Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

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Homemade Cinnamon Rolls might be the best food ever created. You'll experience absolute fits of ecstasy while eating these. With their soft, sweet, gooey centers, these spirals of cinnamon and clove will send you to new heights of joy.

The day this post comes out will be my 43rd birthday. Sinking farther and farther into my 40s as everyone around me seems to stay so young has been both a challenge and a blessing. I don't know when or why I became the wise and responsible one. Sometimes I think it's absolutely ludicrous that anyone would heed my advice.

On the other hand, the older I get, the less interested I am in engaging in drama and conflict. I just don't have the time and energy for it anymore. I'm too busy manifesting my desires to worry about office gossip or dating woes. Only come sit next to me if you want to talk about how to become wildly happy. All that other petty nonsense is boring.

unbaked and risen Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

What makes Homemade Cinnamon Rolls so awesome?

I'm also less willing to settle for mediocre. I only want the good stuff. And guys, these homemade cinnamon rolls are the absolute best. They've got just a little bit of caramelized crunch on the top while staying soft and gooey underneath. They're topped with a bit of buttermilk glaze that adds a slight hit of acid to brighten up the dark and warming spices. I could eat one every day. I probably shouldn't, but I definitely want to.

Also, if you're the type of monster who just cuts into a cinnamon roll willy nilly with no regard for it's perfect spiral shape, we maybe can't be friends. You've gotta pull these apart with your fork, working from the outside of the spiral into the perfectly gooey center for the most perfect bite at the end. You could say it's like a ritual, and the reward is absolutely worth it.

The magick of the spiral

We've discussed the magical properties of cinnamon, clove, brown, sugar, wheat, and all the other ingredients in this recipe, so instead, I thought we'd look at sacred geometry in kitchen witchcraft. In this case, we'll dive into the symbolism of the spiral.

The Hermetic Principle of Correspondence states "as above, so below." The spiral is perhaps a perfect example of this. From the spiral of the galaxy to the smallest snail shell, spirals can be found all over nature and are much more common than straight lines. This shape is found in some of the earliest artwork of ancient cultures as well. Archeologists and anthropologists are making their best guess as to the meaning, but this shape is thought to symbolize the neverending cycles of nature, life, and death.

Spirals are also closely associated with the divine feminine and mother goddesses. In addition to symbolizing the life cycle, this shape is also thought to indicate intuition. This shape can also be seen in ancient serpentine dances taking the winding and spiral form of a snake which symbolizes regeneration. A spiral is also sometimes used as a symbol for the fifth element, often believed to be spirit. (Source: Learn Religions)

For information on the magical properties of the ingredients of this recipe, check the Kitchen Magick page.

Homemade Cinnamon Rolls with buttermilk glaze

How to make Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

Making homemade cinnamon rolls is pretty easy if you have a stand mixer, but it does take some time. First we have to make an enriched dough, and while you can do it by hand, the dough is very sticky, so I'd definitely recommend taking some help from a machine. We're making a yeasted dough with a bit of sugar, milk, vanilla, and egg. Then we're working in a bunch of butter and adding only enough flour to make the dough pull away from the edge of the bowl as it kneads.

Once your dough is mixed and risen, you'll turn it out onto a well-floured counter and roll it into a big rectangle. Onto that rectangle, we'll spread a bunch of melted butter, then sprinkle over a mixture of sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, clove, and maple syrup. Roll it up as tight as you can and cut it into 8 giant rolls.

After the second rise, we'll let these bake until they're brown on top. They may look a bit dark, but that's because of the sugar. Don't panic. They're still awesome. As soon as they come out of the oven, douse them in even more melted butter. Then once they've cooled a bit but are still warm, you can drizzle on a glaze of powdered sugar and buttermilk.

FAQ

Can I make these ahead of time?

If you want to make the dough and roll and shape your cinnamon rolls the night before to have them freshly baked for breakfast, you can cover these and put them in the fridge overnight. You'll just want to set them out on the counter and let them come to room temperature before baking.

Can I add other stuff to my cinnamon rolls?

If you're one of those weirdos who likes nuts and dried fruit in your cinnamon rolls (okay, I'm probably the weirdo here), you can certainly add them to your filling before you roll things up. Pecans and raisins are pretty standard.

Homemade Cinnamon Rolls with cinnamon sticks

Everyday that I eat a homemade cinnamon roll is a good day. I mean, it's not the only thing that can make a day good, but it never fails to make a day better. I hope you give these a try. It'll be awesome.

Looking for more awesome cinnamony baked goods? Try Mini Chocolate Cinnamon Croissants or a Cinnamon Pull-Apart Cake.

Print Recipe

Author: Renee Rendall
Prep Time: 45
Rising time: 240
Cook Time: 30
Total Time: 5 hours 15 minutes
Yield: 8 rolls 1x
Category: Baked Goods
Method: Baked
Cuisine: American
Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

Units Scale

1 packet (7 grams) instant yeast
½ teaspoon + ¼ cup caster or granulated sugar, divided
¼ cup warm water
½ cup whole milk
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
3 cups all-purpose or plain flour
¾ teaspoon salt
½ cup (4 ounces) unsalted butter, softened

For the filling:

½ cup caster or granulated sugar
½ cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
3 tablespoons maple syrup
¼ (2 ounces) unsalted butter, melted

For topping:

¼ cup (2 ounces) unsalted butter, melted
2 cups powdered sugar
¼ cup buttermilk or kefir

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Instructions

For the dough:

In the bowl of a stand mixer, add your yeast, ½ teaspoon of sugar and warm water. Stir it together and let it sit for 10 minutes to get foamy.
Next, add ¼ cup sugar, milk, brown sugar, vanilla, egg and egg yolk to the bowl, and whisk to combine.
Attach the bowl to the stand mixer and attach the dough hook. Add the salt as well as the first 2-¾ cups of flour. I leave the mixer on low while I'm adding the flour, then turn it up to medium to mix and knead this mixture for about 4 minutes.
Finally, add the softened butter and knead that in for another 6 minutes. If your dough is still too wet and sticky, add the final quarter cup of flour as it kneads. You want it to just start to pull away from the side of the bowl. Remove the dough hook, cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel, and let the dough rise for about 2 hours or until doubled in size.
While the dough rises, you can make the filling. Add the sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, clove, and maple syrup to a mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.
When the dough is risen, gently turn it out onto a floured surface. You may need to knead a bit more flour into it if it's too sticky. Knead it for a couple of minutes to get it to a rollable consistency, then cover it with a towel and let the dough rest for about five minutes.
Use a rolling pin to roll it out into a roughly 10x20 inch rectangle.
Brush the dough with your ¼ cup of melted butter, then sprinkle over the filling mixture and spread it evenly over the dough.
Roll the dough as tightly as you can from the narrowest side. Pinch the edges to seal it up, then gently move your roll to a cutting board, seam-side down.
Cut the dough into 8 equal pieces. You may want to trim the ends to make them a little more clean. Place the cinnamon rolls cut-side down in a 9x13 inch baking pan and cover it with a clean kitchen towel to rise for about 2 hours.
About a half hour before the end of your rise time, preheat your oven to 375 F (190 C).
Bake your cinnamon rolls for about 30 minutes until golden brown. Drizzle the final ¼ cup of melted butter over the rolls as soon as you take them out of the oven.
To make the filling, whisk together powdered sugar and buttermilk. Drizzle over the slightly cooled but still warm rolls. Serve warm.