Grandmas Chewy and Delicious Homemade Cinnamon Rolls (GF Friendly)

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Cinnamon rolls have been a traditional sweet breakfast treat in my family for years and my love for them has managed to pass its way down in my kids hearts too.

I have fond memories of waking up to the delicious cinnamon smell of my moms famous warm and chewy cinnamon rolls. There is really nothing more delicious if you ask me! I could honestly eat 10 of these without even blinking.

They’re definitely not something we make often, but when we do, we go all out. Because everyone deserves to indulge in sweet and savory goodness from time to time, am I right!? (Says the super pregnant lady!) So yes to the real butter, the real homemade dough and allll the sugar.

Anywho, I know this isnt my typical health food recipe but its a deep loving tradition that runs deep into my soul. This recipe is a mix between my GREAT grandmothers homemade bread recipe and my mom’s cinnamon rolls. So they’re not only delicious special to me too.

My son recently turned 6 and decided that he no longer likes cake or cupcakes, but would rather me make him cinnamon rolls for his birthday treat. Of course I didn’t hesitate to spend all night making these for him (especially since I’m now 30 weeks pregnant and so darn hungry all the time.)

The dough for the rolls is made with a homemade bread dough (which you let rise for a day before making the rolls) so allow yourself some time or even a long weekend to make them. You can also make the dough and let it rise a few hours before or even the night before you make the cinnamon rolls - this is what I usually do. It’s a really fun process that the kids enjoy.

To clarify - you can make these with regular organic flour or gluten free flour, whichever you choose. If you’re going to make them gluten-free, I recommend using Bob’s Red Mill 1-1 Gluten free all purpose baking flour, as it is what worked best for me. If you’re not gluten-free, I recommend using an organic flour like this one, where the wheat wasn’t sprayed with pesticides. I’ve had great results with either flour. The trick with using gluten free flour is that when you make the dough, be sure to monitor how sticky it gets. If the dough is too sticky, slowly add a bit more flour during the kneading process until it doesn’t stick to your hands as much anymore.

Okay so here is step 1, how to make the dough itself.

CINNAMON ROLL DOUGH INGREDIENTS:

• 4 1/2 tsp yeast (I used this brand)

• 7 cup flour (Organic flour or Gluten free flour)

• 1/4 cup room temperature butter

• 1 large egg

• 2 tsp salt

• 1/4 cup natural sugar or coconut sugar

• 2 3/4 cup water

CINNAMON ROLL DOUGH INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Dissolve 4 1/2 tsp yeast in 3/4 cup warm water.

2. Then, mix in 2 cups flour, 2 tsp salt and 1/4 cup of natural sugar. Combine well.

3. Add 1 egg and 1/4 cup room temperature butter. Mix well. You may have to use your hands to combine well.

4. Add 2 cups more water and about 5 cups more flour.

5. Mix thoroughly and then begin to knead the dough with your hands for about 5-7 minutes until you have a nice dough ball. If the texture is too sticky and continues to get stuck to your hands or the surface you’re working on, you need to add a bit more flour.

6. Once the dough is ready - you are going to divide it down the middle into 2 separate dough balls.

7. Place the two separate dough balls into 2 separate bread pans. Set the pans on your counter top (where they aren’t too cold) and cover with a clean kitchen towel to let them rise. This will take anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour, depending on the tempeature of the room.

8. Once the dough has risen once, knead it well again with your hands and then let it rise a second time. You are welcome to repeat this process until you’re ready to worth with the dough but letting it rise twice is the minimum requiremed.

9. Now your dough is ready to make cinnamon rolls!

You’re halfway there! Almost cinnamon roll time!!

Makes around 20-24 rolls

Note that this recipe will make 2 separate batches of cinnamon rolls - so you can make both batches of cinnamon rolls or you can save the second dough for another recipe if you’d like. In other words, you can make 12 or 24 rolls.

What I do is actually use one of the rolls of dough to make bread on Christmas Eve and then the second dough ball I use to make cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning.

CINNAMON ROLL FILLING INGREDIENTS:

• bread dough (see above)

• 3/4 cup brown sugar or coconut sugar

• 1 tsp vanilla

• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

• 1/2 cup softened butter

• 1 tsp vanilla

CINNAMON ROLL INSTRUCTIONS:

1. On a sheet of parchment paper, roll out your dough ball with a rolling pin until you have a large, thin oval (about 1/3 inch thick).

2. In a separate bowl, combine the sugar, cinnamon and vanilla.

3. With a brush, brush on a nice thick layer of room temperature butter all over the top side of the dough. Then sprinkle on your cinnamon/sugar mixture evenly all over on top of the butter.

4. Now, roll your dough up as tightly as you can into a nice long log.

5. Use a sharp knife to cut out all your rolls into about 12 even 1 + 1/2-2 inch rolls.

6. Place the cut rolls into a greased glass or cereamic baking dish and cover with a towel or plastic wrap for about 30 minutes to an hour or until the rolls rise.

7. When the rolls have risen, they are ready to bake.

8. Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes, checking them after 20 minutes. You will know they are ready when they are golden brown on top. You want them a bit crisp on the outside but still mushy and soft on the inside.

Serve these cinnamon rolls warm with your favorite frosting melted on top. I used a mixture of powdered sugar, butter, vanilla and a splash of nut milk.

EASY FROSTING:

• 1 cup powdered sugar

• 1/2 cup room temperature butter

• 1 tsp vanilla

• 2 tsp nut milk of your choice

FROSTING INSRUCTIONS:

1. While the cinnamon rolls are baking, you can make your frosting. Add 1 cup powedered sugar to 1/2 cup room temperature butter. Add in vanilla and stir. Slowly add 1 tsp of milk at a time and whisk quickly until you reach your desired frosting consistency.

2. Pour this frosting right on top of the rolls when they come out of the oven!