بسم الله الرحمان الرحيم

When you think of cozy, do you imagine a soft blanket, the warmth from a crackling fireplace, and the comforting aroma of freshly baked cinnamon rolls wafting through the air? The night is still, and all that’s missing is a sweet treat to complete your cozy evening. Enter the homemade Cinnabon—a dessert that feels like a warm embrace, perfectly suited for a night of relaxation and indulgence.

These cinnamon rolls are a labor of love, promising to fill your home with their enticing scent and your soul with the comfort you crave. Whether you’re sharing them with loved ones or savouring them solo, this recipe will guide you through creating a batch of soft, gooey, and irresistibly sweet Cinnabons. With each bite, you’ll discover the magic that transforms a simple evening into an unforgettable cozy night in.

Alhamdulillah, this year I tried this recipe from @mxriyum and along with a few tips I’ve learnt on my journey to the best cinnamon rolls ever, these are the steps for the best Cinnabon ever:

1) Knead that dough! A minimum of 10 minutes.

2) Before placing the rolls in the oven, drizzle 2 tbsp of fresh cream on each bun.

3) As soon as the buns come out of the oven, brush some butter on your buns.

Ingredients

Yeast mixture:

• 3/4 cup lukewarm water
• 2 1/2 tsp Active dry yeast
• 1 tbsp Sugar

Rest of your dough ingredients:

• 1/3 cup Sugar
• 1 Egg whisked
• 1 Egg yolk whisked
• 3 cups Cake flour or All-purpose flour
• 1 tsp Kosher salt
• 4 tbsp Unsalted butter melted
• ¼ cup warm milk

Filling:

• 1/3 cup Unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 cup light brown sugar packed
• 2 tbsp Cinnamon powder
• 1/8 tsp Nutmeg powder
• ½ cup of chopped up nuts of your choice

Frosting:

• 8oz Cream cheese at room temp
• 3 tbsp Unsalted butter room temp
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup Powdered sugar sifted

Instructions

1. In bowl, combine the lukewarm water, active dry yeast, and 1 tbsp of sugar. Let it rest for 10 minutes.
2. In a separate bowl, combine the remaining 1/3 cup of sugar, whisked eggs, all-purpose or cake flour, salt, milk, and melted unsalted butter. Then add in the yeast mixture last.
3. Mix the dough ingredients together with a spatula or a spoon until a rough dough forms.
4. If you find that your dough is too sticky, add a tablespoon of flour at a time until you are satisfied with the texture.
5. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead for about 8-10 minutes until it becomes smooth. You can also use a stand-mixer if you have one, this speeds things up and doesn’t tire you out!
6. Place the dough in a lightly floured or a lightly buttered bowl, place some plastic wrap on top and a towel. The plastic wrap prevents the dough from sticking to the towel when it rises. Let it rest in a warm place for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until it doubles in size.
7. While the dough is resting, prepare the filling and frosting.
8. Combine the room-temperature unsalted butter, packed brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg until they form a spreadable mixture.
9. To make the frosting, combine the room-temperature cream cheese, unsalted butter, vanilla extract, sifted powdered sugar.
10. Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down gently and place it on a floured surface otherwise it will stick to your counter and it will make it hard to roll. Roll it out and spread the filling over the dough including some of your chopped-up nuts, making sure to roll it up as tightly as possible without stretching or tearing it.
11. Cut the cinnamon rolls with floss into either 2-inch sections for a batch of 6, or 1-inch to 1 1/2-inch sections to make about 8-12 cinnamon rolls. Place them in a prepared baking dish and cover them with a damp cloth. Let them rest for another 30 minutes.
12. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Add 3 tablespoon of heavy cream on top of each cinnamon roll and sprinkle some chopped up nuts.
13. Bake for 25 minutes. make sure it does not darken, because you want it soft and gooey.
14. Once the cinnamon rolls are done, brush over melted butter and spread over your frosting.

Breathe in the mouthwatering aroma and say Bismillah before indulging!