A warm homemade cinnamon roll that is fresh out of the oven is one of those treats that memories are made of, especially when it is topped off with browned butter cream cheese frosting. I remember as a child going to my great grandmother’s house for “sisters’ day” where the Amish ladies get together with family for a day of visiting and working on projects at the host’s home. Fresh cinnamon rolls with coffee were often on the menu for break, then a large luncheon would follow before everyone headed home to make dinner for their hardworking husbands returning from a day of work. While sadly I don’t have my great grandmother’s recipe for cinnamon rolls, these cinnamon rolls from my sister came very close to the ones I can remember Gross-mommy Kauffman making. I hope you enjoy them as much as we do!
If you want to try Amish baked goods, be sure to scroll below the recipe card for a list of our family favorites.
Homemade Cinnamon Rolls (with browned butter cream cheese frosting)
Ingredients
- 1 cup warm milk (do half warm potato water for fluffier results) heated to 110 degrees (F)
- 1 tablespoon active dry yeast heaping
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup melted butter
- 1 large egg + 2 egg yolks
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 1/2 cups flour *see note
Filling:
- 1 cup softened butter can use less
- brown sugar
- cinnamon
Browned Butter Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 1/2 cup butter salted
- 8 oz. cream cheese softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 3-4 cups confectioners' sugar
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350.
- Combine the active dry yeast, sugar and warm milk, then allow to rest for 10 minutes until the mixture is bubbly.
- Add melted butter (cooled slightly), beaten eggs and salt, then mix well to combine. Add flour, 1 cup at a time, until a sticky dough is formed that can hold its shape but feels sticky and soft to touch. Cover and allow to rest for 1 1/2 hours.
- Once the cinnamon roll dough has doubled in size, flour your countertop and roll the dough out into a thin (around 1/2 inch thick) rectangular shape, then spread the softened butter over top and sprinkle liberally with brown sugar and cinnamon.
- Roll the dough into a tight log. Using dental floss or sewing thread, cut into slices that are around 2 inches thick. Place the cinnamon rolls several inches apart onto a greased 13 by 9-inch and an additional 8 by 8-inch baking dish. Cover the cinnamon rolls and allow them to rest for an additional 30 minutes while preheating the oven to 350.
- Optional step: Once the cinnamon rolls have been given a second rise, pour 1/2 cup of heavy cream over the 13 by 9 inch pan full of rolls, and 1/4 cup over the 8 by 8-inch. This step is optional but creates a caramel like sauce on the bottom of the cinnamon rolls.
- Bake the cinnamon rolls in the preheated oven (350) for around 25-30 minutes until the tops are beginning to color. Cover the rolls with foil during the last 10 minutes of baking to keep them from browning too quickly. Allow to cool five minutes before frosting. Be careful not to overbake the cinnamon rolls. The rolls are done once the internal temperature reaches 190 degrees (F).
Browned butter cream cheese frosting:
- In a medium sized saucepan, heat the butter, stirring occasionally, until it is a deep brown color. Allow the browned butter to cool in the refrigerator for 30 minutes until it is room temperature, but not fully hardened.
- Combine the cooled browned butter with cream cheese, vanilla extract and milk, then add confectioners' sugar (1 cup at a time) mixing well between each addition until a spreadable and fluffy frosting is achieved. Spread onto the cinnamon rolls that have cooled for 5-10 minutes. Enjoy!
Notes
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Some favorite Amish baked goods that you may enjoy:
- Amish sugar cookies
- Amish chocolate whoopie pies
- Amish coconut cream pie
- Amish pumpkin custard pie
- Amish pumpkin whoopie pies
- Amish apple dumpling recipe
Step 1: Combine the yeast, sugar and warm milk (heated to around 110 degrees Fahrenheit). Allow to rest for 10 minutes to activate the yeast.
What happens if you add milk that is too hot or too cold to the yeast?
If you add milk that is too cold (below 100 degrees) the yeast will not activate properly and will lead to gummy, dense cinnamon rolls. If you add milk that is too hot, 120 degrees or more, it will burn the yeast and there again, resulting in poorly textured cinnamon rolls. It is important to check the temperature of your milk before adding it and I prefer to do this with a food grade thermometer.
Step 2: Add melted butter (cooled slightly), beaten eggs and salt, then mix well to combine. Add flour, 1 cup at a time, until a sticky dough is formed that can hold its shape but feels sticky and soft to touch. Cover and allow to rest for 1 1/2 hours. Note* Add flour sparingly because you want a dough that is well hydrated.
Step 3: Once the cinnamon roll dough has doubled in size, flour your countertop and roll the dough out into a thin (around 1/4-1/2 inch thick) rectangular shape, then spread the softened butter over top and sprinkle liberally with brown sugar and cinnamon.
What happens if the dough isn’t rolled out properly?
If the dough is too thick after rolling, it will result in cinnamon rolls that have too much dough and not an even amount of the butter-brown sugar topping. I prefer to roll my dough fairly thin, because the more buttery topping you can get throughout the cinnamon rolls, the better.
Step 4: Roll the dough into a tight log. Using dental floss or sewing thread, cut the log into slices that are around 2 inches thick. Place the cinnamon rolls an inch or two apart onto a greased 13 by 9-inch and an additional 8 by 8-inch baking dish. Cover the rolls and allow them to rest for an additional 30 minutes while preheating the oven to 350.
Adding the heavy cream is an optional step, but I have been hearing good things about it from the internet lately. I did not have heavy cream on hand this time, but it is definitely on my list to try the next time I make a batch of cinnamon rolls.
Final steps: Bake the cinnamon rolls in the preheated oven (350) for around 25-30 minutes until the tops are beginning to color. Cover the rolls with foil during the last 10 minutes of baking to keep them from browning too quickly. Allow to cool five minutes before frosting. Be careful not to overbake these goodies! I baked mine a little hard, so the color should be lighter than shown in the photo.
Frosting: Brown the butter and allow to cool until it reaches room temperature. You can allow it too cool at room temp, but to speed up the process you can chill it in the refrigerator for around 30 minutes. Keep an eye on the browned butter, because you do not want it to harden fully, just cool to touch but soft enough to mix. Mix the cooled browned butter with cream cheese, vanilla, then mix in confectioners’ sugar (1 cup at a time) until the frosting is smooth and spreadable.
Spread the frosting over the cinnamon rolls, then serve and enjoy!
Storage notes for these cinnamon rolls:
Although I haven’t tried it personally, I have heard that cinnamon rolls freeze well. I prefer to refrigerate the leftovers (covered or in an airtight container) then we reheat them in the microwave for 10-20 seconds to soften them back up. Be sure to keep them chilled if you are using a cream cheese frosting for topping.
Have a great day and thanks for stopping by! Feel free to pin this recipe for later and be sure to tag me on Instagram to show off a photo of your own creation of this recipe. Thank you for your support!
