- Serves9
- Cook time35 minute
- Prep time20 minute, + cooling, 5 mins standing and 1½ hours rising time
Filled with sugar and spice, these cinnamon scrolls are the perfect sweet treat. Try your hand at making a batch at home.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (185ml) warm skim milk
- 2 tsp (1 sachet/7g) dried yeast
- 1/4 cup (55g) caster sugar
- 1 Coles Australian Free Range Egg, lightly whisked
- 50g butter, melted
- 3 cups (450g) plain flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Ground cinnamon, to sprinkle
Cinnamon filling
- 2/3 cup (150g) brown sugar
- 1 1/2 tbs ground cinnamon
- 60g butter, softened
Buttercream
- 50g butter, softened
- 3/4 cup (120g) icing sugar mixture
- 2 tsp milk
Nutritional information
Nutritional analysis is an estimate only and uses Coles branded products where possible. It excludes 'to serve' and 'serve with' suggestions. Check ingredient labels to ensure they meet your specific dietary needs and consult a health professional before changing your diet. See dietary information for more details. Percentage daily intake information is calculated based on an average adult energy intake of 8700kJs.
Method
Step 1
Place the milk, yeast and 1 tsp sugar in a small jug. Stir until well combined. Set aside for 5 mins or until the mixture is frothy.Step 2
Add the egg, butter and 1 tbs water to the milk mixture. Whisk to combine.Step 3
Combine flour, salt and remaining sugar in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre. Add milk mixture and use a round-bladed knife to stir until a soft, sticky dough forms. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 mins or until smooth and elastic. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl. Cover loosely with a clean damp tea towel. Set aside in a warm, draught-free place for 1 hour or until the dough doubles in size.Step 4
Meanwhile, to make the cinnamon filling, place the sugar, cinnamon and butter in a small bowl and stir until a smooth paste forms.Step 5
Preheat oven to 200°C. Grease a 22cm square cake pan and line the base and sides with baking paper. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Roll out the dough to a 30cm x 40cm rectangle. Spread the cinnamon filling evenly over the dough, leaving a 2cm border at 1 long end. Starting from the other long end, roll up the dough to enclose the filling. Use a serrated knife to cut evenly into 9 scrolls. Arrange the scrolls, cut-side up, in the prepared pan. Cover loosely with a clean damp tea towel and set aside for 20-30 mins or until the dough rises to the top of the pan.Step 6
Bake for 10 mins. Reduce oven to 180°C. Bake for a further 20-25 mins or until the scrolls are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped on the top. Set aside in the pan to cool.Step 7
To make the buttercream, use an electric mixer to beat the butter in a bowl until very pale. Add the icing sugar and beat until well combined. Add the milk and beat to combine.Step 8
Place the scrolls on a serving platter. Spread with the buttercream and sprinkle with cinnamon.
Recipe tip
Clever storage: Store cinnamon scrolls in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, preferably in the coolest area in your kitchen that’s also dark and dry. To keep in the fridge, transfer to an airtight container and store for up to 3 days. Freeze in an airtight container for up to 2 months.
How to make cinnamon scrolls
1. Use a knife
To achieve a smooth dough and incorporate the wet and dry ingredients more easily, use a round-bladed knife instead of a wooden spoon to stir. This allows you to cut through the thick batter.
2. Get kneading
For perfectly fluffy scrolls, use the heel of your hand to knead the dough until smooth and elastic. To test if it’s ready, prod the dough with your finger – it should spring back slowly.
3. Roll up the dough
For a perfect centre, spread the dough with cinnamon filling, leaving a 2cm border at 1 long end. Use your fingers to gently lift the opposite end, then slowly move your fingers along the dough as you roll it.
4. Make ‘em sticky
To get irresistibly sticky bun bases, arrange the scrolls side by side in a square cake pan. Baking the scrolls in a pan rather than on a lined tray means that the filling will pool at the bottom while baking.
Traditional cinnamon scrolls recipe
The Swedish know their breads and pastries, and we have them to thank for the heaven-sent invention of sticky, spicy and sweet cinnamon scrolls. If you’ve had these delectable treats before, you already know what all the hype is about. And if you haven’t, and you love cinnamon, there’s a 99 per cent chance that you’re going to love them. After all, how often does a country dedicate a national holiday in honour of a sweet baked good? Besides having it on this national holiday, Swedish people enjoy their cinnamon scrolls over ‘fika’, which refers to a time where you get together with friends over a cup of coffee and a snack. You too can host a fika for your nearest and dearest with this recipe for cinnamon scrolls. Pillowy, yeasty and slightly sweet scrolls wrapped around a sticky cinnamon sugar filling, smeared with a buttercream icing to add another level of lushness.
Tips for making this cinnamon scroll recipe
Follow our suggestions for making this easy cinnamon scroll recipe:
Check that you are using yeast that is alive. To test, stir together milk, yeast and sugar in a small jug (see step 1). If it gets frothy after 5 mins, and you can smell a yeasty aroma, it is good to use.
Make sure that any ingredient you mix the yeast together with is below 57°C, or the yeast will die. If you can’t handle the dough for long with your bare hands because it’s too hot, then the yeast will not survive either.
Know how to knead the dough properly. You want to knead it until its texture changes from being rough and sticky to smooth. The dough is kneaded enough when it springs back and doesn’t leave an indent after you push it with your fingers. You would also be able to stretch a bit of the dough out with both hands without it tearing. The whole kneading process takes around 10 minutes at the most. Note: It is possible to overknead, especially if you are using a standing mixer to knead. You can tell that a dough has been overkneaded if it is tough to stretch it.
When proofing the dough (as described in step 3), try a draught-free place like a pre-warmed oven.
Choosing a topping for your cinnamon scroll
In this easy cinnamon scrolls recipe, the cinnamon scrolls icing recipe is for a buttercream icing, but really, you can choose many other types of toppings for your scrolls. Some delicious options include a cream cheese icing, caramel drizzle, maple pecan topping, fresh fruit and whipped cream, fruit compote, ice cream or powdered sugar. You can also serve the scrolls as they are.
Love this recipe?
These cinnamon scrolls are perfect for morning or afternoon tea, dessert, or even a special breakfast treat. Keen to keep baking? Try our apple cinnamon scrolls or jam doughnut scrolls. Or, for something a little less sweet, have a go at the Swedish classic: cardamom buns.
FAQs
Traditional cinnamon scrolls
- Serves9
- Cook time35 minute
- Prep time20 minute, + cooling, 5 mins standing and 1½ hours rising time
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (185ml) warm skim milk
- 2 tsp (1 sachet/7g) dried yeast
- 1/4 cup (55g) caster sugar
- 1 Coles Australian Free Range Egg, lightly whisked
- 50g butter, melted
- 3 cups (450g) plain flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Ground cinnamon, to sprinkle
Cinnamon filling
- 2/3 cup (150g) brown sugar
- 1 1/2 tbs ground cinnamon
- 60g butter, softened
Buttercream
- 50g butter, softened
- 3/4 cup (120g) icing sugar mixture
- 2 tsp milk
Method
Step 1
Place the milk, yeast and 1 tsp sugar in a small jug. Stir until well combined. Set aside for 5 mins or until the mixture is frothy.Step 2
Add the egg, butter and 1 tbs water to the milk mixture. Whisk to combine.Step 3
Combine flour, salt and remaining sugar in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre. Add milk mixture and use a round-bladed knife to stir until a soft, sticky dough forms. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 mins or until smooth and elastic. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl. Cover loosely with a clean damp tea towel. Set aside in a warm, draught-free place for 1 hour or until the dough doubles in size.Step 4
Meanwhile, to make the cinnamon filling, place the sugar, cinnamon and butter in a small bowl and stir until a smooth paste forms.Step 5
Preheat oven to 200°C. Grease a 22cm square cake pan and line the base and sides with baking paper. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Roll out the dough to a 30cm x 40cm rectangle. Spread the cinnamon filling evenly over the dough, leaving a 2cm border at 1 long end. Starting from the other long end, roll up the dough to enclose the filling. Use a serrated knife to cut evenly into 9 scrolls. Arrange the scrolls, cut-side up, in the prepared pan. Cover loosely with a clean damp tea towel and set aside for 20-30 mins or until the dough rises to the top of the pan.Step 6
Bake for 10 mins. Reduce oven to 180°C. Bake for a further 20-25 mins or until the scrolls are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped on the top. Set aside in the pan to cool.Step 7
To make the buttercream, use an electric mixer to beat the butter in a bowl until very pale. Add the icing sugar and beat until well combined. Add the milk and beat to combine.Step 8
Place the scrolls on a serving platter. Spread with the buttercream and sprinkle with cinnamon.