Easy Homemade Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Icing

There is one thing y'all should know about me -- I am NOT a morning person. :)

Now, do I wake up early? Yes, but do I enjoy getting out of bed at 6 AM? No lol. Just ask my husband, family or former college roommates. I need at least 30 minutes after I get out of bed to officially "wake-up" (AKA start talking).

Okay, so there is another thing y'all should know. I am ALL FOR baked goods that are made from scratch! However, there are special circumstances when I rely on store-bought dough. This is definitely one of those circumstances! ;) In the morning, I am not in the best state of mind to be using yeast & making dough from scratch. This is where a loaf of frozen bread becomes a LIFESAVER! All you have to do is wrap it in plastic wrap the night before, place it in the refrigerator to thaw, and BAM your dough is ready to be rolled out in the morning. It's the perfect solution for a non-morning person like me!

Growing up my mom always bought the Pillsbury Grands Cinnamon Rolls. And that's exactly how I prefer them -- GRAND! These are not small skinny cinnamon rolls, just FYI. ;) They are cooked perfectly on the outside & are gooey / melt in your mouth on the inside. Then comes the cream cheese icing and OMG it's definitely the cherry on top y'all!

I seriously cannot wait to experiment with all kinds of other ingredients! I thought it would be really helpful to highlight a few pointers that will make these cinnamon rolls absolutely FOOLPROOF!

• Thawing the dough - I experimented making these cinnamon rolls 5+ times & one of the most important things is to use dough wrapped in plastic wrap that has been thawed in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours. I tried thawing it at room temperature for a few hours and the rolls were much messier and didn't cut as clean.

• Parchment paper - Do you ever find it hard to get the first cinnamon roll out of the pan? This will solve that problem! Just simply lift all the rolls out using the paper and then use a spatula to serve them. :) It also makes washing the pan a breeze!

• Marble rolling pin - Want to make sure the dough doesn't stick when rolling it out? Lightly flour a marble rolling pin. It makes all the difference!

• Sharp serrated knife - A serrated knife makes cutting the dough a breeze & leaves clean lines! Instead of using a knife and cutting the dough by "pushing" it down try "sawing" it back and forth and it will cut perfectly.

**The recipe below may look long BUT it's the easiest recipe ever! The only reason why it's "long" is because I listed a ton of little tips that will make this a FOOLPROOF recipe for anyone!

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Easy Homemade Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Icing

Yields 8 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes + 1 hour for dough to rise
Cook time: 25 minutes

INGREDIENTS
Cinnamon Rolls
1 (1 lb) loaf frozen bread thawed, such as Bridgford Ready-Dough
6 tablespoons salted butter, melted
¾ cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon

Cream Cheese Icing
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Pinch of coarse kosher salt
1 ½ cups confectioner’s sugar
½ teaspoon milk

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INSTRUCTIONS
Cinnamon Rolls
Thaw the frozen bread dough in the refrigerator overnight wrapped in plastic wrap (for at least 8 hours).

Roll the dough into a 10×12 inch rectangle shape on a lightly floured surface. (You really have to put some arm muscles into rolling out the dough. Keep working with it and it will get there).

Using a pastry brush, spread the melted butter evenly over the dough leaving a ½ border.

Sift together the brown sugar and cinnamon. Use a metal spoon to press any remaining brown sugar through the sift. Whisk together and sprinkle evenly over the butter starting with the outside border and then the middle.

Using your thumbs tightly roll up the dough, using the long side.

Trim the edges with a sharp serrated knife, so they are neat. Then cut the log in half. Then cut the logs in half again, and repeat. You should have 8 cinnamon rolls total.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Line the bottom of a 9-inch cake pan or pie dish with parchment paper. (I like to use clips to hold the paper in place).

Place the cinnamon rolls in the cake pan & cover with a dishtowel (they need to sit in a warm place without a draft — I like to place mine on top of the oven while it is heating up).

Let sit at room temperature for 1 hour. *This gives them plenty of time to rise. They will almost double in size! Meanwhile, make the cream cheese icing.

Bake for 15 minutes. Cover with aluminum foil to prevent browning and bake for an additional 8-10 minutes.

Ice the cinnamon rolls as soon as they come out of the oven.

Allow them to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Cream Cheese Icing
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the softened cream cheese & butter until light and fluffy.

Add the vanilla & salt. Mix until combined.

Slowly add the confectioner’s sugar ½ cup at a time.

Add 1/2 teaspoon of milk. *Add another 1/2 teaspoon if you like a thinner consistency.