Amish Cinnamon Rolls

Close up of Amish cinnamon roll that's been cut into with fork showing fluffy, gooey, cinnamon-y interior.

Pillowy soft Amish cinnamon rolls have a sneaky secret ingredient (that's probably already in your kitchen!) that makes them unbelievably plush and melt in your mouth tender.

Recipe includes a how-to video!

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American, Amish

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 28

Rising Time: 90-120 mins (will vary) 2

Total Time 2 58

Servings cinnamon rolls

Calories 395kcal

Author Sam Merritt

Equipment

13x9” (33x23cm) baking dish
Mixing bowls

Ingredients

Cinnamon Rolls

For activating the yeast

½ cup (120 ml) whole milk
¼ cup (60 ml) water
2 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast
1 teaspoon granulated sugar

For the rest of the dough

⅓ cup (67 g) granulated sugar
1 cup (210 g) mashed russet potato (unseasoned/unsalted, room temperature or slightly warm – see note!)
2 large eggs room temperature preferred
1 ½ teaspoons table salt
6 Tablespoons (85 g) unsalted butter softened and cut into Tablespoon-sized pieces
4 cups (500 g) bread flour + additional as needed

Filling

½ cup (100 g) light brown sugar firmly packed
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon table salt
4 Tablespoons (56 g) unsalted butter softened

Icing (see note)

2 oz (56 g) cream cheese softened
2 Tablespoons (28 g) unsalted butter softened
1 cup (125 g) powdered sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 Tablespoon milk

Instructions

Activate the yeast. Combine milk and water in a small microwave-safe bowl and warm to 115F (46C) (stir before checking the temperature).
½ cup whole milk, ¼ cup water
Pour warmed liquid into a large mixing bowl, or the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, and sprinkle yeast and 1 teaspoon of sugar into the warmed milk mixture. Stir to combine, and let it sit for 5-10 minutes, until yeast is foamy (if yeast doesn’t foam, the liquid may have been too hot or the yeast may be expired, you will need to start over).
2 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast, 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
Make the dough. Add the sugar, mashed potato, eggs, salt, and about 3 cups (375g) of the flour. Stir until combined.
⅓ cup granulated sugar, 1 cup mashed russet potato, 2 large eggs, 1 ½ teaspoons table salt
Add the butter. Add butter, 1 Tablespoon at a time, stirring after each addition and not adding the next until the first is fully incorporated.
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter
Switch to the dough hook attachment if using a stand mixer and gradually add the remaining flour. Stir until dough starts to pull away from the bowl while mixing (note that you may not need all the flour, or you may need more than indicated. Dough should be soft and slightly tacky, but not sticky)
Knead the dough:
If using your stand mixer: Knead with a dough hook attachment until dough is smooth and elastic (about 5 minutes).
If kneading by hand: Transfer dough to a clean lightly floured surface and knead until dough is smooth and elastic, adding more flour if necessary (this will take about 10 minutes).
First rise: Lightly grease a large bowl, transfer dough to bowl and turn all over to coat with oil. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in a warm, draft-free place to rise until doubled in size (about 1-2 hours, will vary depending on the warmth of your kitchen). While the dough is rising, you can prepare your filling.
Prepare the filling: In a small mixing bowl, whisk together sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
½ cup light brown sugar, 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon table salt
Butter should be soft enough to easily spread, if it’s not you can briefly microwave it to make it softer. Set aside.
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
Lightly grease the sides and bottom of a 13x9” (33x23) baking dish, set aside.
Assemble the rolls: Punch down your dough to deflate and transfer to a clean, lightly floured surface. Roll out to a 20x8” (50x20cm) rectangle.
Spread the softened butter evenly over the surface, leaving a ½” (1.5cm) perimeter. Sprinkle the filling evenly over the surface, gently pressing into the butter.
Roll into a log: Start with a longer end and roll the dough tightly into a log, then use your fingers to pinch a seam at the end (helps prevent unraveling). Use a sharp knife to cut the log into 12 even slices, then transfer the slices to prepared 13x9” (33x23cm) baking dish into four even rows of three, spacing rolls evenly.
Second rise: Cover dish with plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm, draft-free place until puffed, about 30 minutes. While rolls are rising, preheat oven to 350F (175C).
Bake. Once rolls have puffed, transfer to 350F (175C) preheated oven and bake for 27-30 minutes, until top begins to turn a very light golden brown and the internal temperature of a center, second-row cinnamon roll reaches 180-185F (84C).
Make the icing: Combine cream cheese and butter in a medium-sized bowl and stir until smooth and creamy, then gradually stir in the powdered sugar until completely combined. Stir in vanilla extract and milk until creamy and fully combined.
2 oz cream cheese, 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 cup powdered sugar, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 Tablespoon milk
Allow cinnamon rolls to cool for at least several minutes in their pan before spreading icing over each roll (I add the frosting while they’re still warm, but it will be thicker if you allow the rolls to cool completely first). Enjoy!

Video

Notes

Mashed potato

Mashed potatoes should be plain (no milk, salt, etc), unseasoned, and room temperature or slightly warm (not cold, it’s hard to incorporate them that way). I recommend baking a russet potato or two (I “bake” mine in the microwave – scrub, dry, pierce all over with a fork and microwave for 5 minutes, flip, and bake another 3-7 as needed until soft/tender all the way through when pierced with a fork), then scraping out the inside and mashing. Measure the potatoes after mashing.

Icing

If you don't care for cream cheese, try my classic vanilla cinnamon roll icing instead.

Storing

Best enjoyed warm, so slightly reheat leftover rolls before serving (I heat mine in the microwave, 10-15 seconds). Otherwise, store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Making in advance

Assemble the rolls in the baking dish (after the first rise and assembly), cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight and up to 18 hours. The next day, remove from the fridge and allow to sit at room temperature for 30-45 minutes, until slightly puffed (preheat your oven to 350F/175C during this time), then bake as indicated

To freeze: Assemble the rolls, cover tightly, and freeze in the baking dish for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator then allow to rise at room temperature until puffed before baking as indicated. Baked rolls may also be frozen (iced or not) for up to 2 months, thaw and warm before serving.

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