Harvest Cinnamon Rolls - How To Make Cinnamon Rolls
Bread Machine Recipe - Standup Mixer Recipe - Food Processor Recipe

  Home    |   Recipe Indexes   |   Dinner Party Menus   |   Food History   |   Diet - Health - Beauty

Baking Corner |  Regional Foods | Cooking Articles |  Hints & Tips | Culinary Dictionary | Newspaper Columns

 
 

Custom Search

Homemade Cinnamon RollsI call these Harvest Cinnamon Rolls because I always serve them during coffee break at our Grape Harvest Party in October (we have a vineyard with pinot noir and pinot gris grapes in Oregon). Family and friends are invited to help us pick the grapes and party.

These are absolutely wonderful cinnamon rolls - very rich and delicious! Be prepared - everyone you serve these rolls will want this recipe.

The best part about making this cinnamon roll recipe is that the dough can be mixed and the rolls filled, shaped, and frozen long before our Harvest Festival, as I make eight dozen cinnamon rolls for the event. The night before I need to bake them, I take them out of the freezer to thaw and rise.  When I awake in the morning, I just bake. So easy to make and so rewarding!

Check out Linda's Bread Making Hints: Secrets to using the bread machine, About yeast in bread making, Sourdough Starter, Quick Breads.

Check out all of Linda's great Bread Recipes (which includes additional cinnamon roll recipes) for your bread making. Also check out Becky Ansell of Hampshire, United Kingdom vegan version of my recipe.

Harvest Cinnamon Rolls

1 cup milk (heated approximately 1 minute in microwave)
1/4 cup warm water (110 degrees F.)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
2 eggs, room temperature and beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
5 cups bread flour
1 tablespoon vital wheat gluten (optional)*
3 teaspoons instant active dry yeast  
Cinnamon Filling (see recipe below)
Butter Frosting (see recipe below)

* The Vital Wheat Gluten helps the sweet bread dough rise better, be more elastic, and easier to roll out. I have these cinnamon rolls both with and without this ingredient with excellent results.

Bread Machine
Bread Machines
 


Bread Machine Recipe:

Add all the ingredients, except the Cinnamon Filling and the Butter Frosting, in the bread pan of bread machine. Process according to manufacturer's instructions for a dough setting. When the bread machine has completed the dough cycle, remove dough from pan and turn out onto a lightly oiled surface. (I use a nonstick cooking spray). Form dough into an oval, cover with a plastic wrap and let rest for 10 minutes.

NOTE: Check the dough (don't be afraid to open the lid). It should form a nice elastic ball. If you think the dough is too moist, add additional flour (a tablespoon at a time). The same is true if the dough is looking dry and gnarly. Add warm water (a tablespoon at a time). If you can't judge your dough by looking, stick your finger in and feel the dough. It should be slightly tacky to the touch.
 

Kitchen Aid Mixer
 Stand Mixers
 


Standup Mixer Recipe:

In a large bowl or in the bowl of a 5-quart stand mixer, combine all the ingredients in the order given except the Cinnamon Filling and the Butter Frosting. Using a dough hook, mix everything together until a soft dough forms.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly-oiled surface (I use a nonstick cooking spray), and knead until elastic, approximately 10 minutes.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rest for 10 minutes.

Food Processor
 Food Processors
 


Food Processor Method:

Put dry mixture in processing bowl with steel blade. While motor is running, add liquid ingredients, butter, and egg. Process until mixed. Continue processing, adding remaining flour until dough forms a soft ball.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly-oiled surface (I use a nonstick cooking spray), and knead until elastic, approximately 10 minutes.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rest for 10 minutes.

Butter a 9 x 13 x 2-inch baking pan; set aside.

After dough has rested, roll and stretch the dough into approximately a 15 x 24-inch rectangle.

rolled out cinnamon roll dough

Brush the 1/2 cup softened butter (listed below in the Cinnamon Filling) over the top of the dough with a rubber spatula or a pastry brush. Sprinkle Cinnamon Filling over the butter on the prepared dough. Starting with long edge, roll up dough; pinch seams to seal. NOTE: Rolling the log too tightly will result in cinnamon rolls whose centers pop up above the rest of them as they bake.

spreading butter on cinnamon roll dough

cinnamon/sugar filling on cinnamon roll dough

cinnamon roll dough rolled up

           

With a knife, lightly mark roll into 1 1/2-inch section. Use a sharp knife (I like to use a serrated knife and saw very gently) or slide a 12-inch piece of dental floss or heavy thread underneath. By bringing the ends of the floss up and criss-crossing them at the top of each mark, you can cut through the roll by pulling the strings in opposite directions. Place cut side up in prepared baking pan, flattening them only slightly. The unbaked cinnamon rolls should not touch each other before rising and baking. Do not pack the unbaked cinnamon rolls together.

Measuring Cinnamon Rolls             Cut Cinnamon Rolls


TWO OPTIONS:

Refrigerating or Freezing Unbaked Cinnamon Rolls:

  • At this point, the cinnamon rolls can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated overnight (I've actually made them two days in advance) or frozen for 1 month. Before baking, allow rolls to thaw completely and rise in a warm place if frozen.  I have found that I have to take the unbaked frozen cinnamon rolls out of the freezer 10 to 12 hours before planning to bake. I just put the frozen cinnamon rolls (container and rolls) on my counter (not in the refrigerator) overnight for 10 to 12 hours.
     
  • If refrigerated, they can be either baked upon removing from the refrigerator or let come to a room temperature (I've done both ways). They do a slow rise overnight and it is not necessary to let them come to room temperature before baking.  NOTE: If you rolls are not rising enough after being refrigerated, your yeast may need to be tested. To overcome this, let them rise, while sitting on the counter, until you achieve the desired rising before baking.


Bake Immediately After Making:

Cover and let rise in a warm place for approximately 45 to 60 minutes or until doubled in size (after rising, rolls should be touching each other and the sides of the pan).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. for regular oven or 325 degrees F. for a convection oven. 

  • Bake in a convection oven approximately 15 to 20 minutes until they are a light golden brown.
     
  • Baked in a regular oven approximately 20 to 25  minutes in a regular oven until they are a light golden brown.

 


Remove from oven and let cool slightly. Spread Butter Frosting over the cinnamon rolls while still warm. Best served warm, but room temperature is also great! 

Yields 15 cinnamon rolls.
 

CINNAMON FILLING:
1/2 cup butter, melted or softened
1 cup firmly-packed brown sugar
4 to 5 tablespoons ground cinnamon
3/4 to 1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Soften the butter; set aside. In a bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon; stir in chopped nuts (optional). NOTE: I like to sift the brown sugar and cinnamon together to remove any lumps.

BUTTER FROSTING:
2 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup powdered (confectioners) sugar
1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon lemon extract or oil (optional)

In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese and butter until creamy. Add powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and lemon extract or oil until well mixed and creamy. Refrigerate frosting until ready to use and then bring to room temperature before spreading.

Fresh Baked Cinnamon Rolls

Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

Charlie excited about his Cinnamon Roll
Charlie Bradley is excited about his cinnamon roll!
 
 

 
Comments and Questions from Readers:

I've just tried your cinnamon roll recipe, and I had to write you to say thanks. I've been baking for many years, and I've never been satisfied with the other cinnamon roll recipes I've tried. My sweetie and I are leaving next week for a few days in a rented house up in redwood country, and I've been putting together menus. He adores cinnamon rolls, and so I decided to google "cinnamon roll frozen" to see if I could find a recipe that would allow me to freeze the unbaked rolls.  Yours was at the top of the list. I liked what I saw, and I was very impressed by the number of comments. These are perfect-in fact, I just told a friend that I had found the Holy Grail of cinnamon roll recipes.  The recipe is terrific and your instructions are just right.

Thank you, thank you for sharing this exquisite recipe. - Earline Leppert Ahonima (1/24/10)
 

I found your recipe when I typed in cinnamon rolls/freezer.  I really just wanted to put them in the refrigerator overnight. I was going to visit my new granson and of course his parents. We were going to have brunch. I made the rolls on Saturday night. It was very therapeutic kneading the dough. On Sunday morning, the rolls with extra frosting were a big hit! Just want to let you know that I have bookmarked your site. - Rachel Ramer (3/22/09)
 

I came across your recipe for harvest cinnamon rolls about a year or so ago whilst looking for a 'cinnabon' style recipe (we don't have cinnamon rolls here in England- but my husband had tried a 'cinnabon' and loved it- but as they are not available in the U.K I was looking for a recipe I could make for him at home). Your recipe turned out great, and I'm not a particularly good cook! I have made them a few times now. We have made it a new tradition to have these on christmas morning (and birthdays, and wedding anniversary.....!) 
 
I have since become a Vegan and have 'veganised' your recipe and it still works wonderfully.
 
Many thanks for your help, and thanks for a great recipe that we love! Becky Ansell - Hampshire, United Kingdom (9/27/08).

Check out Becky's vegan version of this recipe: Vegan Harvest Cinnamon Rolls.
 

Question:

I love your cinnamon rolls recipe!! One quick question - after baking them, how long can I leave them out for?  2-4 days? Do I need to refrigerate them right away after cooling or can i leave them out for a few days since they might get hard in the fridge? Please let me know! I almost finished making them now and I have guests tomorrow and I need to know which is best! thank you so much!! - Nana (3/19/08)

Answer:

Storage of cinnamon rolls: 

After baking them and letting them cool, cover completely with plastic wrap and store on your counter, not the refrigerator.

You could also freeze them for longer storage. Just be sure and wrap securely with more than one layer. Like a layer of plastic wrap and then put them in a resealable plastic bag.


I made 300 of your harvest cinnamon rolls for a soup supper and everyone loved them!  I used three bread makers and timed them so that they would go off every 20 minutes which gave me time to roll out dough and measure ingredients for another batch.  I set my ingredients in order on my counter, with the appropriate measure by each of them, to really speed things up.  I did not have my butter soft so I would measure the milk and water into a glass cup, and then add the stick of butter and zap it.  I also dropped the eggs into the machine and started it while I added the rest of the ingredients so the machine could mix them for me.

On my countertop, I used clear packing tape to mark out the rectangle size that I needed to roll them to.  This worked great, and I could quickly get the dough to the exact size without measuring length/width. 1 1/2-inch”marks on the tape made that part go fast also.

I did the Cinnamon Filling a little different.  I used a pastry blender to cut the butter into the cinnamon/sugar mix.  This crumbled mix was easy to spread out on the dough in one step.

Putting the Butter Frosting in a zip loc bag, and then snipping the corner made this step go super fast also.

Thanks for a great recipe and clear instructions.  Approximately 300 cinnamon rolls in 7 to 8 hours using bread machines with a 1:40 dough cycle. - Christine Sueverkruepp from Firth, Nebraska (10/27/07)

 

Question:

I am wanting to try your recipe but I don't have any of the equipment you mention for making the rolls.  Since we are on a tight budget, I would like to not waste a complete recipe of ingredients to only find that not using the equipment will make the recipe not turn out favorable.  Can I make these the old-fashioned way? - elbow grease and hand kneading? Thanks for your assistance. New to baking - Kelli Tate (10/06/07)

Answer:

Yes, you can make them the old-fashioned way. Like you said – elbow grease and hand kneading. The cinnamon rolls will turn out great!

Question:

I have baked cinnamon rolls for years, but never freeze the dough. I always freeze after the baking. Well this week I am going to make 300 rolls for a senior high school fund raiser. I plan on freezing the rolls and appreciate the information that it takes 10 to 12 hours to thaw. Do you cover them with something when they are thawing or do they tend to stick to covering? Also if they set in a big school kitchen with lots of air movement if they are uncovered do they dry out? Thanks for your help. - Linda from Michigan (5/14/07)

Answer:

You could cover the cinnamon rolls lightly with some saran (plastic) wrap.  Just remember that the cinnamon rolls need room to rise in the pans, so don’t seal the saran wrap tightly. Just lay the wrap over the top. It sounds like you are going to be very busy this week!

 

I just have to tell you how much we enjoy your Harvest Cinnamon Rolls!  I have made them for several years for our Christmas breakfast and they are a huge hit!  It just wouldn't be Christmas without them. The recipe is well-written and easy to make. I always make extra and share them with friends and family. They always get rave reviews. Thank you so very much for sharing the recipe. Happy Holidays! - Peggy from Iowa (12/21/06)
 

I finally found success with cinnamon rolls!  I used the Harvest Cinnamon Roll recipe and my family was jumping for joy. They looked and tasted amazing.  I made of my husband's siblings and their families a pan of cinnamon rolls to put in their freezer to bring out for consumption during the Rose Parade. Thank you so much. I am trying the roll recipe for Sunday dinner tomorrow. The information you have shared has made me feel re-inspired to bake and make new things.  A gift I will treasure. - Peggy from Las Vegas (1/06/07)
 

I tried your recipe and it turned out great.  I have always loved cinnamon rolls but was never able to make any that would do to eat until I found your recipe.  I have made several batches and haven't had a failure yet.  Thanks so much for the great recipe. - J. Welch (1/30/07)
 

Question:

I made your rolls for the first time as a gift, but kept a few for us. They are good and one of the best recipes for these. My mom used to make cinnamon rolls and give some to one of my brothers, since he was not fond of the houska she made. Since she passed away, I have continued this tradition but could never find her recipe and these would be the closest that I have come up with.

I do have a couple of questions: do you only use one 9X13-inch pan because mine filled the pan and were touching from the very beginning and do you actually just get 15 rolls because the web site shows two pans with 12 in each and so I was wondering do you actually cut them about 1 inch and thus get 24. What I found was that some of the dough seemed doughy and not flakey which would mean not cooked long enough, even though I did it longer than the suggested time and at the right temperature, and that could be because it was too packed in. Thanks for the recipe - Tom (12/27/06)
 

Answer:

If you roll the dough per my instructions in the recipe, one (1) batch will make 15 cinnamon rolls. I cut the dough into 1 1/2-inch cinnamon rolls to make 15 cinnamon rolls per batch.

My pan only holds 12 cinnamon rolls, so I have to place the extra rolls in another pan. Since I'm usually making many, many batches of cinnamon rolls for our Harvest Festival, I just keep adding additional pans and place the extra 3 rolls in them. Since I make mine in advance, I freeze the unbaked cinnamon rolls. When I make the next batch, I add the new rolls to the partially empty pan with the frozen rolls. Check the photo out on my page and you will see that the unbaked cinnamon rolls do not touch each other before rising and baking. Do not pack the unbaked cinnamon rolls together, as they must not touch each other before rising and baking.

If you are just making one (1) batch, place the three (3) extra cinnamon rolls in a cake pan to rise and bake.