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Pioneer Woman’s Cinnamon Rolls with maple frosting
Tender, flaky, buttery and sweet, and loaded with cinnamon.
Pioneer Woman’s Cinnamon Rolls are some of the best sweet rolls I’ve ever had. I first made these cinnamon rolls in January, 2011. Ree’s original recipe was developed with the idea that you’ll share entire pans of these cinnamon rolls with friends, family, neighbors, coworkers, etc.
As developed, the original recipe makes 7 or 8 disposable foil pans filled with sweet cinnamon rolls, depending on how thick you cut each roll. Needless to say, there are plenty to share, and enjoy!
Pioneer Woman’s Cinnamon Rolls are one of the easiest yeast roll recipes I’ve ever made.
Have you ever tried making cinnamon rolls only to have them not rise properly, over-proof due to vague instructions or turn out to be a total disaster, waste of time and money? If you said yes to any part of that question, I encourage you to try this recipe.
The recipe seems completely foolproof and very forgiving, and each and every roll comes out of the oven filled with deliciousness.
I’ve made a few changes to the original recipe.
What makes Pioneer Woman’s Cinnamon Rolls so good?
Our resized cinnamon roll recipe makes three 9-inch pans with 10 rolls each.
Another reason Pioneer Woman’s Cinnamon Rolls are so good is the unique maple frosting recipe.
In addition to the fantastic cinnamon filling, another stand-out feature of this recipe is the maple frosting. Made with powdered sugar, maple extract, milk, butter and a little brewed coffee, this frosting is generously drizzled over warm rolls.
Just one tablespoon of strong brewed coffee gives the frosting a unique flavor that blends perfectly with the cinnamon. I never would’ve thought to combine coffee and maple extract, but it really works.
The addition of baking powder and baking soda is unique in a yeasted dough.
To achieve a soft sweet-bread texture and yeasty flavor you’ll find in a true cinnamon roll, this recipes uses yeast, baking powder and baking soda. It’s very unusual for a recipe to call for three leavening agents, but it really works for these rolls! This bold combination of leaveners means the rolls only need 30 minutes of rise time after shaping into spirals.
Also, a lower oven temperature ensures they have enough time to rise high before the tops set. The end result is soft, puffy, flaky rolls that are not at all chewy. They practically melt in your mouth!
Can you freeze Pioneer Woman’s Cinnamon Rolls?
I have not tried freezing these rolls before baking. However, I have frozen multiple pans of these rolls after they were baked but before they were frosted, with great results.
Can these cinnamon rolls be made ahead?
This cinnamon roll dough can be made up to 3 days ahead. Keep the dough well covered in the refrigerator and check it at least once a day. Punch the dough down if needed to keep the size under control. With a very short rise time of 30-minutes for the finished rolls, this a great recipe to make ahead and bake when needed.
Can you double this recipe for cinnamon rolls?
Yes, this recipe can easily be doubled so you have plenty of rolls to share. If you double the recipe, place the dough in a large pot or Dutch oven to rise in the refrigerator overnight. The sweet dough grows a good bit, and needs room to expand.
Thanks for PINNING!
Pioneer Woman’s Cinnamon Rolls
Equipment
- instant read thermometer
- rolling pin
- 3 (9-inch) cake pans
Ingredients
For the cinnamon rolls:
- 2 cups whole milk (16oz)
- ½ cup vegetable oil (4oz)
- ½ cup granulated sugar (110g)
- 1 (.25 ounce) package Active Dry Yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
- 4 ½ cups all-purpose flour separated (586g)
- ½ teaspoon baking powder heaping
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
For the filling:
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted for greasing pans
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter melted (6oz)
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar (135g)
- 3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
For the maple frosting:
- 4 ounces powdered sugar sifted (1 cup or 115g)
- ½ teaspoon maple flavoring
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter melted
- 1 tablespoon strong brewed coffee
- pinch of salt
Instructions
To make the dough:
- Mix the milk, vegetable oil and sugar in a small sauce pan. Warm over medium heat just until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture reaches 95-100°F (lukewarm) on an instant read thermometer. Remove from the heat and pour into a large mixing bowl. Cool, if needed, until the milk reaches 95° to 100°F on an instant read thermometer.
- Sprinkle the yeast over the lukewarm milk mixture and set aside for 5-10 minutes. Add 4 cups of the flour and stir until combined (you can do this by hand with a wooden spoon or use the dough hook of a stand mixer). Cover and let rise for one hour in a warm location. The mixture should be bubbly and puffed.
- In a small bowl or 1 cup measure, combine the remaining ½ cup of flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir together until blended. Add the flour mixture to the dough and mix until all flour is incorporated. Loosely cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight, or for a day or two, if desired. If rising for more than a day, watch the dough and punch down if needed to prevent overflowing.
To make the cinnamon rolls:
- Grease 3 (9-inch) cake pans with melted butter, set aside.
- Heavily flour a large, clean work surface. Lightly punch down the dough and scrape out onto the countertop. Using floured hands, and a floured rolling pin, press and roll the dough into a rectangle at least 30-inches wide and about 18 to 20-inches deep. The dough will be very thin.
- Brush 12 tablespoons of melted butter over the surface of the dough, leaving a 1-inch border along the 30-inch side farthest away from you.
- Sprinkle ⅔ cup of sugar over the butter layer, followed by the ground cinnamon.
- Roll the dough into a log starting at the 30-inch side closest to you. Gently pull the dough toward you, then tuck and roll, and repeat, keeping it pretty tight as you go. Next, pinch the seams to seal.
- Using a ruler as a guide, cut the rolls into (30) 1-inch slices. You can use a large, thin, sharp knife to cut the rolls, or a long piece of dental floss works very well, too. Place the rolls, cut side down, into the prepared pans.
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Let the rolls rise in a warm location for 30 to 40 minutes. Once risen, the unbaked rolls should be puffed and smooth. To ensure the rolls have risen properly, gently press the edge of a roll with a knuckle. If the dough does not quickly and completely fill back into the depression, the rolls are ready. Bake at 375°F until light golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes.
- Transfer the pans to a rack to cool while preparing the frosting.
To make the frosting:
- Using an electric mixer or whisk, combine the frosting ingredients and blend until smooth. The frosting should be thick, but pourable. Generously drizzle over the warm rolls. Feel free to go little crazy and don’t skimp on the frosting. Serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. For best results bring the chilled rolls to room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.
- Unfrosted rolls may be kept at room temperature.
Nutrition
Pioneer Woman’s Cinnamon Rolls were originally published on Saving Room for Dessert in January 2011, and updated December 2019
Here are a few more swirly bread recipes you might also enjoy:
Chocolate Babka
Lion House Rolls
Rosa Gonzalez
I couldn’t find active dry yeast for this recipe, only RapidRise Instant yeast doi use it the same way as the Active yeast . Making cinn rolls
Tricia Buice
Hi Rosa. You can skip the step where you allow the yeast to sit, and “bloom.” Just mix everything together and move forward. Enjoy!
Pamela Williams
I have rapid rise yeast as well and you’re saying to mix everything together then roll the dough and get prepared for the oven
Tricia Buice
Hi Pamela. You don’t have to mix rapid rise yeast first. It does not need to be activated like Active Dry Yeast. Hope that helps.
ha
the recipe calls for whole milk but could you sub 2%?
Tricia Buice
Sure – it should be fine.
Alex
8 ounces of powdered sugar is 2 cups – from the amount of milk, I am guessing you do mean 1 cup of powdered sugar, which is 4 ounces.
I just made another “overnight” recipe for cinnamon rolls which has taken over three hours to rise in the morning. This one is next on my list! Thanks!
Tricia Buice
Hi Alex. I know you’ll love these rolls. Thanks for catching that typo! I’ve corrected the recipe. Thanks and enjoy 🙂
Valerie Jackson
I can’t find any active dry yeast only instant yeast can I use this?
Tricia Buice
Hi Valerie. Yes you can. You don’t need to leave the yeast to bloom if using instant yeast. Just combine all the ingredients and move forward. Enjoy
Kaitlin Baker
New to this, when you say no need to let bloom with instant, do you mean there’s no need to let stand for the 5-10 minutes or the hour before step 3?
Tricia Buice
Hi Kaitlin – yes you are correct. Sorry I wasn’t more clear 🙂
Juan
Hi, what happens if you can not wait until the next day like me? What is the shortest rise time I can use before baking? Promise that next time I will do it in advance… 🙂 the bad thing is I don’t have maple, will try a substitute if possible, maple is great.
Tricia Buice
Hi Juan – I think you’ll need at least an hour or two (instead of overnight) to make this a workable dough. Use vanilla instead of maple – it’s all good! Enjoy and let us know how this turns out with the shorter rise time 🙂
Monique
Did it work with the shorter rise time?
Veronica
I’ve done 1 and 2 hour wait times and they turn out fine 🙂
Tricia Buice
Thanks for the feedback Veronica!
Amenah Sajid
Tried this recipe today. Although they tasted great, it was nearly impossible for me to work with the dough is it was soooo sticky. I had to add over 6 cups of flour to make it a little manageable, and even them it kept sticking everywhere. Rolling them out at the end was an absolute nightmare.
Would recommend reducing the milk in the beginning. Unsure why this happened even though i followed the exact recipe. :/
Tricia Buice
Sorry you had trouble Amenah. Something must have gone wrong with your measurements – perhaps too much liquid? I’ve been making these rolls for years and never had an issue. The dough may be sticky to start, but smooths out after the long rise. I do not recommend reducing the milk.
Jenny Auger
Hi there! I’m letting mine rise for two days, but checked on it yesterday to make sure it wasn’t over flowing and it looks super thin (like it may be too sticky to work with when I’m ready to roll it out). How did you measure your flour, Tricia? I weighed mine. That’s always my concern with recipes because everyone measures their flour differently so I love when recipes have the weights added! 🙂
Tricia Buice
Hi Jenny. I have been weighing my ingredients for a while now but haven’t gone back and updated this post. I will try to do that soon. I measured the flour by stirring the flour in the bag or jar, then lightly spooning it out into the measuring cup. I level the flour off using the dull side of a table knife. The dough is a little sticky, so be sure to heavily flour your work surface. Not sure why it didn’t rise much, however. I hope these worked out for you!
Mildred
I’m excited to make these, and I’m already in the process! I do have a question! I’d like to roll out the dough and put it into pans prior to the morning I plan to serve them. At what step in the recipe should I end the night before, and what should I do the morning I serve them?
Tricia Buice
Hi Mildred. I recommend making the dough and allowing it to rest in the refrigerator overnight. Form the rolls in the morning then do the second rise for 30 – 40 minutes then bake. If you want go ahead and form the rolls the night before, cover and refrigerate until morning. You’ll need at least an hour or more at room temperature or in a warm location for the rolls to rise in the morning. Let us know how they turn out for you! Thanks 🙂
Jenny A.
Hi Tricia. I tried to post a comment earlier but it seems it isn’t there anymore for some reason. This is day two of rising, and when I peaked on the dough last night for overflow, it looked soooo sticky. I’m afraid maybe there isn’t enough flour. I weighed my flour, and always love when recipes included weights as it helps bring consistency 🙂 how do you measure your flour?
Tricia Buice
Hello again Jenny. For this recipe I used the amount of flour as written in cups. I’ve been adding weight measurements to my recipes for a while now, but haven’t gone back and updated this one. Hope these turned out for you.
Kim
Hi! I’m in the process of letting them rest over night. However after the first hour rest my dough wasn’t bubbly, but the yeast I used was just purchased and I followed the directions, making sure the milk mixture was not above 100 degrees which would kill the yeast. Do you think they’ll still turn out okay?
Tricia Buice
Hi Kim. I think the rolls will turn out fine. Can’t wait to hear what you think. Thanks for trying the recipe!
Anne
I’ve done everything except bake rolls and make icing. May I regurgitate the rolls after they have had a chance to rise, then bake them in the morning? Or would you recommend baking today, refrigerate overnight, get room temperature in morning then ice them?
Tricia Buice
Hi Anne. I refrigerate the rolls before they have a chance to rise. In the morning, remove from the refrigerator and allow the rolls to rise before baking. It shouldn’t take long if you have a warm location. Enjoy!
Missy
These were delicious. I did have to triple the icing. Will definitely be making again.
Tricia Buice
Thanks for the feedback Missy! Enjoy
Jennifer
Excellent recipe! Time consuming but worth it! I used Swerve powdered sugar to sub for powdered sugar and vanilla extract for the maple extract.
Tricia Buice
Thanks for the feedback Jennifer. I bet the vanilla icing was terrific on these rolls. Enjoy 🙂
Stephanie
Hi! I’m in the middle of making your recipe. I see that I don’t need to knead the dough or did I miss something. I’m following your directions exactly as I’m not a baker LOL
Tricia Buice
Hi Stephanie. All the mixing/kneading is done with either a mixer or by hand with a spoon. There is no need to knead by hand on a counter top. Hope that’s what you were asking! Good luck and enjoy 🙂
Giuliana
I am NOT a baker. First time baking something like this. I am very proud of myself. I have to try again with the icing. I substitute with molasses and it came out light brown icing. Other than that they came out tasty.
Thank you for the recipe.
Tricia Buice
Great job Guiliana! Molasses is a bit heavy for these and might overwhelm the flavor. Hope you will get the chance to make them again. So good!
Rabab
This is probably my favorite dessert recipe. I’ve made it countless times and my family and friends all love it.
It’s so easy and simple, but it needs a bit of planning ahead, and I always end up adding an additional 1/4 to 1/2 cup of flour. it’s always soo sticky and impossible to work with if i don’t add that.
And i also use another recipe for the icing which consists of milk, cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla. It’s what i prefer.
Tricia Buice
Thanks Rabab. So happy you enjoyed these rolls.
Tricia Buice
Thanks Rabab. So glad you enjoyed these rolls!
Laura
Wow! These are amazing! The only change I made was in the icing. I didn’t have any maple flavoring or coffee so I added a little vanilla and orange flavoring.
I will be making these again and again!
Thanks for posting!
Tricia Buice
Thanks Laura! Love that icing flavor for these rolls. Enjoy!
Carrie
I’m very confused. When i compare this recipe to the Pioneer Woman recipe you linked the flour measurements are very different. Yours calls fo4 4.5 cups. Hers calls for 8 cups. Now I’m in the middle of making yours and i don’t know what to do?
Tricia Buice
Hi Carrie, as stated in my post I scaled down her recipe and cut it in half. I also mentioned that I fine tuned the ingredient measurements and adapted my recipe from hers. I did not post her recipe word for word, nor are the measurements the exact same. If you’re making my version, follow my recipe. If you want to make hers, stick with her measurements. Mine is basically the same, but half of what she usually makes. Hope this helps.
Janeen Smith
Can I let it rise for half a day instead?
Tricia Buice
Hi Janeen. I haven’t tried this recipe by rising a half day – but I think it will work. I would still keep it in the refrigerator due to the large amount of milk in the dough. Good luck.
Vlora spry
Can these rolls be made with bread flour and 2% milk?
Tricia Buice
Hi Vlora. I have not tried making these with bread flour but I bet they would be fine. 2% milk will also work, but I prefer using whole milk. Whole milk has more fat, which helps make the rolls soft. It may not be a noticeable difference with 2% milk. Good luck and enjoy! These are tasty rolls for sure.
Celisse
I have been searching for the perfect cinnamon roll recipe and oh boy I FINALLY found it!!! These were perfectly flavored and had the best texture. Thanks so much for sharing!
Tricia Buice
Thank you Celisse! We love these rolls too. So glad you tried them and appreciate you taking the time to comment. Enjoy!
Jenni
I am about to make these but I only have almond milk. Will almond milk work instead of cows milk?
Tricia Buice
Hi Jenni. I have not tried making these with almond milk, but if that’s all you have, I would give it a try. If you have powdered milk I would try using that mixed with the appropriate amount of water. Good luck.
Jane Stein
Can light brown sugar be used in the filling instead of the granulated sugar?
Tricia Buice
Hi Jane – I think that would be fine! Enjoy 🙂
Keelia Curtis
You mentioned you froze 4 pans; did you freeze them after you baked them all or did you freeze them after you let them rise?
Tricia Buice
Hi Keelia – These rolls are best frozen after they are baked, but before they are frosted.
ruth
Can you make them in a big pan or are smaller pans better for baking evenly?
Tricia Buice
Hi Ruth. I’ve had great success using a 13×9-inch pan for cinnamon rolls. I’m sure these would be fine in a rectangle instead of smaller cake pans. Enjoy – they sure are tasty!
ANDREA JOHNSON
Hi there! Could I freeze whatever dough I don’t use?
Tricia Buice
Yes Andrea – I prefer to freeze the baked rolls before I smear with icing. I also think you can freeze the rolls after they are made, but before they rise and are baked. Check out Ree’s post for plenty of details about these rolls 🙂 Enjoy! https://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/cinammon_rolls_/
Jennifer Clemmo
Does the icing recipe make enough for all 7 pans?
Tricia Buice
Yes is should Jennifer. It’s been a while since I made these but I am making them tomorrow! I’ll let you know if anything changes but it should be good as written. Happy holidays.
Hungry Jenny
Hey<br /><br />I'll take a pan if there's one going spare please!<br /><br />And I agree with Rich, being a bakeaholic is not a bad thing! I'm forever forcing my baked goods onto friends, colleagues and the like and they usually make yummy noises and that can only be a good thing ;-)<br /><br />Hungry Jenny x
Kathleen Motley-Hale
Love these. This is a great size recipe. Do you have a recipe for icing other than Maple? Thanks.
Tricia Buice
Thanks for the feedback Kathleen. You can make a simple icing out of vanilla, powdered sugar and milk, or use a scaled down version of our cream cheese frosting found on our Red Velvet Cake recipe. Enjoy!
Suzanne
Holy Moly those look so good, I wanted to lick the screen!
Tara
So I am rolling the dough out as soon as I take it out of the fridge? Cold?
Tricia Buice
Yes that is correct Tara. Hope they turned out for you.
Johanna
I have made these multiple times now! I love this recipe! I have been thinking about just adding cream cheese to the maple icing to make it more of a cream cheese maple frosting. Does this sound like it would turn out?
Tricia Buice
Hi Johanna. Are you adding cream cheese in addition to the butter, or replacing it? Either way, I think it will work well and be very delicious! I think you’re looking for a thicker icing, right? I say go for it and let us know how it turns out!