"Homemade" Cinnamon Rolls
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“Homemade” Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
- Rhodes frozen cinnamon rolls - 1 package (12ct)
- French Vanilla Instant Pudding - 1 box
- Butter - 1 stick
- Pam Nonstick Spray
- 9x13 baking dish (or tin foil pan)
Directions
Prep the night before - spray baking dish (or tin foil pan) with Pam
Place 12 frozen cinnamon rolls flat onto the pan
Sprinkle entire box of French Vanilla instant pudding mix onto the frozen cinnamon rolls
Melt 1 stick of butter
Pour melted butter on top of the frozen cinnamon rolls
Cover cinnamon rolls with aluminum foil
Refrigerate cinnamon rolls overnight, along with the two icing packets that come with the rolls
The day of - Remove cinnamon rolls and icing packets from refrigerator
Allow cinnamon rolls to continue rising at room temperature for one hour
Remove aluminum foil from cinnamon rolls
Preheat oven to 350ºF
Bake cinnamon rolls for 20-25min (until they look done to your liking)
Immediately ice the cinnamon rolls with both icing packets
Serve and enjoy!
The great cinnamon roll debate: which cinnamon roll is your favorite of the batch: the corner, the outside, or the center? I bet most family fights are started by who gets the center cinnamon roll. How crazy is it that only one cinnamon roll out of an entire Pillsbury can comes out delicious every time? Just one cinnamon roll. What’s even crazier is that some people prefer the corner and outside cinnamon rolls (I’m shaking my head in disbelief as I type this). Anyways, that’s besides the point. Back to the family fights that are started because of the center cinnamon roll. What if I were to tell you Jacob and I have a recipe for the easiest, most satisfying, and crowd-pleasing cinnamon rolls, where all 12 rolls come out looking, smelling, and tasting better than that one center cinnamon roll from a Pillsbury can?
I’m [almost] embarrassed to share our incredibly easy recipe. While we’ve never actually made cinnamon rolls from scratch, our recipe transforms ordinary cinnamon rolls into “homemade” cinnamon rolls. These delicious rolls are such a hit for parties, gatherings, and work events; they’re made with three ingredients and don’t require any kneading nor rolling. When either of us contribute to a food day at work, we usually bring these cinnamon rolls. I’m pretty sure some of my coworkers believe me when I say I kneaded and rolled the dough myself.
After prepping and baking batch after batch and realizing how divine these cinnamon rolls are, I’m now picky about cinnamon rolls; I guess you could call me a cinnamon roll snob. I typically decline the store-bought canned cinnamon rolls any time family or friends bake them (they’re easy to over cook, usually dry, never enough icing, and not worth the calories IMO), and I avoid cinnamon rolls at coffee shops, cafes, and restaurants (well, minus Corner Cafe - their cinnamon rolls are still a favorite here in Kansas City).
Let’s get right to it! If you’re making these cinnamon rolls for a family gathering, party, or work event, it’s easiest to prep the night before and then bake the day of. Here’s what you need to make these bad boys:
Ingredients
Rhodes frozen cinnamon rolls (12 ct)
French Vanilla Instant Pudding - 1 box
Butter - 1 stick
Pam Nonstick Spray
9x13 baking dish (or tin foil pan)
Prep the night before: Spray a 9x13 baking dish (or tin foil pan) with Pam and then place all 12 frozen cinnamon rolls flat onto the pan. (If you’re lucky - you’ll have 13 rolls in the Rhodes bag, and well, if you’re unlucky you’ll have 11 rolls. Rhodes will make it right with you if you’re shorted so reach out to their customer service department.)
The Rhodes frozen cinnamon rolls come with two icing packets - put those in the refrigerator since they’re made with cream cheese and need to remain cold until ready to serve.
Using the full box of French Vanilla instant pudding, pour pudding mix onto all 12 cinnamon rolls. When the rolls rise, the pudding mix will seep into the cinnamon rolls, giving them that “homemade” taste.
Ready to Bake
Lastly, melt one stick of butter and pour butter over entire batch (on top of the instant vanilla). The vanilla pudding and melted butter are crucial to making these cinnamon rolls look, smell, and taste like they are homemade. Cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate overnight.
For the day of: Pull the cinnamon rolls and icing packets out of the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for one hour. This will allow rolls to continue rising. Then preheat the oven to 350ºF and remove the aluminum foil from the cinnamon rolls. Bake cinnamon rolls for 20-25min (until the center cinnamon rolls are done to your liking). Remove cinnamon rolls from the oven and immediately apply the icing. Serve and enjoy!