If you’re wondering if these classic homemade cinnamon rolls are made out of some ultra expensive flour or have some hidden vegetables in them? You don’t have to worry, they don’t contain either. Just some good old AP flour and not a fruit or vegetable in the entire recipe. You might be wondering then, how is it that, or why is it for that matter, that I would post such a “sinful” recipe on my nutrition website?
The answer is simple, I love them. I put this recipe in my first cookbook that is no longer in print and I’ve been kicking myself for years that I never added it to my recipe collection on my website. There is nothing healthy about it. You see, it is an old-fashioned, made from scratch cinnamon roll. Now, to be fair, when I developed this recipe, I did substantially cut out some sugar from the dough and some of the butter from the inside, but you would never know.
I make these for special occasions, holidays, or for a crowd when the situation presents itself. They are good and I enjoy every bite.
They also take time, 3+ hours to be exact, so this is not impulse baking, it is purposeful. There is something very therapeutic about baking from scratch. Forget about the popping tube, make your baking intentional.
Classic homemade cinnamon rolls will become a special occasion favorite – you’ll be so happy when you master this one!
Classic Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
- Total Time: 3 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 12 rolls 1x
Ingredients
1 cup warm (to the touch) low fat milk
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup softened unsalted butter
2 large eggs
4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, divided
1 teaspoon table salt
Filling
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup brown sugar
1.5 tablespoons ground cinnamon
Icing
1 cup powdered sugar
4 teaspoons water or milk
Instructions
In a large mixing bowl, add the warm milk, yeast, and sugar. Stir and let sit for 2 minutes. Add the butter, eggs, 3.5 cups of the flour (reserving the rest for kneading), and salt. Stir to combine and then pour out on to a countertop dusted with flour.
Knead the dough for 5 minutes, using the remaining 1/2 cup flour to keep the dough from sticking to the countertop and hands. Knead until the dough is no longer sticky and it has a smooth surface.
Spray the bowl with non-stick cooking spray (or a little canola oil), place the dough in the bowl and turn it once so the dough ball is coated with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let it sit in a warm area for 2 hours.
After the dough has doubled in size, sprinkle more flour on the countertop and roll out the dough into a 12 x 20 rectangle.
Evenly spread the butter on the dough and top with brown sugar and cinnamon. On the long side, start rolling the dough until you have one large tube of cinnamon roll dough.
Spray a 13×9 baking dish with cooking spray.
When slicing the dough, make small marks in the dough to ensure even cutting. Cut once down the center of the dough and cut the two pieces into 6, 1-inch slices. Place the rolls in the baking dish, swirl side up. Cover again for another 30 minutes.
Heat oven to 400°F and bake the rolls in a heated oven for 15-20 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.
Mix the powdered sugar and water together to form a glaze and pour over hot rolls.
- Prep Time: 3 hours
- Cook Time: 15 minutes