Old-Fashioned Cinnamon Rolls Recipe
Enjoy these Old-Fashioned Cinnamon Rolls recipe for holiday entertaining, breakfasts, brunches, nighttime fires, or to make as holiday gifts!
Nothing says Sunday morning like a warm, gooey batch of Betty Crocker old fashioned cinnamon rolls. Finish them with a generous topping of frosting, and enjoy with your loved ones! Serve with this Baguette Ham Overnight Breakfast Casserole or this Make-Ahead Breakfast Casserole! And if you run out of time, make this quick 9×13 Cinnamon Roll Pecan Cake.
Old-Fashioned Cinnamon Rolls Recipe
Today I’m sharing our family-favorite cinnamon roll recipe, and so yummy for the holidays, too! If you love old-fashioned cinnamon rolls with raisins, then this recipe is for you. Of course, you can leave out the raisins and nuts, and they are just as good with the amazing maple frosting.
Why we love homemade cinnamon rolls
These cinnamon rolls are the best, if you like a moist cinnamon roll. They are soft, fluffy, gooey, and they make me think of my cousin, Terri.
When I think of a comforting friendship, I think of my cousin, Terri, who’s been like a sister in my life. We’ve always been close, and been there for each other. For years, we were delivered a big batch of Terri’s cinnamon rolls on Christmas Eve.
Make ahead for the best holiday “homemade” gift.
You can also make and freeze (and then frost right before serving).
Have you thought about serving them on an Epic Christmas Cinnamon Roll Board for the holidays?
Ingredients for the best cinnamon rolls
- All-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
- Salt
- Regular or fast-acting dry yeast
- Milk
- Butter: Betty Crocker says butter or margarine, but we only use butter in this recipe
- Egg
For the filling:
- Sugar
- Cinnamon: you can also add cardamom for a greater flavor
- Butter
- Raisins: use regular or golden raisins, optional to use dried cranberries
- Nuts: we love to use walnuts, but you can use pecans
What you need for the glaze:
- Powdered sugar
- Butter
- Vanilla
- Maple extract: optional to use vanilla if you don’t like maple flavor
- Milk
How do you make the cinnamon rolls?
- Stir flour, granulated sugar, the salt and yeast together in a large bowl, with a wooden spoon until well mixed.
- In a 1-quart saucepan, heat the milk over medium heat until very warm. Add the warm milk, butter, and egg to the flour mixture. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until flour mixture is moistened.
- With a wooden spoon, stir in enough of the remaining flour until dough is soft, leaves the side of the bowl, and is easy to handle (dough may be slightly sticky).
- Sprinkle flour lightly on a countertop or large cutting board. Place dough on floured surface. Knead by folding dough toward you, then with the heels of your hands, pushing dough away from you with a short rocking motion. Move dough a quarter turn and repeat. Continue kneading, sprinkling surface with more flour if dough starts to stick, until dough is smooth and springy. Spray a large bowl with the cooking spray. Place dough in bowl, turning to grease all sides. Cover bowl loosely with plastic wrap; let rise in a warm place about 1 hour 30 minutes, or until dough has doubled in size. Dough is ready if an indentation remains when you press your fingertips about 1/2 inch.
- Mix sugar and the cinnamon in a small bowl; set aside. Spray the bottom and sides of a 13×9-inch pan with the cooking spray. Sprinkle flour lightly on a countertop or large cutting board. Gently push your fist into the dough to deflate it. Pull the dough away from the sides of the bowl, and place it on the floured surface.
How to roll the dough
- Using your hands or a rolling pin, flatten dough into a 15×10-inch rectangle. Spread butter over dough to within 1/2 inch of edges. Sprinkle with sugar-cinnamon mixture, raisins and nuts.
- Beginning at a 15-inch side, roll dough up tightly. Pinch edge of dough into the roll to seal edge. Stretch and shape roll until even, and 15 inches long. Using a sharp, serrated knife or length of dental floss, cut roll into 15 (1-inch) slices. Place slices slightly apart in the pan.
- Cover pan loosely with plastic wrap; let rise in a warm place about 30 minutes or until dough has doubled in size. Remove plastic wrap.
How to bake the rolls
- Move the oven rack to the middle position of the oven. Bake until golden brown.
- Immediately remove rolls from pan; place right side up on a cooling rack.
Make the maple glaze
- Stir glaze ingredients together in a small bowl, until smooth, adding enough milk so glaze is thin enough to drizzle.
- Over the warm rolls, drizzle glaze from the tip of a tableware teaspoon, moving the spoon back and forth to make thin lines of glaze.
- Serve warm.
Now that Terri and I don’t live near each other anymore, I have the recipe so I can make ahead and freeze!
Tips and substitutions:
- Can you freeze homemade cinnamon rolls? Yes! It’s easy!
- Wrap and freeze: Wrap the pan in two layers of plastic wrap or place them into a large plastic bag and seal. Freeze for 7-8 hours or up to 6 weeks.
- Thaw in the refrigerator: The night before you want to serve the rolls, take them out of the freezer and place them, still wrapped, in the refrigerator. Then follow the recipe after baking, and add the glaze!
- Substitute the raisins for golden raisins or dried cranberries.
- Add your favorite nuts. Instead of walnuts, use pecans, hazelnuts, almonds cashews, or even macadamia nuts (all finely chopped).
The more frosting, the better.
We anticipate, we wait, we enjoy each other. We connect and open our homes, and we invest in the people in our lives.
Happy cinnamon roll day!
More sweet treats you may want to try:
Cranberry Lemon Pull Apart Bread
Cinnamon Sugar Cheesecake Bombs
Get the Recipe:
Old-Fashioned Cinnamon Rolls Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 to 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp. salt
- 2 packages regular or fast-acting dry yeast, 4 1/2 tsp.
- 1 cup milk
- 1/4 cup butter or margarine, 1/2 stick, room temperature
- 1 large egg
- Cooking spray to grease bowl and pan
- Filling: 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup butter or margarine, or 1/2 stick, room temperature
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 1/4 cup finely chopped nuts, if desired
- Glaze: 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 Tbsp. butter or margarine, room temperature
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1 tsp. maple extract
- 2-3 Tbsp. milk
Instructions
- In a large bowl, stir 2 cups of the flour, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, the salt and yeast with a wooden spoon until well mixed. In a 1-quart saucepan, heat the milk over medium heat until very warm, and an instant-read thermometer reads 120°F to 130°F. Add the warm milk, 1/4 cup butter, and egg to the flour mixture. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed 1 minute, stopping frequently to scrape batter from sides and bottom of bowl with a rubber spatula, until flour mixture is moistened. Beat on medium speed 1 minute, stopping frequently to scrape bowl. With a wooden spoon, stir in enough of the remaining flour, about 1/2 cup at a time, until dough is soft, leaves the side of the bowl, and is easy to handle (dough may be slightly sticky).
- Sprinkle flour lightly on a countertop or large cutting board. Place dough on floured surface. Knead by folding dough toward you, then with the heels of your hands, pushing dough away from you with a short rocking motion. Move dough a quarter turn and repeat. Continue kneading about 5 minutes, sprinkling surface with more flour if dough starts to stick, until dough is smooth and springy. Spray a large bowl with the cooking spray. Place dough in bowl, turning to grease all sides. Cover bowl loosely with plastic wrap; let rise in a warm place about 1 hour 30 minutes, or until dough has doubled in size. Dough is ready if an indentation remains when you press your fingertips about 1/2 inch.
- In a small bowl, mix 1/2 cup sugar and the cinnamon; set aside. Spray the bottom and sides of a 13×9-inch pan with the cooking spray. Sprinkle flour lightly on a countertop or large cutting board. Gently push your fist into the dough to deflate it. Pull the dough away from the sides of the bowl, and place it on the floured surface.
- Using your hands or a rolling pin, flatten dough into a 15×10-inch rectangle. Spread 1/4 cup butter over dough to within 1/2 inch of edges. Sprinkle with sugar-cinnamon mixture, raisins and nuts. Beginning at a 15-inch side, roll dough up tightly. Pinch edge of dough into the roll to seal edge. Stretch and shape roll until even, and 15 inches long. Using a sharp, serrated knife or length of dental floss, cut roll into 15 (1-inch) slices. Place slices slightly apart in the pan. Cover pan loosely with plastic wrap; let rise in a warm place about 30 minutes or until dough has doubled in size. Remove plastic wrap.
- Move the oven rack to the middle position of the oven. Heat oven to 350°F. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until golden brown. Immediately remove rolls from pan; place right side up on a cooling rack. Cool 5 minutes.
- In a small bowl, stir glaze ingredients until smooth, adding enough milk so glaze is thin enough to drizzle. Over the warm rolls, drizzle glaze from the tip of a tableware teaspoon, moving the spoon back and forth to make thin lines of glaze. Serve warm.
Notes
Hello and welcome to my home and table!
I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
I made the cinnamon rolls and they were DELICIOUS! Thanks for the recipe!
Btw-to freeze these, do you make them and freeze them before the second rise and then thaw, rise and bake?
Could I put these in the fridge and then put them in the oven in the morning?
Yes you can, Dawn!
Yes, for sure.
We make Cinnamon Rolls every Christmas morning. I love traditions. I would LOVE some snow..right now it’s rain, rain, rain in the forecast. I’m taking my fall decor down and getting ready for Christmas….yay!