Bread Machine Cinnamon Rolls
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I can’t even begin to count the number of times I’ve made these Bread Machine Cinnamon Rolls. My kids cheer when they find out I’m making them. You’ll be the one cheering when you realize how easy it is.
Fear not – Non-bread machine instructions are included. Let’s get baking!
Mom’s Cinnamon Rolls
There is one thing my kids can agree on: Mom’s cinnamon rolls are the bomb.
We’ve tried all sorts of variations of cinnamon rolls over the years: canned, sourdough, store-bought, farmers market, etc. Despite the hefty competition, this cinnamon roll recipe rises to the top.
The kids love to watch the dough dance around in the bread machine and I always have lots of help when it comes to rolling out the dough.
Serve it up with our Spinach and Bacon Quiche or along side Crockpot Ham for a delicious meal!
Why Use a Bread Machine to Make Cinnamon Rolls?
Yes, there are thousands of recipes out there that don’t require a bread machine. And I’m sure they are delicious. But, I assure you, you are not compromising flavor or texture when using a bread machine to do the hard work of making the dough for your cinnamon rolls or Dinner Rolls. In short, it’s a no-brainer approach that has served me well for years!
While you still have to roll and bake, the dough setting on a bread machine will ensure you have amazing dough to work with before you even begin!
Here is the bread machine I personally use. Many bread machines will have a yeast dispenser at the top. If yours has it, go ahead and use it. Mine does not but I’ve found my dough turns out fine when I nestle the yeast in right on top of the ingredients.
I use this machine for other bread machine recipes like:
- Bread Machine Hamburger Buns
- Bread Machine Wheat Rolls
- Panini Bread
- Pita Bread
- Ham and Cheese Crescent Rolls
How to Make Bread Machine Cinnamon Rolls
1. Make the Dough
Place the ingredients for the dough in your machine in the order listed in the recipe below. If you don’t have a yeast dispenser, just nestle the yeast on top of the flour.
Run your machine on a dough cycle. (Mine takes around 45 minutes but times will vary on this.)
After the dough is done, take it out and split the dough into two mounds.
Roll one of the dough mounds out into a rectangle shape. To get it flattened out, it might take a few minutes of working with it, but it will get there.
2. Make the Filling
Spread half of the melted butter out on your dough and then top it with half of the cinnamon-sugar mixture. This is a great job to have kids help with and it can be far from perfect.
3. Roll and Slice Them
With the long edge in front of you, begin to gently roll the dough.
Starting at one end, slice the dough into about 1-inch thick pieces. The result will be a pinwheel-shaped form when turned on its side.
Place pinwheels on greased baking sheet or glass baking dish. I like mine touching each other so they all are soft and not too browned on the outside but if you want them not touching, spread them apart on the sheet.
Repeat the steps above with the second mound of dough.
4. Let Them Rise
Cover assembled dough with a lightweight hand towel and let rise for another 25-30 minutes. If it’s cooler weather, I turn on my oven for just a minute or two and then turn it off in order to get it a little warm. I then let it rise in there.
5. Time to Bake
Bake at 350°F for 17-20 minutes or until lightly brown on top (they will need longer if you’re baking them in a dish dish instead of a metal sheet pan). Tap the middle of the roll to see if it bounces back. If it does, it’s probably done!
How to Make the Icing
I keep my icing pretty simple. While there are many variations out there, here is what I use:
- 3-4 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 4-5 tablespoons milk + more if you want it thinner
Mix all of this together until it forms the desired consistency. Drizzle it over the cinnamon rolls.
Freezing Cinnamon Rolls
Another beauty of this recipe is you can prep the cinnamon rolls ahead of time. I’ve done this a lot when I know we will be feeding guests for breakfast or for holidays. The biggest tip I can give you on this is to make sure they come back to room temperature and have time to rise before you bake them.
If you want to prepare the rolls ahead of time, assemble them as normal, let them rise, and then refrigerate for 24-48 hours. Make sure to let them come back to room temperature and rise back up again before baking.
If you want to freeze the cinnamon roll dough, assemble them as normal, let them rise as directed and then wrap them tightly or place them in an airtight container with a lid and freeze. Just make sure you let them thaw and warm up to room temperature and rise a bit before baking.
What to Serve with Cinnamon Rolls
FAQs
I’ve gotten this question a lot so I tested out this exact recipe without using a bread machine. And guess what? It worked!
If you don’t have a bread machine, use a stand mixer to combine all of the dough ingredients. Using a dough hook, let it knead the dough for 7-8 minutes. Transfer the sticky dough to a grease-lined bowl. Cover with a towel and let it rise for about 1-1.5 hours (or until twice its size.) It will be sticky so use lots of flour when rolling it out.
Quick Rise (aka Instant) and active dry yeast are essentially the same ingredients. They are just slightly different in forms and applications.
The main differences between the two are:
Active yeast needs rehydration. Active dry yeast must first be dissolved and rehydrated in warm water. I like to think of it like, “It needs to be activated!”
Quick Rise Yeast needs less time to rise. Since instant yeast has a finer texture than active dry yeast, it’s possible to skip the initial rise time that Active Rise Needs. This is why it works great for bread machines!
I’ve tested both types of yeast with this recipe in my bread machine and the Quick Rise Yeast works much better! Active yeast will work. In fact, I use it in our Ham and Cheese Crescent Roll recipe. It will just need more time and more warmth to rise.
Be sure to keep opened packets/jars in the refrigerator!
I prefer to use metal baking sheets because it gives a nice caramelization on the bottom of the cinnamon rolls. However, a 9×12 glass baking dish will work as well.
Did you make this? Snap a photo and tag us on Instagram at @thrivinghome so we can see your creations and cheer you on!
Bread Machine Cinnamon Rolls
Homemade cinnamon rolls. Let the bread machine whip up this cinnamon roll dough for you and follow the easy instructions to bake! Once you’ve made them from scratch, you’ll never go back to canned cinnamon rolls.
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 1/3 cups lukewarm water (110-115°F is perfect)
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) room temperature butter, cut into small chunks
- 5 tablespoons sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon quick rise yeast
Filling
- 1 1/2 cups sugar (brown sugar works great too!)
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter, melted
Icing
- 3–4 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 4–5 tablespoons milk, plus more if you like it thinner
Note: This recipe was changed slightly in 2021. I removed 1/4 cup powdered milk from the ingredient list. I made these once when I didn’t have it on hand and couldn’t tell the difference. But, it’s up to you if you use it or not! I also opt for quick rise yeast vs. active yeast now.
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Instructions
- Place the ingredients for the dough in your bread machine in the order listed. If your machine doesn’t have a yeast dispenser, just nestle the yeast in on top of the flour (don’t let it touch the wet ingredients).
- Run your machine on a dough cycle.
- After dough is done, take it out and split the dough into two mounds.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll one mound of your dough out into some sort of a rectangle.
- Spread half of the melted butter over the rolled-out dough.
- Sprinkle half of the cinnamon sugar over the melted butter making sure to cover as much surface with the filling as you can.
- Starting at one long ends of your rectangle of dough, roll it up.
- Using a sharp knife, slice the dough into about 1 inch pieces. The result will be a pinwheel shaped form when turned on its side.
- Place pinwheels on greased metal baking sheet or in a 9×12 glass baking dish. I like mine slightly touching each other so they all are soft and not too browned on the outside but if you want them not touching, spread them apart on the sheet pan.
- Repeat the steps above with the second mound of dough.
- Cover assembled rolls with a lightweight hand towel and let rise for 25-30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake for 17-20 minutes or until lightly brown on top (add a few extra minutes if using a glass dish). Tap the middle of the roll to see if it bounces back. If it does, it’s probably done!
- Combine ingredients to make icing and spread over warm rolls so it melts into them.
Notes/Tips
- Every bread machine is a bit different. The dough setting on mine is 45 minutes. This is the first rise. The second rise will be after you assemble the rolls.
- I prefer to use a metal baking sheet but if you are using a glass baking dish, allow for a few extra minutes when baking.
- If you don’t have a bread machine, use a stand mixer to combine all of the dough ingredients. Using a dough hook, let it knead the dough for 7-8 minutes. Transfer the sticky dough to a grease-lined bowl. Cover with a towel and let it rise for about 1-1.5 hours (or until twice its size.) It will be sticky so use lots of flour when rolling it out.
My family LOVES these cinnamon rolls! I love that they can be assembled in advance. I made them for Christmas morning & for a Mother’s Day breakfast we have every year! Everyone raves! I don’t have a bread machine, so I use the other instructions & they’re perfect!
Great to hear that they work well for you without the bread machine. Makes us happy to hear that you’re enjoying them during special family holidays. 🙂 Thanks for the review, Mary.
AMAZING! This recipe was so easy to make and used ingredients in the house. I was looking for a simple non-dairy recipe and so I replaced butter with margarine. After 5-7 minutes of mixing in the bread machine, I noticed that the dough seemed sticky. I added a couple shakes of flour and it came out beautifully! For the filling, I used 1/2 brown sugar and 1/2 white sugar (and added a little extra for extra filling. Also instead of butter for spreading the filling, I used oil. Cutting in 1″ segments, I filled up a full sheet tray. The rolls came out so delish! Thank you for sharing!
So good to know that margarine works as a good sub for the butter for those avoiding dairy. Thanks for all the tips and feedback!
I am looking forward to making this. My question is about the first rise. My cycle is 90 minutes and I use rapid rise yeast for bread machines. So when it says 45 minutes, is that the first rise? I can take the dough out make the rolls and let them rise again ? Or do I need to wait the full 90 minutes for the dough, make the rolls and then let them rise again? That is what I do with challah and i have often wondered if it is necessary.
I use the 90 minute cycle as my first rise. I assemble them and then let them rise again after assembled.
These were just WOW so good! I used expired yeast (I know! I know! But I panicked because I thought I had a bunch of instant/quick rise yeast already buuut I only had two sad old packets left in the freezer) sooo the rise was not as good as it should have been but the TASTE was heavenly! Delish delish! Just bought a big can of instant/bread machine yeast for next time because these are absolutely worth repeating!
Thanks so much for the feedback and glad to hear they still worked with expired yeast!
So good, and so easy. I will be making it again! I used bread flour and it turned out great.
Wonderful. Love hearing that, Verda!
I have always wanted to make cinnamon rolls and I finally bit the bullet and made these a few weeks ago. On my goodness, these are fantastic! The dough is wonderful to work with. I have made three batches so far and shared them with friends and family, and I have been asked to bake a bunch up for a fundraiser. I did opt for a cream cheese icing for the top instead of the one listed here. I am going to test a batch with regular yeast today, because sometimes the quick rise is not available, and I am going to test a gluten free batch this weekend. Thank you so much for sharing this superb recipe!
Thanks for your feedback, Dianne. Glad to know it was a success and you’re sharing the cinnamon roll love with others!
This is a lovely, balanced recipe. I would give 5 stars, but for the life of me I can’t figure why you would recommend AP flour when bread flour will produce a lighter, more tender dough, more desirable for this type of product. “Test” it you should with bread flour. The result with your recipe is spectacular!
Thanks for your feedback, Doe. We will test with bread flour next time. Appreciate your thoughts.
Well, I messed up because I used bread flour instead of all-purpose but otherwise did the recipe exactly. OMG, these were AMAZING!!!! They came out nice and light and fluffy, perfect amount of filling. I could go on but they were so good that this will be my recipe from now on. I noticed someone else mentioned bread flour before and this was my first time making them but I will keep making them with bread flour if they come out this good every time. This will go into my collection of recipes that are amazing. Thank you so much for this recipe.
That’s great to know! Thanks for sharing that feedback, Michele. Really glad it was a “happy accident”!
Did you change this recipe? I thought it had powdered milk in it?
Due to several people asking us if they could leave it out (people don’t usually have it on hand), we retested and found a way to omit this ingredient. And the good news is that they still taste the same! If you’d like to original recipe, please email us and we can share it.
Rachel, could I get the original recipe with the powder milk in it? It is my favorite!
Hey Rebekah, we just updated the recipe card at the bottom of the post to indicate the change that was made in 2021. All Polly did was remove the 1/4 cup powdered milk from the ingredients, since she didn’t notice a difference when leaving it out. But feel free to use it if you have it on hand and like it!
I’ve made these and they turned out great but was wondering if I could use bread flour instead of all purpose?
We haven’t tested them with bread flour, so we aren’t sure. Sorry!
Great recipe! My first time making cinnamon rolls and it came out great! Ive made them 4 times now, and the only little thing I added was 1 tablespoon of cinnamon to the bread mixture. I only added it because I use the old Fannie Farmer cookbook sometimes and the book had 2 cinnamon roll recipes: one with cinnamon and one without.
That’s just a personal preference.
This is a light, fluffy, sweet but not too sweet bread! The icing/filling is great.
Overall- out of 5 recipes, your recipe was the gold standard.
Thanks for the ideas and feedback, Kaitlin!
The BEST recipe!! i made these for Christmas breakfast and have had to make them 4 times since then due to my family demanding them! Everyone gets excited when I tell them I’m making them. Lovely recipe that my family is building memories around ❤️
Thanks for that feedback, Olivia. 🙂 Love that!
I bake just six at a time (which I put into Pam sprayed pan, covered with press and seal wrap, and placed in the fridge overnight. The rest are on silicone covered baking sheet in my freezer, so I can make just a few at a time. Now I’ll move them to a zipper style freezer bag. I just mix a small amount of glaze for the few buns I bake at one time.
If Rhodes can freeze them, why can’t I?
Fantastic idea! Thanks for sharing, Val!
HELP !!!!
Why is my dough gooey, What am I doing wrong?? I’ve been trying to make the cinnamon rolls since 9: 00 a.m. and it’s now 1:00 pm, this is my first attempt at using my breadmaker and making this recipe, can someone please assist me with this?
1. Is “Active Dry Yeast” the same as “Quick Rise” yeast?
No they are different. Active Dry Yeast takes longer to rise. I’ve found that quick rise works much better in bread machines.
This really is the best cinnamon roll recipe Ive found. My rolls always turn out soft and delicious. Its always the family treat. My daughter in-law from England said they are legit the besy cinnamon rolls shes ever had. 🤎
Yeah!! Love that, Stacie. Thanks for the review.