Cinnabon Copycat Rolls

I once went to the mall and ate a Cinnabon so big and sweet that it made me nauseous and I almost threw up in front of Old Navy.

That's as good as way as any to introduce this copycat recipe.

I mean, it's RICH and DECADENT. And, yes, kneading and rising and rolling out and cutting cinnamon buns is a pain, but there's a level of satisfaction when you get those pretty, perfect swirls. When mixing the dough, it's super helpful to have a stand mixer. When cutting the dough, I suggest using unwaxed, unflavored dental floss instead of a knife.

DOUGH

1 cup warm milk (110 - 115 degrees F)

2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast

2 large eggs at room temp

1/3 cup salted butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp salt

4 1/2 cups bread flour

FILLING

1/2 cup salted butter, softened

1 cup packed light brown sugar

2 TB ground cinnamon

1/2 cup heavy cream, warmed slightly

FROSTING

8 oz cream cheese, softened

 

1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened

2 cups powdered sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract 

Pour the warm milk in the bowl of a stand mixer. Dissolve a pinch of sugar into the milk and then mix the yeast in. Let it sit for about 5 minutes until it gets bubbly.

Add the eggs, butter, and remaining sugar. Mix until combined (the butter will still remain chunky).

Add in the salt and 4 cups of flour (reserve the remaining 1/2 cup) and mix just until moistened. Then let rest for 5 minutes.

With the dough hook attachment, beat the dough on medium speed for 7 minutes. If needed, add the remaining 1/2 cup of flour so that the dough is elastic and smooth. You want to look for it to pull away from the sides of the bowl, but it's okay if it's still sticking a little to the bottom. 

Spray another large bowl with cooking spray and transfer the dough to the greased bowl. Turn the dough once so that all surfaces are oiled up. Cover the bowl with a clean dish towel and set it in a warm place for 30 minutes to 1 hour until the dough doubles in size. My oven has a handy dough proofing setting that I use.

Meanwhile, prepare the filling by combining all the filling ingredients until well mixed. Set aside.

Sprinkle your work surface and a rolling pin with flour. Turn the dough onto the surface and sprinkle a little flour on top. Roll the dough to a 25" x 15" rectangle, approximately. Use an offset spatula to smooth the filling over the rectangle, from edge to edge.

Starting with the long side, roll the dough up.

Using a super sharp knife (or that dental floss), cut the roll into 12 even pieces and place them into a greased 13" x 9" pan. Cover the pan and put it back into a warm place for 30 minutes to rise.

perfect swirling

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

After the rolls rise, pour the heavy cream all over the top of them.

Bake for 25 - 30 minutes, until light golden brown. Let the rolls cool while you make the frosting.

Combine the cream cheese and butter using a hand mixer. Add the vanilla and powdered sugar and mix well. Spread the frosting over the cooled rolls.

Eat them in front of Old Navy.