Frugal Homemade — Easy Make Ahead Cinnamon Rolls

These Easy Make Ahead Cinnamon Rolls have become our special occasion breakfast — a favorite for birthday breakfasts, over Thanksgiving weekend (on Tree Cutting Day), and on Christmas morning (when no one really has time to make an elaborate breakfast). These cinnamon rolls can be made should be made the day before. Three cheers for an easier morning!

Amazingly Easy Cinnamon Rolls

If you have a bread machine, drag it on out. If not, these can be made the regular way, too. I will be the first to admit that I failed at bread for years. My mother makes lovely, wonderful breads. My daughter makes beautiful, crusty French loaves. I make flat… discs. Well, I used to, anyway. Now I make all of my bread dough in the bread machine and haven’t had a problem since!

First, you will need the following ingredients for the dough:
1 cup of milk, warmed to between 105-120 degrees
2 eggs, whisked
1/3 cup butter, melted
4 ½ cups of flour
1 teaspoon of salt
½ cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
2 ½ teaspoons (or one 1/4oz packet) of rapid rise yeast

For the filling you will need:
1 cup of brown sugar
2 ½ tablespoons of ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons of butter, melted

For the frosting you will need:
3 ounces of cream cheese, softened
¼ cup butter, softened
1 ½ cup powdered sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
A pinch of salt

Let’s get started!

Warm the milk to between 110-120 degrees. Add 1 tablespoon (from the ½ cup) of sugar to the milk. Add the yeast.

Stir these three ingredients together & let sit for a minute or two. The warm milk and sugar will help activate the yeast. When you see little foamy bubbles form on top of the milk, it’s ready to go.

• If you are using a bread machine, add the flour, remaining sugar, cinnamon, salt, melted butter, eggs and milk/yeast/sugar mixture. Give it a stir in the bread pan, select the “dough” setting and walk away.
• If you are making your dough by hand, in a large bowl, add flour, sugar, cinnamon & salt, mixing it up a bit. Add the eggs & melted butter to the milk/sugar/yeast mixture. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients & knead until the dough forms a nice ball. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size.

Once the dough is done, roll it out on a lightly floured surface until it is approximately 14” x 20”.

Brush the 3 tablespoons of melted butter over the top of the rolled out dough. Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle it over the butter.Roll the dough (from the 20” edge) into a log and cut 12 rolls. Lightly grease a 9” x 13” pan with cooking spray and place rolls cut sides down in pan. Space evenly, allowing room between each roll so they can rise again.Cover well with plastic wrap & let rise overnight in the refrigerator.

• For the frosting, combine the cream cheese, butter, vanilla, powdered sugar & salt. Mix with a mixer until all ingredients are combined.
• Baking: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove plastic wrap and bake 15-20 minutes or so until rolls are golden brown & reach 160 degrees on the inside.
• Spread frosting mixture over warm rolls & serve.

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Frugal Homemade- Cinnamon Rolls

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Amazingly Easy, Make Ahead, Best You've Ever Had Cinnamon Rolls

Course Breakfast

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

rising time 10 hours hours

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 12

Author Rachel Singer

Ingredients

• First you will need the following ingredients for the dough:
• 1 cup of milk warmed to between 105-120 degrees
• 2 eggs whisked
• 1/3 cup butter melted
• 4 ½ cups of flour
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• ½ cup white sugar
• ½ teaspoon of cinnamon
• 2 ½ teaspoons or one 1/4 ounce packet of rapid rise yeast
• For the filling you will need:
• 1 cup of brown sugar
• 2 ½ tablespoons of ground cinnamon
• 3 tablespoons of butter melted
• For the frosting you will need:
• 3 ounces of cream cheese softened
• ¼ cup butter softened
• 1 ½ cup powdered sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• A pinch of salt

Instructions

• Let’s get started!
• Warm the milk to between 110-120 degrees.
• Add 1 tablespoon (from the ½ cup) of sugar to the milk.
• Add the yeast
• Stir these three ingredients together & let sit for a minute or two. The warm milk and sugar will help activate the yeast. When you see little foamy bubbles form on top of the milk, it’s ready to go.
• If you are using a bread machine, add the flour, remaining sugar, cinnamon, salt, melted butter, eggs and milk/yeast/sugar mixture. Give it a stir in the bread pan, select the “dough” setting and walk away.
• If you are making your dough by hand, follow steps 1 through 3. In a large bowl, add flour, sugar, cinnamon & salt, mixing it up a bit. Add the eggs & melted butter to the milk/sugar/yeast mixture. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients & knead until the dough forms a nice ball. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size.
• Once the dough is done, roll it out on a lightly floured surface until it is approximately 14” x 20”.
• Brush the 3 tablespoons of melted butter over the top of the rolled out dough.
• Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle it over the butter.
• Roll the dough (from the 20” edge) into a log and cut 12 rolls.
• Lightly grease a 9” x 13” pan with cooking spray and place rolls cut sides down in pan. Space evenly, allowing room between each roll so they can rise again.
• Cover well with plastic wrap & let rise over night in the refrigerator.
• For the frosting, combine the cream cheese, butter, vanilla, powdered sugar & salt. Mix with a mixer until all ingredients are combined.
• Baking:
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove plastic wrap and bake 15-20 minutes or so until rolls are golden brown & reach 160 degrees on the inside.
• Spread frosting mixture over warm rolls & serve.