How To Make Cinnamon Rolls — The BEST Easy Cinnamon Roll Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret ingredient in Cinnabon? ›

Cinnabon's Secret Ingredient

This special Indonesian cinnamon, called Makara, is trademarked by Cinnabon. And because of that trademark, you won't find this product in your local grocery store spice aisle.

4 - Dough Rise Time

For the fluffiest cinnamon rolls, make sure you allow your dough to rise for at least 90 minutes for the first rise. For the second rise, a good 30 minutes works. I see a lot of recipes - including a few of mine - say 60 minutes minimum for the first rise.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ This ensures to getting ULTRA MOIST rolls. This should be used at room temperature and is poured over the rolls after they have risen for the second time, just before baking.

As the rolls bake, the cream in the bottom of the pan heats up. Its liquid migrates up into the rolls, making them moister. And the remaining fat, milk solids, and milk sugars coalesce into a sweet, sticky syrup that coats the rolls' bottom (which become their top when you turn them out of the pan).

Structurally, cinnamon buns share the same spiral shape. They are sometimes thinner and more delicate. The most significant difference between cinnamon rolls and cinnamon buns is the inclusion of nuts. Cinnamon buns often have pecans, walnuts, or even raisins in the filling.

Store in an airtight container or tightly wrapped: This will help seal out any air and keep your homemade cinnamon rolls soft! Heat up before eating: Cinnamon rolls are always best ooey gooey and warm.

Cinnabon is known for the enticing aroma and gooey sweetness of their signature cinnamon rolls. Classic Cinnabon cinnamon rolls are large and dense, rich in fat and carbs and contain 880 calories each (15). But these are not even the most unhealthy item on the menu. That honor is reserved for the Caramel Pecanbon.

Don't Overbake Cinnamon Rolls

Overbaked cinnamon rolls are tough and chewy instead of light and pillowy. Since it can be a bit tricky to know when rolls are fully baked, use a digital thermometer. Bake cinnamon rolls until golden brown and the internal temperature reaches between 190°and 200°F.

Can cinnamon rolls rise for too long? Yes definitely! If you let your cinnamon rolls rise for too long you can over-proof them. This can lead to dense rolls or rolls that collapse after baking.

How wet should cinnamon roll dough be? ›

MAKE YOUR ROLLS

Your cinnamon roll dough should be tacky to the touch, but not too sticky so that it's messy. If you add too little flour, the dough will be gluey and eventually result in dense rolls. If you add too much flour, the dough will be tough, resulting in dry rolls.

Place the cinnamon rolls into your prepared pan, with little room between each roll and ½ inch from the edge of the pan. Lightly press down on each roll so that the edges of each roll barely touch each other, and improve their round form if needed.

Instead of letting the rolls rise at room temperature and baking them, you'll cut and arrange the rolls in the baking pan, tightly cover them with plastic wrap, immediately transfer them to the fridge and let them rest overnight. (Do not leave them out at room temperature for any longer than needed.)

Roll Dough Up Tightly

Rolling the dough tightly helps the cinnamon rolls hold their shape while rising and baking.

Prepare 9x13in (doesn't have to be exact, just close) baking pans by lining with parchment paper. I use parchment paper just about every time I bake anything. Not only does it help keep things from sticking to the pan, it also helps keep the dough from burning. Now is a good time to start the oven preheating (350°F).

If you're looking for fluffy, bread-like cinnamon rolls roll out the dough to 3/4-inch thick. If you want gooey, chewy cinnamon rolls, roll out to only 1/4-inch thick.

Cinnamon rolls are notably very elastic and stretchy. As the dough bakes, it will expand and cover more space than you'd think. If you want perfectly-cooked cinnamon rolls, you need to give enough space for the rolls to expand during baking.