Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

4.89 from 9 votes

This recipe puts a new twist on classic cinnamon rolls. Fluffy, soft buns bursting with buttery, vanilla & cinnamon swirls.

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Keyword Cinnamon rolls, Glazed Cinnamon Rolls, Vanilla bean recipes

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 25

Rising time 2

Total Time 2 45

Servings

Calories 210

Beans from ½ Vanilla pod (substitution: 1½ teaspoons Vanilla bean paste or extract)
1.5 oz melted butter plus more for pan 3 tablespoons
¼ cup light brown sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 oz butter (¼ cup/4 tablespoons/½ stick), melted
1 cup powdered sugar
Beans from ½ Vanilla pod (substitution: 1½ teaspoons Vanilla bean paste or extract)
1-2 tablespoons milk

In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in a ¼ cup of the hot milk and set aside.
In a large bowl mix milk, sugar, melted butter, salt, and egg.
Add 2 cups of flour and mix until smooth. Add yeast mixture. Mix in more flour as needed until dough is formed but still a bit sticky (this isn't as easy to work with, but makes a lovely soft bun)
Knead dough on a lightly floured surface for 5 to 10 minutes. Place in an oiled bowl, cover and let rise until doubled in size, usually 2 to 3 hours.
When doubled in size, punch down dough.
Roll out on a floured surface into a 15 by 9-inch rectangle.
Scrape the beans from ½ vanilla pod to the melted butter (see post for instructions and photos).
Spread vanilla melted butter all over the dough.
Mix sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over buttered dough.
Beginning at the 15-inch side, roll up the dough and pinch edge together to seal. Cut into 12 slices.
Place the buns into a 13×9 pan about 2 inches apart. Cover with a clean dish towel and leave in a warm place to rise until dough is doubled (about 45 minutes to an hour).
Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for 20 - 30 minutes or until golden brown.
Meanwhile, In a mixing bowl whisk together the melted butter, the beans from the remaining half vanilla pod, and powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon of milk.
Add in more milk as needed 1 tablespoon at a time until it is the desired consistency.
Spread over warm buns to glaze or wait until the buns cool for iced buns.

If you want to use Quick Rise Yeast, you can still make this recipe. To do so, just skip adding the yeast to the warm milk and add the yeast directly to the bowl.
Be sure the milk you use is warm (it should be about 110°F/43°C). If it is too hot it will kill the yeast and if it’s too cold, the yeast won’t activate.
Use a room temperature egg in the dough: When using cold eggs in yeast dough it could affect the yeast activating.
Be sure to flour your kneading and rolling surface as well as the rolling pin to prevent the dough from sticking to the surface or the rolling pin.
If you don’t have vanilla bean pods, that’s ok vanilla bean paste works just as well and in a pinch, you can use vanilla extract too.