Giant Fluffy Cinnamon Roll Recipe

I came up with this giant, fluffy, homemade cinnamon roll recipe by combining the best parts of several recipes that I had for cinnamon rolls. If you are looking for an ooey gooey cinnamon roll recipe that is ACTUALLY ooey gooey then this is your recipe! These cinnamon rolls are simply irresistible and honestly not at all difficult to make! Especially is you choose the overnight cinnamon roll method!

This recipe came about because my husbands’ go-to sweet breakfast favorite is Pillsbury cinnamon rolls… However, he would prefer them bigger, fluffier and HOMEMADE, but he had yet to find one to satisfy him before I created this one! We would order cinnamon rolls from “made from scratch” restaurants or bakeries that all “claimed” to be ooey gooey. However, what we would usually get is a dry, slightly hard cinnamon roll. Very disappointing!

My mother-in-law bought me my cast iron pan for Christmas last year and it has seriously been my FAVORITE cooking vessel that I have EVER owned. I cook EVERYTHING in it. So why wouldn’t I make cinnamon rolls in it too?! So that is just what I did and they turn out perfect EVERY…SINGLE…TIME! And once they are cooked all giant and fluffy, I top them with not only one…but TWO amazing glazes! This cinches the deal on them being guaranteed ooey gooey cinnamon rolls!

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Shopping List for this giant, fluffy homemade cinnamon roll recipe:

• 1 packet Active Dry Yeast 
• LG Eggs 
• Honey
• Whole Milk
• Granulated Sugar
• Kosher Salt
• All Purpose Flour (GF or Whole Wheat flour will work too)
• Unsalted Butter  
• Light Brown Sugar
• Ground Cinnamon 
• 8 oz Cream Cheese
• Powdered Sugar
• Vanilla Extract

How to make these ooey gooey, homemade cinnamon rolls:

Although a little time consuming, these giant, fluffy homemade cinnamon rolls are fairly EASY to make! Most of that “time” is simply resting so that takes no effort at all. Maybe just a little planning.

To make the Cinnamon Roll Dough:

• In a large mixing bowl of a stand mixer with dough hook attachment, dissolve yeast in warm water.
• Add eggs, honey, milk and sugar. Mix well.
• Slowly add salt and flour until dough forms. Make sure to scrape sides and bottom regularly with a rubber spatula.
• Add butter a tablespoon at a time and mix until dough looks smooth. About 6 minutes.
• Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead for 5-6 minutes.
• Place dough ball in a bowl sprayed with non-stick cooking spray and cover with plastic wrap (spray inside of plastic wrap as well to prevent sticking).
• Cover with a dish towel and let rise for 1 hour. Dough should double in size.
• Turn the dough back out onto a floured surface. Knead for 6 more minutes and return to greased bowl with plastic wrap and dish towel. Let rise for 1 hour again.
• **At this point, you may place bowl in fridge to make the next morning or continue onto the next step to make now.**
• Roll out dough on a floured surface into a large 1/4 inch thick rectangle.
• Pour one stick of melted butter on the dough. Spread evenly with a pastry brush.
• Sprinkle evenly with both sugars and cinnamon.
• Roll dough starting at the longest side into a tight roll.
• Cut into 2 inch thick slices (about 12 rolls) and arrange in a greased cast iron skillet.
• Cover loosely with plastic wrap and dish towel.
• Let rise for 30 minutes while you preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Whisk one egg and 1 tbsp whole milk to make an egg wash.
• Once rolls have risen, brush top with egg wash.
• Place cast iron on the middle rack of the oven and cook for 30 minutes.

To make the Cinnamon Roll Cream Cheese Icing:

• While rolls are baking mix together all cream cheese icing ingredients in the stand mixer with whisk attachment.
• When rolls are done, let them rest 5-10 minutes before icing.

To make the Classic Cinnamon Roll Icing:

• Mix all ingredients in classic cinnamon roll icing adding more or less milk to reach desired thickness.
• Let rolls rest 5-10 minutes before pouring icing over the top.

Visual steps for making giant, fluffy cinnamon rolls:

Tips and substitutions for this giant, fluffy homemade cinnamon roll recipe:

**Make gluten-free by using a gluten free flour.

**Try substituting whole wheat flour.

**If making ahead of time, put dough in fridge after the second rise.  The next morning simply continue to follow the instructions.

**Try adding ingredients to this recipe.  Mix in nuts, dried fruits, zest from an orange, or other spices (like nutmeg/pumpkin pie spice).  You can add these things during the filling steps (larger ingredient adds such as nuts/dried fruits work best when pushed lightly into the dough to stabilize)

Giant, Fluffy Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

Ooey gooey homemade cinnamon rolls with options! Make them ahead of time, make them right now, make them gluten free or whole wheat, add fun ingredients, choose one icing or both! But whatever you choose to do, just make them! You're about to fall in love!

5 from 4 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Resting Time 2 hours hrs 40 minutes mins

Total Time 3 hours hrs 40 minutes mins

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Servings 12 people

Calories 418 kcal

Equipment

• Cast Iron Skillet
• Standing Mixer with whisk and hook attachments

Ingredients

  

Cinnamon Roll Dough:

• 1 packet Active Dry Yeast (2.25 tsp)
• 1/4 c Warm Water
• 3 LG Eggs **at room temperature
• 2 tbsp Honey
• 1.5 c Warm Whole Milk
• 1/4 c Granulated Sugar
• 1 tsp Kosher Salt
• 5.5 c All Purpose Flour
• 1/2 c Unsalted Butter **softened (1 stick)

Cinnamon Roll Filling:

• 1/2 c Unsalted Butter **melted (1 stick)
• 1 c Granulated Sugar
• 1 c Light Brown Sugar
• Ground Cinnamon **to cover or to taste
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp Whole Milk

Cinnamon Roll Cream Cheese Icing:

• 8 oz Cream Cheese
• 4 tbsp Powdered Sugar
• 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 4 tbsp Whole Milk

Classic Cinnamon Roll Icing:

• 3 c Powdered Sugar
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 3.5 tbsp Whole Milk

Instructions

 

Cinnamon Roll Dough:

• In a large mixing bowl of a stand mixer with dough hook attachment, dissolve yeast in warm water.
• Add eggs, honey, milk and sugar. Mix well.
• Slowly add salt and flour until dough forms. Make sure to scrape sides and bottom regularly with a rubber spatula.
• Add butter a tablespoon at a time and mix until dough looks smooth. About 6 minutes.
• Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead for 5-6 minutes.
• Place dough ball in a bowl sprayed with non-stick cooking spray and cover with plastic wrap (spray inside of plastic wrap as well to prevent sticking).
• Cover with a dish towel and let rise for 1 hour. Dough should double in size.
• Turn the dough back out onto a floured surface. Knead for 6 more minutes and return to greased bowl with plastic wrap and dish towel. Let rise for 1 hour again.
• **At this point, you may place bowl in fridge to make the next morning or continue onto the next step to make now.**
• Roll out dough on a floured surface into a large 1/4 inch thick rectangle.
• Pour one stick of melted butter on the dough. Spread evenly with a pastry brush.
• Sprinkle evenly with both sugars and cinnamon.
• Roll dough starting at the longest side into a tight roll.
• Cut into 2 inch thick slices (about 12 rolls) and arrange in a greased cast iron skillet.
• Cover loosely with plastic wrap and dish towel.
• Let rise for 30 minutes while you preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Whisk one egg and 1 tbsp whole milk to make an egg wash.
• Once rolls have risen, brush top with egg wash.
• Place cast iron on the middle rack of the oven and cook for 30 minutes.

Cinnamon Roll Cream Cheese Icing:

• While rolls are baking mix together all cream cheese icing ingredients in the stand mixer with whisk attachment.
• When rolls are done, let them rest 5-10 minutes before icing.

Classic Cinnamon Roll Icing:

• Mix all ingredients in classic cinnamon roll icing adding more or less milk to reach desired thickness.
• Let rolls rest 5-10 minutes before pouring icing over the top.
• **May choose to use one or BOTH icings**

Notes

**Make gluten-free by using a gluten free flour.

**Try substituting whole wheat flour.

**If making ahead of time, put dough in fridge after the second rise.  The next morning simply continue to follow the instructions.

**Try adding ingredients to this recipe.  Mix in nuts, dried fruits, zest from an orange, or other spices (like nutmeg/pumpkin pie spice).  You can add these things during the filling steps (larger ingredient adds such as nuts/dried fruits work best when pushed lightly into the dough to stabilize)

Keyword cinnamon roll, cinnamon rolls, cream cheese icing

Looking for another fun and easy breakfast recipe for the fall? Check out my friend, Linda at Sip and Sanity’s, recipe for Easy Homemade Spiced Apple Waffles! They are all the fall flavor in a snap!

Looking for more recipes like this one? Check out these other recipes from Struggle Shuttle:

• Creamy Chicken Lasagna
• Chicken Ratatouille
• Classic Sloppy Joes with Tomato Soup
• Easy Jell-O Candy Recipe

I hope you enjoy this giant, fluffy homemade cinnamon roll recipe as much as my family does! Let me know what you think in the comments!

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