Vibrantly red and supremely fluffy Red Velvet Cinnamon Rolls complete with the always addictive gooey brown sugar-cinnamon swirl and of course, the rich cream cheese frosting!
Merry Christmas Eve, Everybody!
While some people prefer the smell of fried bacon or strong coffee to perk up their nose in the morning, I prefer something SWEETER. To me, there’s really nothing more welcoming in the morning than the freshly-baked aroma of cinnamon rolls. Not only is the warm yeastiness from the baking rolls intoxicating, but the heavenly smells of caramelized brown sugar and fragrant cinnamon are probably the only thing persuasive enough to get me out of bed before noon.
Speaking of mornings (which I’ve obviously never been a fan of), everyone has their own Christmas morning traditions–wearing matching Xmas PJ’s (barf), making a rich cup of hot chocolate, opening stockings before presents, etc. Nevertheless, one tradition that seems to be a constant among most families is what they have for breakfast on this special morning. My family was always a pancake, sausage, bacon and eggs type of family–nothing too out of the ordinary or extravagant. However, if these Red Velvet Cinnamon Rolls were on our breakfast table, I’d have definitely gone total ham on them.
Not only are you seduced by the vibrance of the blindingly bold red color, but the simple fact that these are ooey gooey cinnamon rolls slathered in cream cheese icing should have you drooling up a storm.
Looking back at my World’s Best Cinnamon Rolls recipe, I’m amazed that it’s been over THREE years since I’ve attempted another cinnamon roll recipe. I tend to shy away from breads and anything involving yeast since they’ve always intimidated me. This recipe, however, was a great reminder as to why I should be making cinnamon rolls WAY more often. They’re so DANG easy!
Well, maybe not as easy as waffles or pancakes, but still. Once you make up the dough, you’re pretty much home-free! This dough in particular starts with an active dry yeast. The proofing that’s required with this yeast just allows for extra peace of mind in the beginning knowing that the dough will rise properly. Because ain’t nothin’ fun about making an entire recipe of cinnamon rolls up to the baking point and discovering that your yeast was dead since the rolls did not rise at all.
Since Red Velvet is known for its perfect flavor balance of chocolate and vanilla, I incorporated a little instant chocolate pudding into the dough. Not only does the pudding keep these rolls super soft and fluffy, but it also gives these rolls that subtle chocolate flavor to mimic Red Velvet.
To create the vividly red color in the dough, I used Wilton Right Food Color System Refill in Red#2. I found that this particular food coloring was the most concentrated, thus helping me to achieve the bold color I needed with less food coloring added. Just over a teaspoon is all I needed to get these cinnamon rolls flaming red.
Once rolled out, I slathered a healthy dose of butter on top, packed on a hefty amount of brown sugar, and dusted everything with ground cinnamon. To keep with the Red Velvet theme of these rolls, I also sprinkled a little cocoa powder on top just before rolling it up into a tight log.
For clean and easy slicing, I used UNFLAVORED floss. While minty floss is great for breath freshness, mint and cinnamon rolls don’t exactly mix. I always keep a little box of unflavored floss in my kitchen since it’s also great for slicing cheesecakes and other doughy or sticky foods.
Once placed in the pan, these rolls need a little time to rise once more–about 30-60 minutes, or until they are touching. If you want to make the rolls the night before and eat them in the morning, I’d suggest just putting the pan of cinnamon rolls in the refrigerator BEFORE rising. When you wake up the next morning, allow the rolls to rise about an hour, then pop them in the oven.
If you know me well, I like my frosting with a little bit of dessert. Whether it’s cake, cookies, cinnamon rolls, etc., it’s never fully dressed without LOADS of frosting or icing. Needless to say, these cinnamon rolls are smothered in the best cream cheese icing imaginable. Seeing as these are Red Velvet Cinnamon Rolls, it HAD to be cream cheese icing. Nothing else would’ve done these rolls justice.
I really can’t think of anything more satisfying than biting into a freshly-baked, ooey gooey, soft and doughy cinnamon roll after spending at least 30 minutes photographing it. Seriously, I might have to look into getting some kind of drool guard for my camera viewfinder because I was salivating like a dog in a bacon factory.
Red Velvet Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
For the Dough:
- ¼ cup warm water*
- 2 ¼ teaspoon active dry yeast (one 1/4-ounce packet)
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- ¼ cup instant chocolate pudding mix
- 1 cup milk (warmed in microwave for 30-40 seconds)
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter melted
- 1 Tablespoon Greek yogurt
- 1 egg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1-2 teaspoons red food coloring**
- 3-3 ¼ cup all-purpose flour***
For the Filling:
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon cinnamon
- ½ Tablespoon cocoa powder
For the Icing:
- 6 ounces cream cheese
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- 1 Tablespoon corn syrup
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- Pinch of salt to taste
- 2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
Make the Dough:
- In a glass measuring cup, combine the water, yeast, and sugar; set aside to foam for about 5 minutes. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the pudding mix and milk together until combined and thickened. Add the butter, Greek yogurt, egg, salt, and food coloring, beating until fully combined.
- Switch to the dough hook, and add the yeast mixture and 3 cups of the flour. Mix the dough on low and allow it to knead for about 6-7 minutes. If dough is still too soft, add more flour, 1 Tablespoon at a time, until dough just cleans the bowl, but is very soft. It should still stick to the bottom of the bowl.
- Coat a large bowl with cooking spray and place dough in bowl. Seal tightly with plastic wrap. Place bowl in a warm place and allow dough to rise until doubled in size, about 2 hours. In the meantime, spray a 9-by-13-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
- After dough has doubled in size, punch it down. Turn dough out onto a floured Silpat or floured countertop. With a rolling pin, roll it out to a 16-by-12-inch rectangle.
- With a knife (or your fingers), spread butter evenly over the entire surface of the dough. Sprinkle the brown sugar over it, followed by the cinnamon and cocoa powder. Lightly pat it down with your fingertips to help sugar adhere to dough. Roll dough tightly into a log, ending with the seam side down. Pinch the ends to seal.
- Using plain, unwaxed dental floss (or a bench scraper), slice the rolls into 12 evenly-sized rolls. Arrange the rolls cut side down in the prepared baking pan. Cover tightly with plastic wrap.
*If baking immediately
- Allow the rolls to rise again in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
*Or...If You Want to Bake the Rolls the Next Day
- Place covered rolls in the refrigerator for up to 16 hours. Before baking, let the rolls sit at room temperature until they have nearly doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Baking:
- For either version, bake at 375ºF for 20-25 minutes, or until puffed and lightly browned. While rolls bake, prepare the cream cheese icing.
Make The Cream Cheese Icing:
- In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and cream cheese together on medium speed for about 1 minute. Add the corn syrup, vanilla, salt, and powdered sugar and beat for 2 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl, and beat for 1 more minute until light and fluffy.
- Once rolls have baked, remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 5 minutes. Spread the cream cheese icing over the warm rolls, allowing the icing to melt into every crevice. Serve immediately.
- Rolls are best eaten fresh, but will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Reheat leftover rolls for 10-15 seconds in the microwave before serving.