A close up a a pan of frosted cinnamon rolls
Craving warm, gooey cinnamon rolls that melt in your mouth? Look no further than the Pioneer Woman’s Cinnamon Rolls recipe. Renowned for their tender, flaky texture, buttery richness, and generous cinnamon swirl, these sweet treats are a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. Initially designed for sharing in large batches, this recipe is perfect for gatherings, gifting, or simply indulging in a delightful homemade breakfast or dessert.
What makes these cinnamon rolls stand out? They are surprisingly easy to make, even for novice bakers. If you’ve ever been disheartened by cinnamon roll recipes that fail to rise or become tough, the Pioneer Woman’s recipe is your answer. It’s remarkably forgiving, ensuring consistently delicious results every time. Imagine pulling a pan of perfectly risen, fragrant cinnamon rolls from your oven – this recipe makes that dream a reality.
While the original recipe is already fantastic, we’ve refined it to be even more user-friendly for today’s home baker. This updated version is halved for smaller households, features precise ingredient measurements, and includes even more detailed instructions. Consider this your go-to recipe for sharing joy, one cinnamon roll at a time. And for those looking for ultimate ease, we’ll explore how a bread machine can simplify the dough-making process, bringing “Pioneer Woman Bread Machine cinnamon rolls” closer to your kitchen.
Close up of a pan of fresh from the oven cinnamon rolls
The Magic Behind Pioneer Woman’s Cinnamon Rolls
Why are these cinnamon rolls so irresistible? It’s a combination of factors. Firstly, the dough is rolled incredibly thin, creating ample space for a generous filling of melted butter, sugar, and cinnamon. This filling-to-roll ratio is where the magic happens, delivering that perfect gooey center and beautiful spiral layers.
Secondly, the recipe features a unique maple frosting that elevates these rolls to another level. This frosting, made with powdered sugar, maple extract, milk, butter, and a touch of strong brewed coffee, is drizzled lavishly over the warm rolls. The coffee is a surprising yet brilliant addition, enhancing the maple flavor and adding a depth that perfectly complements the cinnamon spice. This frosting isn’t just sweet; it’s complex and utterly addictive.
Furthermore, this recipe incorporates a unique blend of leavening agents – yeast, baking powder, and baking soda. This combination is unusual in yeast doughs, but it’s key to achieving the signature soft, sweet-bread texture and yeasty flavor characteristic of true cinnamon rolls. The baking powder and baking soda work in tandem with the yeast to ensure a light and airy crumb, while also reducing the rise time to just 30 minutes after shaping. A lower oven temperature also contributes to their perfect texture, allowing them to rise fully before the tops brown too quickly. The result? Soft, puffy, flaky rolls that practically dissolve in your mouth, far from being chewy or dense.
A pan of cinnamon rolls being drizzled with a maple frosting
Streamlining Dough Preparation: Can a Bread Machine Help?
While the Pioneer Woman’s cinnamon roll dough is already easy to make, using a bread machine can simplify the process even further, especially if you bake regularly. A bread machine can handle the initial mixing and kneading of the dough, freeing you up for other tasks. While this recipe doesn’t specifically call for a bread machine, you can adapt it to use one for the dough preparation stage.
To use a bread machine for the dough:
- Combine wet ingredients: Add the milk, vegetable oil, and sugar to your bread machine pan.
- Add dry ingredients: Sprinkle the yeast over the wet ingredients, then add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Select dough cycle: Choose the dough cycle on your bread machine. This cycle typically mixes, kneads, and performs the first rise for the dough.
- Monitor dough: Check the dough consistency during kneading. If it seems too dry, add a tablespoon of milk at a time. If it’s too sticky, add a tablespoon of flour.
- Continue with recipe: Once the dough cycle is complete, remove the dough from the bread machine and proceed with the recipe instructions for rolling, filling, shaping, and baking the cinnamon rolls.
Using a bread machine isn’t essential for this recipe’s success, but it’s a convenient option for simplifying the dough-making process, especially on busy days. It brings the concept of “pioneer woman bread machine cinnamon rolls” into your kitchen, making these delightful treats even more accessible.
A cake pan filled with warm cinnamon rolls topped with maple frosting
Make-Ahead and Freezing Tips
Freezing: While freezing the unbaked dough isn’t recommended, baked (but unfrosted) cinnamon rolls freeze beautifully. Simply bake the rolls according to the recipe, let them cool completely, then wrap pans tightly in plastic wrap and foil. Freeze for up to 2-3 months. When ready to serve, thaw overnight in the refrigerator and frost before reheating gently.
Make-Ahead Dough: The cinnamon roll dough can be made 1-3 days ahead of time. Store it, tightly covered, in the refrigerator. If the dough rises significantly in the fridge, punch it down to keep it manageable. With just a short 30-minute rise time after shaping, these cinnamon rolls are perfect for preparing in advance and baking fresh when needed.
Doubling the Recipe: Need to feed a larger crowd? This recipe doubles effortlessly. If doubling, use a large pot or Dutch oven for the overnight rise in the refrigerator, giving the dough ample space to expand.
Pioneer Woman’s Cinnamon Rolls Recipe
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes (plus overnight rise)
Yield: 30 rolls
Course: Bread, Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert
Cuisine: American
Equipment:
- Instant read thermometer
- Rolling pin
- 3 (9-inch) cake pans or bread machine (optional for dough)
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:
- Warm Milk Mixture: In a small saucepan, combine milk, vegetable oil, and sugar. Warm over medium heat until sugar dissolves and mixture reaches 95-100°F (lukewarm). Use an instant-read thermometer. Remove from heat and pour into a large mixing bowl. Cool if necessary to reach 95-100°F.
- Activate Yeast: Sprinkle yeast over lukewarm milk mixture and let stand for 5-10 minutes until foamy. Add 4 cups of flour and stir until combined, using a wooden spoon or dough hook of a stand mixer. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour, until bubbly and puffed.
- Add Remaining Flour Mixture: In a small bowl, whisk together remaining ½ cup flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add to the dough and mix until incorporated. Loosely cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or up to two days, punching down if needed to prevent overflowing.
(Bread Machine Option): Alternatively, combine all dough ingredients in your bread machine pan in the order recommended by your machine’s manufacturer. Select the dough cycle and start. Proceed to step 5 once the dough cycle is complete.
To Make the Cinnamon Rolls:
- Prepare Pans & Dough: Grease three 9-inch cake pans with melted butter. Heavily flour a large work surface. Punch down dough lightly and scrape onto the countertop. Using floured hands and rolling pin, roll dough into a thin rectangle, approximately 30×18-20 inches.
- Add Filling: Brush 12 tablespoons melted butter over dough, leaving a 1-inch border on the far 30-inch side. Sprinkle sugar evenly over butter, followed by cinnamon.
- Roll and Cut: Starting from the 30-inch side closest to you, roll dough tightly into a log. Pinch seam to seal. Use a ruler to guide and cut into 30 (1-inch) slices using a sharp knife or dental floss. Place rolls, cut-side down, in prepared pans.
- Rise and Bake: Preheat oven to 375°F. Let rolls rise in a warm place for 30-40 minutes, until puffed and dough springs back slowly when gently pressed. Bake at 375°F for 15-20 minutes, until lightly golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly.
To Make the Frosting:
- Prepare Frosting: In a bowl, combine sifted powdered sugar, maple flavoring, milk, melted butter, strong brewed coffee, and salt. Beat with an electric mixer or whisk until smooth and pourable.
- Frost Rolls: Generously drizzle maple frosting over warm cinnamon rolls. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Recipe Notes:
- Recipe adapted from Pioneer Woman.
- Storage: Leftovers can be stored airtight in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before serving for best results, or gently reheat. Unfrosted rolls can be stored at room temperature.
- Nutrition Information: Nutritional values are estimates and may vary based on ingredient variations.
Enjoy the delightful taste of homemade Pioneer Woman Cinnamon Rolls, whether you choose to make the dough by hand or simplify the process with a bread machine!
More Swirly Bread Recipes to Explore:
Chocolate Babka
A pan of Lion House swirled rolls being brushed with melted butter
