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Copycat Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls

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Big, soft, gooey cinnamon rolls just like the mall classic, with a pillowy bread-flour dough, a thick brown sugar cinnamon swirl, and plenty of tangy cream cheese frosting.

Ingredients

Scale

Milk Roux:

  • 2/3 cup whole milk
  • 1/4 cup bread flour

 

Dough:

  • 3 2/3 cups bread flour, spooned and leveled
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast (1 packet)
  • 1 teaspoon fine salt
  • 1/3 cup heavy cream, room temperature
  • 1/3 cup whole milk, room temperature
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

 

Cinnamon Filling:

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, very soft
  • 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon saltFor Baking (optional):
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream, warmed

 

Cream Cheese Frosting:

  • 6 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1–2 tablespoons milk, as needed

Instructions

  • Make the milk roux: In a small saucepan, whisk the 2/3 cup milk and 1/4 cup bread flour until smooth. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until it thickens to a pudding-like paste and the whisk leaves lines, 2–4 minutes. Scrape into the bowl of a stand mixer and let cool 10 minutes, until just warm.
  • Add the heavy cream, 1/3 cup milk, egg, and vanilla to the milk roux and whisk until smooth.
  • Add the bread flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. Mix with the dough hook on low until a shaggy dough forms, then knead on medium for 5 minutes.
  • With the mixer running, add the softened butter 1 tablespoon at a time, letting each piece blend in before adding the next. Knead 6–8 minutes more, until the dough is smooth, stretchy, and slightly tacky but pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
  • Shape the dough into a ball, place it in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm spot until doubled, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
  • Make the filling: Beat the butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt until it forms a smooth, spreadable paste.
  • Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into an 18×12-inch rectangle with a long side facing you.
  • Spread the filling evenly over the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch strip bare along the far long edge.
  • Starting from the long side closest to you, roll the dough up tightly and pinch the seam closed. Using unflavored dental floss or a sharp serrated knife, cut into 12 even rolls about 1 1/2 inches wide.
  • Arrange the rolls cut-side up in the pan. Cover and let rise until puffy and touching, 45–60 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350°F near the end of the rise.
  • Optional for extra gooey rolls: Pour the warm heavy cream over and around the rolls just before baking.
  • Bake 22–28 minutes, until lightly golden and the center roll reads 185–190°F on an instant-read thermometer. If the tops brown too quickly, loosely tent with foil.
  • While the rolls bake, make the frosting: Beat the cream cheese and butter until completely smooth. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt and beat until light and fluffy. Add milk 1 teaspoon at a time until thick but spreadable.
  • Let the rolls cool 10–15 minutes, then spread the frosting generously over the warm rolls so it melts slightly into the swirls.

Notes

Why bread flour: Its higher protein makes a soft, pillowy roll with a slight chew. All-purpose flour works, but the rolls will be a little less fluffy. For best results, weigh it: 3 2/3 cups is about 460 g, plus 30 g for the milk roux.

Why milk roux: Cooking a small amount of flour and milk first lets the dough hold more moisture, so the rolls bake up extra soft and stay fresh for days.

Check doneness with a thermometer: Pull the rolls when the center one reaches 185–190°F. That keeps the middles soft and gooey without being doughy.

Cinnamon: For the most authentic flavor, use Korintje or Saigon cinnamon, which is sweeter and bolder than standard grocery-store cinnamon.

Tight swirls: Roll the dough snugly and cut with floss for clean rolls that don’t squash. Another option is to cut the filled dough into 12 strips with a pizza cutter and roll each strip into a coil.

Bigger bakery-size rolls: Cut the log into 9 rolls instead of 12 and add 3–5 minutes to the bake time.

No stand mixer: Mix with a wooden spoon, then knead by hand for 12–15 minutes, working the butter in a little at a time.

Active dry yeast: Use the same amount, but warm the milk to about 105°F and let the yeast sit in it for 5 minutes before adding.

Make ahead: After shaping, cover the pan and refrigerate overnight (up to 16 hours). In the morning, let the rolls sit at room temperature 45–60 minutes until puffy, then bake as directed.

Storage: Keep covered at room temperature 1 day or refrigerated up to 4 days. Reheat individual rolls in the microwave for 15–20 seconds.

Find it online: https://pennypinchinmom.com/copycat-cinnabon-cinnamon-rolls-you-can-make-in-your-own-kitchen/