Description
These Red Velvet Cinnamon Rolls are the perfect festive treat for Christmas morning, featuring a soft, cocoa-infused dough with a spiced cinnamon sugar filling, topped with a rich vanilla glaze. Soft, tender, and beautifully red, they’re sure to be a holiday favorite.
Ingredients
Scale
Dough:
- 3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour (plus extra for dusting)
- 2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast
- ¾ cup warm milk (about 110°F)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons red food coloring (or more as desired for color)
- 1 tablespoon buttermilk
Filling:
- ½ cup brown sugar, packed
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
Glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk (add more if needed)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Activate Yeast: Warm the milk to about 110°F, then add the yeast and a teaspoon of sugar. Let it sit for 5 minutes until it becomes foamy. This step ensures your yeast is active and will help the dough rise properly.
- Mix Dough Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt, cocoa powder, and red food coloring. Add in the yeast mixture, softened butter, egg, and buttermilk. Mix until a soft dough forms.
- Knead Dough: If the dough feels too sticky, add an extra tablespoon of flour at a time. Knead the dough for 7–8 minutes on a lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic.
- First Rise: Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover it with a clean towel, and let it rise in a warm spot for about 1 hour or until doubled in size.
- Prepare Filling: While the dough rises, mix the brown sugar, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, and cinnamon together in a small bowl. Set aside the softened butter for spreading.
- Roll and Fill Dough: Once the dough has risen, punch it down gently to release air. Roll it out into a rectangle about 12×16 inches on a floured surface. Spread the softened butter evenly across the dough, then sprinkle the cinnamon sugar filling mixture over the top.
- Roll and Slice: Starting from the long side, roll the dough tightly into a log. Use a sharp knife or unflavored dental floss to cut it into 12 equal slices.
- Second Rise: Arrange the slices in a greased 9×13-inch baking dish, leaving a little space between each roll. Cover and let them rise again for 30–40 minutes until puffy.
- Bake: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake the rolls for 20–25 minutes until golden on top and cooked through. Be careful not to overbake, or they’ll lose their softness.
- Make Glaze: Whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth. Adjust the consistency by adding more milk for a thinner glaze or more sugar for a thicker one.
- Glaze and Serve: Drizzle the warm rolls generously with the sugar glaze. Serve immediately while warm and soft.
Notes
- Make sure the milk is not too hot when activating yeast; 110°F is ideal to avoid killing the yeast.
- Add flour gradually if the dough feels sticky, but avoid adding too much to keep rolls soft.
- Use a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap loosely to cover dough for rising to retain moisture.
- The red food coloring can be adjusted to achieve your preferred intensity of red color.
- Use unflavored dental floss as an alternative to a knife for cleaner slice cuts without squashing the rolls.
- Glaze consistency can be customized by adjusting milk or powdered sugar amounts for desired drip thickness.
- Best served warm on the day of baking for the softest texture and freshest flavor.
