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The Best Cinnabon Cinnamon Roll Recipe with Frosting without Cream Cheese

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Last Updated on August 11, 2022

One of my favorite treats are cinnamon rolls. I do not know if it is because of the warmth of the cinnamon that reminds me of Christmas or the always awesome pastry. Cinnabon is one of the best places to get a roll outside your own home. They are consistently good and I absolutely love them! But how to recreate them at home? Here you will find a Cinnabon frosting recipe without cream cheese that will blow your mind!

As we are making bread, essentially, this recipe will take at least 2 hours, between proving the dough and letting it rest before baking. Do not let this keep you from making them because they are absolutely delicious! Especially with this amazing frosting!

We have inspired our recipe in The Spruce Eats.

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The Cinnabon Frosting Recipe Without Cream Cheese

This recipe will yield 12 cinnamon rolls that you will be able to freeze and reheat in the microwave whenever you want to enjoy them! That is if there is anything left over. I personally love to add some raisins and nuts to them. The texture difference makes them more interesting! 

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ packets of dry yeast (3 and ¼ tablespoons approx.)
  • ¼ cup of warm water
  • ½ shortening
  • ⅓ cup of sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoon of salt
  • 1 cup of milk
  • 1 large egg
  • 4 to 5 cups of sifted flour
  • 1 cup of butter 
  • 1 cup of brown sugar
  • Cinnamon, as needed
  • Optional: raisins as needed
  • Optional: chopped walnuts as needed

Know the Most Common Baking Conversion Measurements

How To make Cinnabon Frosting Recipe Without Cream Cheese

Step 1

Soak the yeast in the warm water for 10 minutes. This will reactivate the yeast so that it is ready for the bread, creating what is called “a sponge”.

The Cinnabon Frosting Recipe Without Cream Cheese

Step 2

Heat up milk until just about to boil and pour it over the shortening to melt it. Incorporate the dissolved yeast and egg. Add the sugar and salt and combine everything together. Let it cool until lukewarm.

Step 3

Add 4 cups of sifted flour one at a time, combining everything after each one. You should now have a dough that is soft but firm enough to handle with your hands. Prepare yourself to knead!

Step 4

Flour a board or your tabletop. Try for it not to be marble, as it is too cool for the dough. Knead for about ten minutes, until it is elastic and smooth. We need a soft dough so try and avoid adding too much extra flour.

How To make Cinnabon Frosting Recipe Without Cream Cheese

Step 5

Oil up a bowl that is big enough for the dough to rise in. Make a ball with the dough and place it inside. Cover with a tablecloth and let prove for 1 ½ hour.

Step 6

On top of a big floured surface, place the risen ball of dough and press down on it. Divide it into pieces if need be, so that you are able to handle it, and roll it out into a rectangle. 

Step 7

Melt the butter and spread it evenly over the rectangle of dough. Place the brown sugar on top of it.

Step 8

Sprinkle cinnamon to the desired amount. If you would like it to have raisins and/or walnuts, this is the moment to put a layer in!

How To make Cinnabon Frosting Recipe Without Cream Cheese Sprinkle Cinnamon

Step 9

Time to roll! Roll the dough so that it forms a long cylinder. Cut it using a thread, scissors or sharp knife into 1 ½ inch thick slices.

Step 10

Place the slices in a 9 inch greased cake pan. Starting with a slice in the middle, add more slices to the side of it until the pan is covered. Once they are all positioned, cover with a tablecloth again and let rise for another hour.

Step 11

In a 350ºF oven, bake for about 15 to 20 minutes. If the top is getting too brown for your liking, you can add a tinfoil cover until they are done in the middle. 

Now to Make the Frosting Without Cream Cheese!

Step 12

Once out of the oven, tip the pan over a plate so that the rolls come out in one piece. Flip again onto another plate for them to be right side up.

Now to Make the Frosting Without Cream Cheese!

This frosting will only take you about 5 minutes to whip up and is enough for the 12 rolls we just made. Although the traditional Cinnabon rolls ask for cream cheese frosting, we decided to go with a recipe that does not require it. This is a perfect alternative! It tastes just as delicious.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups of powdered sugar
  • 1 tablespoon of melted butter
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
  • 2 to 4 tablespoons of milk or cream 

Cinnabon Frosting Recipe Without Cream Cheese: The Process

Step 1

In a medium bowl, mix the sugar, butter and vanilla extract.

Cinnabon Frosting Recipe Without Cream Cheese: The Process

Step 2

Stir in the milk or cream and mix until smooth. If you use cream, the frosting will be thicker. With milk, it will be thinner. 

Step 3

Cover the rolls with the frosting while still warm. This way, the frosting will melt a bit and run into the rolls, which we love!

Cinnabon Frosting Recipe Without Cream Cheese: The Process Milk and Cream

So, this one is a bit of a longer recipe to make, but so worth it! If you do not feel like baking them the same day, you can always freeze the dough to finish them off at a later date. 

If you need the recipe to be gluten-free, do not fret! Try this sweet roll mix from Gluten-Free Heaven. It is just as delicious and also very easy to make! You will still need to let the dough rise, but the ingredients are all sorted out for you.

As a tip, be generous with your sugar and spices! The dough is not very sweet, so the layers and frosting is what helps add the sugary, cinnamon goodness. Without it, it would just be a bread roll.

The Best Cinnabon Cinnamon Roll Recipe with Frosting without Cream Cheese

One of my favorite treats are cinnamon rolls. I do not know if it is because of the warmth of the cinnamon that reminds me of Christmas or the always awesome pastry. Cinnabon is one of the best places to get a roll outside your own home. They are consistently good and I absolutely love them! But how to recreate them at home? Here you will find a Cinnabon frosting recipe without cream cheese that will blow your mind!
Prep Time2 hours
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: The Best Cinnabon Cinnamon Roll Recipe with Frosting without Cream Cheese
Servings: 12 rolls
Author: cakedecorist.com

Equipment

Ingredients
  

Instructions 

  • A) For the Cinnamon Rolls
  • Step 1 - Soak the yeast in the warm water for 10 minutes. This will reactivate the yeast so that it is ready for the bread, creating what is called “a sponge”.
  • Step 2 - Heat up milk until just about to boil and pour it over the shortening to melt it. Incorporate the dissolved yeast and egg. Add the sugar and salt and combine everything together. Let it cool until lukewarm.
  • Step 3 - Add 4 cups of sifted flour one at a time, combining everything after each one. You should now have a dough that is soft but firm enough to handle with your hands. Prepare yourself to knead!
  • Step 4 - Flour a board or your tabletop. Try for it not to be marble, as it is too cool for the dough. Knead for about ten minutes, until it is elastic and smooth. We need a soft dough so try and avoid adding too much extra flour.
  • Step 5 - Oil up a bowl that is big enough for the dough to rise in. Make a ball with the dough and place it inside. Cover with a tablecloth and let prove for 1 ½ hour.
  • Step 6 - On top of a big floured surface, place the risen ball of dough and press down on it. Divide it into pieces if need be, so that you are able to handle it, and roll it out into a rectangle.
  • Step 7 - Melt the butter and spread it evenly over the rectangle of dough. Place the brown sugar on top of it.
  • Step 8 - Sprinkle cinnamon to the desired amount. If you would like it to have raisins and/or walnuts, this is the moment to put a layer in!
  • Step 9 - Time to roll! Roll the dough so that it forms a long cylinder. Cut it using a thread, scissors or sharp knife into 1 ½ inch thick slices.
  • Step 10 - Place the slices in a 9 inch greased cake pan. Starting with a slice in the middle, add more slices to the side of it until the pan is covered. Once they are all positioned, cover with a tablecloth again and let rise for another hour.
  • Step 11 - In a 350ºF oven, bake for about 15 to 20 minutes. If the top is getting too brown for your liking, you can add a tinfoil cover until they are done in the middle.
  • Step 12 - Once out of the oven, tip the pan over a plate so that the rolls come out in one piece. Flip again onto another plate for them to be right side up.
  • ---------------------------
  • B) For the Frosting
  • Step 1 - In a medium bowl, mix the sugar, butter and vanilla extract.
  • Step 2 - Stir in the milk or cream and mix until smooth. If you use cream, the frosting will be thicker. With milk, it will be thinner.
  • Step 3 - Cover the rolls with the frosting while still warm. This way, the frosting will melt a bit and run into the rolls, which we love!

Notes

  • So, this one is a bit of a longer recipe to make, but so worth it! If you do not feel like baking them the same day, you can always freeze the dough to finish them off at a later date.
  • If you need the recipe to be gluten-free, do not fret! Try this sweet roll mix from Gluten-Free Heaven. It is just as delicious and also very easy to make! You will still need to let the dough rise, but the ingredients are all sorted out for you.
  • As a tip, be generous with your sugar and spices! The dough is not very sweet, so the layers and frosting is what helps add the sugary, cinnamon goodness. Without it, it would just be a bread roll.
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You can also get creative! We would love to see a maple frosting with bacon bits on top! And what about some chocolate chips or sprinkles? Or peanut butter and honey glaze! Yum!

Have you tried them? Make sure to leave a picture down below so that we can check them out!

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