The Best Cinnamon Rolls are right at your fingertips. These buttery, gooey rolls are a traditional breakfast for cold, winter mornings. Great for holidays and birthdays. If you want to make someone’s morning, make these rolls the night before. In the morning they will be ready to rise and bake.
This recipe uses vanilla sugar, which adds more vanilla flavor and a few specs of vanilla seeds as well. I always have vanilla sugar on hand and you can too. Check out how to make Vanilla Sugar.
What you need to make The Best Cinnamon Rolls
For the dough
Eggs
Half and Half
Vanilla sugar
Flour
Butter
Dry yeast
Salt
For the filling
Butter
Vanilla extract
Almond extract
Orange zest
Vanilla sugar
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
Salt
For the icing
Butter
Cream cheese
Powdered sugar
Vanilla Extract
Almond Extract
Salt
How to make The Best Cinnamon Rolls
Make the dough
Warm the half and half in a small saucepan. You only want it to be lukewarm, not hot. Pour into the bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl if you’re mixing by hand. Stir in the vanilla sugar and dry yeast. After 6-10 minutes the mixture will foam slightly. Since you’re blooming the yeast in half and half, it won’t be as apparent as it would be in water.
With the mixer on low, add the eggs one at a time until they are mixed in.
Next add the 4 cups of flour and the salt to the bowl. Give the salt a quick stir into the flour, then mix. Start on low until the flour incorporates, then move to medium speed to mix well. Add the softened butter one tablespoon at a time until it is mixed into the dough.
Place the dough into an oiled bowl and cover. Put in a warm spot in your house and let it rise until doubled in size. This could take between 1 and 2 hours depending on how warm it is.
Make the filling and fill the rolls
When the dough is almost finished rising, make the filling. Melt the butter and add vanilla and almond extracts. In a separate bowl, mix the cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla sugar, orange zest and salt together.
Next, tip the dough out onto a lightly oiled work surface. Gently press the air out of the dough and pat or roll it into a 12 inch by 16 inch rectangle.
Brush the rectangle of dough with the melted butter mixture. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture over the melted butter.
Roll the longer 16 inch side of the rectangle into a log. Try to keep the roll tight. Pinch the seam closed. Cut the log into 12 equal pieces. Or for extra large cinnamon rolls, cut the log into 8 equal pieces.
Rub softened butter generously into an oblong baking pan. For 12 cinnamon rolls, place the rolls 3 across into the pan, with the cut side up. For 8 cinnamon rolls, place the rolls 2 across into the pan, with the cut side up.
To bake: Cover the rolls with plastic wrap. Let them rise until doubled in size. This second rise will take about an hour. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 27 to 30 minutes, until golden brown.
To rest overnight: Cover the rolls with plastic wrap and put them in the refrigerator. In the morning, take them out and let them rise in a warm spot until doubled in size. This will take about an hour. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 27 to 30 minutes, until golden brown.
Make the icing
While The Best Cinnamon Rolls are in the oven, make the icing. Cream the butter and cream cheese together. Add the vanilla and almond extracts, the powdered sugar and the salt. Mix until light and fluffy.
When the rolls come out of the oven, let them cool for 5 to 10 minutes. If you ice them straight from the oven, the icing has a tendency to melt. After 5 to 10 minutes they will still be warm and the icing will soften, but not melt away.
The Best Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
- For the dough
- 2 eggs
- 3/4 cup half and half
- 3/4 cup vanilla sugar
- 2 1/4 teaspoons dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) softened butter
- 4 cups flour
- For the Filling
- 4 tablespoons melted butter
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 3/4 cup vanilla sugar
- 2 tablespoons orange zest
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- For the icing
- 6 tablespoons softened butter
- 3 ounces softened cream cheese
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Directions
- Step 1 Warm the half and half in a small saucepan until lukewarm, not hot. Pour into the bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl if you’re mixing by hand. Stir in the vanilla sugar and yeast. After 6-10 minutes the mixture will foam slightly. Since you’re blooming the yeast in half and half, it won’t be as apparent as it would be in water.
- Step 2 With the mixer on low, add the eggs one at a time until they are mixed in.
- Step 3 Add the 4 cups of flour and the salt to the bowl. Give the salt a quick stir into the flour, then mix. Start on low until the flour incorporates, then move to medium speed to mix well.
- Step 4 Add the softened butter one tablespoon at a time until it is mixed into the dough.
- Step 5 Place the dough into an oiled bowl and cover. Put in a warm spot in your house and let it rise until doubled in size. This could take between 1 and 2 hours depending on how warm it is.
- Step 6 When the dough is almost finished rising, make the filling. Melt the butter and add vanilla and almond extracts.
- Step 7 In a separate bowl, mix the cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla sugar and salt together.
- Step 8 Tip the dough out onto a lightly oiled work surface. Gently press the air out of the dough and pat or roll it into a 12 inch by 16 inch rectangle.
- Step 9 Brush the rectangle of dough with the melted butter mixture. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture over the melted butter.
- Step 10 Roll the longer 16 inch side of the rectangle into a log. Try to keep the roll tight. Pinch the seam closed. Cut the log into 12 equal pieces. Or for extra large cinnamon rolls, cut the log into 8 equal pieces.
- Step 11 Rub softened butter generously into an oblong baking pan. For 12 cinnamon rolls, place the rolls 3 across into the pan, with the cut side up. For 8 cinnamon rolls, place the rolls 2 across into the pan, with the cut side up.
- Step 12 To bake: Cover the rolls with plastic wrap. Let them rise until doubled in size. This second rise will take about an hour. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 27 to 30 minutes, until golden brown.
- Step 13 To rest overnight: Cover the rolls with plastic wrap and put them in the refrigerator. In the morning, take them out and let them rise in a warm spot until doubled in size. This will take about an hour. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 27 to 30 minutes, until golden brown.
- Step 14 While rolls are in the oven, make the icing. Cream the butter and cream cheese together. Add the vanilla and almond extracts, the powdered sugar and the salt. Mix until light and fluffy.
- Step 15 When the rolls come out of the oven, let them cool for 5 to 10 minutes. If you ice them straight from the oven, the icing has a tendency to melt. After 5 to 10 minutes they will still be warm and the icing will soften, but not melt away.
