1 Hour Cinnamon Rolls

An ooey gooey quick cinnamon roll recipe with a thick layer of cream cheese icing …ready in only an hour! These 1 hour cinnamon rolls are like a cinnabon cinnamon rolls that you can make at home.

Recipe Updated Recently (3/29/20)

Seriously try not to drool. I know it’s going to be tough. Because these copycat cinnabon cinnamon rolls that are made in an about hour start to finish are totally droolworthy.

 Basically, get those sweatpants and get ready. 

I’ve made these cinnamon rolls a few times. It took me a few attempts to get this recipe right, but when I did. Boy oh boy. I am going to make these for any brunch coming up in my life. Mother’s Day? Yup. Easter? Definitely. Any Sunday that needs it. Check. Because I mean cinnamon rolls can be a time consuming process but when they are done in an hour there’ no excuse not to whip some up. 

So let’s grab some yeast and let’s do this because I’m getting impatient. I want cinnamon rolls. Like now.

Ingredients Needed For this Copycat Cinnabon Cinnamon Recipe

For the dough: 

• Milk – I used whole milk for the best flavor, and texture.
• Butter – I used unsalted butter so I can control the amount of salt
• Sugar
• Salt
• Rapid Rise Yeast 
• Flour 
• Egg

For the filling:

• brown sugar
• cinnamon

For the icing: 

• cream cheese
• powdered sugar
•  butter
• vanilla 

Tips for making these one hour cinnamon rolls

• Use A Thermometer. You want to use a thermometer to test the temperature of your milk/butter mixture before adding to the bowl. Yeast is a living thing, which means if the milk is too hot, it will kill the yeast. If the milk is too cold the yeast will not proof properly. Because this mixture uses Rapid Rise Yeast, it can be at a higher tempreature than use for other types of yeast. The mixture can be between 120-130°F. You can read more here from Bob’s Red Mills about what temperature kills yeast. 
• Measure your flour accurately. Either measure using this method on how to measure flour described in this post, or use a kitchen scale for best accuracy. You can read (and watch there’s a video!) on how to measure all your ingredients here too.
• Use A Mixer. You can use your stand mixer with a dough hook attachment to make kneading this bread easy or make your bread dough in a mixing bowl with a dough whisk, and knead your bread dough by hand. However, a mixer makes everything come together much faster!

How to make these 1 hour cinnamon rolls 

Let’s face it. Cinnamon rolls might be the ultimate breakfast treat. Worth every calorie. But all that time waiting for the dough to rise? No way Jose. Not this girl. So what is a person to do? Eat oatmeal. Yea, right. Nope, use fast-acting yeast.

And there you go! These cinnamon rolls, adapted from Lauren’s Latest, from dough to baked and to your tummy in an hour.

Making The Dough: 

Start by combining the milk, sugar, salt, and butter together in a sauce pan over medium heat. combine the milk,  Heat until the butter melts and then allow to cool. 

Into the bowl of a stand mixer, measure out 2 cups of flour and yeast with dough hook attachment . 

Once butter mixture has cooled, add into stand mixer and mix on low. Add in the egg and combine.

Add in remaining 2 cups of flour. Scrape edges of bowl to stir flour in evenly. Knead 5 minutes on low. If dough seems a bit sticky, stir in 2 tablespoons of flour at a time until it starts pulling away from the bowl. {You still want it to be a little sticky!} Rest dough 5 minutes.

Shaping The Cinnamon Rolls

To help roll out the dough, I like to use my silicone pastry mat. 

Once you have the dough rolled out, go ahead and slather it in butter. Sprinkle it with brown sugar and cinnamon. You know what Heaven is made of. And roll it on up. Place them in a 9 by 13 inch pan. 

Quick tip: Use thread or unwaxed unflavored dental floss to cut the rolls without squishing the dough. 

Update: To make things easier and faster, I actually now cut my dough into 12 strips before rolling the dough. Makes cutting these rolls go by much faster. Like I did for these Healthy Cinnamon Rolls  below.

You can freeze them at this point if you would like and continue with the second rise and baking at a later date! Just wrap in dish, well. Then you need to let them rise for 20-25 minutes until puffy. 

And the best part of these rolls? They take 20 minutes to bake. Seriously. Do you hate me for introducing these into your life? 

Frosting These 1 Hour Cinnamon Rolls

 And of course, half the reason I eat those cinnamon swirled treats is the thick layer of vanilla cream cheese frosting on top. I used my go-to cream cheese frosting  recipe that I have used to frost a carrot cake, pumpkin cupcakes, and my favorite red velvet cupcakes.

The key is to keep the cream cheese frosting cold when you mix it with the butter.  When you frost your rolls, use only half the frosting so it can melt into all those cinnamoney (yes spell check that IS a word) nook and crannies. Then once they have cooled (if you can wait that long) spread the remaining frosting on.

Ok now you can dive in.

Bet you’re glad you busted out those sweatpants now aren’t you?

How To Get These Done In An Hour

I’ve had some readers say it’s taken longer for them to get these done. So here are my time saving tips for you to get these done quickly.

• Weigh Your Ingredients. Yes it’s just faster! Besides being more accurate, it will speed up the measuring process. You can read (and watch there’s a video!) on how to measure all your ingredients here too.
• Use A Mixer. If you are making these by hand, then expect things to take a little longer.
• Cut Into Strips. As you saw above, I used to roll the dough up and then cut with a sharp knife or dental floss, but I found it much faster and easier to cut the dough into 12 strips after it’s been rolled out and then roll up each individual roll. Much faster and easier!
• Proof In Your Oven. Yeast will take longer in a colder kitchen. So if your kitchen is below 70oF and it’s winter do yourself a favor and proof in your oven. Turn your oven on at its lowest setting (for me that’s 170oF) and let it preheat. Once it’s preheated, I turn my oven off and put my pan of rolls into proof. This will speed up the process greatly!
• Use The Yeast Called For. If you use active yeast it will take longer for these to rise. 

1 hour cinnamon roll FAQ’s

Can I freeze these cinnamon rolls?

Yes! And you should! This is what eases the stresses of holidays. After rolling and cutting after the first rise, you can wrap the pan in plastic wrap (and then a layer of tin foil to ensure no freezer burn). When ready to bake, allow to thaw overnight in the fridge, or at room temperature for 2 hours then continue with the second rise and bake as directed. 

You can also freeze baked cinnamon rolls. After baking, allow to cool completely before wrapping up and freezing.

You can also read my full post on how to freeze bread here. And be sure to download my FREE freezing bread cheatsheet. 

How do you store cinnamon rolls?

If you have them covered in cream cheese icing, then they will need to be refrigerated (should keep for up to 2-3 days). Just warm them ( I do this in the microwave for a few seconds until warm and gooey again). You can also try warming them in the oven for a few minutes (200oF). If they are unfrosted, then you keep them at room temperature for 2-3 days.

Can I use active dry yeast?

What makes these ready in an hour is the use of the rapid rise yeast. So if you use active dry yeast, they will take longer to rise. They are usually not interchangeable and I have not tried this with ADY. So I recommend using the rapid rise instant yeast. 

If you do use active dry yeast, you want the milk mixture to be lower in temperature – 105-110°F. 

Can I use low fat milk for cinnamon rolls?

I like using whole milk for best texture. It adds fat. Which adds flavor and richness. But a low fat milk should work just fine!

What if my cinnamon roll dough is too sticky?

The dough should be somewhat sticky. It should come off the sides of the bowl, but still stick to the bottom of the bowl. If it’s not coming away from the sides of the bowl, then add in a bit more flour. Just add a few tablespoons at a time though, so you don’t end up adding too much (which will make for a tough cinnamon roll in the end).

Can I make these one hour cinnamon rolls ahead of time?

Unbaked: If you want to make the rolls but not bake them, go ahead make and shape these. But then cover the pan with plastic wrap and place in your fridge. The next day, bring them out and let them proof as usual before baking. 

Baked: Yes you can make them the night before. Just warm them up gently in an oven or in the microwave for a few seconds (10-15 for each roll. They should last at room temperature for up to 3 days. Any longer and I would freeze. If they have a cream cheese icing I like to store in the fridge wrapped to be safe.

Freezing Unbaked: You can also freeze the rolls unbaked as well for up to 3 months. If freezing unbaked rolls, shape them and then freeze before you allow them to proof (rise for the last time). And then when ready to bake, let them thaw overnight in the fridge. Then when ready to bake the day of, take them out and let them proof as normal until puffy in volume and bake as normal. 

Freezing Baked: Allow them to cool completely before freezing. And then I like to place on a baking sheet to freeze solid and then pop into a plastic bag for up to 3 months. You can reheat them in the microwave. 

More Breakfast And Brunch Recipes

• Monkey Bread From Scratch
• Apple Cinnamon Rolls
• 3 Ingredient Self-Rising Flour Biscuits
• Homemade Bagels
• Raspberry Lemon Sweet Rolls
• Glazed Yeast Donuts Recipe
• Baked Apple Cider Donuts
• Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls

These are one of 60+ Home Baking Projects To Try!

Follow Boston Girl Bakes:

Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram

If you want to become a better baker then be sure to check out my Ultimate Baking Bootcamp online class!

1-Hour Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls

In one hour, ooey gooey cinnamon rolls topped with a thick layer of cream cheese icing!

4.6 from 15 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: breakfast

Prep Time: 40 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Servings: 12 rolls

Calories: 503kcal

Author: Heather Perine

Ingredients

For the dough:

• ▢ 1 cup (240 ml) milk
• ▢ 1/3 cup (5 1/3 Tbs., 76 g) unsalted butter
• ▢ 1/2 cup (99 g) granulated sugar
• ▢ 1 teaspoon table salt
• ▢ 4 1/2 teaspoons (2 pkg.) rapid rise yeast
• ▢ 4-4 1/2 cups (480-540 g) all purpose flour
• ▢ 1 large egg 50 g

For the filling:

• ▢ 1/3 cup (5 1/3 Tbs., 76 g) softened unsalted butter
• ▢ 1 cup (220 g) packed light brown sugar
• ▢ 2 tablespoons (12 g) ground cinnamon

For the icing:

• ▢ 4 oz. (113 g) cream cheese
• ▢ 2 1/2 Tbsp. (36 g) unsalted butter room temperature
• ▢ 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ▢ 1 1/4 cups (142 g) confectioners sugar sifted

Instructions

Making the dough:

• In a sauce pan over medium heat, combine the milk, granulated sugar, salt, and butter. Heat until the butter melts and then allow to cool. (Mixture should be about 120-130^oF.) If using active dry yeast, the mixture should be between 105-110^oF. Note: If using active dry yeast, rolls will take longer to rise.
• Into the bowl of a stand mixer, combine 2 cups of flour and yeast with dough hook attachment .
• Once butter mixture has cooled, add into stand mixer and mix on low. Add in the egg and combine.
• Add in remaining 2 cups of flour - 1/2 cup at a time (You may not need it all). I find 4 cups is perfect (but this may depend on how you measure your flour - refer to my notes). Scrape edges of bowl to stir flour in evenly. Knead 5 minutes on low. If dough seems a bit sticky, stir in 2 tablespoons of flour at a time until it starts pulling away from the bowl. {You still want it to be a little sticky!} Rest dough 5 minutes.

Shaping the cinnamon rolls:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with silicone baking mat or parchment paper, spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
• Sprinkle counter with flour and roll dough to be about 12x16 inches.  
• Spread with softened butter over dough, being sure to go right to the edges leaving a 1-inch strip untouched on one of the longer sides of dough. 
•  Dump brown sugar and cinnamon mixture onto the middle of the dough and spread with your hands, creating an even layer over top of the butter, still leaving that 1-inch strip of dough untouched.   Lightly press the sugar mixture into the butter using a rolling pin.
• Shaping Method #1: Using a pizza wheel, cut the dough into 12 equal strips. Roll up each strip into one roll and place into your pan.

  Shaping Method #2: Roll the dough up into a tight log, finishing with the plain dough on the bottom to seal the entire thing together. Cut off the uneven ends to even out the log. Slice your rolls into 1 1/2 inch rounds and place on prepared pan. 
• Cover the dish with a towel and allow to rise in a warm draft place for about 20-25 minutes until puffy. (If you used instant or active dry, rise times will be longer)
•  Bake about 20 minutes or until tops start to brown lightly.

Make the cream cheese icing:

•  Cream the cream cheese and butter together.
• Add in your vanilla extract.
• Then add in your sugar 1/2 cup at a time, and mix until smooth and creamy.
• Once rolls have been removed from the oven, frost using half the amount made. Then after they have cooled a few more minutes, frost again

Notes

• Making Ahead/Storage:
  • Unbaked: If you want to make the rolls but not bake them, go ahead make and shape these. But then cover the pan with plastic wrap and place in your fridge. The next day, bring them out and let them proof as usual before baking.
  • Baked: Yes you can make them the night before. Just warm them up gently in an oven or in the microwave for a few seconds (10-15 for each roll. They should last at room temperature for up to 3 days. Any longer and I would freeze. If they have a cream cheese icing I like to store in the fridge wrapped to be safe.
  • Freezing Unbaked: You can also freeze the rolls unbaked as well for up to 3 months. If freezing unbaked rolls, shape them and then freeze before you allow them to proof (rise for the last time). And then when ready to bake, let them thaw overnight in the fridge. Then when ready to bake the day of, take them out and let them proof as normal until puffy in volume and bake as normal.
  • Freezing Baked: Allow them to cool completely before freezing. And then I like to place on a baking sheet to freeze solid and then pop into a plastic bag for up to 3 months. You can reheat them in the microwave.
• Tips On Baking These: 
  • Test Your Milk Mixture. You want to use a thermometer to test the temperature of your milk before adding your yeast. Yeast is a living thing, which means if the milk is too hot, it will kill the yeast. If the milk is too cold the yeast will not proof properly. You want the milk mixture to be around 105-110°F. 
  • Weigh Your Ingredients For Best Accuracy (And It's Faster!). If you don't use a scale, then measure your flour accurately by spooning the flour into your measuring cup and then level it off. Be sure to NOT pack it down. Either measure using this method described in this post, or use a kitchen scale for best accuracy.
  • Slightly Sticky Dough Is Good. It's better to have your dough be on the bit sticky side, this will result in a fluffier roll. 
  • Cut Into Strips. I used to roll the dough up and then cut with a sharp knife or dental floss, but I found it much faster and easier to cut the dough into 12 strips after it's been rolled out and then roll up each individual roll. Much faster and easier!
  • Proof In Your Oven. Yeast will take longer in a colder kitchen. So if your kitchen is below 70oF and it's winter do yourself a favor and proof in your oven. Turn your oven on at its lowest setting (for me that's 170oF) and let it preheat. Once it's preheated, I turn my oven off and put my pan of rolls into proof. This will speed up the process greatly!

Nutrition

Calories: 503kcal | Carbohydrates: 79g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 62mg | Sodium: 249mg | Potassium: 169mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 40g | Vitamin A: 574IU | Calcium: 75mg | Iron: 3mg

Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @BostonGirlBakes or tag #BostonGirlBakes!