These Muffin Tin Cinnamon Rolls are soft, tender and absolutely delicious. Perfect for breakfasts & brunches or any meal or time of the day.
It’s Monday and I couldn’t be happier. Usually I hate then the weekends are over, but this weekend was crazy and I’m glad to have gotten through it.
These Muffin Tin Cinnamon Rolls are the perfect things to start your Monday off with. If you’ve followed my blog for a while now, you know that I absolutely love cinnamon rolls. They rank right up there with chocolate chip cookies. A warm, gooey cinnamon roll with tons of butter cream on it is pure heaven to me. I could eat them every day.
I still remember the first time I had these cinnamon rolls was at my friend Lara’s house. My high school girlfriends and I still get together for lunch every month (well, we try and do it monthly). We’ve been doing it for as long as I can remember.
Years and years ago, we met at my friend Lara’s house instead of a restaurant and she made lunch for us. The only thing I remember having that day were these cinnamon rolls. I’m sure whatever else she fixed was delicious because she’s a great cook, but all I remember were these rolls (haha). This is her mom Barbara’s recipe and these are absolutely delicious. Barbara is so awesome! She was our “mom chaperone” on our senior trip to Newport beach. She was such a sport and definitely kept us on task when it came to keeping the beach house clean and taking our turn doing meals. I think my friends and I may have called her Ms. Hannigan (from Annie) a few times, but it was all in fun. Seriously, we love her and loved having her there.
I’d honestly never seen anyone bake their cinnamon rolls in muffin tins and I thought it was the greatest thing ever. I’m sure I ate way too many that day. I don’t remember for sure, but If I had to guess, I’m sure I came home and made a batch for myself within days of having them at her house.
Anytime I have taken these to a dinner, people love them. I remember taking them to my grandma’s house one night for a dinner and my aunt Debbie, who was here visiting, thought they were the best things ever.
These are tender and soft and absolutely fantastic.
The dough does require a bit of rising time, so just make sure you plan ahead. Just look how yummy they look even before they’re baked.
And now look how beautiful and golden they are after they bake. All the cinnamon sugary filling has turned kind of crispy and it’s just heavenly!
Isn’t that butter cream slathered on top the best looking thing ever? Can you tell I like a lot of frosting on my cinnamon rolls? 😂
Some nights for dinner, I love to make these in place of plain dinner rolls and my boys never complain. Thanks Barbara for an awesome recipe!
TIPS FOR MAKING MUFFIN TIN CINNAMON ROLLS:
- Make sure you don’t add too much flour. You may or may not need the full amount. You want the dough to still be slightly sticky. After it rises, it won’t be as sticky and will be easy to work with.
- These do require some rising time so make sure you plan ahead. The original recipe calls for 3 hours of rising time after you roll out and cut the rolls, but I have found that 1 1/2 hours is plenty long. Just make sure you put them in a warm place to rise.
- Make sure you spray your muffin tins really well.
- I like to take mine out of the muffin tins before I frost them so the frosting can drip down the sides.
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active yeast
- 1/4 cup warm water
- 1 cup milk
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg
- 3 1/2 to 4 cups flour
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 3 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 4 to 5 tablespoons cream or half-n-half (enough for spreading consistency you like)
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Spray two 12-cup muffin tin pans (you'll need to spray about only about 18-20 of the cups)
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Soften yeast in the warm water. Set aside
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In a small saucepan, scald milk and then pour into mixing bowl. Add sugar, oil and salt to the hot milk. Let cool to luke warm.
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Add egg, 1 1/5 cups of the flour and the softened yeast. Mix well then gradually add the remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time. Add enough flour until the dough pulls away from the sides (the dough should still be slightly sticky). Continue mixing for a few more minutes.
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Transfer dough to a large mixing bowl that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour.
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While dough is rising make sugar and cinnamon mixture by combing cinnamon and sugar in a bowl and mixing well.
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On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a rectangle (about 20x12). Spread with melted butter and then generously sprinkle with cinnamon & sugar.
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Starting with long edge, roll jelly roll style, pinching edges to seal. Cut into 1 1/2-inch slices and place into greased muffin tins.
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Cover and let rise in a warm place for 1 1/2 hours. Bake at 350 for 15 to 18 minutes or until lightly browned. Frost while still warm.
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In a medium mixing bowl, beat butter until smooth. Add powdered sugar, vanilla and cream. Mix until smooth. Spread on warm cinnamon rolls.
The original recipes makes about 3 1/2 dozen and I usually don't need that many so I always half the recipe. The recipe I have posted today is what I usually make, it's been halved. If you double this recipe, it's easiest if you divide the dough in half before rolling it out. So you'll be rolling out two different rectangles.
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Here are some of my other favorite cinnamon/sweet roll recipes:
French Bread Cinnamon Rolls
60-Minute Cinnamon Rolls
No Yeast Cinnamon Rolls
Almond Sweet Rolls
Have you made your Mom’s lately? They are still my all time favorites. Love you .
I just made them a few weeks ago, I love my mom’s still. Especially the almond filling kind! Love you!!
Wow those are gorgeous and look delicious. I love how you have monthly lunches with your high school friends. I am very close to mine as well, although we don’t see each other quite as often as you do with yours. It’s so fun when we do, though, just like no time has passed. I have all these different groups of friends, and they are all great, but those high school girlfriends knew me way back when and there is just nothing like those girls!
Hey Teresa! I love our monthly lunches with my high school friends. I love that you are still close with your high school girlfriends. You’re so right, it’s like no time has passed when we get together. There really is nothing like those girlfriends. Love them tons!