The Ultimate Guide to Pioneer Woman Cinnamon Rolls: Recipe & Tips

Pioneer Woman Cinnamon Rolls are legendary for a reason. These aren’t just your average cinnamon rolls; they are tender, buttery, generously filled with cinnamon, and topped with a dreamy maple frosting that takes them to the next level. If you’re looking for a cinnamon roll recipe that’s guaranteed to impress, look no further than Ree Drummond’s famous creation.

First introduced in January 2011, the Pioneer Woman’s cinnamon roll recipe was originally designed for sharing – and sharing a lot! The original recipe yielded enough dough to fill 7 to 8 disposable foil pans, perfect for gifting to friends, family, neighbors, and coworkers. While that’s fantastic for large gatherings, sometimes you crave that same incredible flavor on a smaller scale.

Three pans of baking cinnamon rolls, no frosting

Why Pioneer Woman’s Cinnamon Rolls Recipe is a Home Baker’s Dream

Have you ever embarked on a cinnamon roll baking adventure only to be met with disappointment? Perhaps your rolls didn’t rise, over-proofed, or simply didn’t live up to your expectations. Many home bakers can relate to the frustration of a cinnamon roll recipe gone wrong. That’s where the beauty of the Pioneer Woman’s recipe shines.

This recipe is remarkably user-friendly, even for novice bakers. It’s designed to be foolproof and forgiving, ensuring that each and every roll emerges from your oven perfectly soft, gooey, and bursting with cinnamon flavor. Say goodbye to cinnamon roll fails and hello to baking confidence!

Tweaking the Pioneer Woman Cinnamon Rolls Recipe for Perfection

Over time, even classic recipes can benefit from a little refinement. This updated version of the Pioneer Woman’s cinnamon roll recipe takes the original to new heights. The recipe has been thoughtfully adjusted, halving the original massive yield and fine-tuning ingredient measurements for even more consistent results. Detailed, step-by-step instructions are included, making it even easier to follow along and achieve cinnamon roll perfection. This recipe is truly a keeper, one you’ll be excited to share with all your fellow baking enthusiasts, along with the delicious rolls themselves!

The Magic Behind Pioneer Woman’s Cinnamon Rolls: What Makes Them So Irresistible?

What exactly makes Pioneer Woman’s Cinnamon Rolls stand out from the crowd? It’s a combination of factors that work together in perfect harmony. These rolls are incredibly easy to make, delightfully gooey and messy in the best way possible, and simply wonderful in flavor and texture. The dough is rolled out thinly, creating numerous layers for a generous amount of cinnamon filling made with melted butter and sugar. The ratio of filling to dough is absolute perfection, resulting in beautiful spirals that are as pleasing to the eye as they are to the palate.

Three pans of fresh from the oven cinnamon rolls.

Baking for a Crowd or a Cozy Brunch: Resizing Your Cinnamon Roll Batch

This resized cinnamon roll recipe is designed to make three 9-inch pans, yielding 30 generously sized rolls. This is still plenty to share, but more manageable for smaller gatherings or when you don’t need to feed an army.

A word of caution: these cinnamon rolls are seriously addictive! Make sure you have plenty of people to share them with, otherwise, you might find yourself tempted to devour the entire batch. They are that good!

For gifting, you can bake the rolls in four disposable 7-inch foil pans. Alternatively, use four 8-inch cake pans or three 9-inch cake pans, as shown here, depending on your preference and pan availability.

The Secret Weapon: Pioneer Woman’s Unique Maple Frosting

Beyond the delectable cinnamon filling, the maple frosting is another key element that sets Pioneer Woman’s Cinnamon Rolls apart. This isn’t your typical sugary glaze. Made with powdered sugar, real maple extract, milk, melted butter, and a surprising touch of strong brewed coffee, this frosting is generously drizzled over the warm rolls, creating a luscious, melt-in-your-mouth finish.

The addition of just one tablespoon of strong brewed coffee might seem unusual, but it adds a depth of flavor that perfectly complements the maple and cinnamon. It’s a flavor combination you might not expect, but it truly elevates the frosting to something extraordinary.

Fresh, warm cinnamon rolls on a plate

The Unexpected Ingredient: Baking Powder and Baking Soda in Yeast Dough

One of the unique aspects of this recipe is the inclusion of both baking powder and baking soda in a yeast-based dough. Traditionally, yeast is the primary leavening agent in cinnamon rolls. However, the addition of baking powder and baking soda contributes to the incredibly soft, sweet-bread texture and distinct yeasty flavor that defines a true cinnamon roll.

It’s uncommon to find a recipe that utilizes three leavening agents, but in this case, it works wonders! This powerful combination of leaveners allows for a relatively short rise time of only 30 minutes after shaping the rolls. Furthermore, baking these rolls at a lower oven temperature ensures they have ample time to rise fully before the tops brown too quickly. The result is irresistibly soft, puffy, and flaky rolls that are never chewy – they practically melt in your mouth with every bite.

Make-Ahead and Freezing Tips for Pioneer Woman Cinnamon Rolls

Freezing Instructions: While freezing the unbaked dough isn’t recommended, you can absolutely freeze baked, unfrosted cinnamon rolls with fantastic results. This makes them perfect for preparing ahead of time for holidays or special occasions.

Make-Ahead Dough: The cinnamon roll dough can be made up to 3 days in advance. Simply keep the dough well-covered in the refrigerator. Check it daily and punch it down if needed to prevent it from overflowing. With only a 30-minute rise time required for the shaped rolls, this recipe is ideal for making ahead and baking fresh when you’re ready to serve.

Doubling the Recipe: Need to feed a larger crowd? This recipe can easily be doubled! If doubling, use a large pot or Dutch oven for the dough to rise in the refrigerator overnight, as the dough will expand significantly.

A pan of fresh baked cinnamon rolls being drizzled with icing

Pioneer Woman’s Cinnamon Rolls Recipe

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 day 2 hours 15 minutes
Yield: 30 rolls
Course: Bread, Breakfast or Brunch
Author: Tricia
Rating: 5 from 105 votes

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 (use real maple extract for best flavor)
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon strong brewed coffee
Pinch of salt

Equipment:

Instant read thermometer
Rolling pin
3 (9-inch) cake pans

Instructions:

To Make the Dough:

In a small saucepan, combine milk, vegetable oil, and sugar. Warm over medium heat until sugar is dissolved and mixture reaches 95-100°F (lukewarm). Use an instant-read thermometer to ensure accuracy. Remove from heat and pour into a large mixing bowl. Cool if needed to reach 95-100°F.
Sprinkle yeast over the lukewarm milk mixture and let sit 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 one hour until bubbly and puffed.
In a small bowl, whisk together remaining ½ cup flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add flour mixture to the dough and mix until just incorporated. Loosely cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or up to 2 days. Punch down dough if needed to prevent overflowing if rising longer than a day.

To Make the Cinnamon Rolls:

Grease three 9-inch cake pans with melted butter and set aside.
Heavily flour a large, clean work surface. Lightly punch down dough and scrape onto countertop. Using floured hands and rolling pin, roll dough into a thin rectangle, approximately 30×18-20 inches.
Brush 12 tablespoons melted butter over dough, leaving a 1-inch border along the far 30-inch side.
Sprinkle sugar evenly over butter, followed by ground cinnamon.
Starting from the 30-inch side closest to you, roll dough into a tight log. Pinch seam to seal.
Using a ruler, cut into 30 (1-inch) slices with a sharp knife or dental floss. Place rolls cut-side down in prepared pans.
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
Let rolls rise in a warm place for 30-40 minutes until puffed. Gently press edge of a roll; if it springs back slowly, they are ready.
Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 15-20 minutes, until lightly golden brown.
Transfer pans to a wire rack to cool slightly while making frosting.

To Make the Frosting:

In a bowl, combine powdered sugar, maple flavoring, milk, melted butter, brewed coffee, and salt.
Mix with an electric mixer or whisk until smooth and pourable.
Generously drizzle warm frosting over warm cinnamon rolls. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Recipe Notes:

Recipe adapted from Pioneer Woman.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat chilled rolls at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving for best results.
Unfrosted rolls can be stored at room temperature.

Nutrition Information:

Nutritional information is an estimate.

Originally published January 2011, updated December 2019.

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