90 Minute Cinnamon Rolls
There are few things in life better than a warm, homemade cinnamon roll. The problem is that sometimes I want a cinnamon roll today… not after 4 hours of rising, rolling, rising again, and wondering why I started this project in the first place.
Enter: my 90 minute cinnamon rolls.
These are soft, fluffy, gooey in the middle, covered in frosting, and somehow go from “I should make cinnamon rolls” to actually eating one in about an hour and a half. Which, in the world of homemade bread, feels basically instant.
I was terrified of making Cinnamon Rolls for 90% of my married years, but this recipe broke me out of my funk. They still have everything I want in a cinnamon roll…a soft homemade dough, plenty of buttery brown sugar and cinnamon swirled through the middle, and a thick layer of frosting on top while they’re still just warm enough to get a little melty.
The good news is that most of the process is really simple. Make the dough, let it rise, roll it out, slather it with all the good stuff, roll it up and slice it. After one more quick rise, they’re ready for the oven.
One thing I love about this recipe is that it’s doable on a normal day and its easily doubled for a bigger crowd. You don’t have to wake up at 5 a.m. if you want fresh cinnamon rolls for breakfast, and you don’t have to start them at lunchtime if you want them for dessert. I’ve made them for my family, for friends, and for those times when apparently the only reasonable solution to the day is a pan of homemade cinnamon rolls.
A couple little things I’ve learned along the way: don’t go crazy adding extra flour just because the dough feels a little soft. A softer dough gives you softer cinnamon rolls! And when you roll them up, try not to roll them super tight. Give that dough a little room to puff up and do its thing.
Then comes the frosting. My husband has a vendetta against cream cheese, so I’ve learned to adapt and I make my favorite vanilla frosting to slather on top. I let the rolls cool just enough that the frosting doesn’t completely disappear, but I definitely put it on while they’re still warm enough for it to melt down into all those swirls.
If homemade cinnamon rolls have always felt like too much of a commitment, start with these. Ninety minutes, one very good-smelling kitchen, and a pan of warm cinnamon rolls at the end.
Just maybe make sure you have someone around to share them with… because eating one while it’s warm very quickly turns into “well, I should probably try another one just to make sure they’re good.” 
90 Minute Cinnamon Rolls
Course: Dessert, Breakfast, BrunchDifficulty: Medium9
servings1
hour30
minutesIngredients
2 1/4 tsp instant yeast
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup whole milk
4 tbsp butter (room temp)
1 large egg (room temp)
1 tsp salt
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- FILLING
4 tbsp butter (room temp)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
- VANILLA FROSTING
1/2 cup butter (room temp)
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1-2 tbsp milk
Here's how you do it
- Combine milk, sugar, and butter. Warm to approx 110* and add your yeast. Allow to bloom 10ish minutes.
- Combine yeast mixture with flour, salt and egg. Knead 10 minutes. Spray a bowl and let your dough rest 20-30 minutes.
- On floured surface, roll out your dough into a rectangle 12"x18". This will create the perfect size and thickness for 9 cinnamon rolls! Preheat oven to 200*
- Mix your filling together and spread it all over your rectangle. It will take some dedication but it will cover the whole rectangle.
- Cut strips 2" across the 18" length to make 9 equal strips. Roll each strip up and place in a greased 9x9 pan. Repeat until all strips are rolled.
- Cover your pan and place in the preheated oven. TURN OVEN OFF. Allow to rise for 30 minutes.
- Remove cinnamon rolls from oven and then preheat to 350*. Bake rolls for 30 minutes or internal temp of 190*. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
- While your rolls are cooling, prepare your frosting. Frost cinnamon rolls 20 minutes after baking and enjoy immediately.
Notes
- you can easily prepare these the day before consuming and bake the day of. After placing your rolls in a 9x9 pan, cover and refigerate. When you're ready to bake, preheat oven to 200* and let cinnamon rolls rise for 30 minutes, then proceed as usual.