Cinnamon Rolls - Love and Lemons (2024)

I make these homemade cinnamon rolls every year for the holidays. Soft, gooey, and easy to make, they're always a hit with family and friends!

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I make this cinnamon rolls recipe every year for the holidays. And every year, it’s a HUGE hit.

These homemade cinnamon rolls are soft and gooey. They’re packed with a cinnamon brown sugar filling and topped with a sweet vanilla glaze. If you like store-bought cinnamon rolls, get ready—these homemade ones are SO much better!

They’re also easy to make. So many of our readers have made and loved this cinnamon roll recipe over the years. It has over 200 5-star reviews!

If you need a special breakfast for Christmas morning or any weekend brunch, I can’t recommend this cinnamon roll recipe enough. It’s one of my favorites. I hope it becomes one of yours too!

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Ingredients in these Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

Here’s what you’ll need to make this cinnamon roll recipe:

  • Active dry yeast or instant yeast –Even if you’re using instant yeast, you’ll proof it with cane sugar and warm water before mixing it into the dough.
  • Coconut oil (or melted butter) and almond milk – Most cinnamon roll recipes call for butter and regular milk, but, as a vegan option, this recipe works perfectly with coconut oil and almond milk.
  • Sugar – It makes the cinnamon roll dough lightly sweet.
  • Sea salt – Essential for a flavorful dough.
  • All-purpose flourSpoon and level it to avoid packing too much into your measuring cup.
  • Dark brown sugar and cinnamon – They create the delicious cinnamon sugar filling.
  • Powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and more almond milk – For the glaze! It’s sweet, gooey, and quick and easy to mix together. If you love cream cheese icing on cinnamon rolls, top them with my vegan frosting or cream cheese frosting instead.

Find the complete recipe with measurements below.

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How to Make Cinnamon Rolls

I love how easy it is to make this recipe. No stand mixer required! Here’s how it goes:

First, make the dough.Start by proofing the yeast. Mix it with warm water and sugar in a small bowl, and set it aside for 5 minutes, or until the yeast is foamy. If it doesn’t foam, discard the mixture and start again with new yeast.

Next, mix together the wet ingredients—the coconut oil, almond milk, sugar, and salt—in a medium bowl. Stir in the yeast mixture.

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Place the flour in a large bowl and pour in the wet ingredients. Stir to combine, and then use your hands to knead the mixture until it comes together into a rough dough.

Next, keep kneading! Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and continue to knead until it becomes smooth.

Then, let the dough rise. Form it into a ball and place it in a large bowl greased with coconut oil. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap and set it aside until the dough has doubled in size.

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Next, roll out the dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and use a rolling pin to shape it into a large rectangle.Brush the dough with coconut oil and sprinkle it evenly with brown sugar and cinnamon, leaving a border around the edges.

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Then, roll and cut the rolls. Starting at a short end of the rectangle, roll the dough tightly into a log.

Use a sharp knife to slice the log into 12 even rolls. Place them in a large greased baking pan, cut side up. Cover the rolls and set them aside to rise for one more hour.

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Finally, bake the cinnamon rolls at 350°F for 25 to 30 minutes, until they’re lightly golden brown. Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool for 10 minutes.

While they cool, make the glaze. Slather it over them and enjoy warm!

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Cinnamon Roll Recipe Tips

  • Make sure your almond milk is at room temperature. Because I often make these cinnamon rolls with melted coconut oil instead of softened butter, it’s crucial that your milk is at room temperature when you’re stirring together the wet ingredients for the dough. If it’s not, the melted coconut oil will solidify. I like to measure the almond milk and pop it in the microwave for 15 seconds before mixing it with the other ingredients.
  • Let the dough rise somewhere warm. Yeast responds to warmth, so, for an extra productive rise, stick the dough somewhere warm. We like to put ours on a sunny windowsill! I’ve also had success putting them in the ovenwhile it’s turned offbut the oven light is on.
  • Add the glaze when the rolls are still warm, but not hot.If the rolls are too hot when you add the glaze, it will melt. If they’re too cold, it won’t spread and ooze over them. I find that letting them cool for 10 minutes brings them to the perfect temperature. They’ll still be warm when you eat them, and the frosting will soften over them without completely melting.

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How to Make Overnight Cinnamon Rolls

Get ahead on this cinnamon roll recipe by assembling the rolls the night before you plan to serve them. That way, you can easily bake them off in the morning!

To make overnight cinnamon rolls, prepare the recipe up to the point of slicing the rolls. Place them in the baking dish and cover tightly with foil or plastic wrap. Instead of letting the rolls rise at room temperature, refrigerate them overnight. The next morning, remove the rolls from the refrigerator. Let them stand at room temperature for 1 hour before uncovering and baking them according to the recipe.

Storage Tips

Store these homemade cinnamon rolls in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. For longer storage, I recommend freezing them.

How to Freeze Cinnamon Rolls

Allow the cinnamon rolls to cool completely after baking. Wrap individual rolls in foil or plastic wrap, or tightly cover the entire baking dish. Store the rolls in the freezer for up to 3 months. Wrapped or covered in foil, they reheat perfectly in a 350°F oven. Add the glaze right before you eat!

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More Favorite Brunch Recipes

If you love these soft, fluffy cinnamon rolls, try one of these brunch recipes next:

  • How to Make a Frittata
  • Spinach Quiche
  • French Toast Casserole
  • Coffee Cake
  • Baked Oatmeal
  • French Toast Bake
  • Banana Pancakes
  • Or any of these 51 Best Brunch Recipes!

Getting ready for Christmas morning? Check out these 45 Christmas Breakfast Ideas!

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Cinnamon Rolls

rate this recipe:

4.98 from 273 votes

Prep Time: 30 minutes mins

Cook Time: 30 minutes mins

Rising time: 2 hours hrs

Total Time: 3 hours hrs

Serves 12

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These soft and fluffy homemade cinnamon rolls are perfect for the holidays or any weekend brunch!

Ingredients

For the yeast

Dough

Filling

Glaze

Other Frosting Options (instead of the glaze)

  • 1 recipe Cream Cheese Frosting

Instructions

  • Grease an 8x11 or 9x13-inch baking dish.

  • In a small bowl, stir together the water, yeast, and sugar. Set aside for 5 minutes, or until the yeast is foamy.

  • Make the dough: In a medium bowl, combine the coconut oil, almond milk, sugar, and salt. Stir in the yeast mixture. Place the flour in a large bowl, then add the wet ingredients and stir until combined. The mixture will be sticky. Use your hands to roughly knead the mixture, then turn it out onto a floured surface. Knead the dough for 3 to 4 minutes, or until smooth, sprinkling it with more flour if needed. Form the dough into a ball.

  • Brush a large bowl with coconut oil and place the dough inside. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

  • Make the filling: In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar and cinnamon.

  • Punch down dough and roll out on a floured surface into a 20x14-inch rectangle. Brush with 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil and sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar to within ½ inch of the edges.

  • Starting at one of the short 14-inch ends, roll tightly into a log, then use a sharp knife to slice the log into 12 rolls. Place the rolls in the baking dish cut-side up, cover, and let rise for 1 hour.

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F.

  • Make the glaze: In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons almond milk, and vanilla until smooth. If it’s too thick, add more almond milk.

  • Uncover the rolls and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until lightly golden on top. Remove and allow to cool for 10 minutes, then drizzle the glaze on top and serve.

Recipe adapted from Oh She Glows.

Cinnamon Rolls - Love and Lemons (2024)

FAQs

What does it mean if a character is a cinnamon roll? ›

A Cinnamon Roll is typically referring to a male hero in a romance novel. This is going to be the ultimate good guy. The sweet guy who goes the extra mile. He is going to be his partner's biggest cheerleader. A caregiver who is invested not just in the relationship but in the well-being of their partner.

What does it mean to call a girl a cinnamon roll? ›

(slang, neologism) A person perceived as good, gentle and kind. Often a fictional character who undergoes emotional suffering. quotations ▼

What does cinnamon roll mean in romance? ›

In the parlance of romance novels, a “cinnamon roll” is a sweet, supportive, and kind hero—the anti–Christian Grey. The phrase alludes to a 2014 Onion headline, “Beautiful Cinnamon Roll Too Good for This World, Too Pure,” and has come to represent a subgenre of books that push back on toxic masculinity.

What is the secret ingredient in Cinnabon? ›

Cinnabon's Secret Ingredient

This special Indonesian cinnamon, called Makara, is trademarked by Cinnabon. And because of that trademark, you won't find this product in your local grocery store spice aisle.

Is brown sugar or white sugar better in cinnamon rolls? ›

Use brown sugar or granulated sugar in the filling: I used to use granulated sugar in the cinnamon sugar filling, but recently switched to brown sugar for extra flavor. Brown sugar doesn't necessarily make the filling more moist—there's so much butter, so it's moist and gooey either way. Use whichever sugar you prefer.

Why not refrigerate cinnamon rolls? ›

Do you need to refrigerate cinnamon rolls? Unfrosted cinnamon rolls do not need to be refrigerated and will keep best at room temperature. Iced cinnamon rolls, and especially rolls with cream cheese frosting, should be stored in the fridge.

How do you keep cinnamon rolls from getting hard? ›

Whether you leave them out at room temperature or refrigerate them, the most important thing is to store them in an airtight container or wrap them tightly with plastic wrap on a plate. This keeps the cinnamon rolls moist, fresh, and just as delicious as when they came out of the oven.

Can I put uncooked cinnamon rolls in the fridge? ›

You can refrigerate the rolls for up to 12 hours, but try not to go any longer. The rolls are still prone to over-proofing if left in the fridge too long; and the cinnamon-sugar filling can melt and make the bottoms of the rolls syrupy and damp if left unbaked for too long.

What is the fancy name for cinnamon rolls? ›

Cinnamon rolls (aliases: coffee scroll, cinnamon bun, cinnamon snail) are the perfect year round breakfast treat.

What are cinnamon rolls called in England? ›

Here are the best cinnamon buns in the UK and where to buy them. Cinnamon buns are also known as cinnamon rolls and kannelbullen, and in Denmark they are even called Kanelsnegl; 'cinnamon snail'.

What do Americans call cinnamon rolls? ›

A cinnamon roll (also known as cinnamon bun, cinnamon swirl, cinnamon Danish and cinnamon snail) is a sweet roll commonly served in Northern Europe (mainly in Nordic countries, but also in Austria and Germany) and North America.

What is cinnamon roll the character? ›

Cinnamoroll (born March 6) is a male white and chubby puppy with long ears that enable him to fly. He has blue eyes, pink cheeks, and a tail that resembles a cinnamon roll. Cinnamoroll flies around the town looking for fun and new adventures with his friends, and one of his main hobbies is eating.

What do people mean by cinnamon roll? ›

Definitions of cinnamon roll. noun. rolled dough spread with cinnamon and sugar (and raisins) then sliced before baking.

What personality type is cinnamon roll? ›

Overall, Cinnamoroll's INFP personality type is evident in his creative and sensitive nature and his strong desire for meaningful connections with others. Despite being a fictional character, his personality type helps to bring depth and nuance to his character and make him relatable to many viewers.

What does it mean when someone looks like a cinnamon roll? ›

Someone whose innocent appearance and/or generally pleasant demeanor hides intense badassery.

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