Pioneer Woman Inspired Cinnamon Rolls

In case you didn’t know, I am a major Pioneer Woman fan girl. Like, major #goals. The girl has her own cookbooks, cookware, lunch bags, slow cookers and even her own cooking show! Not to mention she’s totally relatable posts the most amazing recipes!

A while back, I posted her recipe for cinnamon toast. In case you haven’t already tried it, it’s literally the best and only way I’ll make cinnamon toast now. Another one of my favorite recipes from her blog is for Cinnamon Rolls. Before stumbling upon her recipe, I just plopped open a can of cinnamon rolls from the grocery stores on special occasions and holidays. They’re decent and usually hit the spot. But there’s really nothing that compares to the homemade version.

To make things easier for you guys, I also created a modified version for those who are not incredibly “baking inclined”. Meaning, a more fool proof version of the OG recipe.

They’re the perfect morning breakfast treat for birthdays, holidays, Christmas morning, brunch with friends and can even be made in bulk and served as gifts for family and friends!

How To Make Pioneer Woman Cinnamon Rolls

What You’ll Need

ROLLS:

• 1 quart Whole Milk
• 2 packages Active Dry Yeast, 0.25 Ounce Packets
• 1 cup Vegetable Oil
• 1 cup Sugar
• 8 cups (Plus 1 Cup Extra, Reserved) All-purpose Flour
• 1 teaspoon (heaping) Baking Powder
• 1 teaspoon (scant) Baking Soda
• 1 Tablespoon (heaping) Salt
• Plenty Of Melted Butter
• 2 cups Sugar
• Generous Sprinkling Of Cinnamon

or… if you want to take a shortcut, buy ready made pizza dough from the grocery store as a quick and easy alternative.

MAPLE FROSTING:

• 1 bag Powdered Sugar
• 2 teaspoons Maple Flavoring
• 3/4 cup Milk
• 1/4 cup Melted Butter
• 1/8 teaspoon Salt

**The pioneer woman’s recipe calls for coffee in the frosting, I left it out because I didn’t have any brewed coffee and it still tasted great!

Instructions

As I mentioned, if you’re nervous about making dough from scratch, buy a few bundles of store bought pizza dough. Usually  you can find it in the refrigerated section of the grocery store. I bought some from Trader Joe’s and it worked really well.

The following recipe makes 8 servings. If you want to make a smaller batch, just reduce the quantities by 1/2 or 1/4.

To make the dough from scratch, heat the milk, vegetable oil, and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat to just below a boil. Put it aside and cool it off until it’s warm. Then, sprinkle the yeast on top and let it sit on the milk for 1 minute.

Add 8 cups of flour. Stir it until it’s just combined, then cover it with a clean kitchen towel and leave it in a relatively warm place for 1 hour. After 1 hour, remove the towel and add the baking powder, baking soda, salt, and the remaining 1 cup flour. Stir to combine all of the ingredients. Make sure to use the dough right away or place it in a mixing bowl and refrigerate it (for up to 3 days). I think it’s easier to work with the dough if you chill it for about an hour.

Preheat your oven to 375°F.

To make the rolls, remove half the dough from the bowl. On a heavily floured surface, roll the dough into a large rectangle (about 30 x 10 inches). The dough should be rolled very thin.

To make the filling, pour 3/4 cup to 1 cup of the melted butter over the surface of the dough. Use your fingers to spread the butter evenly. Sprinkle half of the ground cinnamon and 1 cup of the sugar over the butter.

Next, start to roll the dough up. Use both of your hands and work slowly, being careful to keep the roll tight. Don’t worry if the filling oozes out. When you reach the end, pinch the seam together and flip the roll so that the seam is face down.

Place the roll on a cutting board and cut into 3/4 inch slices. Melt a little butter and pour it on top. Place the sliced rolls into round disposable baking pans. Each pan will hold 7 to 9 rolls.

Repeat the process with the rest of your dough. Cover the pans with kitchen towels and set them aside to rise on the countertop for at least 20 minutes before baking. Remove the towel and bake for the rolls for 15 to 18 minutes, or until golden brown. D

While your rolls are baking, you can make your icing! In a large bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, butter, and salt. Splash in the maple flavoring. Whisk the mixture until it’s very smooth. The icing should be somewhat thick but still easy to pour.

Remove the pans from the oven and drizzle the icing over the top. Be sure to get it all around the edges and over the top. As they sit, the rolls will absorb some of the icing’s moisture and flavor.

If you want to share, be sure to cover them and deliver these tasty treats to a lucky stomach!

For anyone looking for my sweatshirt details, this patriotic piece is from Project Social T!

Looking for more tasty breakfast recipes? Try my Starbucks Egg Bites!

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