Pizza Dough Cinnamon Rolls

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Refrigerated pizza dough makes these cinnamon rolls easy to prepare in just 15 minutes! Let the sweet smell of homemade cinnamon rolls fill your kitchen this weekend.

How to make cinnamon rolls:

It’s simple – you’ll start with my no knead pizza dough recipe! And it could not be easier to make. Stir together yeast, flour, oil, salt and water and let it rise overnight.

If you’re short on time, feel free to use one lb. of store bought pizza dough in place of my no knead pizza dough recipe.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Use a rolling pin to gently roll dough into a large rectangle.

Spread a thick layer of softened butter across the dough and sprinkle on a bunch of brown sugar and cinnamon.

Roll it tightly into a large log.

Gently push the ends of the log inwards, so that it’s the same thickness throughout. Use a knife to score the log into three equal parts.

Use a knife to score each of those sections into 3 equal sections. Use floss to cut along the scored lines, creating 9 rolls.

Gently form them into round cinnamon rolls.

Place rolls into a greased 8×8 baking dish and let rise for 30 minutes.

Bake for 30 minutes. While the rolls are baking, get that frosting made! You’ll beat butter and cream cheese with a hand held mixer, then add powdered sugar and just a pinch of salt.

Loosen it up with a bit of vanilla and heavy cream until you reach the your desired consistency. I’m a thick and creamy gal myself.

Generously frost freshly baked cinnamon rolls and serve warm!

How to cut cinnamon roll dough:

• The easiest way to cut cinnamon rolls is using floss.
• Just shimmy the floss underneath the log, using your scored lines as a guide. Cross the ends of the floss over each other in a straight line and pull in opposite directions. This will give you a perfect, clean cut.
• Even the sharpest of knives will typically smash the dough and cause the filling to spill out everywhere. Unflavored floss is preferable, but I’ve used mint flavor and you can’t taste it at all.

How to make cream cheese frosting:

• The frosting for these cinnamon rolls is made by mixing mainly cream cheese, a little bit of butter a whole lot of powdered sugar. A splash of vanilla and a couple tablespoons of cream loosen it up perfectly and give you a rich, velvety, decadent cream cheese frosting.
• The warmth from the cinnamon rolls will melt the frosting and make it perfectly oeey gooey. If you’re into a lot of frosting, feel free to double the frosting portion of the recipe as well.

Why you’re going to love these cinnamon rolls:

• They take just 15 minutes to prepare! My no knead pizza dough or store bought refrigerated pizza dough is going to make these cinnamon rolls a breeze to throw together on a Saturday morning while the kids are still asleep!
• They taste just like your favorite bakery’s cinnamon rolls – but you can enjoy them while sipping your morning coffee and sitting in your jammies.

Can I make these cinnamon rolls ahead of time?

• Oh yeah, you definitely can!
• Follow the recipe below and just before letting the cinnamon rolls rise, cover them with saran wrap and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
• Then, about 2 hours before you’re ready to bake, take them out of the fridge and let them rise on the counter (for 2+ hours). I like to prep these during the week and then bake them on Saturday or Sunday morning when we have time to relax and enjoy them!

Do I need a mixer to make these cinnamon rolls?

• For the dough, no, you don’t need a mixer.
• For the cream cheese frosting, yes, you will need at least a hand held mixer.
• I haven’t met a rich, creamy frosting that didn’t require a mixer in fact! I lost a pin to my handy dandy stand mixer so I just use a cheapo hand mixer to make all my frosting now and it works great. With the butter and cream cheese at room temperature, this frosting comes together in just minutes!

Tips for making the best homemade cinnamon rolls:

• Pizza dough makes the perfect cinnamon roll dough! My no knead pizza dough is really best in this recipe, but store bought pizza dough will work just fine also!
• Use floss to slice the cinnamon rolls. It might seem crazy but it totally works! You’ll get even, perfectly sliced rolls every time.
• Always let the cinnamon rolls rise in the pan before baking. After slicing the rolls and placing them in your pan, make sure you let them rise for 30 minutes. This step is very crucial. It will make your cinnamon rolls big and puffy and ensure that they are cooked on the outside but tender on the inside.
• Double the frosting recipe if your family loves lots of that ooey gooey cream cheese frosting!

Other breakfast favorites your family will love:

• No Bake Chewy Granola Bars
• Meal Prep Oatmeal Breakfast Bowl
• Mexican Breakfast Tostadas
• 5 Minute Vegan Granola

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This post was originally published in November of 2018. It was updated in March of 2019 to include process shots and tips for making the perfect cinnamon rolls every single time!