Cinnamon Rolls are something that you can make yourself. They may seem intimidating, but they really aren’t.
I have very fond memories of the cinnamon rolls of my childhood. The best ones were those that my Aunt Sandy made when she worked the kitchen at the Monroe Cafe. Those were pretty amazing.
The cinnamon rolls I’d had previously had been store bought: from a can, from the grocery bakery section, or from an overpriced mall shop. It wasn’t until I was a newlywed that I realized you could make them yourself.
Making Cinnamon Rolls More Convenient
Sure, opening a can of refrigerator cinnamon rolls is pretty easy. But the little work that you put into making them from scratch is more than worth it. There are several ways to make them more convenient.
- Flash freeze the cinnamon rolls on a tray before the second rise. Then store in the freezer, tightly wrapped. Pull as many as you want the night before to thaw and rise. See the whole method in a photo tutorial here.
- Make a pan of rolls and freeze them before the second rise. The night before baking, pull the pan to thaw and rise. Bake in the morning.
Usually I make these Whole-Grain Cinnamon Rolls. But, recently, I decided to try a different flavor combination: Maple and Brown Sugar. The result was an amazingly good sweet treat. Yum!
Maple-Brown Sugar Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
Dough Ingredients
- 1 cup milk
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 cup butter cut into pieces
- 1 egg
- 3 1/2 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp vital wheat gluten
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp active dry yeast
Filling Ingredients
- 1/4 cup butter softened
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1 to 2 tbsp maple syrup
Glaze Ingredients
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp milk
- 1 tsp maple flavoring
Instructions
- Grease a 9x13-inch pan with non-stick cooking spray.
- Place the dough ingredients in the pan of a bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Set the dough cycle.
- When the cycle ends, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into a large rectangle, about 1/2 inch thick.
- Spread the butter over the dough.
- Sprinkle the brown sugar over the butter. Sprinkle with the cinnamon. Drizzle the maple syrup over all.
- Roll up the dough, starting at the long edge. Seal the edges. Slice into 12 equal slices.
- Place the pinwheels into the prepared baking dish. (Can be frozen at this point.)
- Allow the rolls to rise until doubled in bulk.
- Preheat the oven to 350 °. Bake for 25 minutes or until lightly browned.
- Cool the pan on a rack.
- In a small bowl whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and maple flavoring. Drizzle the rolls with the glaze.
Notes
Nutrition
Don’t forget. You can make these turkey-shaped for Thanksgiving. Check out the tutorial here.
Kristen says
In the dough ingredients, what is “gluten”? Can you just buy a bag of gluten?? (Sorry if this is a stupid question 😉
Jessica Fisher says
The box I have is from Arrowhead Mills. It lasts a very long time since you only use a small amount at a time. You can omit it though, if you’d like. It makes the bread fluffier.
Mason says
Can you just buy gluten at the grocery store? Is it a powder? Can you reccomend a brand name? How about a substitute?
Thanks!
Jessica Fisher says
It is a powder. The brand I have is Arrowhead Mills. I’ve bought it at Walmart, Ralphs, and Sprouts. If you don’t want to buy it, just make the rolls without it. They’ll still be great. The vital wheat gluten gives a fluffier texture.
Lina says
We can freeze cinnamon rolls ? This will make my life easier Thanks a lot !
Claire says
Out of butter…going to make a double batch of these when I get more!!!! They look amazing!!! My children will them.
Rachel says
Oh my goodness… These are delicious! I couldn’t wait, I snagged one while they were cooling. I might not share them. Thank for yet another delicious recipe.
Alison says
I don’t have a bread maker. Can I just mix all those ingredients myself at once?
Jessica Fisher says
Yep. Are you familiar with standard bread making technique? Warm the maple syrup, milk, and butter slightly. Mix in the yeast and allow it to proof for 5 minutes. It should start to foam a bit. Mix in the egg, flour, and salt until a dough is formed. (You can omit the gluten.) Knead on a floured surface until a smooth ball is formed. Allow to rise in a greased bowl until doubled in bulk. Then proceed to make the rolls.
Docmo says
Do you have to use Maple syrup? Can fresh cane syrup be used instead?
Jessica Fisher says
You could omit the syrup and it will be fine, just without a maple flavor.
Janet says
We tried these yesterday. They were yummy! We are having a mini pantry challenge this week. The kids have been out of school for more than a week now due to snow and ice. I have not been to the store either. Consequently, our baking supplies are getting a bit slim. Since I did not have maple flavoring for the icing I substituted vanilla extract and it tasted great in combination with the maple flavored dough. Thanks for another great recipe.
Jessica Fisher says
Sounds delish! So glad you liked them!
Malini says
How long do you recommend letting them rise? Should they be covered with plastic wrap for the rise?
Jessica Fisher says
Usually until doubled in bulk, covered with plastic wrap. You can also do the second rise overnight refrigerated.