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One cinnamon rolls on a pink plate with gold fork.
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4.62 from 21 votes

Semi-Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

The most delicious semi-homemade cinnamon rolls using frozen bread dough with a homemade cream cheese glaze!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
0 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: French
Servings: 12 Rolls
Author: Eden
Cost: $10

Ingredients

Cinnamon Rolls

  • 2 pounds frozen bread dough thawed
  • 1/2 cup melted butter unsalted or salted
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar brown or light
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tbsp ground cinnamon

Cinnamon Roll Icing

  • 4 tbsp butter room temperature and soft to the touch
  • 4 ounces cream cheese room temperature and soft to the touch
  • 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 3 tbsp whole milk more needed
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

  • Let the bread dough thaw out completely.
    Ball of dough with flour getting ready to be rolled out for cinnamon rolls.
  • Roll the dough out on a floured surface to a 15" semi-rectangle. Does not have to be perfectly shaped.
    Roll the dough to 15" long when making cinnamon rolls.
  • In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, granulated sugar, tablespoon cinnamon and give it a stir to mix.
    Brown sugar, granulated sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.
  • Melt the 1/2 cup butter and brush it over the dough. Save a little melted butter to brush over the top of the rolls later.
    Spread butter over the rolled out dough.
  • Sprinkle the brown sugar and cinnamon mixture over the dough, covering the entire surface.
    Cinnamon and Sugar Sprinkled over rolled out dough for cinnamon rolls.
  • Starting from the top, tightly roll the dough to create a log shape. Roll it as tight as possible.
    Preparing to cut cinnamon rolls to bake in a cast iron skillet.
  • Cut 12 slices in the cinnamon roll log and place them in a buttered cast iron skillet.
    Cinnamon rolls in a cast iron skillet before they bake in the oven.
  • Make sure they're separated because they will expand quite a bit while baking.
  • Brush the top of the rolls with the rest of the melted butter.
  • Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 20-25 minutes until they are golden brown and have doubled in size.
    Homemade cream cheese glaze being poured over baked cinnamon rolls.

Cinnamon Roll Icing

  • In an electric mixer, cream together the soft butter and cream cheese. Make sure to get it as smooth as possible.
  • Add in the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla and continue to beat on high until smooth with a glaze like texture. Add more milk if needed.
  • Pour the glaze over the cinnamon rolls when they come out of the oven.
    Cinnamon Rolls using frozen bread dough with a homemade cream cheese glaze poured over the top.
  • Enjoy every bite!

Notes

There are several brands of frozen bread dough that will work. Try Rhodes Bread Dough or we used Primo Taglio Pizza Dough. The white traditional pizza dough they sell at Trader Joe's would work too.
You can bake these in a cast iron pan or a rectangular casserole dish. It makes 12 and they expand so make sure the dish is big enough for the rolls to have a little space.
When making the glaze, it's important the butter and cream cheese is very soft. This will result in a creamy texture. If it's cold it will be clumpy and hard to make it smooth.

Nutrition

Calories: 303kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 136mg | Potassium: 30mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 42g | Vitamin A: 486IU | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 1mg
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