These Easy Cinnamon Rolls from Frozen Bread Dough are the BEST shortcut to making homemade cinnamon rolls from scratch! They’re made with frozen bread dough, thawed and transformed into gooey, soft, and sweet homemade cinnamon rolls. Just 15 minutes of prep needed!
I love cinnamon rolls! Nothing beats a fresh homemade, gooey, sweet roll, BUT they can be really time consuming to make. about 15 years ago I discovered this cinnamon roll hack, and I have never looked back.
These Easy Cinnamon Rolls from Frozen Bread Dough completely simplify the process of making them homemade. Since you’re starting a few steps ahead with pre-made bread dough, they come together in no time at all.
Looking for more sweet cinnamon breakfast recipes? Check out my Perfect Cinnamon Roll Breakfast Casserole or my Easy Ice Cream Cinnamon Rolls.
Why I LOVE this recipe!
- Easy cinnamon roll hack – These frozen bread dough cinnamon rolls are just as delicious as fully made-from-scratch cinnamon rolls, but you get the ease of starting with pre-made frozen bread dough.
- Delicious – I mean, what’s not to love about the perfect soft, chewy, sweet, cinnamon-y breakfast treat?
- Make-ahead friendly – You can get ahead with this recipe by making the rolls ahead of time for the perfect overnight breakfast recipe.
Recipe Notes
This easy cinnamon roll recipe is as simple as promised! Just a 15 quick minutes of prep and 25 minutes in the oven for a family friendly treat.
In this section I am going to go through a few tips and tricks I use for how to make cinnamon rolls to get the absolute best and most delicious results.
Make sure to scroll to the bottom for the FULL recipe card.
Ingredients + Substitutions
- Frozen Bread Dough – You’ll need three 1-pound loaves of your favorite frozen bread dough. You will find these in the freezer section, usually near the frozen rolls. I find Bridgford to be the most common brand where I live, but I believe other brands make this too.
- Butter – Helps the cinnamon and sugar stick and adds the perfect layer of buttery flavor.
- Cinnamon and Sugar – Sprinkling the bread dough with a combination of cinnamon and sugar before rolling it up gives it that classic flavor. I use white sugar, but brown sugar could work too for a warmer flavor.
- Frosting – Our cinnamon roll icing is a simple recipe made with a combination of butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, salt, and heavy cream.
Make sure to see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full quantities and ingredients list.
Recipe Variations
If you love this recipe as much as we do and want some quick ways to change it up for variety, these little tips will do the trick!
- Apple Cinnamon Rolls – Add a fruity twist by spreading some homemade apple pie filling onto the bread dough before rolling it up.
- Caramel Cinnamon Rolls – Add a drizzle of caramel to the cinnamon rolls, either as a filling or as a topping.
- Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls – Add a layer of chocolate chips or chocolate sauce for a chocolate-lovers version.
- Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls – Spread a layer of pumpkin pie filling into the middle for a fun, fall flavor twist.
Recipe Step by Step
I am going to highlight a few key steps in the recipe here, but make sure to jump down to the recipe card for comprehensive instructions on how to make easy homemade cinnamon rolls.
To make these, move the bread dough to the refrigerator the night before you want to make the cinnamon rolls to thaw.
- Combine three loaves of thawed bread dough, then roll that out into a large rectangle (about 1/4-inch thick) onto a lightly floured surface. Spread softened butter over the dough, then sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.
2. Roll the dough up tightly along the long edge, then use dental floss or a sharp knife to cut into 12 equal pieces.
3. Place the prepared cinnamon rolls into a greased baking dish, then cover with plastic. Let rise until double in size. During this time, prepare your frosting. Once the dough has risen, pour the heavy cream over the cinnamon rolls and bake them in a preheated oven until cooked through.
4. Once the cinnamon rolls are baked, let them cool completely, then top with a generous amount of the prepared icing. Now, dig in!
Recipe Tips
- Cut even sized rolls – When you cut the dough into smaller pieces, be sure they are all relatively similar in size. If the sizes vary too much, then they won’t all be done cooking at the same time.
- Let the dough rise – Give the portioned, but unbaked rolls 30-60 minutes to rise before popping them into the oven. This makes the final result extra soft and fluffy.
- Grease the casserole dish – A layer of cooking spray helps prevent the dough from sticking to the pan during baking.
- Cool before icing – If you put the icing on warm cinnamon rolls, it will get too melty. Give them plenty of time to cool before finishing them off.
Recipe Short Cuts
If you need to make this recipe, but are extra short on time, here are a few ideas that can help make this recipe even faster!
- Make overnight cinnamon rolls – You can partially prep this recipe the night before by preparing the rolls up until baking. Instead of baking, though, cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and store them in the refrigerator overnight. Then, when you’re ready to serve them, all you need to do is bake and add the icing!
- Thaw the bread dough in advance – Make sure you plan for the time it will take for the bread dough to thaw. Do this ahead of time so that when you’re ready to start your cinnamon rolls, you can just get going. I like to put it in the fridge the night before.
Leftovers
To save leftovers, place in an airtight container and store:
- on the counter 1-2 days
- in the fridge for 3-4 days
- in the freezer up to a month
TIP: If freezing, I recommend not adding the frosting until you dethaw!
Recipe FAQ’s
Are cinnamon rolls made from bread dough?
Yes! Cinnamon rolls can easily start with bread dough. What gives them that classic flavor is the cinnamon and sugar filling.
Do you thaw frozen bread dough before baking?
Yes! The frozen bread dough will need to be thawed fully so that you can roll it out and add the filling. This recipe will not work with fully frozen dough.
More EASY Breakfast Recipes
If you enjoyed this recipe, I really hope you will take a moment to grab a few more easy recipes for another busy night!
You can check out all of my easy breakfast recipes here, or see a few of our readers favorite sweet breakfast recipes below.
- Cinnamon Crumble Coffee Cake
- One Bowl Banana Bread
- French Toast Muffins with Cinnamon Streusel
- Apple Fritter Breakfast Casserole
Easy Cinnamon Rolls using Frozen Bread Dough
Ingredients
- 3 loaves frozen bread dough, (3- 1 pound loaves)
- ½ cup butter, softened
- ½ cup white sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- ½ cup heavy cream
For the frosting
- ¼ cup butter
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
Instructions
To make the Cinnamon Rolls
- Allow the bread dough to thaw. I like to leave it in the refrigerator overnight.
- Combine the 3 loaves of bread and roll out to a large rectangle about 1/4 inch thick.
- Spread the softened butter over the dough all the way to each edge. Combine the cinnamon and sugar and then sprinkle it evenly over the the butter all the way to each edge.
- Roll the dough up tightly along the long edge. Once rolled, use dental floss, or a serrated knife to cut the roll into 12 pieces.
- Spray a large casserole dish (9 inch by 13 inch.) Place the cinnamon rolls in dish and lightly cover with plastic. Let rise in a warm place until they double in size (about 30-60 minutes.) While they are raising, preheat the oven to 350˚F.*See notes for overnight method.
- Right before baking, pour the heavy cream over the rolls. Bake the cinnamon rolls for 22-28 minutes, or until they are cooked through.
To make the cinnamon roll frosting
- While the cinnamon rolls cool, combine the butter, vanilla, and salt in a large bowl.
- Add powdered sugar and heavy cream alternately with an electric mixer until it was light and fluffy.
- Once the cinnamon rolls have cooled enough to be warm to the touch, spread the frosting over the top of the rolls.
Recipe Notes
- I use softened butter with cinnamon sugar for ease. If you prefer you can melt the butter and mix the cinnamon sugar in.
- The cinnamon sugar mixture can also be increased for extra cinnamon-y rolls.
- Prepare them per recipe directions to step 5, where you place them in the casserole dish.
- Loosely cover with plastic wrap and place them in the refrigerator overnight.
- In the morning preheat the oven and bake as directed.
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