We love cinnamon rolls! We’ve made it a tradition of making ginormous cinnamon rolls for Christmas breakfast as we lounge in our PJs, happily unwrap gifts and cuddle with the kitties by the cozy fireplace. This is a copycat Cinnabon recipe.
Add instant yeast (not RapidRise) to flour and shake gently to mix in.
Add sugar, salt, warm milk, butter, and eggs.
Mix with a dough hook on mixer for 5 minutes and allow to rise for ~1.5 hours until risen (doubled in size). Alternatively, use a bread machine for first four steps.
Roll the dough out to ~1/4″ thick on a lightly floured surface until it is approximately 24″ x 14″.
FILLING
While dough is rising, make the filling by combining the brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour (flour helps thicken the filling) in a bowl.
Spread the softened butter over the surface of the dough.
Sprinkle the filling (brown sugar and cinnamon) evenly over the surface. Add some colored festive sprinkles if desired.
ROLLS
From the long edge, roll the dough down to the bottom edge.
Lightly grease two 8″ round pans and place parchment circles in pans.
Using a knife, slice the dough in half lengthwise.
Gently take one length of dough and coil it around inside one 8″ pan. Repeat with remaining length of dough in the second pan.
Lightly cover the cinnamon rolls with greased plastic wrap and let them rise until doubled. I often place them in the fridge overnight and pull them out for a few hours before baking them the next morning. This is super convenient for Christmas morning.
Preheat the oven to 350 F and bake for 22-25 minutes, until lightly golden on top and cooked through. Be sure to cook longer if the dough has been refrigerated.
ICING
While the rolls are baking, make the icing by first creaming together butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer.
Then mix in vanilla followed by salt and powdered sugar. Beat well until fluffy.
When the rolls are done, spread generously with icing.