How to make homemade cinnamon rolls recipe

These easy cinnamon rolls are sure to become a family favourite. They are the perfect way to fill your home with the warm smell of cinnamon. Plus if you're short on time, you could opt for readymade roll-out dough which you can find in most supermarkets.

Cinnamon rolls are a sweet and sticky bake that originate from Scandinavia. In Sweden you’ll find people tucking into these irresistible, lightly spiced buns as part of Fika, a traditional coffee and cake break. Cinnamon buns are made using a yeasted dough. They are filled with a sweet, buttery filling that has a warming spiced flavour.

Learn how to make homemade cinnamon rolls with our simple step-by-step recipe…

Ingredients

• 550g strong bread flour
• 3tbsp caster sugar
• 1tsp salt
• 1tsp cardamom, pods discarded and seeds finely ground
• 1 sachet fast-action yeast
• zest of 1 lemon
• 275ml milk
• 75g butter
• 1 egg, beaten

For the filling:

• 180g butter, softened
• 75g light brown sugar
• 2tbsp cinnamon
• 1tbsp vanilla paste
• milk, for brushing

Method

1. To make the dough, put the flour, sugar, salt, ground cardamom seeds, yeast and lemon zest into a large bowl and mix together. Heat the milk and butter in a small pan until the butter has melted, then set aside to cool to lukewarm. Pour in the milk mixture and egg to the flour mixture, gradually, mixing with a dough hook or with your hands to form a sticky dough. Knead for 10-15 mins until the dough is soft and elastic. Leave to stand, covered with clingfilm, in a large bowl for 30-45 mins.
2. Mix the ingredients for the filling together well. Then roll out the dough on a lightly floured work surface to 40cm x 25cm. Spread the filling evenly over the dough. Starting from the longer edge, roll up the dough to make a log shape. Gently press together. Cut 12-14 rounds.
3. Put each bun on to a large 28cm cast-iron pan, or baking sheet, about 2cm apart. Cover lightly with a piece of clingfilm and set aside until risen and puffy (about 45-90 mins, depending on the room temperature). Heat the oven to 180°C. When ready to bake, brush the buns with a little milk. Bake for 15-20 mins or until golden brown.

Cinnamon rolls icing

In America, you often find cinnamon rolls that are topped with icing, but traditional Scandinavian cinnamon rolls are simply glazed with milk before baking.

The icing or frosting on cinnamon rolls is easy to make at home. All you have to do is mix a few tablespoons of icing sugar with a few teaspoons of water and mix together until you’ve reached a good, thick consistency. Add a drop of two of vanilla extract or essence into the mix too for a kick of flavour.

Once the buns have cooled, you can then drizzle the icing over the top of them all and serve.

How to store cinnamon rolls

Cinnamon rolls can be stored in an airtight container or cake tin at room temperature and will last about 2 days. If you want them to last a little longer, you could store in the fridge, however theres a chance that they will dry out so you may have to warm through before serving again.