The BEST Bread Machine Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Icing

An easy-to-follow bread machine recipe for tender, billowy cinnamon rolls filled with cinnamon butter and brown sugar topped with the perfect cream cheese buttercream icing. 

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TABLE OF CONTENTS:

1. JUMP TO THE RECIPE
2. SOME HELPFUL FAQ WORTH READING
3. WHAT IS THE BEST BREAD MACHINE?

I treated myself to a bread machine for my birthday this year. Because this is the year I finally gave up trying to make dough by hand.

I just can’t do it. I was not born with whatever genes give us “the feel” for dough. My granddad was the master of dough, pumping out cinnamon rolls and pizza dough like a gluten ninja. 

Me? The dough sticks to everything. I panic. I overwork it. My heartrate doubles. Too much flour now. My face starts to flush. The dough fights me… it literally draws in on itself like an angry turtle. And just stares at me. Judging the flour on my cleavage and eyebrows. 

So I quit. Stupid dough.

It took me about 4 loaves to get bored with making straight-up blocks of bread in my new machine.

From there I went to Japanese Milk Bread (this recipe from Kimchimari is amazing) which I then started making into rolls. Shaping the dough into rolls helped me understand handling the dough a little better.

Then I moved to pizza dough. I still haven’t found the recipe I’m looking for but now I know how to approach dough...

You have to treat dough like a petulant teenager. Don’t try too hard. Lead it where you want it to go but don’t let it know what you’re up to. Ignore it when it’s being stubborn and ridiculous but come back later when it’s calmed down to remind it who’s boss. 

Making umpteen pans of cinnamon rolls has also helped figure some things out. I bet I’ve made a dozen different recipes, tried as many techniques for rolling the dough, making the filling, cutting them, etc. and all that work paid off because, in figuring out what DOESN’T work, I’ve created a recipe for the best cinnamon rolls I’ve ever had in my life.

There is nothing I don’t love about this recipe. The dough is tender and feathery, the filling has the perfect amount of cinnamon and the icing – OMG THE ICING – is the stuff of dreams.

I may never figure out how to make the dough by hand or how to knead it without turning it into a sullen lump but I worked out the kinks on all the rest and I am in love – in LOVE, I tell ya – with this recipe!

FAQ ON BREAD MACHINE CINNAMON ROLLS

Can these be refrigerated overnight before baking?  YEP! After the rolls are placed in the pan (before the final rise), cover with plastic wrap or aluminum foil then refrigerate no more than 12 hours. I haven’t actually seen what happens if they’re in there longer but all the recipe sites I read lead me to believe this will bring on Armageddon. The rolls will do their final rise slowly in the fridge. Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes.

Can these be frozen before baking?  YES! After the rolls are placed in the pan (before the final rise), wrap tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil then freeze (up to 3 months). Thaw overnight then bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes. The rolls will do their final rise overnight. Cook within 9-12 hours after removing from the freezer.

Why don’t you mix the brown sugar into the filling?  Sugar crystals can disturb the surface of the dough. Spreading (scraping) the sugar across the dough can cause tiny tears and perforations which will allow the Co2 to escape instead of making the dough rise.

Why not use melted butter in the filling?  Melted butter runs and squeezes out too easily when rolling and shaping and can cause the filling to seep out when the rolls are in their final rise AND it’s messy to work with.

Can I make this recipe without a bread machine?  Yes, but I couldn’t tell you how. I am woefully challenged in the art of dough making. The only thing I can knead dough into is a hockey puck. The recipe ingredients are not specific to bread machine preparation (no special or extra yeast) so you can use them with any standard dough recipe preparation instructions.

How warm should the milk be?  It needs to be about the same temperature as the water you’d bathe a baby in. 

Do I have to use bread flour?  Bread flour will give you the most tender, billowy dough so it’s worth the trip to the store BUT, technically regular all-purpose flour can be used. But don’t. Seriously, if you’re going through all this effort, ya gotta get the right flour.

Do I need to use Rapid (Bread Machine) yeast?  Nope. This recipe works best with regular active yeast.

What’s the best way to cut the rolls?  Dental floss! Slide a long strand of floss under the roll, bring each side up and over the roll then pull tight across the roll until the floss slices through the dough. This applies pressure evenly around the dough when it’s being sliced through and doesn’t flatten it. 

What kind of dental floss can I use?  Use unflavored, wax-coated floss. If you only have the minty kind, rinse the strand of floss under HOT water then wipe with a paper towel. 

Where is the best place to let the cinnamon rolls rise?  I aim for a spot that’s about 80-85 degrees. If it’s winter, I heat my oven to 225 (lowest mine will go), turn it off, then open the door to lower the temperature. I start with the rolls sitting on the open door then, as the oven cools, move them inside the oven. In the summer, I set them on the porch (in the shade).

WHAT IS THE BEST BRAND OF BREAD MACHINE TO BUY?

I did a ton of research before buying my Breville Custom Loaf Bread Maker and absolutely love it. The key features that I enjoy are:

1. The pan is rectangular instead of square so bread baked in the machine is shaped like a traditional loaf.
2. The paddle flattens before baking so there's no big dent in the bottom of baked loaves.
3. It is very user-friendly (even for dough dummies like me).
4. The custom functions I like to use are preprogrammed and easy to select (standard dough, pasta, pizza dough, etc.). 

Recipe for The BEST Bread Machine Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Icing

The BEST Bread Machine Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Icing

Yield: 12 Servings

Author: Mandy Rivers | South Your Mouth

Prep time: 1 H & 45 MCook time: 30 MinInactive time: 2 H & 15 MTotal time: 4 H & 30 M

An easy to follow bread machine recipe for tender, billowy cinnamon rolls filled with cinnamon butter and brown sugar topped with the perfect cream cheese buttercream icing.

Ingredients

Cinnamon Roll Dough

• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1 cup warm milk
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten, room temperature
• 4 cups bread flour
• 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast

Cinnamon Butter Filling

• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 2 tablespoons cinnamon
• 3/4 cup brown sugar

Cream Cheese Icing

• 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/4 cup butter, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon milk or cream
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup powdered sugar

Instructions

Cinnamon Rolls

1. Add butter, milk, salt, sugar and eggs to bread machine.
2. Add flour, covering wet ingredients evenly, then add yeast on top of flour.
3. Set bread machine to “dough” cycle then let it work its magic (usually about 90 minutes).
4. Lightly flour a clean work surface then turn dough out. Using floured hands and rolling pin, roll dough out into a 12x18 rectangle with the long sides at 12 and 6 o’clock and the short sides at 9 and 3 o’clock. Do NOT overwork the dough. If the dough resists being stretched this far and is retracting, let it rest 10 minutes then try again.
5. Apply Cinnamon Butter Filling (recipe below).
6. Spray a 13x9 baking pan with cooking spray (see notes).
7. Starting with the long side closest to you (the side at 6 o’clock), tightly roll the dough away from you into one large roll. Pinch the seam closed with your fingers then use your hands to massage the dough into an even cylinder.
8. Using a sharp, thin knife or plain dental floss (floss is best), cut the dough cylinder into 12 rolls. I make one cut in the center, cut off each end, then cut the two halves into 6 rolls each.
9. Place rolls evenly in prepared pan. Cover pan with plastic wrap, a kitchen towel or foil then let the dough rise in a warm place for 30-45 minutes or until they have expanded by at least 50% of their original size.
10. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake cinnamon rolls on the middle rack for 25-30 minutes or until slightly brown on top.
11. Remove cinnamon rolls from oven then allow to cool 15-20 minutes. Spread with Cream Cheese Icing.
12. Once completely cool, store in an air-tight container at room temperature.

Cinnamon Butter Filling

1. Stir butter and cinnamon together until smooth and creamy then spread over dough, leaving a 1-inch border at 12 o’clock (the side farthest away from you).
2. Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over cinnamon butter.

Cream Cheese Icing

1. Using an electric mixer, whip cream cheese, butter, milk and vanilla extract until creamy. Add powdered sugar then beat until fully incorporated and smooth.

Notes

• Use a pan that’s about 3 inches deep (not a shallow baking sheet) so when the rolls are covered to rise you don’t have to worry about them touching/sticking to the plastic wrap, towel or foil.
• This recipe is made for a 2-pound loaf bread machine or larger. I use the Breville Custom Loaf Bread Maker (and love it).
• Warm the milk in the microwave for 30-40 seconds. It needs to be warm to the touch but not hot.
• If you forget to bring the eggs to room temperature (like I do literally every time), place them in a mug with hot tap water while you prep and add the other ingredients (about 5 minutes).
• I use salted butter in this and all my recipes.
• Check out the FAQ section above for more info.

https://www.southyourmouth.com/2023/11/the-best-bread-machine-cinnamon-rolls.html

Images and text © South Your Mouth LLC 2023

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