Ummm, yeah. I need one of these. They’re calling my name.

This isn’t a ground-breaking recipe, in fact, it’s a simple version that gives you a delicious classic result. Basically, I just use the sweet roll recipe from Betty Crocker’s Cookbook (the 1976 version), double the amount of cinnamon sugar in the center, and replace the white sugar with brown. It’s a rich, gooey, sugary take on the classic that leaves Cinnabon behind (Full disclosure: I had Cinnabon once. It didn’t live up to my expectations. I’m thinking these cinnamon rolls might be why…).

Anyway, my other favorite part of this is these are so easy to make. I’m always a little hesitant about yeast breads, but these are super simple – you spend most of the prep time watching a television show or reading Chicka Chicka ABC approximately 5,000 times while the dough rises (Is my kid the only one obsessed with that book? Why do the letters even want to go up the coconut tree? Why? These are the deep questions I ask while making cinnamon rolls… #momproblems). 

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Brown Sugar Cinnamon Rolls

Fluffy rolls with gooey cinnamon filling and sweet powdered sugar glaze!

Prep Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 55 minutes minutes

Ingredients

Rolls

• 1 pkg yeast
• ¼ cup water
• ¼ cup milk
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 egg
• ¼ cup butter or margarine
• 2-3 cups flour

Filling

• 2 Tbsp butter or margarine melted
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp cinnamon

Glaze

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1-2 Tbsp milk

Instructions

• Heat water and milk to between 105° and 115°.
• Place water, milk, yeast, and sugar in a mixing bowl and allow to proof (5 minutes).
• Add egg and butter and mix well. Add flour in 1/2 cup increments until dough begins to clean the sides of the bowl.
• Turn dough out onto floured surface and knead until soft and elastic.
• Place dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise for 60-90 minutes.
• Turn dough out onto floured surface and roll into rectangle.
• Spread melted butter over rectangle.
• Mix together brown sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle over dough.
• Roll dough tightly lengthwise. Cut into twelve sections.
• Place rolls in greased 9x13. Cover and allow to rise for 30 minutes.
• Uncover and bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes.
• In a small bowl, mix 1 Tbsp milk with powdered sugar. Add milk until glaze reaches the correct consistency.
• Drizzle over baked rolls.

Notes

Adapted from Betty Crocker's Cookbook

Cinnamon Rolls, Step-by-Step!

Okay, if you’ve read any of my other bread posts, you can skip this part. Yep, I’m about to get on my soapbox about kitchen thermometers. I never had any luck making yeast bread until I started using a kitchen thermometer to check the temperature of my water. Apparently, what I think feels “lukewarm” and what the yeast feels like is “scalding death” are about the same. If you are like me and your bread never turns out, try using a kitchen thermometer to check the water temperature. You might be killing your yeast before you even get started. 

So if you manage not to kill your yeast, you’ll end up with a lovely elastic dough. It will need to rise in a warm place (I put mine on top of the dryer) for about an hour. Once it’s risen, you’ll roll it into a nice rectangle and spread that melted butter for the filling all over it. On top of that, sprinkle that cinnamon sugar goodness. 

Doesn’t that filling look sooooo goood? Don’t get distracted, though, because now you get to roll your rectangle up tightly longways. 

I can never get the ends to roll perfectly. Anyone got any cool tips or tricks for that? 

Regardless of how the end of your roll looks, now we’re going to cut our roll into 12 tiny ones. I like to use a piece of floss so I don’t smush my roll when cutting. If  you’re into uniformity, the easiest way to ensure you get even cuts is to first cut the roll in half, then cut those two sections in half. The four sections you get from that need to be cut into thirds. I only bother doing that when a recipe’s going on the blog. You’re welcome…

Uniform or not, your rolls go into a greased 9×13. Cover them with a kitchen towel and let them rise for 30 more minutes (back on the dryer!).

I just love how that gorgeous cinnamon filling is oozing out the tops! Better bake these guys fast so we can get to the eating part.

They bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes. Betty Crocker’s Cookbook suggests covering them with foil for the last 10 minutes of baking so they don’t get too browned, but I’ve never had trouble with it. I guess I like mine a little golden on the top:

So there’s the rolls. Then, my favorite part, the glaze! Add the milk to the powdered sugar, stirring until you get the consistency you want. Then, drizzle that over the rolls.

And then you can eat them. Because that’s the best part anyway!

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