How to Make Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls in Your Own Kitchen
Updated: Nov. 10, 2021
Follow our Cinnabon cinnamon roll recipe for a sweet copycat. You can smell the unmistakable aroma already!
No trip to the mall is complete without a visit to Cinnabon. The unmistakable smell of fresh-baked cinnamon buns can steal us away from shopping every time. That mouthwatering aroma comes from the company’s trademarked Makara cinnamon, yeasty dough and a brown sugar center.
To re-create the experience at home, use our Cinnabon cinnamon roll copycat recipe. It’s a perfect taste-alike!
How to Make Copycat Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls
Here’s what you’ll need to make approximately 16 rolls.
Ingredients
Dough:
- 1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
- 1 cup warm whole milk (110° to 115°F)
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup butter, melted
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 to 4-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Filling:
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup butter, melted, divided
Frosting:
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1/4 cup cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1-1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
Editor’s Tip: To complete the Cinnabon experience, you can buy a pint of Cinnabon frosting.
Directions
Step 1: Prepare the dough
The foundation of your cinnamon bun is the tender dough. To get started, dissolve the yeast in warm milk. In another bowl, combine sugar, butter, eggs and salt with the yeast mixture and 2 cups flour; beat on medium speed until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough (the dough will be sticky).
Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled. It will take about 1 hour. Here’s what happens when the dough is rising!
Step 2: Add the cinnamon filling
Mix brown sugar and cinnamon. (Did you know cinnamon has health benefits?) Punch down dough and divide in half.
On a lightly floured surface, roll one portion of dough into an 11×8-inch rectangle. Brush with 2 tablespoons of butter, then sprinkle with half of the brown sugar mixture to within 1/2 inch of the edges.
Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a long side; pinch seam to seal. Cut into eight slices. Place each slice in a greased 13×9-inch pan, cut side down. Cover with a kitchen towel.
Repeat with remaining dough and filling. Let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350°.
Step 3: Bake until golden brown
It’s time to let the magic happen. Bake until golden brown, about 20-25 minutes. Remove and cool on wire racks.
Step 4: Prepare the creamy frosting
It’s not a Cinnabon copycat unless you add cream cheese frosting. Beat butter, cream cheese, vanilla and salt until blended. Gradually beat in confectioners’ sugar.
Step 5: Spread on the frosting and enjoy
Pair your roll with a glass of homemade lemonade like they’d serve at the mall. You can refrigerate leftovers, although we doubt there will be any!
More than 100 million deliciously fluffy Cinnabon buns—dripping with cinnamon, brown sugar, margarine and cream-cheese frosting—are sold each year. You might want to use your Cinnabons to make this wild Disney treat.
Skillet Cinnamon Rolls
I love using cast iron to get a nice crust on these skillet cinnamon rolls! The pan also makes an impressive serving dish on the table without it looking as if you tried too hard. —Danielle Williams, Newport, Rhode Island
Mini Maple Cinnamon Rolls
Maple syrup sweetens these lovely little cinnamon buns. I make the dough in my bread machine before popping the rolls in the oven. My husband prefers them warm. —Juanita Carlsen, North Bend, Oregon
Can't-Eat-Just-One Cinnamon Rolls
My cinnamon rolls have been known to vanish quickly. Once I dropped off a dozen rolls for my brothers, and they emptied the pan in 10 minutes. —Regina Farmwald, West Farmington, Ohio
Caramel-Pecan Cinnamon Rolls
These irresistible rolls are perfect as an Easter brunch idea! - Louis Jacobsen, Dallas, Wisconsin
Overnight Cinnamon Rolls
I like to try different fun fillings in these soft rolls, and each one is packed with cinnamon flavor. They are definitely worth the overnight wait. —Chris O'Connell, San Antonio, Texas
Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls
These cinnamon rolls are sure to please anyone who has a sweet tooth. They're just the thing for a Christmas morning treat. Be sure to eat them while they're still warm—they're best that way! The dough for these rolls is sticky, so don't worry if your fingers get messy. —Andrea Price, Grafton, Wisconsin
Pretty Pumpkin Cinnamon Buns
I make sticky buns and cinnamon rolls quite often because my husband loves them. One day I had some fresh pumpkin on hand and decided to try pumpkin cinnamon buns. We loved the results! —Glenda Joseph, Chambersburg, Pennsylvania
Giant Cinnamon Roll
This must-try cinnamon roll is all about the pillowy texture, the sweet spices and the homemade caramel drizzle. —Leah Rekau, Taste of Home food stylist
Air-Fryer Bourbon Bacon Cinnamon Rolls
This recipe is the perfect combination of savory and sweet. The bourbon-soaked bacon adds a smoky, savory, bold taste to the cinnamon rolls. The ginger and pecan topping makes for a crunchy, spicy finish. —Shannen Casey, Citrus Heights, California
Sticky Buns
It's impossible to eat just one of these soft, yummy sticky buns—they have wonderful old-fashioned goodness. Use the conventional method or your bread machine to make the dough. —Dorothy Showalter, Broadway, Virginia
Toffee Apple Cinnamon Buns
This recipe was my dad’s favorite growing up. He would sit and watch his mom sprinkle the dough with sweet filling, carefully roll it up and cut it into rounds. The anticipation waiting for them to come out of the oven was almost more than he could bear. —Jeanne Holt, Mendota Heights, Minnesota
Cappuccino Cinnamon Rolls
Distinctive coffee flavor accents the filling of these ooey, gooey rolls. The glaze goes on while they are still warm—they won’t last long!. —Sherri Cox, Lucasville, Ohio
Pumpkin Eggnog Rolls
I needed to use up some eggnog, so I swapped it for milk in my sweet roll recipe. Even people who usually don’t go for eggnog go back for seconds of these yummy frosted treats. —Rebecca Soske, Douglas, Wyoming
Red Velvet Cinnamon Rolls
Turn a box of red velvet cake mix into this easy dessert—or breakfast! The icing tastes good and makes a pretty contrast with the rolls. —Erin Wright, Wallace, Kansas
Sweet and Spicy Chocolate Chip Cinnamon Rolls
The addition of spicy chocolate cinnamon cane sugar adds a little bit of heat and an extra punch of cinnamon and chocolate to the filling of these cinnamon rolls originally shared by Patty Wynn of Pardeeville, Wisconsin. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
Caramel Pecan Rolls
Soft and sweet, these rolls will get a lip-smacking smile from everyone. They rise nice and high, hold their shape and have a gooey caramel sauce that's scrumptious. There's no better way to start the day! —Carolyn Buschkamp, Emmetsburg, Iowa
Best Cinnamon Rolls
When I married him, I discovered that my husband's family has the best cinnamon roll recipe! I asked his mom how to make homemade cinnamon rolls, and I've been making them ever since. Serve them with scrambled eggs, and you have a filling breakfast. As a variation, you can replace the filling with a mixture of raisins and pecans. —Shenai Fisher, Topeka, Kansas
Cinnamon Roll Cherry Cobbler
Red Hots and canned cherries flavor this memorable dessert from my childhood. I hadn’t had it in years, so when I found my mother’s recipe, I had to make it to see if it’s as good as I remembered. It is! —Betty Zorn, Eagle, Idaho
Tender Pecan Sticky Buns
These homemade caramel rolls have the old-fashioned goodness my family craves. Tender and nutty, the buns disappear fast on Christmas. —Julia Spence, New Braunfels, Texas
Bacon Cinnamon Buns
I absolutely love bacon! I also love recipes that blend sweet and savory flavors, so I put chopped bacon in traditional cinnamon buns for a finger-licking-good combination. —Danielle Williams, Newport, Rhode Island
Gooey Lemon Rolls
My mother made these hard-to-resist rolls when I was young. I always warm up after having one, and so will your family. —Cora Patterson, Lewiston, Idaho
Cinnamon Bun Cookies
I love cinnamon rolls, but working with yeast can be scary. These cookies give you the taste of a cinnamon roll in cookie form—no yeast required! They look like flattened cinnamon rolls and feel special enough to serve around the holidays. —Erin Raatjes, New Lenox, Illinois
Caramel-Pecan Sticky Buns
My mother used to make delicious cinnamon rolls when I was a child. Later, she taught my sister and me to make them. I've since added the caramel and pecans. These scrumptious sticky buns are a huge hit wherever I take them. —Judy Powell, Star, Idaho
Multigrain Cinnamon Rolls
This simple and easy-to-work with recipe is sure to become a family favorite. And the wholesome cinnamon rolls will fill your kitchen with a wonderful, warm aroma. —Judy Eddy, Baldwin City, Kansas
Special Cinnamon Rolls
I found that adding instant pudding mix to my mom's delicious roll recipe really enhances the flavor. —Brenda Deveau, Cyr Plt, Maine
Cranberry-White Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls
A basket of warm cinnamon rolls is a sure way to impress family and friends. Add cranberries and chocolate to the ingredient mix, and these treats are irresistible.—Meg Marriott, Tacoma, Washington
Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Rolls
I started adding chocolate chips to my cinnamon rolls because several children didn't like the raisins in them. The chocolate and cinnamon are a fun flavor combination. My family loves them, and so does my Sunday school class. —Patty Wynn, Pardeevlle, Wisconsin
Favorite Frosted Cinnamon Rolls
I serve these yummy frosted rolls warm from the oven as a Christmas morning treat at our house. Even if you are not accustomed to working with yeast dough, you'll find this dough is easy to handle. —Julie Sterchi, Jackson, Missouri
Slow-Cooker Cinnamon Roll Pudding
A slow cooker turns day-old cinnamon rolls into a comforting, old-fashioned dessert. It tastes wonderful topped with lemon or vanilla sauce or whipped cream. —Edna Hoffman, Hebron, Indiana
Brunch Cinnamon Rolls
A biscuit-textured cinnamon bun with the ease of food processor preparation. This family-friendly breakfast bun is glazed with maple and vanilla flavors to accent the cinnamon and nuts.—Rita Vogel, Malcom, Iowa
Iced Cinnamon Potato Rolls
This recipe comes from my mother-in-law, who remembers making these rolls often. Now I make them often. Maybe they'll be a hit with your family, too! —Jonas Schwartz, Berne, Indiana
Autumn Sweet Rolls with Cider Glaze
I love cooking with pumpkin because it’s versatile, colorful and nutritious. Combining it with chopped apple and cider gives these glazed rolls their autumn appeal. —Jennifer Coduto, Kent, Ohio
Molasses-Pecan Sticky Buns
As much as I like making yeast breads, I enjoy watching others enjoying my baking even more. These soft, tender rolls are loaded with the gooey goodness of molasses.—Shirley Saylor, Felton, Pennsylvania
Bite-Sized Cinnamon Roll Cookies
If you love cinnamon rolls and spiced cookies, make a bite-sized version that combines the best of both worlds. These cinnamon roll cookies are genius! — Jasmine Sheth, New York, New York
