These homemade cinnabon's are an all American classic. Perfect for afternoon tea or brunch they definitely fall into the naughty but nice category. But oh what a treat!
Similar to cinnamon rolls, our copycat cinnabon recipe has a soft brioche like dough. With a tasty blend of fruit and spice, topped with a delicious cream cheese frosting. YUM!

Just like our Easter hot cross scrolls this dough is light and soft like. Like all good things these delights take time but the process is simple and our recipe is fool proof.
The double proving along with the brioche style dough will make the time spent, well worth while! Let us show you how.
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Ingredients
- Fruit - Currants, raisins, sultanas, one orange (juice only) and candied mixed peel.
- Spices - Ground cinnamon, nutmeg, all spice, clove and salt.
- For the dough - Yeast (dried active), Bakers flour ('00' high grade flour), brown sugar, 1 egg, butter, zest of one orange and oil.
For the Sweet cinnamon butter spread
- Softened butter with ground cinnamon and brown sugar. It's that simple but delicious.
For the Cinnabon frosting
- Butter and cream cheese before at room temperature, with icing sugar (powdered sugar), vanilla essence and milk.
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If recreating delicious bakery goods at home is your thing then our raspberry and white chocolate muffins, are a most try! Or for something a little more healthy our chocolate and coconut bliss balls are a great afternoon pick me up.
Step by step instructions.
We can't deny it there are a few steps to this process. But like we said all good things take time. And once broken down the steps are simple!
- The make the dough:
- Soak the currants, raisins and sultanas in the juice from the orange.
- Heat the milk to lukewarm and add the yeast. Set aside to allow the yeast to activate.
- In a large mixing bowl or kitchen mixer, add the flour, spices, mixed peel, salt, along with the currants, raisins and sultanas with the juice, brown sugar, egg, milk yeast mix, oil, zest and grate in the chilled butter. The dough will appear wet but trust us!
- Incorporate all ingredients into a ball and knead for 5 minutes. (If you are using a mixer, place on a low speed for 5 minutes until a dough has formed and it is well kneaded.
- 1st proof:
Place the dough in a clean greased bowl and cover with wrap. Allow the dough to rise in a warm place for 2 hours or until the dough has doubled in size.
- Make the spread:
Simply combine the sugar, cinnamon and soft brown sugar until well combined.
- Roll the dough:
Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and knock the air out (literally hitting the middle of the dough ball). Then roll out to a large rectangle, aim for about 40 am by 20 cm. Spread the cinnamon butter over the rolled out dough.
Roll the dough from the long side up, to create a long log. Then cut into nine equal pieces. Even place the scrolls on a greased baking traying, allowing about a 2 cam gap between them.
- 2nd proof:
Place a clean tea towel over then and set them aside again in a warm place to double in size. This should take about 40 minutes depending on how warm it is. While your rolls are rising, preheat the oven to 180°c / 356 °F (fan forced).
- Bake:
Once the dough has doubled in size bake in the preheated oven for 25 - 30 minutes, until they are a delicious golden brown Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a rack.
How to make cinnabon frosting.
Make sure the butter and cream cheese are at room temperature. Whisk together with the icing sugar and vanilla till smooth. Add the milk to adjust the consistency a little and mix again.
Once the cinnabon rolls have cooled, smother with the frosting.
Serve and enjoy!
Once perfected this recipe is super versatile. You could make classic scrolls with a glaze topping or simple fruit buns.
Tips for creating the perfect cinnabon dough.
- The key is to be patient, proving can take a while but if you have a warm place in your house use this to your advantage.
- This recipe, with it being brioche style, has a higher fat content and may seem a little sticky while kneading. This will come right during the proving process, so be careful not to over flour the surface while kneading!
- And don’t skip soaking the dried fruits. This is so they don’t burn and stay juicy once cooked.
Storage
Once fully cooled, keep in a dry air tight container.
These cinnabon rolls can be placed in the freezer, just do so after they have been baked and cooled, so without the frosting.
Freeze in a single layer in a sealed container. These are a great treat to have ready for afternoon tea. Simply pull them out in the morning and whip up some fresh frosting prior to serving. YUM!
If your looking for a little sweet treat, this homemade Cinnabon recipe definitely ticks all the boxes. ENJOY!
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Our goal is to share simple, tasty dishes created by Chef Shane and partner, Sara. Using Shane's understanding of flavours and knowledge of food, to teach and inspire you to create delicious food everyday and gain a new level of confidence in the kitchen. Sara understands what it's like preparing weekly dinners for a busy family of five and likes to create dishes that are easy, full of flavour, that the whole family will enjoy.
Happy baking!
Recipe
Homemade Cinnabon Recipe
Ingredients
Cinnabon dough
- 50 g Currants (1.7 oz)
- 50 g Raisins (1.7 oz)
- 100 g Sultanas (3.5 oz)
- 1 Orange Juice only
- 50 g Candied mixed peel (1.7 oz)
- 200 ml Milk (6.7 fl oz)
- 3 teaspoon Yeast Active yeast
- 420 g Bakers flour (14.8 oz)
- 2 ½ teaspoon Ground cinnamon
- 1 ½ teaspoon Ground nutmeg
- ¾ teaspoon Ground allspice
- ½ teaspoon Ground Cloves
- ¾ teaspoon Salt
- 60 g Brown sugar (2.1 oz)
- 1 Egg
- 60 g Unsalted butter (2.1 oz) Chilled
- 1 Orange Zest only
- 1 tablespoon Canola Oil
Sweet cinnamon butter spread
- 150 g Butter (5.2 oz) Softened
- ½ teaspoon Ground cinnamon
- 40 g Brown sugar (1.4 oz)
Cinnabon frosting
- 60 g Butter (2.1 oz) Room temperature
- 125 g Cream cheese (4.4 oz) Room temperature
- 180 g Icing sugar / powdered sugar (6.3 oz)
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla essence
- 1 tablespoon Milk
Instructions
Create the dough
- Grab a small bowl and add your currants, raisins and sultanas, squeeze in the juice of one orange and leave to soak.
- In a small pot add the milk and heat until lukewarm (skin temp). Remove from the heat and add the yeast and set aside to activate.
- Grab a large mixing bowl or kitchen mixer. Add the flour, spices, mixed peel, salt, the bowl of currants, raisins and sultanas with the juice, brown sugar, egg, milk yeast mix, oil, zest and grate in the chilled butter.
- Incorporate all ingredients into a ball and knead for 5 minutes, or if you are using a mixer place on a low speed for 5 minutes until a dough has formed and is well kneaded. (See note 1)
First proof of the dough.
- Remove the dough from the mixing bowl and place into a clean greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to prove in a warm place for 2 hours or until the dough has doubled in size.
Make the spread.
- While the dough if proving make the sweet butter cinnamon spread. Add the sugar and cinnamon to the softened butter and mix until well combined.
Roll the dough.
- Once the dough has doubled in size, line a baking tray with grease proof (baking) paper. Remove the dough from the bowl and place onto the lightly floured bench.
- Knock out the air and roll into a large rectangle (approx 40cm x 20cm)
- Spread the sweet butter spread over the rolled out dough.
- Then from the longer side roll evenly into a long log. Cut the rolled dough into 9 equal slices.
- Evenly place the slices scroll side up on the baking tray, leaving a 2cm gap between each bun.
2nd Proof
- Set aside in a warm place, covered with a clean tea towel for the second proof. This should take around 40 minutes, or until doubled in size
- While the dough is rising, pre heat the oven to 180°c / 356 °F (fan forced)
Bake
- Place the baking tray into the oven and bake for 25 – 30 minutes.
- Once your scrolls are lovely and golden brown, remove from the oven and allow to cool on a rack.
Cinnabon Frosting
- Add the butter, cream cheese, icing sugar and vanilla to a bowl, whisk until smooth. Add the milk to adjust the consistency.
- Smother the cream cheese icing over the cooled buns.
- Serve and enjoy!
Glyn Moody
I'm a chef I find your recipes easy to follow as the team at the tasty kitchen have done all the hard work in testing the items the tips are a bonus thanks.
Sara-Jane Bowness
Thank you and that's awesome to hear!
Ned
My goodness these are good! Like wow, thank you for this great recipe! I am planning to make these again this weekend!
imsen
they look amazing! can't wait to try em out next weekend!
Anjali
Omg I love cinnabon but this recipe was even better than the store bought version!! It was full of cinnamon flavor, sweet, soft and fluffy - yum!
Ana F.
I made these homemade cinnabons this weekend for brunch and they were a hit! My girlfriends loved them and now they all want the recipe. Thanks a bunch!
Katherine
Just like the real thing! I adore cinnabon so it's great that I can make them at home from scratch now!