Red velvet cinnamon rolls with rich cream cheese icing slathered over the top are the perfect choice on any morning. If you like sweet breakfasts, you'll adore this recipe with the hints of chocolate, tons of sugar and cinnamon, and of course, the delightful icing on top. Made from scratch, these cinnamon rolls are a perfect remake of a classic recipe that everyone loves.
Red Velvet Cinnamon Rolls
Making homemade cinnamon rolls is one of those daunting tasks that is much easier than you may think. The dough comes together in simple steps, and while there is some resting, rolling, and slicing involved, it's really not as bad as you may think. This recipe definitely takes the struggle away by using a red velvet cake mix base to speed up the process!
If you enjoy sweet breakfasts like this one, then you'll love these decadent cinnamon rolls for a more traditional look. Of course, you'll also want a backup option that is a bit more savory, and for that, I like to make this burst tomato frittata with fontina and basil oil. It's absolutely incredible.
Is There a Difference Between Cinnamon Rolls and Cinnamon Buns?
The biggest difference between a cinnamon roll and cinnamon or sticky bun is really in the topping. A cinnamon roll is baked alone on a baking sheet or in a baking dish without icing until after done baking. Sticky buns are baked with a layer of butter and sugar or caramel in the bottom of the pan. The rolls are placed on top of this and baked so that when done, you flip the pan over and have a sticky caramel topping that spreads over the rolls.
Why Do My Cinnamon Rolls Get Hard?
Typically, when cinnamon rolls come out hard, it is due to the addition of too much flour. This creates a tougher dough that won't soften well when baking. The other reason your cinnamon rolls may get hard is that they are over baked or even left out to get stale.
Keep your leftover cinnamon rolls tightly covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container until ready to eat. If they seem a bit hard when the time to serve, add a bit of butter to the top and reheat in the microwave in 30-second increments until warmed through. This typically will soften them nicely.
Do I Need a Special Cake Mix for This?
Any red velvet cake mix will work for this recipe. In a pinch, you can use a chocolate cake mix and add red food gel or food coloring to the mixture to create the red look you expect. I typically reach for Betty Crocker Super Moist cake mixes, but almost any brand will work just fine for this recipe.
Do I Need to Refrigerate These Cinnamon Rolls?
The rolls themselves do not have to be refrigerated, but when iced they do need to be refrigerated. Cream cheese icing is safe to leave out at room temperature for up to 6 hours. After that, they should be kept in an airtight container and stored in the refrigerator until time to enjoy.
Ingredients for Cinnamon Rolls
- Red velvet cake mix
- All purpose flour
- Active dry yeast
- Water
- Vanilla extract
- Vegetable oil
- Cinnamon
- Ground nutmeg
- Allspice
- Unsweetened butter
Ingredients for Cream Cheese Icing
- Whipped cream cheese
- Powdered sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Heavy cream
How do You Make Red Velvet Cinnamon Rolls
In a large bowl, add the warm water and yeast then stir and let sit for 4-5 minutes to activate the yeast.
To the yeast mixture, add the cake mix and mix until combined.
Add in one cup of the all-purpose flour, and mix until combined and begins forming a ball or dough around the hook on your stand mixer. If the dough is too sticky, add another ¼ cup flour and mix until formed.
Lightly dust a clean surface with flour and place the dough onto the surface then knead the dough 4-5 times and form into a ball shape.
Coat a clean bowl with 1 tablespoon vegetable oil coating the inside of the bowl and then place the ball of dough into the bowl, cover with a towel, and place into a warm area for 2 hours to double in size.
Once the dough has risen, prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice.
Melt the butter in a separate bowl.
Lightly flour a clean surface and turn the dough out onto the surface to roll into a rectangular shape until ¼"-½" thick.
Brush the melted butter onto the dough.
Sprinkle the brown sugar and spice mixture over the dough until covered well.
Roll the dough into a long, starting on the side closest to you and rolling away while tucking under and keeping tightly rolled.
Once rolled, use a knife to cut the dough into 1 ½" thick slices.
Place the sliced rolls onto the prepared pan about 2" apart.
Cover with a clean towel or plastic wrap and set in a warm space to rise for an additional 30 minutes or until doubled in size.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Once heated, bake the rolls for 15-20 minutes until risen and cooked through.
How to Make Cream Cheese Icing
In a large bowl, mix together the cream cheese, powder sugar, vanilla, and heavy cream until combined.
The glaze should be thick and fluffy. If too thick, add milk by the tablespoon until desired texture.
Remove cinnamon rolls from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before icing to serve.
More Breakfast Ideas
Breakfast is so much fun to cook for! There are delicious sweet treats, easy on the go options, savory meals, and that doesn't even include the smoothies, coffee drinks, or hot teas! If you want more breakfast inspiration, below are some of our favorite treats!
- Copycat Krispy Kreme Donut Bread Pudding Recipe
- Cinnamon French Toast Bread Pudding with Glaze
- 25 Sweet Bread Recipes for Heavenly Breakfasts
- Fast and Fluffy American Pancakes Recipe
- The Best French Toast Recipe You'll Ever Make
- How to Make Basic Crepes Perfect Every Time
- The Easiest Oven Baked Bacon Recipe
Chef's Tips
When making cinnamon rolls, one of the best tips I ever learned was to use unflavored dental floss to cut through the dough. You just slide it underneath the roll and pull up and over. This gives nice even cuts with no mess or squashing of the rolls.
Another great tips is to invest in an adjustable rolling pin. These come with different sized rings to add to the ends that will tell you how thick the dough is as you roll it out. It makes it easy to get nice even and precise thickness.
📖 Recipe
Red Velvet Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Icing
Rich chocolately red velvet cinnamon rolls with homemade cream cheese icing make for a perfect start to any day! 5
Ingredients
Ingredients for Red Velvet Cinnamon Rolls
- 1 box red velvet cake mix
- 2.5 cup all purpose flour split (1 cup + 1.5 cup)
- 1 pack active dry yeast
- 1 cup warm water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon all spice
- 2 tablespoon melted butter
Ingredients for Cream Cheese Icing
- 8 oz whipped cream cheese
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1-2 tablespoon heavy cream
Instructions
How do You Make Red Velvet Cinnamon Rolls
- In a large bowl, add the warm water and yeast then stir and let sit for 4-5 minutes to activate the yeast.
- To the yest mixture, add the cake mix and mix until combined.
- Add in one cup of the all-purpose flour, and mix until combined and begins forming a ball or dough around the hook on your stand mixer. If the dough is too sticky, add another ¼ cup flour and mix until formed.
- Lightly dust a clean surface with flour and place the dough onto the surface then knead the dough 4-5 times and form into a ball shape.
- Coat a clean bowl with 1 tablespoon vegetable oil coating the inside of the bowl and then place the ball of dough into the bowl, cover with a towel, and place into a warm area for 2 hours to double in size.
- Once the dough has risen, prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice.
- Melt the butter in a separate bowl.
- Lightly flour a clean surface and turn the dough out onto the surface to roll into a rectangular shape until ¼"-½" thick.
- Brush the melted butter onto the dough.
- Sprinkle the brown sugar and spice mixture over the dough until covered well.
- Roll the dough into a long, starting on the side closest to you and rolling away while tucking under an keeping tightly rolled.
- Once rolled, use a knife to cut the dough into 1 ½" thick slices.
- Place the sliced rolls onto the prepared pan about 2" apart.
- Cover with a clean towel or plastic wrap and set in a warm space to rise for an additional 30 minutes or until doubled in size.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Once heated, bake the rolls for 15-20 minutes until risen and cooked through.
How to Make Cream Cheese Icing
- In a large bowl, mix together the cream cheese, powder sugar, vanilla, and heavy cream until combined.
- Glaze should be thick and fluffy. If too thick, add milk by the tablespoon until desired texture.
- Remove cinnamon rolls from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before icing to serve.
Notes
Add chopped nuts or mini chocolate chips into the brown sugar and spice mix for a different texture in your cinnamon rolls.
Recommended Products
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Southern Red Velvet Cake Truffles | Etsy -
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Rolling Pin Stainless Steel, Adjustable Roller with Silicone Baking Red Mat for Baking Dough, Pizza, Pie, Pastries, Pasta and Cookies
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 267Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 35mgSodium: 104mgCarbohydrates: 34gFiber: 1gSugar: 12gProtein: 4g
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