinnamon rolls for 22-25 minutes, until they are slightly golden. Allow to cool before icing and serving.

The two favorite cinnamon roll toppings in our house are cream cheese frosting and maple coffee glaze. Neither one will let you down!

I hope you found this cinnamon roll recipe as sweet and satisfying as you hoped! If you have any questions, you can leave them in the comment area below. If you’d like to save this recipe for later, you can click “Pin Recipe” in the recipe card. And, as always, if you want to show off your beautiful cinnamon rolls, tag your social media posts with @WhiskAverseBaking.