Classic Old-Fashioned Cinnamon Rolls Recipe for Soft, Gooey Buns

These giant old-fashioned cinnamon rolls are a classic sweet treat filled with cinnamon and brown sugar and finished with a rich flour buttercream frosting.

This vintage recipe has been a family favorite for holidays and special mornings — Christmas, Easter and Valentine’s Day — and tastes like the homemade rolls your grandmother might have served.

For a quicker, homemade-tasting alternative try cinnamon rolls made from frozen bread dough.

Amish Style Cinnamon Rolls

These rolls use a soft, slightly sweet dough with a brown sugar and cinnamon filling and a butter-and-flour icing that clings to the top. The result is tender, moist rolls with a flavorful, old-fashioned finish.

This Amish-style version includes mashed potatoes in the dough. The potatoes retain moisture and improve texture without adding a noticeable potato flavor. Use leftover unseasoned mashed potatoes or mash baked potatoes before adding them to the dough.

The frosting is rich rather than overly sweet and thick enough to stay on top of the rolls. A little flour in the buttercream helps it set so you get a pleasant, substantial icing on each bite. It’s simple and reliable, a favorite for its texture and balanced sweetness.

While cream cheese icing is popular on many desserts, this old-fashioned butter-and-flour frosting complements these rolls without cream cheese for a traditional flavor.

Farmhouse Cinnamon Rolls

These large, bakery-style cinnamon rolls are perfect for a special breakfast. Soft dough and a rich frosting create that “this is excellent” moment with every bite. The recipe has a farmhouse, homemade feel — the kind your grandma would make — and it’s one of our favorite breakfast recipes.

Although the process involves several steps and rising time, the method is straightforward. Plan an afternoon to mix and rise the dough, then bake the rolls for a special breakfast the next morning.

These giant rolls are reminiscent of the famous cinnamon roll served at some well-known bakeries and parks — a gooey, nostalgic treat worth the time it takes to make them at home.

If you enjoy variations, try strawberry cinnamon rolls made from canned Grands dough or classic butter rolls for a different take. There are many delicious ways to enjoy cinnamon rolls.

Ingredients Needed

• Warm water
• Sugar
• Vegetable oil
• Mashed potatoes, unseasoned and without milk
• Egg
• Salt
• Rapid rise yeast
• Nonfat dry milk powder
• All-purpose flour
• Bread flour
• Butter
• Brown sugar
• Cinnamon
• Confectioners’ sugar
• Vanilla extract

Can You Freeze Cinnamon Rolls?

Yes. Baked rolls can be wrapped in foil and frozen in an airtight bag. For best results freeze the rolls without frosting. The icing can be frozen separately, but it’s also easy to make a fresh batch when you thaw the rolls.

Tips & Tricks

• Recipe yields 8 giant rolls, 12 large rolls or 27 standard rolls.
• Use unseasoned mashed potatoes without milk at room temperature or slightly warm; cold potatoes can slow or prevent the yeast from activating. Peel potatoes before mashing.
• Warm the water before mixing to help the yeast activate and the dough rise.
• The listed times assume rapid rise yeast; if using active dry yeast, allow roughly double the rising time.
• For a large batch, start kneading with the dough hook on a stand mixer and finish by hand on a lightly floured counter for best texture.
• A warm, draft-free spot or a low oven warming drawer works well for rising the dough.

How to Make Old-Fashioned Cinnamon Rolls

Heat water to about 110°F. In a large mixing bowl dissolve the yeast in warm water with the sugar. Add vegetable oil, egg, salt and the mashed potatoes and mix thoroughly.

Stir in nonfat dry milk powder and all-purpose flour, then beat for about three minutes.

Gradually add bread flour, 1/2 cup to 1 cup at a time, until the dough pulls away from the bowl and is workable.

When the dough is workable transfer it to a lightly floured surface and knead about 10 minutes, or continue with the dough hook until smooth and elastic.

Grease a large deep bowl with butter. Shape the dough into a smooth ball and place it in the bowl smooth side down, then flip it so the greased surface is on top. Cover with a clean towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled, about 45 minutes to an hour.

Punch the dough down thoroughly to release air, grease the bowl, reshape into a smooth ball, flip to grease all sides, cover and let rise another 30 minutes.

Punch down again and transfer to a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into a rectangle about 15 x 12 inches and roughly 1 3/4 inches thick. Spread softened butter evenly over the surface.

Combine brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and sprinkle over the butter. Tightly roll the dough up from the long side into a log.

If the log stretches longer than 16 inches, press the ends toward the center to make a compact 16-inch roll. Use a serrated knife and a sawing motion to cut the log into 8, 12 or more even pieces.

Place the cut rolls, cut side up, about 1 1/2 inches apart for giant rolls, in greased baking dishes. Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 325°F and bake the rolls for 10 minutes. Increase the temperature to 350°F and bake another 5–10 minutes depending on size (standard rolls need less time; giant rolls need more). For twelve large rolls bake about 8 extra minutes after increasing the temperature.

When done, invert the pan onto wax paper–lined wire racks to cool quickly. Leaving rolls in the pan will slow cooling. Allow the rolls to cool completely before applying frosting.

How to Make Old-Fashioned Cinnamon Roll Frosting

Beat softened butter, all-purpose flour, confectioners’ sugar, a pinch of salt and vanilla until smooth and well blended. Spread the frosting on the fully cooled rolls so it sets nicely on top.

More Old-Fashioned Farmhouse Style Recipes

Try farmhouse-style comfort recipes like crock pot mac and cheese, kielbasa and sauerkraut, copycat sausage gravy, or a cream puff cake for another delicious homemade treat.

Printable Old-Fashioned Cinnamon Rolls Recipe