There is nothing like the smell of freshly baked cinnamon rolls! I love how great they smell, but let's be honest: who has the time to make the dough from scratch these days? Today, we are sharing this fantastic Semi-Homemade Cinnamon Roll Recipe!
Semi-Homemade Cinnamon Rolls Recipe
The best part of this Semi-Homemade Cinnamon Roll Recipe is that you already have everything in your fridge and pantry. These are super quick and easy to whip up and taste sooooooo good!
You get the delectable smell and flavor of homemade cinnamon rolls without all the hard work. That is a total win in my book!
Life is hectic right now as we prepare for the holidays! It feels like every day is flying by faster than the last one.
These semi-homemade cinnamon rolls are an easy way to make everyone in the family smile while you don't have to stress about making them from scratch.
I must make these Easy Cinnamon Rolls again! Just looking at the photos has me thinking about how great they taste.
Ingredients
Here is a quick overview of the simple ingredients for making epic Semi-Homemade Cinnamon Rolls! The printable recipe card at the bottom of the post includes specific measurements and step-by-step instructions.
- Store-Bought Pizza Dough
- Butter
- Light Brown Sugar
- Cinnamon
Optional Additions: Raisins, Dried Cranberries, Walnuts
Cream Cheese Icing Ingredients
- Softened Cream Cheese
- Softened Butter
- Powdered Sugar
- Cinnamon
- Milk
Equipment Needed
- 9x13 Baking Pan
- Parchment Paper
- Rolling Pin
- Knife for Cutting Dough
- Mixing Bowl
- Whisk
How to Make Semi-Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
I've included complete instructions in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post, but here's a quick version.
- Butter a baking dish and set aside.
- Preheat the oven
- Roll out the dough. Butter the dough. Gently press the brown sugar into the dough on top of the butter. Sprinkle with the cinnamon.
- Cut the dough into slices, Carefully roll the dough up. Place each roll in the prepared baking dish
- Bake
Cream Cheese Frosting Directions
- Cream together the butter and cream cheese until smooth. Beat in the powdered sugar, cinnamon, and milk.
- Spread the icing over the warm rolls and serve immediately.
Preparation and Storage
Make-Ahead: This recipe for Semi-Homemade Cinnamon Rolls is make-ahead-friendly! You can prep the dough and chill it in an airtight container in the fridge the day before baking.
Storage: These Cinnamon Rolls are perishable due to the cream cheese icing, and they naturally harden with time. Store them in a covered container, such as a bread box, at room temperature for up to two days or store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to five days.
Freezing/How to Freeze: According to The Kitchn’s guide to freezing cinnamon rolls, you can freeze unglazed rolls for up to six weeks. Check out the link for complete instructions.
How to Reheat: The Tasting Table thoroughly guides you through all the methods for reheating cinnamon rolls.
Recipe Variations + Tips for the Best Semi-Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
Substitutions: Use margarine instead of butter in the cinnamon roll dough and cream cheese icing for a lighter version.
If you can't find pizza dough you can also use pre-made bread dough. Make sure to thaw frozen dough before using.
Vegetarian Option: This Cinnamon Roll recipe is naturally vegetarian.
Vegan Option: Replace the pizza dough, butter, cream cheese, and milk with plant-based alternatives to make these Semi-Homemade Cinnamon Rolls vegan.
Gluten-Free: Gluten-free eaters should replace the pizza dough with a gluten-free alternative to make this recipe safe for a gluten-free diet.
Alcohol-Free Option: We don’t use alcohol in this recipe, but we’ve seen other Cinnamon Roll recipes that add a splash of bourbon or whiskey to the glaze for booze-infused cream cheese icing.
Smaller Serving Size + Larger Group/More Servings: The written recipe makes eight servings and scales quickly to your desired yield using the slider in the recipe card.
Sugar-Free: The written recipe contains 20 grams of sugar per serving. Replace the brown sugar and confectioner’s sugar with sugar-free alternatives to make it sugar-free.
What to Serve with Semi-Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
These brunch and breakfast-ready Semi-Homemade Cinnamon Buns are easy to make, and their ingredients are so readily available that you can make them any day of the year! Here are some menu planning suggestions for these semi-homemade morning bakery treats.
Sides: Sausage Breakfast Biscuit Cups, 3 Ingredient Sausage Cream Cheese Crescent Rolls, Air Fryer Sausage Links, Air Fryer Hash Browns, Eggs in a Basket, Air Fryer Bacon
Main Dishes: CrockPot Breakfast Casserole, Sausage, Biscuit, and Gravy Casserole, Pulled Pork Breakfast Hash, Ham and Cheese Crescent Roll Breakfast Casserole, Egg McMuffins
Drinks: Copycat Dunkin' Donuts Coolatta, Copycat Chick-fil-A Frosted Coffee, Copycat Starbucks Frappuccino, Crock Pot Caramel Latte, CrockPot Pumpkin Spice Latte
When to Serve
- Breakfast
- Brunch
- Coffee or Tea Snack
- Midday Snack
- Breakfast for Dinner
- Christmas Morning
Great Recipe Collections
Breakfast for Dinner Ideas - Who says the “most important meal of the day” can’t transition seamlessly from AM to PM hours? These breakfast for dinner recipes are the perfect night time brunch meal!
Cream Cheese Recipes - Check out how you can turn a block of cream cheese into something epic!
Bacon Recipes - Bacon: it’s what’s for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and everything in between
Banana Recipes - Check out our favorite banana recipes for using ripe bananas and dried bananas.
Apple Dessert Recipes - All of the fun fall desserts you can make with apples!
Do you love recipes? Check out our copycat recipes, dessert recipes, and our CrockPot Recipes.
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Semi-Homemade Cinnamon Rolls Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 Ounce store-bought pizza dough
- 1 tablespoon Butter
- ½ cup Brown Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- Optional additional ingredients: add in ½ cup raisins dried cranberries or walnuts if desired.
Cream Cheese Icing
- 1 Ounce Cream Cheese softened
- 1 tablespoon Butter softened
- ⅓ cup Confectioners Powdered Sugar
- ½ teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- 1-2 tablespoons Milk
Instructions
- Butter a baking dish and set aside
- Preheat the oven to 375-degrees.
- Roll out the dough to ¼-inch thick. Butter the dough. Gently press the brown sugar into the dough on top of the butter. Sprinkle with the cinnamon. (Top with optional ingredients if desired).
- Cut the dough into 8 equal strips. Carefully roll the dough up. Place each roll in the prepared baking dish, about 1-inch apart
- Bake for 15-20 minutes until the rolls are golden brown.
Cream Cheese Icing Directions
- Cream together the butter and cream cheese until smooth. Beat in the powdered sugar, cinnamon, and milk.
- Spread the icing over the warm rolls and serve immediately.
Kitchen Tools
- 9X13 Pan
- Parchment Paper
Nutrition
Recipe originally shared on January 18, 2016. Updated October 2020.
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