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Fabulous cinnamon and walnut swirled sweet rolls with a to-die-for silk caramel drizzle. You'll go from start to finish in less than 2 hours!
Although my husband, Scott sometimes calls me "Speedy" (or "a whirling dervish") as a nickname and laughs at how fast I run up and down the stairs, I thought that my age had finally caught up with me. You see, I'd seen some recipes on Pinterest for "60 Minute Cinnamon Rolls". The blurbs claimed that you could have "fresh cinnamon rolls (from scratch) in less than 60 minutes". Wow, was I impressed. That sounded pretty amazing... but it also made me feel like I was really slowing down... getting old. Even with super fast acting yeast, my cinnamon rolls take close to two hours. How in the world do they do it?
I decided to check into it, as I was quite curious. So I googled "60 minute cinnamon rolls" hoping to find the secret. Sure enough, a whole slew of recipes popped up and lots of beautiful images of gorgeous sweet treats. I perused through the recipes and discovered that, just like mine, they called for milk, butter, rapid-rise yeast, sugar, flour, eggs and salt. Same ingredients, just different proportions. The methods had a few variations, but basically, quite similar to mine. Nothing super startling or out of the box unique. So how could these other recipes be so much faster than mine?
That's when I started to do the math on these "60 minute" recipes:
- 2 minutes to warm the milk and butter
- 8 minutes (mixing time) +
- 10 minutes (rest time) +
- 25 minutes (rising time) +
- 20 minutes (baking time) =
- 65 minutes!
65 minutes. Not including time to measure the ingredients, roll out the dough, add the filling, roll into a log and cut into slices. Even for a "Speedy" like your's truly, that would take a minimum of 15-20 extra minutes. Do you think the time calculation in these recipes might be just a wee bit off?
I did set a timer when I made these Cinnamon Rolls with Caramel Icing and discovered, if I work quickly with minimal interruptions, I can go from raw ingredients to a fabulously delicious, fragrant sweet treat in just under 2 hours. And they are quite easy, as the title implies. Since the recipe calls for fast-rising yeast, there's no yeast activation necessary, as in traditional sweet roll recipes. Just throw the yeast in with the other dry ingredients and away you go!
This yeast also allows great results with only one rising period versus two with regular active yeast. That in itself saves about 40-50 minutes. You'll find fast-rising, also known as rapid-rising or instant yeast in the baking aisle of most larger grocery stores and online.
Did I tell you these Easy Cinnamon Rolls with Caramel Icing are crazy-good? My husband declared them to be "the best cinnamon rolls you've ever made". Maybe it's that they're so moist and tender, perhaps it's the sweet cinnamony-walnut layers swirled throughout these rolls, or it could be the silky smooth, deep caramel icing ... I'm not sure, but I do know that his comment made old "Speedy" feel a bit younger and quite pleased with my results.
P.S. Oh, and if you're truly pinched for time, I gotcha covered there too! Check out this super duper easy cinnamon roll recipe that truly can be made start to finish in less than an hour.
- Ingredients for the dough:
- 1 cup whole milk
- ¼ cup butter cut in 4 pieces (this will help it melt more quickly)
- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour divided
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2¼ teaspoons rapid rise (or instant) yeast 1 packet
- 1 large egg
- 1 yolk from a large egg
- Ingredients for the filling:
- 3 tablespoons butter softened
- ¼ cup dark brown sugar packed
- ¼ cup white sugar
- ¼ cup finely chopped walnuts
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- Ingredients for the caramel icing:
- 2 tablespoons butter melted
- 2 tablespoons milk
- ¼ cup dark brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
-
Place milk in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat on high for 1 ½ minutes. Remove from microwave and add the butter. Stir for a minute until butter is melted, then set aside.
-
In the bowl of an electric mixer with the dough hook attached, combine 2 cups of flour, the sugar, the yeast and the salt. Mix until ingredients are combined.
-
Check the milk mixture. It should be quite warm to the touch but not super hot, 110˚F-120˚F. Add milk mixture to the mixing bow and mix with the dough hook until dry ingredients are incorporated. Add egg and egg yolk and mix until combined.
-
Add the remaining flour and beat until all flour is incorporated. Continue to knead with the dough hook for 5 more minutes.
-
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead a few times to form a ball, coating the dough with flour. Cover the dough with the mixing bowl inverted and let it rest for 10 minutes.
-
While dough is resting, make the filling. Combine brown sugar, white sugar, walnuts and cinnamon.
-
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough with a rolling pin into a 12x14-inch rectangle. With a table knife, spread rectangle with the 3 tablespoons softened butter. Sprinkle evenly with the sugar/walnut/cinnamon mixture.
-
Preheat oven to 375˚F. Spray a 9x13 inch pan with baking spray. Line with parchment paper allowing paper to extend over long edges of pan (to help with easy removal from pan). Spray parchment paper lightly with baking spray.
-
Starting at a longer edge of the dough, tightly roll into a log. Pinch seam to seal. With a sharp, serrated knife cut log into 12 equal size pieces. Use very light pressure to cut. Place cut side up into prepared pan, spacing evenly. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise until double, about 25-30 minutes.
-
Bake for 18 minutes, then cover with foil to prevent over-browning and bake for another 6-8 minutes or until golden and dough in center is done. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes before drizzling with caramel icing. Serve warm or at room temperature. To freeze, place rolls in freezer uncovered for 1 hour, then wrap tightly with plastic wrap or foil and return to freezer.
-
While the rolls are baking, make the icing. Place butter and milk in a medium-size microwave-safe bowl. Cover with a paper towel and cook on high power for 1 minute. Add brown sugar and stir to combine. Return to microwave and cook for another minute. Take a tiny taste to make sure mixture is not grainy. If there is any graininess, return to microwave for another 30 seconds.
-
Add vanilla and powdered sugar and stir till smooth and lump-free. Icing should be fairly thick, but "drizzlable". If it's too thick, add a bit more milk. If too thin add a bit more powdered sugar.
Erin @ Simple, Sweet & Savory says
Even if it took me 5 hours, I'd still wanna make these babies. Cinnamon Rolls with Caramel Icing?! I'm in!! Gorgeous pictures, by the way.
Beverley says
Timing is everything 🙂 you said they are easy to make so this makes it a keeper for me. Thank you for another splendid recipe xoxo
Shirlee Lamb says
What size pan for cinnamon rolls?
John@Kitchen Riffs says
A lot of recipes seem to suggest an unrealistic time, it seems. And actually, when it comes to yeast I think longer is better -- a richer flavor. But sometimes we want something in a hurry and really do need fast recipes, and this would be perfect! Good stuff, fun pictures -- thanks.
Joanie says
This will be perfect for when we go camping on the weekends. I can jut smell them cooking by the fire
Claire @ Claire K Creations says
Oh Chris that topping looks a-ma-zing! I know what you mean about recipes that are a little off on their timings. You'd have to be a machine to make some of them in the times they specify.
I have actually gotten very lazy with my bread baking and found that as long as the water is the right temp and the yeast fresh, I can just throw it all together and don't need to let the yeast prove (proof?) first.
cheri says
Hi Chris, 65 minutes, count me in, my husband loves cinnamon rolls.
Donna Vaughn says
I can't wait to try this recipe. Cinnamon rolls hot out of the oven…mmm. And your husband does a wonderful job with the pictures! What a wonderful team the two of you make.
Laura (Tutti Dolci) says
These rolls look absolutely divine, love that caramel icing!
Tricia @ Saving room for dessert says
60 minutes or 120 - I don't think anybody would complain if you were mixing these up. They are beautiful, dripping with caramel icing - gosh I bet they are fantastic!
Pam says
Beautiful and drool worthy!
spoon-stories says
My dear Chris...I just came back from my holidays and I saw that delicious post of yours!!I wish I had a bite!!
Sandra says
Good things come to those who wait and waiting for these would not be a problem. That caramel icing looks amazing Speedy!
Happier Than A Pig In Mud says
Very pretty and perfect for the fall recipe box Chris:@)
Madonna/aka/Ms. Lemon says
Chris, I am glad to see you put some perspective on yeast rolls. I don't mind dedicating a little more time for a quality product. I love slow food.
Scott is starting to sound like Geoffrey Garten. He tells Ina it is the best she ever made. I love that.
Your rolls are gorgeous.
Sophia @ NY Foodgasm says
WOAH, double bam! These look AWESOME!!!
Monique says
You could sell them online at the end of this post for a small fortune..you're such a great team..
Ginny Hartzler says
These look SO good! Thanks to Scott for showing us just how awesome they are, and to you for telling us how.
Angie@Angie's Recipes says
As if those cinnamon rolls weren't awesome enough, you topped them with the caramel icing! They look to die for, Chris.
Joyce says
I do mine in the bread machine.....what a time saver and utterly delicious indeed. No one would ever guess I used the machine. lol Mine takes even less time than 60 minutes. So easy and encourages me to make them often for my grateful husband.
Denise Browning@From Brazil To You says
Wow... I am bout to drool over the keyboard, literally! I still remember the first time I visited this country and of course, trying a cinnamon roll. It was unforgettable! Everybody asked me which one was my fave American treat at that time... I answered it quickly: Cinnamon Rolls! I do still love them though. Thanks for the quick recipe, Chris!
Mary says
What a perfect Fall treat! they look amazingly delicious:)
Mary Hirsch says
Oh, Honey, you haven't even begun to experience that age-thing catching up with you yet! This was not a great e-mail to float into my Box this morning. It's the day after Labor Day and I made all sorts of "get fitter" pledges. Now, in just 60 minutes I can kiss that pledge good-bye. It's all about moderation, isn't it? Everything in moderation. These look good. Along with your 5-minute bread, you have me covered.
Melanie | Melanie Makes says
So wish I could share one of these with you! I was just craving cinnamon rolls this weekend. 🙂
Alex says
Oh... that caramel on top..... Gorgeous!