Easy Cinnamon Rolls Recipe
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If you’ve tried cinnamon rolls from IKEA and wanted to make them at home, this recipe is perfect — you can bake them fresh anytime instead of the frozen, warmed-up version.
If you have tried cinnamon rolls from IKEA and wanted to make them, then this cinnamon rolls recipe is perfect. What more, you can make them fresh at your whim instead of the frozen and warmed ones from IKEA.
Cinnamon rolls are a favourite of my daughter that whenever we shopped at IKEA, she wanted to eat them. Now that she is older, she has been finding recipes to make her favourites and she pulled out one similar such from the internet.
The smell of freshly baked cinnamon rolls definitely smells of Christmas, so why not bake them for Christmas breakfast. You can also make them using sourdough instead of yeast. Sourdough just needs a little planning one day ahead of time.
Table of Contents
What is a Cinnamon Roll?
A cinnamon roll is a soft, enriched yeast dough spread with a buttery cinnamon-sugar filling, rolled up, sliced, and baked until golden. This version uses spelt flour and less sugar than a typical recipe, so it stays soft and fluffy while being a little gentler on the gut and lighter on sugar.
Where Cinnamon Rolls Come From
Sweet rolled, spiced breads have roots across Northern Europe, and the cinnamon roll as we know it today became a Scandinavian and American breakfast staple over the 20th century. IKEA’s cafe version has introduced many people to them more recently — which is exactly what inspired this homemade take.
Tools you may need
- Large mixing bowl
- Rolling pin
- Baking tray
- Kitchen scale (for measuring by weight)
- Dough scraper (optional, makes shaping easier)
How to make Cinnamon Rolls?
Ingredients List
- 500g flour (spelt or all-purpose)
- 50g butter
- 20g fresh yeast
- 300ml milk
- 75g butter + 2 tsp cinnamon + sugar (for the filling)
Cooking Instructions
Make the Dough:
Combine warm milk with the melted butter, sugar and yeast in a large bowl. Let stand for 10 minutes until frothy. Mix in the flour, salt and vanilla, then knead into a soft, smooth, pliable dough. Keep the salt away from the yeast at first, since salt can kill the yeast and stop the dough rising.
Let it Rise:
Cover the dough and let it rise until doubled in size.
Make the Filling:
While the dough rises, combine the butter, cinnamon and sugar for the filling and set aside.
Roll and Fill:
Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface into a 19 x 13-inch rectangle. Spread the filling evenly over the dough.
Shape the Rolls:
Starting from one long side, roll the dough up tightly like a jelly roll and pinch the seam to seal. Trim the ends for even slices, then cut into 12 to 15 rolls.
Second Rise:
Place the rolls in a greased baking tray with a little gap between each, cover, and let rise for 20 minutes.
Bake:
Preheat the oven to 180°C (356°F) top and bottom heat. Sprinkle with granulated sugar and bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
Finish:
Dust with icing sugar before serving.
Serving Suggestions
Cinnamon rolls are best served warm, straight out of the oven. Try them with:
Coffee or tea: a classic breakfast pairing.
Cream cheese icing: drizzle on top for extra sweetness.
Fresh fruit: berries on the side balance the sweetness.
Warmed leftovers: a few seconds in the microwave brings them back to soft, fresh-baked texture.
Tips for the Perfect Cinnamon Rolls
Watch the salt and yeast: Keep salt away from the yeast when mixing, since salt can kill the yeast and stop the dough rising.
Get the texture right: The dough should be tacky but not sticky. Too little flour makes it gluey and dense; too much makes it tough and dry.
Try a spice swap: Swap the cinnamon and butter filling for pumpkin spice and a little pumpkin puree during fall.
Flour Options for Cinnamon Rolls
This recipe uses spelt flour, which is lower in gluten than wheat and easier to digest, while still giving the rolls a soft, pliable dough.
Spelt flour: lower gluten, easier to digest, used in this recipe.
All-purpose flour: a reliable substitute if spelt isn’t available.
Whole wheat flour: for a heartier, nuttier roll.
Flavor Variations of Cinnamon Rolls
Once you have the base recipe down, there’s plenty of room to play:
Pumpkin spice: swap the cinnamon and butter filling for pumpkin spice and a spoonful of pumpkin puree, lovely in the fall.
Orange zest: add a little to the dough or filling for a citrusy note.
Nuts and raisins: sprinkle into the filling before rolling for extra texture.
Cream cheese glaze: swap the icing sugar dusting for a cream cheese glaze on top.
A Lighter Take on Cinnamon Rolls
Most cinnamon roll recipes are heavy on sugar, especially once iced. This version is deliberately lower in sugar and uses spelt flour, which is lower in gluten and easier to digest than wheat, and the dough is made without eggs. It’s a recipe built to be a little gentler on the body without losing the soft, fluffy texture cinnamon rolls are loved for.
Watch the Video
Recipe Card
Easy Cinnamon Rolls Recipe
- Total Time: 145
- Yield: 15 rolls 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Soft, fluffy, low-sugar cinnamon rolls made from scratch with spelt flour — inspired by the IKEA cafe favourite, but easy to bake fresh at home.
Ingredients
- FOR THE ENRICHED DOUGH
- 500 g all-purpose flour (or spelt flour)
- 50 g butter, room temperature
- 20 g fresh yeast
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp sugar
- 300 ml whole milk or plant milk
- A few drops vanilla extract (optional)
- Granulated sugar crystals (optional, for topping)
- FOR THE FILLING
- 75 g butter
- 2 tsp cinnamon powder
- 4–5 tsp sugar
Instructions
-
Make the Dough:
Combine warm milk with the melted butter, sugar and yeast in a large bowl. Let stand for 10 minutes until frothy. Mix in the flour, salt and vanilla, then knead into a soft, smooth, pliable dough. Keep the salt away from the yeast at first, since salt can kill the yeast and stop the dough rising.
-
Let it Rise:
Cover the dough and let it rise until doubled in size.
-
Make the Filling:
While the dough rises, combine the butter, cinnamon and sugar for the filling and set aside.
-
Roll and Fill:
Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface into a 19 x 13-inch rectangle. Spread the filling evenly over the dough.
-
Shape the Rolls:
Starting from one long side, roll the dough up tightly like a jelly roll and pinch the seam to seal. Trim the ends for even slices, then cut into 12 to 15 rolls.
-
Second Rise:
Place the rolls in a greased baking tray with a little gap between each, cover, and let rise for 20 minutes.
-
Bake:
Preheat the oven to 180°C (356°F) top and bottom heat. Sprinkle with granulated sugar and bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
-
Finish:
Dust with icing sugar before serving.
Notes
You can substitute sourdough starter for the yeast — just plan about a day ahead, since sourdough needs a longer fermentation. Store any leftovers in an airtight container; they keep well in the fridge for a couple of days and warm up nicely in the oven.
- Prep Time: 120
- Cook Time: 25
- Category: Breakfast
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 15
- Calories: 250
- Fat: 10
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