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Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Icing. Plus Bonus Recipes for Maple Nut and Caramel Pecan Variations.

Updated on October 10, 2012
4.9 stars from 13 ratings of Cinnamon Rolls

When it comes to "breakfast pastry" (I put in quotations because I feel it's more a dessert than a breakfast food) you can't beat a sweet and cozy, fresh from the oven cinnamon roll slathered in butter and cream cheese icing. Equally enticing are the variations I've included. Maple nut and caramel pecan both come out delightfully sticky with a bonus texture from the nuts they're covered with. These variations are found after the base recipe at the end of the hub.

I asked my younger brother to make these with me when he was visiting. He's only recently discovered an interest in cooking and has never made any sort of pastry or bread. His came out tasting delicious... although not as pretty as mine ^_^ We still can't agree on who "won" our cinnamon roll making contest and my husband refuses to vote.

Cook Time

Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 2 hours
Ready in: 2 hours 45 min
Yields: Makes 24 rolls about 7 centimeters in diameter

Cream Cheese Icing Ingredients

  • 3 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 2 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • milk, enough to reach drizzling consistency

If you are anything like me you'll want to double the icing.

Yeast Dough Ingredients

  • 4 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 package active dry yeast
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/3 cup butter
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 eggs

Cinnamon Filling Ingredients

  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup all purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened

Instructions

  • Add 2 cups of the flour and the yeast to a large mixing bowl, set aside.
  • In a small saucepan combine the milk, sugar, butter and salt. Heat just until warm (120-130'F) and the butter is almost completely melted.
  • Add the milk mixture and the eggs to the flour. Beat with an electric mixer on low until combined. Then beat on high for 3 minutes.

  • Using a wooden spoon stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can.
  • Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead in any flour you couldn't stir.

  • Continue kneading until smooth. Total knead time shouldn't exceed 5 minutes.
  • Lightly grease a mixing bowl. Shape dough into a ball and put into bowl turning once to coat.

  • Cover bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place until it doubles in size. This could take an hour to an hour and a half.

Dough after rising

  • Punch dough down, I don't know why but I find this part very fun ^_^
  • Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide in half and cover with the kitchen towel. Let rest for 10 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, grease two 9 inch cake pans. If you're wanting to try one of the two variations you would do so now.
  • In a medium mixing bowl combine the brown sugar, 1/3 cup of flour and ground cinnamon. Using a pastry blender incorporate the soft butter into the dry ingredients until it looks like coarse crumbs. If you don't have a pastry blender you can run butter knives together. Hold knives in an X shape then pull them against each other so they make a V shape.
  • Once the dough has been resting for 10 minutes you can roll it out. On a lightly floured surface roll each dough half into a 12 x 8 inch rectangle. It's ok if it's not perfect. Try not to have to reroll. The more you mess with the dough at this state the tougher it will get.
  • Sprinkle each rectangle with half of the crumbly filling. Leave about one inch filling free at the top of the rectangle as shown in the picture.

After resting..

  • Starting from the bottom (bottom according to the picture above) carefully roll the dough into a log. Pinch dough together at the seams .
  • Lay the log seam side down and cut about a half inch off each end. Then cut each log into 12 equal pieces as shown.
  • Arrange 12 pieces into each prepared pan. Cover with a towel and let rest about 30 minutes.
  • Pre-heat oven to 350'F
  • Once 30 minutes has passed bake the cinnamon rolls for 20-25 minutes or until golden.
  • While rolls are baking prepare icing. In a medium mixing bowl use electric beaters to combine the cream cheese, butter and vanilla extract.
  • Gradually beat in the powdered sugar, beating well after each addition.
  • Beat in milk, one tablespoon at a time until icing is drizzling consistency. It should slowly run in a thick stream from a spoon.
  • Remove rolls from oven after 20-25 minutes or until golden. If desired spread hot rolls with butter. This will prevent any tough crust from forming.
  • Let cool at least 5 minutes before removing from pan.
  • Spread rolls with cream cheese icing and serve warm.


Maple Nut and Caramel Pecan Variations

After greasing the cake pans add one of these two sets of ingredients. Then after baking don't butter the buns. Let cool only 1-2 minutes. Loosen edges from pan and invert the entire pan of rolls onto a serving dish. All the gooey goodness you put into the bottom of the pan should now be all over the top of the rolls. ^_^ These are truly worth trying. Sorry I don't have pictures of the variations yet. As soon as I make them again I will upload those photos as well.


Amounts are for each pan.

Maple Nut

1/3 cup maple syrup

2/3 cup coarsely chopped walnuts


Caramel Pecan

1/3 cup caramel ice cream topping (I like smucker's brand for this)

2/3 cup coarsely chopped pecans.


Sister vs. Brother

Nothing like some freindly competition between siblings ^_^

Who makes the better rolls?

See results
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