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    Home » Recipes » Muffins, Biscuits, and Rolls

    Published: Apr 30, 2020 by Nicole This post may contain affiliate links.

    Clone of a Cinnabon Cinnamon Roll Recipe

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    promotional images for Cinnabon Copycat Cinnamon Rolls

    This clone of a Cinnabon cinnamon roll recipe is one that you're going to want to keep on hand forever. Pull it out to impress guests, around the holidays, or whenever the mood strikes. It's so gooey, sweet, soft, and practically melts in your mouth!

    arranged cinnamon rolls on a wooden board with fresh flowers and bottle of coffee in background

    I could go on and on about this clone of a Cinnabon recipe here, but I think it's better to just show you why it's great instead.

    You can make this Copycat Cinnabon Cinnamon Roll recipe by hand or in a bread maker depending on what you feel like using!

    With a family of 4, these dozen rolls don't last long. My husband usually eats a few at a time (and he isn't a big sweets person).

    So that alone should tell you that this bread machine cinnamon roll recipe is pretty irresistible!

    Jump to:
    • 🥘 Ingredients
    • 🍽 Equipment Needed
    • 🔪 Instructions
    • 🍴 Recipe Tips
    • ⏲️Make Ahead Instructions
    • 💭 FAQs
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments
    ingredients needed for making cinnaon cinnamon rolls from scratch

    🥘 Ingredients

    For the dough you will need:

    • Warm milk (110 degrees F)
    • Eggs
    • Butter
    • All-purpose flour
    • Salt
    • Sugar
    • Bread machine yeast

    For the filling you will need:

    • Brown sugar
    • Cinnamon
    • Butter
    • Salt
    • *Warmed heavy cream (added separately)

    For the frosting you will need:

    • Cream cheese
    • Butter
    • Powdered Sugar
    • Vanilla Extract
    • Salt

    For the exact amounts needed, please see the recipe card below.

    🍽 Equipment Needed

    BeeyondCereal is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.

    • Stand Mixer
    • 9x13 Baking Dish
    • Bread Machine
    • Measuring Cups
    • Measuring Spoons

    🔪 Instructions

    Check out how to make Cinnabon copycat cinnamon rolls with these simple step-by-step instructions:

    In a large mixing bowl, or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the bread hook attachments, combine the warm milk with the yeast and let rest for 5 minutes.

    yeast and warm milk in a bowl

    Add in the eggs, melted butter, salt, and sugar. Mix until combined.

    melted butter and eggs added to yeast milk mixture in bowl

    Slowly add in the flour, working in 1 cup of flour at a time until it’s all been combined. You may or may not need all of the flour.

    adding flour into the liquid mixture in small batches

    Mix the flour until the dough is barely combined and looks shaggy. Let rest for 5 minutes.

    shaggy looking dough after flour is incoporated

    Scrape the dough off the sides of the bowl and dough hooks (or wooden spoon).

    Turn the dough out onto a floured surface.

    Knead the dough for 5-7 minutes or until it’s elastic and smooth. You can knead the dough with your dough hooks in the bowl on medium speed if desired, but note that it’s easier to overwork the dough this way.

    a hand on top of a folded piece of dough on a floured surface to demonstrate kneading is done by folding the dough

    Spray a large mixing bowl with nonstick cooking spray, and then place the ball of kneaded dough inside.

    kneaded dough in a greased bowl

    Cover with greased plastic wrap and allow to rest in a warm spot until doubled in size.

    proofed cinnamon roll dough in a bowl

    In a small bowl, combine your brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.

    cinnamon, brown sugar and salt in a small bowl

    Roll the dough out into a thin rectangle about 14x18 inches and ¼ inch thick.

    dough rolled out to look like a giant rectangle

    Spread your softened butter or margarine evenly over the top of the dough.

    Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the dough and then spread it out with your hand to get it to cover the entire surface of the dough.

    butter spread on the dough with cinnamon sugar spread across in a zig zag pattern

    Starting from one long side of the log and working your way towards the other, form a tightly rolled log.

    cinnamon sugar mixture spread evenly over the dough with half of the dough being rolled into a log starting on a long side and working the way towards the other

    Slice off both of the ends of the log and then slice the log of rolled dough into 9 or 12 evenly sized pieces, depending on how many rolls you want from this batch.

    Place the cut rolls into a greased 9x13 baking dish.

    9 cut cinnamon rolls in a baking dish

    Cover with a greased piece of plastic wrap and place into a warm location to rise until doubled in size.

    9 risen cinnamon rolls in a baking dish

    Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.

    Warm your heavy cream until it’s slightly warmer than room temperature and gently pour it over the top of the rolls, trying to get as much coverage as possible. Pour slowly so it doesn't go over the sides of the baking dish. You may not need all of it.

    heavy cream on top of the cinnamon rolls in a baking dish

    Bake in the oven for 15 minutes or until the cinnamon rolls are golden brown.

    baked cinnamon rollls in a baking dish

    When the cinnamon rolls are removed from the oven, begin making the frosting.

    In the bowl of the stand mixer or in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer and beaters, add all of the frosting ingredients together and beat on high for 8-10 minutes. Don't skimp on the time!

    Spread your whipped cream cheese frosting over the tops of the warm cinnamon rolls.

    Wait a minute or two and then dig in and enjoy!

    frosted cinnabon copycat cinnamon rolls in a baking dish

    🍴 Recipe Tips

    To prevent darkening

    Okay, so the cinnamon rolls will begin to brown around the 14-minute mark when baking if you don't want them as dark as my pictures show, make sure to keep an eye on the rolls as they bake.

    When they reach the desired color, take a piece of foil and gently lay it over the top of the rolls as they finish baking. You don't need to tuck, bend or do anything fancy just lay a sheet over the top and you're good to go.

    Be careful though as the oven is hot, and they go from gold to brown in the blink of an eye.

    A more authentic taste

    For more "Cinnabon-like" cinnamon rolls, make sure to use margarine in the dough filling as that is what they use. Cinnabon also uses a different variety of cinnamon that you can't find in stores.

    So if you want a more authentic flavor, order some Makara Cinnamon and use it. Otherwise, this is about as close as you can get to what's in grocery stores.

    🍞 How to Knead Bread Dough

    Kneading your dough with an electric mixer using dough hooks is simple and easy, but my favorite method is to do it by hand because you're far less likely to overwork the dough when doing it this way.

    Knead the dough by hand by placing it onto a floured surface and using two hands to roll it out into an oval, pull back half, so it's sandwiched together, and repeat.

    Smoosh the dough as you roll it back out into an oval, and bring it back. Every few times, rotate the dough about 90 degrees so that you can get all of the dough worked into the process.

    When the dough is smooth and elastic, it's finished. This takes about 10 minutes by hand, faster if you're quick, but there are a few good ways to tell when you are finished.

    1. The dough should not tear easily. This means that if you stretch a chunk of the dough between your fingers, it doesn't tear apart like paper and creates jagged edges.
    2. The dough should be elastic. You should be able to poke the ball of kneaded dough with your finger and watch the dough quickly try to bounce back and fill in the hole you made.

    🥖 How Long to Proof Dough

    The time needed to proof dough truly varies from person to person. It depends upon the weather, climate, wind drafts, temperature of ingredients, age of the yeast, and more.

    On average, it can take anywhere between 1 hour to 3 hours for the dough to proof properly, but some people can see it happen in as little as 30 minutes.

    The goal is not waiting to a specific time but instead looking for a specific response from the dough. We want the dough to be doubled in size, and whether that takes one hour or more, we shouldn't jump straight into the next step before completing this one.

    You should expect that it will take about 1 hour for your dough to double in size and proof, but here are some tips for getting it there.

    • Cover the bowl of dough with greased plastic wrap. This helps to prevent the dough from drying out and helps to trap the heat. The cooking spray on the plastic wrap helps to prevent it from sticking to the dough.
    • Store it in a warm location. I like to preheat my oven to 200 degrees F for 2 minutes and then turn it off. Then I place the bowl in the oven and let it rise until doubled.

    Other locations to place your dough include:

    • Inside your closed microwave
    • Inside a closed oven with just the oven light turned on
    • On a hot and sunny day, your kitchen's countertop can work well too

    ⏲️Make Ahead Instructions

    You can prepare these cinnamon rolls up to the second rise and cover the top with plastic wrap before placing the rolls into the fridge overnight for a slow 8 hour rise or freezing them for up to three months.

    For overnight fridge rises, simply place the pan on the counter for an hour as the oven preheats and bake as directed. Do not let the rolls rise in the fridge for more than 12 hours.

    For freezing unbaked rolls, once frozen solid, you can place them into an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge or for several hours in a pan on the counter until doubled. Bake as directed.

    With either method, make sure to let the pan of cinnamon rolls sit on the counter for at least 30 minutes to one hour before baking. I like to set my baking dish out as the oven preheats.

    This is especially important if you are using a glass baking dish- you don't want it to explode in the oven from going from a cold environment to a hot one too quickly.

    💭 FAQs

    What is bread machine yeast?

    Bread machine yeast is an active yeast sold in stores in little glass jars in the baking aisle. Sometimes it's a cheaper option than buying the packets individually but it's exactly the same thing as what's in the active yeast packets, and you can use either.

    Why is there heavy cream added to the pan?

    The heavy cream is an optional ingredient and step, but it helps to give the cinnamon rolls that golden brown color and the gooey centers. It helps to keep the moisture in the pan so that they turn out a little lighter and fluffier. But once again, totally optional. I make it both ways and they're great with and without.

    How to store cinnamon rolls

    If your cinnamon rolls have been frosted with the cream cheese frosting then I highly recommend keeping them stored in an airtight container in the fridge for food safety reasons. They can last up to 5 days this way, but we all know cinnamon rolls taste best when fresh!
    Note that if you want them to feel fresh and warm again 30-45 seconds in the microwave should do the trick!

    Can I use bread flour?

    Yes, you can! Bread flour may even give you a little fluffier of a bread roll when it's done too. All-purpose flour is great because it's so easy to get your hands on, but bread flour is awesome when it comes to baking bread.

    Why do I have to whip the frosting for so long?

    Okay, maybe you can skip a few minutes- but the goal is to get it light and fluffy. You know Cinnabon has those little containers of whipped frosting to buy and that they cover their rolls in it too, so why wouldn't we try to get ours to as close of a match as possible?

    a frosted cinnamon roll on a plate with more rolls in background near fresh flowers and a fork

    More delicious Cinnamon Rolls recipes to try!

    • Cookies and Cream Cinnamon Rolls
    • 2 Ingredient Cinnamon Roll Intestines
    • Cinnamon Roll Monkey Bread
    • Small Batch Cinnamon Rolls (Dairy Free, Egg Free)
    • Cinnamon Roll Apple Cobbler
    • Easy 45 Minute Cinnamon Rolls

    📖 Recipe

    cinnamon rolls on a wooden board
    Print Recipe
    4.80 from 5 votes

    Clone of a Cinnabon Cinnamon Roll Recipe

    You won't want to venture to the mall again after eating these copycat cinnamon rolls! They're ooey gooey, melt in your mouth delicious and packed with the cinnamon flavor and tendernedd that you expect and crave.
    Prep Time 20 mins
    Cook Time 15 mins
    Rise Times, Divided 2 hrs 30 mins
    Total Time 3 hrs 5 mins
    Servings: 12 rolls
    Calories: 549kcal
    Cost Recipe $4.76 / Serving $0.40
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Equipment

    • Stand Mixer *optional
    • 9x13 Baking Dish
    • Bread Machine *optional
    • Measuring Cups
    • Measuring Spoons
    • Mixing Bowls
    • Electric Mixer

    Ingredients

    • 2 large Eggs, room temp ($0.16)
    • 1 cup Warm Milk, (110 degrees F) ($0.19)
    • ⅓ cup Butter, melted ($0.47)
    • 4 ½ cups All-Purpose Flour ($0.36)
    • 1 teaspoon Salt ($0.10)
    • ½ cup Granulated Sugar ($0.11)
    • 2 ½ teaspoon Active Instant Yeast ($0.51)

    Cinnamon Roll Filling

    • 1 cup Brown Sugar ($0.35)
    • ⅓ cup Margarine, softened ($0.47)
    • 3 tablespoon Ground Cinnamon, Plus more ($0.20)
    • ¼ teaspoon Salt ($0.02)
    • ½ cup Warm Heavy Cream ($0.10)

    Cream Cheese frosting

    • 4 oz Cream Cheese ($0.99)
    • ¼ cup Butter (half a stick) ($0.36)
    • 1 ½ cup Powdered Sugar ($0.34)
    • ½ teaspoon Vanilla ($0.01)
    • ¼ teaspoon Salt ($0.02)
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    Proof The Yeast

    • In a large mixing bowl, or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the bread hook attachments, combine the warm milk with the yeast and let rest for 5 minutes.

    Make the Dough

    • Add in the eggs, melted butter, salt, and sugar. Mix until combined.
    • Slowly add in the flour, working in 1 cup of flour at a time until it’s all been combined. You may or may not need all of the flour.
    • Mix the flour until the dough is barely combined and looks shaggy. Let rest for 5 minutes.

    Knead Dough

    • Scrape the dough off the sides of the bowl and dough hooks (or wooden spoon).
    • Turn the dough out onto a floured surface.
    • Knead the dough for 5-7 minutes or until it’s elastic and smooth. You can knead the dough with your dough hooks in the bowl on medium speed if desired, but note that it’s easier to overwork the dough this way.

    Rise Until Doubled

    • Spray a large mixing bowl with nonstick cooking spray, and then place the ball of kneaded dough inside. Cover with greased plastic wrap and allow to rest in a warm spot until doubled in size.

    Assembly

    • In a small bowl, combine your brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
    • Roll the dough out into a thin rectangle about 14x18 inches and ¼ inch thick.
    • Spread your softened butter or margarine evenly over the top of the dough.
    • Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the dough and then spread it out with your hand to get it to cover the entire surface of the dough.
    • Starting from one long side of the log and working your way towards the other, form a tightly rolled log.
    • Slice off both of the ends of the log and then slice the log of rolled dough into 9 or 12 evenly sized pieces, depending on how many rolls you want from this batch.

    Rise Until Doubled

    • Place the cut rolls into a greased 9x13 baking dish.
    • Cover with a greased piece of plastic wrap and place into a warm location to rise until doubled in size.

    Bake Cinnamon Rolls

    • Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
    • Warm your heavy cream until it’s slightly warmer than room temperature and gently pour it over the top of the rolls, trying to get as much coverage as possible. Pour slowly so it doesn't go over the sides of the baking dish. You may not need all of it.
    • Bake in the oven for 15 minutes or until the cinnamon rolls are golden brown.
    • When the cinnamon rolls are removed from the oven, begin making the frosting.

    Make the Frosting

    • In the bowl of the stand mixer or in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer and beaters, add all of the frosting ingredients together and beat on high for 8-10 minutes. Don't skimp on the time!
    • Spread your whipped cream cheese frosting over the tops of the warm cinnamon rolls.
    • Wait a minute or two and then dig in and enjoy!

    Bread Machine Instructions

    • Add everything for the dough to your bread machine in the order of your bread machine manual. My machine does liquids, dry, and then yeast last but yours could be yeast first. Double check so that you do it accurately.
    • Set your bread machine to DOUGH setting and let the machine do the work, wait for it to finish. If needed add 1 tablespoon of water while it's mixing to help remove loose flour from the sides.
    • Turn out your proofed dough onto a lightly floured surface. Cover with a towel and allow to rest for 10 minutes then follow along with the instructions starting from rolling the dough out into a rectangle.

    Notes

    Recipe Tips

    • Keep a close eye on the cinnamon rolls as they get to the 14 minute mark while baking because the tops can darken quickly and you may not want the bread to look too dark. After they've reached your desired color, place a loose piece of foil over the top to prevent them from browning further.
    • For more authentic taste use margarine in the filling instead of actual butter. You can even buy and use Makara Cinnamon, as that is what the Cinnabon stores use instead of storebought cinnamon.
    • What yeast to use. Bread machine yeast is my favorite because it can be kept in the fridge for months at a time but you can use any active yeast, including the packets found in the baking aisle. Note that because it says "bread machine yeast" doesn't mean that you can ONLY use it in your bread maker. It works great with homemade doughs too!
    • About the heavy cream. We add heavy cream to the pan of cinnamon rolls before baking because this makes them much more gooey and delicious. It is optional (but recommended).
    • Flour replacement. Bread flour can be used in place of all purpose flour.
    • Whipping the frosting will give you a light and fluffy result just like what you'd find at cinnabon and it is well worth the time spent.

    Storage

    • Keep your cinnamon rolls stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up 5 days.
    • Reheat in the microwave for 30-45 seconds for a warm and delicious experience.

    Make-ahead

    You can prepare these cinnamon rolls up to the second rise and cover the top with plastic wrap before placing the rolls into the fridge overnight for a slow 8 hour rise or freezing them for up to three months.
    For overnight fridge rises, simply place the pan on the counter for an hour as the oven preheats and bake as directed. do not let the rolls rise in the fridge for more than 12 hours.
    For freezing unbaked rolls, once frozen solid, you can place them into an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge or for several hours in a pan on the counter until doubled. Bake as directed.

    Nutritional Information

    Serving: 1roll | Calories: 549kcal | Carbohydrates: 82.8g | Protein: 9.9g | Fat: 20.9g | Saturated Fat: 12.2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 83.9mg | Sodium: 353.8mg | Potassium: 204.9mg | Fiber: 3.9g | Sugar: 42.5g | Vitamin A: 182.3IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 90.2mg | Iron: 2.8mg
    Author NicoleDurham
    Course Breakfast, Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Tried this recipe?Mention @BeeyondCereal on Instagram and hashtag it #BeeyondCereal
    To view how this recipe was calculated you can visit my Pricing Disclosure Page for more information.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. SHELLY BOHDE says

      December 14, 2020 at 3:29 pm

      5 stars
      made these yesterday and my family inhaled them! great recipe thanks!! my husband said it was the best cinnamon roll he's ever had 🙂

      Reply
      • NicoleDurham says

        December 14, 2020 at 4:44 pm

        I'm so glad your family loved them!

        Reply
    2. Tiffany says

      December 19, 2020 at 11:04 am

      Can these be made up to rolling, cutting, and putting them in the pan and then refrigerated overnight and baked the next morning?

      Reply
      • NicoleDurham says

        December 19, 2020 at 11:21 am

        Absolutely. Do the second rise overnight in the fridge (no more than 8-9 hours tops) and then let them sit on the counter for about 30 minutes in the morning while the oven preheats. Perfect for a warm breakfast without the hassle in the morning! Just make sure to grease the plastic wrap where it will touch the rolls in the pan to avoid sticking.

        Reply
    3. Lisa A says

      January 03, 2021 at 8:35 am

      Why is the heavy cream poured over them?

      Reply
      • NicoleDurham says

        January 03, 2021 at 9:49 am

        The heavy cream step could be considered optional, but it does so much. The added moisture and richness from the cream that's added to the pan will help to add moisture to the cinnamon rolls that creates a gooey center and soft layers that are more like the ones you'd expect at Cinnabon. It also helps to keep these rolls tasting soft for days (if properly stored) so you don't end up with dry cinnamon rolls a day later like with many other recipes out there.

        Reply

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    I'm Nicole and I am the owner and recipe developer here at Beeyond Cereal. I love saving money and one of the best places to trim expenses is in the kitchen. With this site, we are serving up tasty and frugal homemade dishes that the whole family will enjoy.

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