Sweet Icing Cinnamon Rolls – No Cream Cheese Involved!

Light and fluffy homemade cinnamon rolls that are easy to make and then topped with a sweet vanilla icing that will remind you of those store-bought rolls in a tube, but only way better!

There are so many different cinnamon roll recipes out there that it can be hard to find one that you truly love. And yes, several are flops. It is so frustrating to put in all the work, ingredients, and time only to have bland cinnamon rolls that are more like tongue scrapers than the soft and gooey cinnamon rolls you were hoping for!

Well, this is my tried and true recipe that I reach for again and again. It’s the one my kids request that I make for Christmas mornings, when their friends spend the night, and any time in between, just because we want a sweet, decadent breakfast.

While most cinnamon rolls are topped with a cream cheese icing, the one included in my recipe calls for a sweet vanilla icing. It will remind you of those store-bought canned cinnamon rolls, only these are WAY better and without the extra ingredients added!

The best part about this recipe is that you can make it ahead of time and then just toss the risen rolls in the refrigerator until you are ready for baking the next morning. No waking up at 5:00 am just to get your cinnamon rolls prepped and ready for those morning early risers!

How To Make Sweet Icing Cinnamon Rolls

*Scroll down to the bottom of this post to see the full recipe, including exact measurements and amounts. You can also print out the instructions. I go into a bit more detail about the recipe here first, just in case you need it.

First off, I want to say right off the bat that if you are looking for picture-perfect cinnamon rolls, then you have come to the wrong place! I am a home baker/cook, and I share recipes that I make for my friends and family.

I do not have a culinary degree, nor do I try to make my recipe images perfect for the internet. These are recipes we actually eat, and the pictures reflect how they actually come out of your own oven. I don’t have people “behind the scenes” making the finished product look as perfect as can be. What you see is what you can expect to get in your own home!

Now that I have that out of the way, here’s the recipe! I hope you enjoy!

Ingredients

Each of the cinnamon roll steps is broken down into separate ingredient groups. Don’t be intimidated by the longer list of ingredients. All of them are pantry or fridge staples that you likely already have on hand.

Cinnamon Roll Dough Ingredients

• Milk – We usually use a 2% milk, but you can also use whole milk or even half and half. Avoid using skim milk if possible, since the extra fat in the higher percentage milks allows the dough to be richer.
• Granulated Sugar – Granulated sugar helps to activate the yeast as well as provide a sweetness to the dough.
• Yeast – You can use either active yeast or instant yeast. I normally just have active on hand. If you have instant, just skip the part in the instructions where you wait for the yeast to foam.
• Butter – You can use either salted or unsalted butter. We only ever have salted, so that is what we always use. The butter should be melted and cooled to room temperature for the dough.
• Salt – The salt helps to balance out the sweetness in the dough.
• Egg – Allow the egg to come to room temperature before adding it with the other ingredients to avoid rapid temperature shifts.
• Flour – Any type of all-purpose flour works great for the sweet icing cinnamon roll dough. The amount of flour you need will vary depending on a number of different aspects, so go by the feel of the dough as opposed to the quantity of flour.

Cinnamon Sugar Filling Ingredients

• Brown Sugar – To create a richer icing that has a slight caramel flavor profile, use brown sugar instead of granulated sugar for the filling.
• Cinnamon – Of course, you need cinnamon in order to make cinnamon rolls! Use a good quality cinnamon so you can really taste the flavor of the filling. (And your whole house will smell amazing while they bake!)
• Butter – Again, we use salted butter, but you can use whatever you have on hand. If you use unsalted butter, just add a pinch of salt to the filling ingredients when mixing.

Sweet Icing Ingredients

Unlike most cinnamon roll recipes, this one doesn’t use cream cheese. While I am a big fan of cream cheese icing on other desserts like carrot bars, I don’t like how it meshes with cinnamon rolls.

Instead, I go for a sweet icing that reminds me of the kind you get in those store-bought rolls. (Only, without all the extra junk ingredients added in.)

• Powdered Sugar – This is the base of the sweet icing. You can add more or less depending on your flavor profile and preferences.
• Butter – Yup, you guessed it! We use salted butter for the icing as well. If you use unsalted butter, just add a pinch of salt to help balance out the sweetness.
• Vanilla – Use real vanilla extract here, or make your own homemade vanilla like I do. It’s super easy and tastes so much better than store-bought!
• Milk – We use the same milk that was used for the dough. It’s usually either 2%, whole milk, or half and half. All will work fine. The more fat in the milk, the richer the icing will be.

Optional Ingredient

• Heavy Cream – This is an additional ingredient that you can add to the cinnamon rolls right before baking. I don’t always use it. However, if I have it on hand, then the heavy cream can make the cinnamon rolls even more moist and decadent.

Instructions For Sweet Icing Cinnamon Rolls

Mixing The Dough

First, you need to make your dough. In the saucepan or in your microwave, warm the milk to around 105 to 115º Fahrenheit. Pour the milk into a stand mixer bowl. Into the milk, whisk in ¼ teaspoon of sugar and the active yeast. Allow the mixture to sit for around 5 to 10 minutes or until the yeast is nice and foamy. (Skip the foaming part if you are using instant yeast.)

If the yeast fails to foam, then either your yeast is dead (too old), or the milk was too warm and you killed it. Try again with either a new batch of yeast or cooler milk.

After the yeast has risen, add in the melted butter, remaining sugar, salt, egg, and 3 cups of flour. Mix everything together using a dough hook at a low speed.

Once that is all incorporated, add in more flour if needed. Only add ¼ cup at a time until the dough pulls away from the sides of the mixing bowl. The dough should be slightly sticky but not leave much residue when touched. Continue to knead for 3 to 4 minutes.

The First Rise – Sweet Icing Cinnamon Rolls

When time is up, move the dough to a lightly greased bowl. Cover with a damp paper towel or plastic wrap. Allow it to rise in a warm spot until it has doubled in size. This usually takes around an hour or so.

I like to use the “bread proofing” feature on my oven to shorten the time it takes yeast products to rise. Then it only takes around 40 minutes as opposed to an hour to double.

While you wait, mix together the brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Set the bowl aside for now.

Also during this time, make sure your butter is nice and softened. If it is still cold, you will wind up ripping your dough when you go to spread it on top.

Add The Filling

Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down. Dump it onto a clean surface. (There’s no need to add flour since the dough shouldn’t be sticky at this point.)

Shape the dough into a large rectangle. It doesn’t have to be perfect but the straighter you get your edges, the more even your cinnamon rolls will be.

Also, the exact measurement of the rectangle doesn’t really matter. The bigger it is, the more spirals you will get when rolling the dough. I usually aim for around 12″ x 16″ in size, but you don’t have to be exact by any means.

Gently spread the softened butter over the entire surface of the dough. You may not need to use all of the butter. Next, sprinkle the prepared cinnamon sugar filling evenly over the butter. Gently pat the filling in so it sticks to the butter and won’t fall out as you roll the slices.

Cutting The Rolls

Now it’s time to cut and shape the dough into the classic spiral cinnamon roll shape you know and love. You can do this in a variety of different ways.

One way is to tightly roll up the dough into a long log after adding the filling. Then, use a serrated knife to cut the log into 12 equally sized rolls. (I cut the long in half, then each of those in half again so you have four pieces. Then, I cut each of the four pieces into three so I have a total of 12.)

Another way is to use a long string of floss to cut the rolls instead of the serrated knife. Just don’t use a mint-flavored one! I have used this method many times, but prefer the next one. (You can Google specifics on how to use floss if you want to try it.)

My favorite way to cut cinnamon rolls is to create strips before rolling the dough. So after I have the filling spread out over the rectangle, I use a pizza cutter to make 12 equally sized long strips. Then I roll each one of those up one by one. I just feel this method keeps them from getting squashed when cutting and makes them a bit more even. As always, you do you!

Second Rise – Sweet Icing Cinnamon Rolls

Place the cut rolls into a greased 9 x 13″ pan in four rolls of three. Don’t worry if they aren’t touching yet. They will after you’ve given them a chance to rise.

I like to use my USA Pan brand 9×13″ pan when baking these sweet icing cinnamon rolls. (I actually have several USA Pans that I use all the time and love – Product Link: USA Pan Bakeware Rectangular Cake Baking Pan, 9 x 13 inch.)

Cover the pan with a damp dish towel or a piece of plastic wrap. Place the pan in a warm location and allow the cinnamon rolls to rise until they have doubled in size. This can take up to an hour or longer. (Again, I use my oven’s bread proof setting to speed up the process.)

Once doubled, they are ready for baking. Alternatively, you can place them (still covered with plastic wrap) in the refrigerator after they have risen. This will allow you to bake them in the morning or later on that same day.

Baking The Rolls

If you are baking them now, preheat your oven to 350º Fahrenheit while the rolls are proofing the second time. If desired, pour a bit of heavy cream over the top of the rolls to make them extra moist. (Sometimes I do this, sometimes I don’t. It depends on whether I have heavy cream on hand or not.)

Bake the sweet icing cinnamon rolls for 20 to 25 minutes or until they are golden brown. Allow the cinnamon rolls to cool before frosting.

If you had the rolls in your refrigerator, just remove the plastic wrap and place them in the oven when you start to preheat your oven. Alternatively, place the rolls on the counter for an hour to allow them to come to room temperature before baking normally.

Making And Adding The Sweet Frosting For The Cinnamon Rolls

While the cinnamon rolls are cooling, it’s time to make your sweet icing. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, softened butter, vanilla, and 2 tablespoons of milk. If the icing seems too thick, add an additional tablespoon of milk.

Repeat, adding more milk until the icing reaches your desired consistency. You want it to be somewhat thick, so it doesn’t all run off the rolls immediately after pouring. If the sweet icing gets too runny, just add a bit more powdered sugar.

Pour the sweet icing evenly over the cooled cinnamon rolls. Store any uneaten cinnamon rolls in your refrigerator and reheat in your microwave. Enjoy!

Until next time, thanks for stopping by!
– Chelsea

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