The Ultimate Pioneer Woman's Recipe for Cinnamon Rolls with Maple Frosting

Tender, flaky, buttery, and sweet, these Pioneer Woman’s cinnamon rolls are generously loaded with cinnamon and topped with a unique maple frosting. If you’re searching for the perfect homemade cinnamon roll recipe, look no further. This recipe, inspired by the Pioneer Woman herself, Ree Drummond, is destined to become a family favorite.

A close up a a pan of frosted cinnamon rolls

These aren’t just any cinnamon rolls; they are an experience. Imagine biting into a warm, gooey roll, the cinnamon swirling with a hint of maple, all melting in your mouth. This Pioneer Woman’s recipe truly delivers. Originally designed for sharing in large batches, this recipe is perfect for potlucks, holiday breakfasts, or simply treating your loved ones. While Ree Drummond’s original recipe was meant to create enough cinnamon rolls to share with the whole neighborhood, this adapted version is perfectly sized for home bakers while retaining all the deliciousness of the original.

Why This Pioneer Woman’s Cinnamon Rolls Recipe is a Must-Try

Have you ever been disappointed by a cinnamon roll recipe that didn’t quite rise, was too dense, or simply lacked flavor? Many home bakers face the common pitfalls of yeast baking. However, this Pioneer Woman’s cinnamon rolls recipe stands apart. It’s remarkably easy to follow, even for novice bakers, and incredibly forgiving. Say goodbye to baking disasters! With clear, detailed instructions and a foolproof method, this recipe ensures every roll emerges from the oven perfectly soft, fluffy, and bursting with cinnamon-maple goodness.

This recipe isn’t just easy; it’s also incredibly delicious. The secret lies in the perfect balance of ingredients and a few clever techniques that set it apart from standard cinnamon roll recipes. We’ve taken the original Pioneer Woman’s recipe and refined it for today’s home baker, ensuring consistent results and maximum flavor.

Close up of a pan of fresh from the oven cinnamon rolls

What Makes These Cinnamon Rolls So Exceptionally Good?

These Pioneer Woman’s cinnamon rolls are simply irresistible. They are gooey, wonderfully messy in the best way, and utterly divine. The key to their exceptional texture and flavor is the dough, rolled incredibly thin to maximize the cinnamon filling. This generous filling, made with melted butter, sugar, and fragrant cinnamon, creates the perfect swirl in every bite. The ratio of filling to dough is truly perfection, resulting in beautiful spirals that are as pleasing to the eye as they are to the palate.

This resized recipe is designed to make three 9-inch pans, yielding 30 generously sized cinnamon rolls. While this might still seem like a lot, be warned – these rolls are incredibly addictive! It’s highly recommended to have people to share them with, otherwise, you might find yourself wanting to devour the entire batch. Whether you bake them in disposable foil pans for easy gifting, or in cake pans for a beautiful presentation, these Pioneer Woman’s cinnamon rolls are guaranteed to impress.

A pan of cinnamon rolls being drizzled with a maple frosting

The Secret Weapon: Unique Maple Frosting

Beyond the perfectly spiced cinnamon filling, the maple frosting is another highlight of this Pioneer Woman’s recipe. This isn’t your average sugary glaze. Made with powdered sugar, pure maple extract, milk, melted butter, and a surprising touch of strong brewed coffee, this frosting elevates these cinnamon rolls to another level.

That single tablespoon of strong coffee might seem unexpected, but it adds a depth of flavor that beautifully complements the maple and cinnamon. It’s a flavor combination you might not have considered, but it truly works wonders, creating a frosting that’s both sweet and subtly complex. Generously drizzled over warm rolls, this maple frosting is the perfect finishing touch.

The Unique Dough: Baking Powder and Baking Soda in Yeast Dough?

What’s truly unique about this Pioneer Woman’s cinnamon rolls recipe is the addition of both baking powder and baking soda to a yeast dough. Typically, yeast alone provides the leavening for cinnamon rolls. However, this recipe utilizes a combination of yeast, baking powder, and baking soda to achieve a soft, sweet-bread texture that is characteristic of truly exceptional cinnamon rolls.

This unusual combination of leavening agents is what gives these rolls their signature melt-in-your-mouth texture and ensures they are never chewy or tough. The powerful leavening also means a shorter rise time after shaping – just 30 minutes is all it takes. Furthermore, baking these rolls at a slightly lower oven temperature allows them to rise fully before the tops brown too quickly, resulting in perfectly soft, puffy, and flaky rolls every time.

A cake pan filled with warm cinnamon rolls topped with maple frosting

Make-Ahead and Freezing Tips for Pioneer Woman’s Cinnamon Rolls

Want to get ahead on your baking? The dough for these Pioneer Woman’s cinnamon rolls can be made up to 3 days in advance. Simply keep the dough well-covered in the refrigerator and check on it daily, punching it down if needed to prevent overflowing. The dough’s ability to be made ahead, combined with the short 30-minute rise time for the shaped rolls, makes this recipe incredibly convenient for busy bakers.

While freezing the unbaked dough is not recommended, you can absolutely freeze baked, unfrosted cinnamon rolls with great success. This makes it easy to prepare these treats in advance for a future occasion.

Double the Batch for a Crowd

Need to feed a larger group? This Pioneer Woman’s cinnamon rolls recipe easily doubles. If doubling, ensure you use a large pot or Dutch oven for the overnight rise in the refrigerator, as the dough will expand significantly. Doubling the recipe is perfect for holiday gatherings, bake sales, or any time you need to make a generous amount of these delightful cinnamon rolls.

A pan of frosted cinnamon rolls

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

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Tender, flaky, buttery, sweet and loaded with cinnamon.

Equipment

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

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:

Mix the milk, vegetable oil and sugar in a small sauce pan. Warm over medium heat just until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture reaches 95-100°F (lukewarm) on an instant read thermometer. Remove from the heat and pour into a large mixing bowl. Cool, if needed, until the milk reaches 95° to 100°F on an instant read thermometer.
Sprinkle the yeast over the lukewarm milk mixture and set aside for 5-10 minutes. Add 4 cups of the flour and stir until combined (you can do this by hand with a wooden spoon or use the dough hook of a stand mixer). Cover and let rise for one hour in a warm location. The mixture should be bubbly and puffed.
In a small bowl or 1 cup measure, combine the remaining ½ cup of flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir together until blended. Add the flour mixture to the dough and mix until all flour is incorporated. Loosely cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight, or for a day or two, if desired. If rising for more than a day, watch the dough and punch down if needed to prevent overflowing.

To make the cinnamon rolls:

Grease 3 (9-inch) cake pans with melted butter, set aside.
Heavily flour a large, clean work surface. Lightly punch down the dough and scrape out onto the countertop. Using floured hands, and a floured rolling pin, press and roll the dough into a rectangle at least 30-inches wide and about 18 to 20-inches deep. The dough will be very thin.
Brush 12 tablespoons of melted butter over the surface of the dough, leaving a 1-inch border along the 30-inch side farthest away from you.
Sprinkle ⅔ cup of sugar over the butter layer, followed by the ground cinnamon.
Roll the dough into a log starting at the 30-inch side closest to you. Gently pull the dough toward you, then tuck and roll, and repeat, keeping it pretty tight as you go. Next, pinch the seams to seal.
Using a ruler as a guide, cut the rolls into (30) 1-inch slices. You can use a large, thin, sharp knife to cut the rolls, or a long piece of dental floss works very well, too. Place the rolls, cut side down, into the prepared pans.
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Let the rolls rise in a warm location for 30 to 40 minutes. Once risen, the unbaked rolls should be puffed and smooth. To ensure the rolls have risen properly, gently press the edge of a roll with a knuckle. If the dough does not quickly and completely fill back into the depression, the rolls are ready. Bake at 375°F until light golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes.
Transfer the pans to a rack to cool while preparing the frosting.

To make the frosting:

Using an electric mixer or whisk, combine the frosting ingredients and blend until smooth. The frosting should be thick, but pourable. Generously drizzle over the warm rolls. Feel free to go little crazy and don’t skimp on the frosting. Serve immediately.

Recipe Notes

Recipe adapted from Pioneer Woman.

Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. For best results bring the chilled rolls to room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.
Unfrosted rolls may be kept at room temperature.

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. When multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.

Nutrition

Pioneer Woman’s Cinnamon Rolls were originally published on Saving Room for Dessert in January 2011, and updated December 2019

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The Ultimate Pioneer Woman’s Recipe for Cinnamon Rolls with Maple Frosting