Copycat Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls
Copycat Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls are one of my favorite recipes of all time! I could eat a whole pan (and sometimes do)! We make these every Christmas and every special occasion for breakfast.
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CINNABON CINNAMON ROLLS
I love making these rolls for breakfast because these can be made the night before and then just thrown in the oven in the morning while you open presents.
I always serve these cinnamon rolls with this yummy savory breakfast casserole to balance the sweetness which can also be prepared the night before.
Yes, these rolls taste so much like the original that the first time I made them I was almost giddy that I actually made THE “Cinnabon” rolls! Cinnabon’s cinnamon rolls are heavy on the cinnamon which I love.
WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS
- It makes one pan of cinnamon rolls. My other recipes make more but this is great when I just need 12 rolls.
- They taste like Cinnabon! Enough said.
I’ve learned over the years that you can even make them the night before and let them rise while you sleep! This is what I woke up to.
The other secret is to frost them with half the frosting right when they come out of the oven and with the other half after they’ve sat a couple of minutes.
That way the frosting kind of oozes down into all of the cracks.
Pictures don’t do these cinnamon rolls justice!
CINNAMON LEVEL
Cinnabon is known for their intense cinnamon taste. They use 2 1/2 tablespoons of cinnamon which is a lot. If you’re not sure you can reduce it to 1 tablespoon of cinnamon.
STORAGE
Store on the counter for 2-3 days, up to 5 days in the fridge, or freeze for up to 3 months.
OTHER BREAKFAST RECIPES:
- French Toast Recipe
- Blueberry Croissant Puff
- Apple Cider Cinnamon Rolls
- Baked Oatmeal
- Cinnamon Roll Breakfast Bake
- Red Velvet Cake Mix Cinnamon Rolls
- Orange Rolls
- Pumpkin Pancakes
- French Toast Roll-ups
- Overnight French Toast Casserole
- Cheesy Baked Eggs
Copycat Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 cup warm milk, (about 110℉)
- 1 (1/4 ounce) package active dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons), (see note for Instant yeast substitution)
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 4 1/2 cups bread flour or regular flour
Filling:
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- 2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
Icing:
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Warm milk to about 110 degrees F (45-60 seconds in the microwave). Dissolve yeast with a pinch of sugar in warm milk in a large bowl and let it bubble and react for about 5 minutes.
- Add sugar, butter, salt, eggs, and flour. Mix well. Knead dough into a large ball, using your hands dusted lightly with flour or with a stand mixer for about 5 minutes.
- Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover and let it rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. The proof setting on your oven helps if your house is cold.
- Stir the brown sugar and cinnamon together. Roll the dough into a 16 x 21 inch rectangle about 1/4 inch thick on a lightly floured surface.
- Spread with the softened butter and sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar. Roll up from the long side and cut into 12 large rolls.
- Place the rolls in a greased 9 x 13 inch dish. Cover and let rise 30 to 60 minutes, until nearly doubled. If making the night before I let them rise covered with a dish towel on the counter overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake 20 to 30 minutes, until golden brown and cooked in the center (center will be 190℉ when done).
- While the rolls bake, beat the frosting ingredients until smooth. Spread half over the warm rolls so it melts in, then spread the rest after a few minutes.
Notes
- Instant yeast: use 1 3/4 tsp and add it to the dry ingredients, with no proofing.
- Less cinnamon: use 1 tbsp instead of 2 1/2 tbsp for a milder roll.
- Freezing: freeze the shaped rolls, then thaw, let them do a second rise and bake.
Can I use almond or oat milk instead of whole milk?
Could I make these several days in advance and freeze after first rise until it is time to bake them?
Yes absolutely!
best cinnamon rolls i’ve ever made. Only thing I added was a T of heavy cream placed on each roll prior to baking. My family absolutely loves them. I used the dough hook on my mixer x 5 min as you said in your recipe and it worked so well. Will make more soon
So happy to hear that!
What kind of milk?
I’ve done another recipe and I believe I used heavy whipping cream.
Whole milk
Another warm place is to out the dough or batter in the oven and turn on the oven light. It generates a nice amount of heat.
I love this recipe. I just have a hard time rolling out the dough. Is there something I could be doing wrong?
Dough is a little work to roll out.
Have been using this recipe for years and it’s so good!
I was having trouble with the filling not sticking well to the butter when rolling it up and spilling out. So I mixed the brown sugar and cinnamon into the softened butter with a pastry cutter and sprinkled/spread the mixture onto the rolled out dough. Works perfectly!
Great adjustment!
I’ve made these for years and love them! I have a bread machine so all the dough ingredients go in. It runs a dough cycle and when it comes out I start at step 2. Never had a problem with rising! I do decrease the sugar in the frosting but follow the rest because it’s perfect! Thank you!
Thank you!
I was intimidated to work worn yeast but making homemade cinnamon rolls was a life baking goal. I started making these at Christmas and am on my third batch. They are so good!! I’ve even figured out how to eek out 12-16 rolls and take a pan to the neighbors. If you like really strong cinnamon flavor, these are for you. Can’t recommen enough!
Yay I love hearing that
Please remove inappropriate comment below on your copycat Cinnabon roll recipe. Thanks!
Thanks for the heads up
Hi Christy I love Cinnabon and have made Cinnamon rolls but I wonder how do they make the extra frosting that they give you on the side ? Did you ever ask if they whip it more to get it that light and airy Flavour?
Great question. It seems like they do.
These are my favorite! I want to make them 1-2 days in advance. When would I put them in the fridge? Before or after the second rise?
Place in the fridge after the first rise. Then you can chill up to 24 hours. Remove from fridge, let rise and then bake.
I’ve made this recipe about 5 or 6 times now and it is the BOMB.GOV! It’s official and never fails. I always use extra butter in the spread and it makes my rolls so soft and buttery tasting! My family loves them. Cinnabon doesn’t even taste this good. After making it at home, you can taste preservatives in the store bought ones.
thank you!
I just made these for Christmas morning – they came out so good! They came out perfect using the full amount of cinnamon. Thanks for a great recipe Christy!
You’re welcome!
This is a fantastic recipe! It is just as good as Cinnabon in my opinion.
My only challenge usually is that 18-20 minutes has never been enough. It always ends up being 30 or more to bake fully.
These are seriously good ! I use less confectioners sugar (1/4 C) in the icing as I don’t like it that sweet, but that’s the only modification. My husband loves these.
Yay!
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