Homemade Cici’s Cinnamon Rolls Copycat Recipe
Inspired by Cici’s Cinnamon Rolls Recipe, these little baked treats are bursting with cinnamon and buttery flavors! The dough is soft and delicious! They’re the perfect size for eating so you can eat multiple in one sitting! Or eat just one to save room for other desserts.
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This Cinnamon Roll Recipe Is:
- It tastes just like Cici’s cinnamon rolls!
- Perfect size! Smaller than standard cinnamon rolls
- VERY soft and buttery!
- Great reheated
Today, we are making the Cici’s Pizza Cinnamon Rolls Recipe. These cinnamon rolls feature a VERY soft dough, sweet glaze, and a jampacked with cinnamon butter! Best of all, they’re smaller than the average cinnamon roll! This means you can eat multiple and still have room for more desserts.
Cinnamon rolls are so delicious; who can resist cinnamon butter and fluffy bread? Actually, I can. My problem with cinnamon rolls doesn’t lie in the taste (they taste amazing). My problem lies in the size! Yes, a gigantic one is a feast for the eyes that makes my stomach full by looking at it. Sure, it looks great. However, it’s a commitment! I know that if I eat a cinnamon roll, I; ‘ll be too full for anything else. So, sadly, I ended up turning them down…. that is until today.
Steps To Make Cici’s Cinnamon Rolls
- Knead the dough and let it rise: Knead the dough in your stand mixer and let it rise for an hour. I recommend using a stand mixer in this recipe instead of kneading by hand. You can knead by hand. However, it’ll take a lot of elbow grease!
- Shape the rolls: Once the dough has doubled, put it on a floured surface and roll it out with a rolling pin. You want it roll the dough into 18×6 inches. Then, spread the cinnamon butter on top of the dough edge to edge. Roll it up starting from the long side. Cut with a sharp knife and put in the baking pans for an hour!
- Bake: Drizzle heavy cream on top of the rolls. Then, bake in a 350°F (177°C) oven for 25 minutes. Take it out and let it cool for five to ten minutes. Drizzle the powdered sugar glaze on top and serve!
Tips To Make Amazing Cinnamon Rolls:
- Don’t add extra flour to the dough: If the dough is too sticky and impossible to work with, you can add just a bit extra flour (one to two tablespoons max). However, do not add any more than that. If you add too much flour, your cinnamon rolls will be dense.
- Let the dough rise completely during the first and second rise: The dough should double during both of the rises. Do not rush this process! Be patient and let it rise even if your timer has gone off. For best results, the dough needs to double.
- Use a sharp knife to cut the cinnamon rolls. A dull blade will squish them down.
- Space out your cinnamon rolls when putting them in the pan. They need room to rise.
You’ll Love My Other Copycat Recipes:
Domino’s Parmesan Bread Bites Recipe
Subway Italian Herb and Cheese Bread Copycat Recipe
Easy Jimmy John’s Bread Recipe
How To Make Jersey Mike’s Italian Sub – Best Copycat Recipe
Cici’s Cinnamon Rolls Recipe
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Equipment
Ingredients
For The Dough
- 2 ¼ Teaspoons Active Dry Yeast or instant yeast
- 1 ¼ Cups Warm Milk 300 grams
- ¼ Cup Sugar 50 grams
- 3 ½ Cups All-Purpose Flour 420 grams
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- 1 Large Egg
- ¼ Cup Melted Butter 57 grams
- ½ Cup Heavy Cream 120 grams
Cinnamon Butter Filling
- ¼ Cup Soft Butter 57 grams
- ⅔ Cup Brown Sugar 146 grams
- 1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
Glaze
- 1 ⅓ Cups Powdered Sugar 140 grams
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 2-3 Tablespoons Milk
Instructions
- Bloom The Yeast: In the bowl of your stand mixer, add the dry yeast, half the milk, and half the sugar. Let sit until the yeast mixture becomes foamy (roughly five minutes).
- Knead The Dough: Add the rest of the milk, sugar, all-purpose flour, salt, egg, and melted butter into the bowl. Knead on medium-low for 10 minutes until the dough comes together.
- First Rise: Place the dough in an oiled bowl or container, cover, and let rise at room temperature for one hour or until doubled in size.
- Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). Grease two 9×13 pans. Set aside.
- Prepare Cinnamon Butter: In a medium bowl, mix the soft butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Set aside.
- Shaping and Second Rise: On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a rectangle that's roughly 18×6 inches. Spread the cinnamon butter on the top of the dough (if the cinnamon butter is too hard, microwave it for 5-10 seconds to soften). Starting at the long edge, roll the dough up in a jelly roll. With a sharp knife, cut the dough into 20 slices. Place the slices cut side down onto the baking pans. Cover and let rise for one hour or until doubled in size.
- Glaze: In a small bowl, combine the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and milk. If it is too thick, add more milk If it is too thin, add more powdered sugar.
- Bake: Uncover the rolls and pour the heavy cream on top. Then, bake for 25 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes then pour the glaze on top. Enjoy!
Notes
- Storing Instructions: You can refrigerate them or freeze them. Wrap them individually in plastic wrap to make it easier to take out one. To reheat, wrap in aluminum foil and bake at 350°F (177°C) for 8 minutes.
- Rise Time: You MUST let the dough rise! If it doesn’t rise and you rush the process, you’ll end up with dense cinnamon rolls. If you’re new to baking, make sure to check out my Baking With Yeast guide.
