Having a stash of pre-baked cinnamon rolls in the freezer is life changing! Use my 1 hour cinnamon roll recipe below, fully bake, and then store in the freezer for later!
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Why Bake Them First?
I'm all about quick & convenient, so if you're to spend an hour making cinnamon rolls, why spend another 4-6 hours waiting for them to thaw & rise before you can bake them?
Plus, by baking ahead of time, you don't risk the yeast dying and not rising after being frozen.
Freezing Methods
Method 1
Bake in a tin: You can bake in a disposable tin and freeze each pan with a pouch of frosting. When ready to eat, cover the pan with foil and reheat in a 350°F for about 10 minutes, or until they are warmed thru. If the cinnamon rolls are already thawed (not completely frozen) reheat at 300°F.
You can also transfer them to a plate (i.e. don't put a foil tin or metal pan in the microwave!) and reheat for 30-60 seconds. Just be sure not to microwave too long or they become chewy.
Method 2
Freeze Individually: You can freeze each baked cinnamon roll in a large plastic container, so that you can pull one out and reheat. I like to freeze them in jumbo cupcake liners for easy reheating and cleanup. This method is good if you plan to eat them within a few weeks.
If you plan to keep them in the freezer longer, wrap each cinnamon roll in plastic wrap and place that inside an airtight container or freezer bag.
Quick 1 Hour Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
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Instructions
- Be sure to view images in post above for visuals for each step!
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a small microwave-safe bowl, melt ¼ cup unsalted butter (½ stick) for 45 seconds. Pour into a larger, medium-sized bowl. Using that same small bowl you just microwaved the butter in, pour in 1 cup milk and microwave for 45 seconds. Once done, pour milk in with the butter. Add in 2 ¼ teaspoon active dry yeast and ¼ cup granulated sugar; stir with a whisk until dissolved. Cover with a clean dish towel or plastic wrap and let sit for 10 minutes.
- Once your dough starter has been sitting for 10 minutes, remove cover and mix in 1 large egg, ½ teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Once combined, start adding in 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour, one cup at a time. You should be able to mix this with a spatula until you get to the end of adding the flour. At that point, you will need to use your hands. Keeping the dough in the bowl, gently form it into a ball. If dough is sticky, sprinkle 1 tablespoon of flour to the outside. Cover and let sit for 10 minutes (while waiting, proceed to next step to make filling).
- While the dough is proofing, go ahead and mix up the cinnamon filling so it's ready! To do so, mix together softened ½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick), ½ cup light brown sugar, ½ cup granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons cinnamon, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. As long as your butter is soft enough, this can easily be mixed by hand with a spatula. If your butter is too cold and isn't mixing well, you can use a mixer to whip it all together. Set aside.Tip: You don't want your butter to be super melted (just a little is okay!) or the filling will be more likely to seep through the bottom of the pan and crystallize.*If your butter is straight from fridge, microwave for 20-30 seconds to soften.
- After 10 minutes, remove cover and place dough on a flour-covered surface (about ½ - 1 tablespoon flour). I prefer taping down a piece of parchment to my counter, but you can also roll directly on a clean countertop. Sprinkle a little flour on top of the dough and on the rolling pin, then roll the dough until it is approximately a 14×18" rectangle that is ¼" thick.
- Once rolled, spread on cinnamon sugar mixture, making sure to spread to the outside edges.
- Now it's time to roll! It's important to roll vertically (i.e. start rolling at a SHORT side) so that your cinnamon rolls are nice & thick and so you can yield 12. If you roll it the other way, they'll be smaller and a bit dinky. You want to roll relatively tight, but not too tight. (See images in post above)
- Once rolled, use a serrated edge knife to slightly "score" the tops so you know where to cut. Start in the center, then add slits in the center of those and then divide each of those sections into two parts. (See images in post above for a visual.)Tip: Using a serrated edge knife and cutting slowly in a sawing motion is important, as a normal knife will likely squish the dough.
- Place cut cinnamon rolls in a greased 9×13 baking pan and bake at 350°F for 24-26 minutes until the tops are slightly golden brown. Allow to cool for a bit (10-15 minutes) before adding frosting to prevent the frosting from totally melting. If you plan to eat them later, wait to frost until they're cooled for a prettier frosting presentation.
- Add softened ¼ cup unsalted butter (½ stick), softened 4 ounces cream cheese, 1 ½ cups powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt to a medium-sized bowl and use a hand or stand mixer to mix until combined and smooth (about 30-60 seconds). Slather on warm cinnamon rolls and enjoy! (See notes below for a cinnamon roll frosting recipe without cream cheese.)
Notes from Melissa
2 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-4 T. milk (add 1 tablespoon at a time until it's the consistency you want)
Pinch of salt Add butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt to a medium-sized bowl and use a hand or stand mixer to mix until combined and smooth (about 30-60 seconds). Add milk, one tablespoon at a time, until it's the consistency you desire.
How do you defrost/reheat them after?
If they're frosted, you can thaw in the fridge then reheat in the oven or microwave (remove from any metal/tin pan). If unfrosted, you can thaw at room temp!
I made these this past weekend and they are absolutely delicious! I had a total of 16 so I froze some for later. They were so yummy.
So happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe, Amber! Thank you so much for leaving a review!