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When I was about 12, we went from living in the city to living “in the country.” We lived on a farm in a charming old 2-story farmhouse.
My room had no heat or insulation (though I did have a very comfy electric blanket to keep me warm). So on really cold winter days, I’d spend my time in the kitchen; that’s how I developed my love for baking.
I remember many a time rolling out dough for my mom and grandma's cinnamon rolls recipe.
Family Recipes Are the Best
My mom taught me how to make these cinnamon rolls. Every time I make a batch, I re-live those days in the old farmhouse.
I loved rolling them out on the old pull-out wooden cutting board in our farmhouse kitchen, filling them up with cinnamon, sugar, and raisins. Raisins are very important; the more the merrier, according to my dad (and me).
Then I'd carefully roll up the dough and slice rolls.
Cozy up with the best most scrumptious cinnamon rolls recipe ever! Homemade cinnamon rolls make the perfect breakfast treat, especially on a cold day when it's nice and warm inside.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the yeast, 1 teaspoon sugar, and 1/2 cup warm water. Set aside in a warm place, where it will bubble and rise.
Cream (or mix) together 2/3 cup sugar with the softened butter in a large mixing bowl.
Beat in the eggs, one at a time.
Add the yeast mixture to the butter mixture, along with an additional 1 1/2 cups warm water.
Sift the flour and salt together in a separate large bowl.
Gradually add the flour mixture into the wet ingredients, and mix well. For this step, I like to use the dough hook on my stand mixer.
Turn the dough into a large greased bowl or stockpot, and let it rise to the top or almost to the top (may take 2 to 3 hours). Keep the bowl or pan covered.
Once the dough has risen, grease a 9×13 baking dish and an 8×8 baking dish.
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Coatgenerously with flour by turning and shaping. No kneading is necessary. Roll the dough out to the desired thickness, about 1/2 inch or more.
Brush the melted butter onto the dough.
In a small bowl, whisk together the cinnamon and sugar.
Sprinkle the cinnamon/sugar mixture all over the buttered dough, and sprinkle on the raisins.
Somewhat tightly, roll the dough into a long, thick roll.
Then slice it into approximately 1-inch wide pieces.
Place the cinnamon rolls, face up, into the greased pans, and let the rolls rise for 2-3 hours.
Once the rolls have risen, pre-heat the oven to 350° F.
Bake the rolls at 350° F for about 10 to 15 minutes; then cover with foil, and bake an additional 10 to 15 minutes. This allows the middle to cook thru without burning the tops.
To make the icing, mix together the softened butter and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl.
Add the milk to the mixture.
Then slowly mix in the powdered sugar. You want the icing to be thin enough to brush onto the cinnamon rolls.
Once the cinnamon rolls are baked, remove them from the oven, and let them cool for about 5 minutes. Keep the rolls in the pan.
Brush the icing onto the tops of the cinnamon rolls, and serve them immediately.
Notes
*Sometimes before adding the cinnamon sugar mixture, I'll save back a little less than half the dough to make regular bread rolls.
Can't make them just yet? That's ok! Pin the recipe for later!
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8 thoughts on “The Best Most Scrumptious Cinnamon Rolls Recipe”
Hi Mel! I really want to try this, and I’d love to make them for breakfast, but I’m wondering up to what point in the process can I do the night before. (With all of the rising and resting time, I’d have to get up 1/2 an hour before I went to bed to have them ready for the morning!)
Hello! I have actually left my dough rising on that first rise for 6-8 hours, but I make sure it’s in a tall metal pot and covered with a tea towel. The dough is usually ready in 3-4 hours, but I’ve let it go longer. So, that first rise is probably the best time to do the night before. Once they’re made into rolls, it’s usually less than 2 hours, and they’re ready to bake. Now I have read that you can put bread dough in the fridge overnight… But I’ve never tried it, so I’m not sure how that would work, if it would hurt/kill the yeast or not. I wish you all the best, and I really hope you enjoy the recipe!
Hi Mel! I really want to try this, and I’d love to make them for breakfast, but I’m wondering up to what point in the process can I do the night before. (With all of the rising and resting time, I’d have to get up 1/2 an hour before I went to bed to have them ready for the morning!)
Hello! I have actually left my dough rising on that first rise for 6-8 hours, but I make sure it’s in a tall metal pot and covered with a tea towel. The dough is usually ready in 3-4 hours, but I’ve let it go longer. So, that first rise is probably the best time to do the night before. Once they’re made into rolls, it’s usually less than 2 hours, and they’re ready to bake. Now I have read that you can put bread dough in the fridge overnight… But I’ve never tried it, so I’m not sure how that would work, if it would hurt/kill the yeast or not. I wish you all the best, and I really hope you enjoy the recipe!
Thank you and I’ll let you know how it goes!
I am going to make this recipe! Cinnamon Rolls are my favorite desserts of all time. This is a really awesome recipe.
Thank you, Julie! I hope you enjoy it!