These glazed Homemade Cinnamon Rolls With Raisins are sweet, soft, moist, fluffy, and easier to make than you might think. They're a yummy, indulgent treat that's perfect for breakfast, brunch, special occasions, and holidays!
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Mmm...there's nothing quite like a warm and gooey cinnamon roll that's fresh from the oven. Pair it with a big mug of coffee or tea, and I'm one happy girl!
Yes, they do take a little time (most of it is hands-off rising time), but it's so worth it to learn how to make them from scratch right in your own kitchen.
Sure, it's easier to pop open a can of cinnamon rolls and bake them up or to run out and get some at your local bakery.
But those versions just can't hold a candle to these glorious pillows of deliciousness that are a zhuzhed-up adaptation of David's grandma's cinnamon buns recipe, which is a favorite in his family.
The dough is lightly sweet and bakes up soft, moist and fluffy. The filling is made up of butter, cinnamon, dark brown sugar, and lots of plump, juicy raisins. And it's all topped off with a very generous drizzle of vanilla powdered sugar glaze.
When enjoyed while still warm, they practically melt in your mouth. And it's really hard to keep from wanting to eat a few more.
Oh, and there's a bonus: These cinnamon raisin rolls freeze well, so you can save some to enjoy later!
Ingredients You Need
Note: Ingredient amounts are in the recipe card at the end of the post.
- Whole milk
- Salted butter
- White granulated sugar
- Salt
- Eggs
- All-purpose flour
- Instant yeast
- Cinnamon
- Dark brown sugar
- Raisins
- Cooking spray
- Powdered sugar
- Vanilla extract
Special Equipment Needed
- Electric stand mixer with dough hook attachment
- Kitchen thermometer
How to Make Homemade Cinnamon Rolls With Raisins
Note: This is just a brief overview of the steps. For the full printable recipe with ingredient amounts and detailed instructions, please go to the recipe card at the end of the post.
1: Put milk, butter, sugar, and salt in a small to medium saucepan. Heat over low heat, stirring, just until the butter has melted.
2: Remove the pot from the heat; allow the mixture to cool, stirring occasionally, until it reaches a temperature of 110°F.
3: Add eggs and whisk until combined.
4: Transfer the mixture to the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the dough hook.
5: Add the flour and the yeast.
6: Mix on low speed until you get a soft and smooth ball of dough that no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl. A little bit of sticking at the very bottom of the bowl is okay. If needed, add more flour, one tablespoon at a time, until the desired consistency is reached.
7: Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size, about 1 to 1½ hours.
8: Towards the end of the rising time, place the raisins in a bowl and cover them with hot water. Let them soak for 10 to 15 minutes to plump them up, then drain.
9: Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface.
10: Roll the dough out into a 12x18-inch rectangle.
11: Evenly spread softened butter over the dough.
12: Evenly top the dough with cinnamon, then brown sugar, and then raisins.
13: Starting with one of the longer sides, gently but tightly roll up the dough to make a log shape, leaving the seam at the bottom.
14: Using a very sharp knife, slice the log into 12 equal pieces.
15: Put the pieces, cut-side-up, into a lightly sprayed 9x13x2-inch baking pan (arrange them in 4 rows of 3).
16: Cover the pan with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until the rolls have doubled in size, about 30 to 45 minutes.
17: While the rolls are rising, preheat the oven to 350°F and place the oven rack in the next position above the center.
18: Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or just until the dough is cooked through. Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire cooling rack.
19: Make the glaze: In a medium bowl, mix together the powdered sugar, vanilla extract and as much milk as is needed to reach your desired consistency.
20: Once the rolls have been out of the oven for 10 minutes, evenly drizzle the glaze over them and then continue allowing them to cool.
21: Enjoy (best when served while still warm)!
Recipe Tips & Tidbits
- Be sure to use room temperature eggs so they don't cool down the milk mixture too much. To quickly warm up cold eggs, put them in a bowl of warm water (not hot) for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Make sure your yeast is fresh and not expired. Dead yeast = no rising!
- Getting the dough right is important. It will be softer and looser than a bread dough.
- The dough ball should pull away from the sides of the bowl, but a little bit of sticking at the very bottom of the bowl is totally fine.
- When you lightly press on the top of the dough with clean, dry fingers, it should feel slightly tacky but it should not stick to your fingers.
- Adding too much flour and making a drier dough will result in dry cinnamon rolls.
- If you don't have an electric mixer, you can mix and knead the dough by hand.
- To easily make even slices when cutting the rolls, I first cut the log in half right in the middle. Then I cut each half in half, so now I have 4 quarters. Finally, I cut each quarter into 3 equal pieces.
- Rising times given in the recipe are just a guideline. Actual rising times can vary depending on the conditions in your kitchen on any given day. You should always judge the dough by its size rather than going by a particular amount of time.
- A warmer place that is free from drafts is preferred. The ideal temperature is around 80°F (cooler temperatures will increase the rising time).
- I recommend using a lighter-colored baking pan; darker pans could result in the sides and bottoms of your rolls getting too brown.
- Avoid over-baking to prevent dry cinnamon rolls.
Substitutions & Variations
- Golden raisins can be used instead of regular raisins.
- If you're not into raisins, just leave them out.
- You can use dried cranberries instead of raisins (soak them first just like you would raisins).
- Try adding chopped nuts to the filling, such as pecans or walnuts.
- A cream cheese glaze, such as the one I use on my Pumpkin Streusel Sheet Cake, would also be delicious on these rolls!
Storing & Freezing
Storing
To store leftover cinnamon rolls, once completely cooled, wrap each roll individually in plastic wrap (covering the pan or putting them in a storage container allows too much air exposure, and they will dry out much quicker). Store the wrapped rolls at room temperature for 1 to 2 days, tops.
- Because cinnamon rolls can dry out rather quickly, I suggest immediately freezing any that you know you're not going to eat within a day or two. This preserves their quality so much better.
- When enjoying a leftover cinnamon roll, I recommend unwrapping it and heating it in the microwave for a few seconds to warm it up just a bit. This will soften it up and make it taste more like it was when fresh from the oven.
Freezing
To freeze cinnamon rolls, once completely cooled, wrap each roll individually in plastic wrap and then in aluminum foil. Place the wrapped rolls in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 2 months (the sooner you enjoy them, the better).
- When ready to eat, remove the foil and leave the plastic wrap on; allow to thaw at room temperature. Remove the plastic wrap and heat in the microwave for a few seconds until warmed through for that fresh-from-the-oven texture and flavor.
I hope you try this Homemade Cinnamon Rolls With Raisins recipe and love it as much as I do. Thanks for visiting today!
More Breakfast Sweet Treat Recipes To Try
If you make this recipe, I'd love to know how it went. Please leave a star rating and comment below. Thanks!
📋Recipe
Homemade Cinnamon Rolls With Raisins
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 cup whole milk
- ½ cup salted butter, (1 stick), cut into 8 pieces
- ½ cup white granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 4 to 4½ cups all-purpose flour
- 4½ teaspoons instant yeast, 2 (¼-ounce) packets
Filling
- 6 tablespoons butter, softened
- 2 tablespoons cinnamon
- ½ cup dark brown sugar
- 1 cup raisins
Glaze
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 to 3 tablespoons whole milk, or as much as is needed to reach the desired consistency of the glaze
Other
- cooking spray
Special Equipment
- electric stand mixer with dough hook attachment
- kitchen thermometer (one that you would use to take the temperature of meat or liquids)
Instructions
- Put the 1 cup of milk, ½ cup of butter, white granulated sugar, and salt in a small to medium saucepan (I use a 1-quart pot). Heat over low heat, stirring, just until the butter is melted.
- Remove the pot from the heat; allow the mixture to cool, stirring occasionally, until it reaches a temperature of 110°F.To speed up the cooling process, you can transfer the mixture to a large measuring cup or bowl.
- Add the eggs to the warm milk mixture; whisk until combined.
- Transfer the mixture to the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the dough hook.
- Add 4 cups of the flour and the yeast.
- Mix on low speed until you get a soft and smooth ball of dough that no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl. A little bit of sticking at the very bottom of the bowl is okay and is actually preferred. The dough should feel just slightly tacky, but it should not stick when you lightly press down on it with clean, dry fingers. After 2 to 3 minutes of mixing and once the flour has been completely incorporated, if the dough is too loose or sticky, start adding more flour, one tablespoon at a time and mixing after each addition, just until it reaches the desired consistency. Be careful of adding too much flour, as this can cause your cinnamon rolls to be dry and tough.
- Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place that is free from drafts until the dough doubles in size, about 1 to 1½ hours.
- Towards the end of the rising time, place the raisins in a bowl and cover them with hot water. Let them soak for 10 to 15 minutes, then drain.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface. Using a rolling pin or your hands (the dough is very soft and easy to work with), form the dough into a 12x18-inch rectangle.
- Evenly spread the 6 tablespoons of softened butter over the top of the dough, going all the way to the edges.
- Evenly sprinkle the cinnamon over the butter, then the brown sugar, and then the raisins, going all the way to the edges.
- Starting with one of the longer sides, gently but tightly roll up the dough to form a log shape, leaving the seam on the bottom.If the dough is sticking at all when you roll it up, use a bench scraper or a flat spatula to gently lift it up.
- Using a very sharp knife, slice the log into 12 equal pieces.
- Lightly spray a 9x13x2-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Place the rolls in the pan, cut side up, arranging them in 4 rows of 3.
- Cover the pan with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place that is free from drafts until doubled in size, about 30 to 45 minutes.
- While the rolls are rising, preheat the oven to 350°F and place the oven rack in the next position above the center.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or just until the dough is cooked through. The tops of the rolls will still be relatively light in color and may be just starting to turn lightly golden in spots, and the edges should be golden brown.Be very careful not to over bake, as this will make your cinnamon rolls dry. Since all ovens are different, I suggest starting to check them at the 20-minute mark.
- Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire cooling rack.
- Make the glaze: In a medium bowl, mix together the powdered sugar, vanilla extract and as much of the milk as is needed to reach your desired consistency (I start with 2 tablespoons and add more if needed to get a semi-thick glaze that drizzles easily with a spoon).
- Once the rolls have been out of the oven for about 10 minutes, evenly drizzle the glaze over them and then continue allowing them to cool.
- Enjoy (best when served fresh from the oven and still warm)!
Notes
- Whether or not you need to add more flour to the dough will vary depending on the ingredients (such as the size of the eggs) and the conditions in your kitchen (temperature, humidity, etc.).
- Generally, I might have to add 2 to 3 tablespoons, but you really just have to go by the look and feel of the dough.
- Rising times given in the recipe are just a guideline. Actual rising times can vary depending on the conditions in your kitchen on any given day. You should always judge the dough by its size rather than going by a particular amount of time.
- A warmer place that is free from drafts is preferred. The ideal temperature is around 80°F (cooler temperatures will increase the rising time).
- I recommend using a lighter-colored baking pan; dark pans could make the bottoms and sides of your rolls get too brown.
- You can check for doneness using a kitchen thermometer (this is how I prefer to do it). Insert it into the center of one of the rolls in the center of the pan. They are done when the temperature reaches 190°F.
- Because there will be some carryover cooking and the temperature will continue to rise for a few minutes after they are out of the oven, I take them out at about 185°F so they don't overcook.
- See the post for additional recipe tips, substitutions and variations, and for info on storing and freezing.
Barry says
I don't make the glaze and I still really enjoy them. However, if you would like cinnamon rolls with a lot of filling, you should make half the dough and roll it very thin. Then add the filling on top. I add 1 tsp of Cardamom for taste. Without the glaze, I add the vanilla to the dough.
Michelle says
Thank you, Barry!
Marge says
When rolls are completed and ready for second rise can they be put in refrigerator overnight for second rise?
Michelle says
Hi, Marge! I have never done it that way, so I can't say for sure what the result would be. That being said, I think you could do this. I would suggest covering the pan tightly with plastic wrap and putting it in the refrigerator for no more than 12 hours (too long, and you run the risk of overproofing and/or the sugar in the filling melting and making the bottoms of the rolls wet). In the morning, if needed, let them continue to rise at room temperature and then uncover and bake. If you try it, please let us know how it worked out!