Easy Cinnamon Rolls

Easy Cinnamon Rolls uses frozen bread dough to make these rolls and you don’t have to proof any yeast or measure out a bunch of ingredients.

I love homemade cinnamon rolls and overnight cinnamon rolls but I also love a good cooking hack and this recipe is one. Maybe I should have called these semi-homemade cinnamon rolls because these rolls use frozen store bought bread dough. 

Do these cinnamon rolls need to rise?

Yes! Rising time is still part of this recipe. The bread needs to thaw completely and even have a little rest time on the counter before rolling. After the rolls have are cut and are in the pan then they will need to rise in a warm place for about an hour before they’re baked. I promise, these are not too fussy. You will need to have a little flour for dusting the countertop before rolling out.

Here is the type of bread you will use to make these rolls. I often buy the store brand too. 

What’s in the yummy filling?

Butter, brown sugar and cinnamon! All the good stuff! Butter powdered sugar, vanilla and milk are used in the frosting.

I make my own frosting with the ingredients I listed above but if you wanted to buy a can of frosting in the baking aisle that will work too. Like I said, these are EASY! Perfect for busy holiday mornings too when you want a breakfast that feels special but also don’t have much time to spend in the kitchen.

Print Recipe

Easy Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients

• 1 loaf of frozen bread dough, thawed in refrigerator

Filling

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• ⅔ stick of butter, softened

Icing

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• ¼ cup butter, softened
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp milk- more or may be needed based on the consistency

Instructions

• Thaw bread dough in refrigerator overnight
• Once dough is thawed, roll out dough to a 15x7-inch rectangle.
• In a bowl combine brown sugar and cinnamon and combine. Set aside.
• Brush dough with softened ⅔ cup of butter and sprinkle brown sugar/ cinnamon mixture over the top.
• Starting with the long side roll up the dough into a log shape.
• Slice cinnamon rolls into 12-16 pieces, depending on the size of the cuts
• Place in a greased round cake pan or pie plate, you will probably need two pans
• Cover with a clean kitchen towel and allow to rise until doubled in size, about one hour
• Preheat oven to 400°
• Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown on top
• While rolls are baking make the icing

Icing

• In a medium bowl combine softened butter, powdered sugar and vanilla and the milk and combine all together until the consistency is spreadable. A little more milk might be needed.
• Allow rolls to cool for about 3-5 minutes and then pour the icing on top