Cinnamon Rolls always make me feel like I’m a kid again. My grandma made the best cinnamon rolls. I’ll give you her whole recipe a different time because those are not easy and swimming in goo. For now I’m going to give you the Easiest Ever Cinnamon Roll recipe that is really similar to hers but takes 1/4 of the time.

Now, these are Semi-Homemade Cinnamon Rolls because I don’t make them from scratch. This is the first secret to why these are so easy. I don’t use frozen dough either. You know what I do? You really wanna know? Ok, I’ll tell you. I go to the bakery department at my local grocery store and ask them for the dough to their french bread. It costs the same as the french bread does. Only a little over a dollar.

Shhhhhhh! Don’t tell anyone. We don’t want this little secret getting out. No one would ever guess  you were using french bread dough for these rolls. They are too good. My second trick that makes them so easy is the way I slice them. But you’ll have to keep reading to find that out.

Easiest Ever Caramel Cinnamon Rolls
Makes about 9 rolls- 1 hour 45 minutes. Includes rising and baking time.

• 1 package fresh french bread dough from the local grocery store bakery
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) salted butter plus 2 tablespoons, softened
• 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons (or more) cinnamon

Start by rolling out your dough into a large rectangle. I use my non stick mat so I don’t have to use extra flour. If you don’t have a non stick mat, use wax paper or flour. Rolling out a 19″ rectangle will make 9 cinnamon rolls to fit in a 9×9 pan.

Spread the softened stick of  butter generously all over the top of the dough leaving about 2 inches bare on the long side of the rectangle. I do this so when I roll up the dough, the bare dough will stick and the whole thing won’t fall apart.

Sprinkle the sugars and cinnamon evenly over the top of the butter leaving about 2 inches bare for sticking to the end after rolling.

Start rolling the dough from the long side that isn’t bare.

Pull over the bare dough so it will stick to the roll and press down so it doesn’t unroll.

Now here is the second trick I’m going to teach you. Get out your sewing kit, yes you heard me, sewing kit, and get out some thread. Wiggle the thread under the roll and cross it over itself.

Pull tightly through the dough and the thread slices the dough.

Yay! No more knifes getting stuck in the sticky dough or cutting my silicone mat. I cut the ends off of the roll, then I cut every 2 ” to make 9 rolls.

Butter the 9×9 pan with the remaining 2 tablespoons softened butter.

Place the cinnamon rolls in the pan 3×3, cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled. About an hour.

When the rolls have risen enough, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for about 30-40 minutes or until middle is set and they are starting to turn a golden brown.

Now you are asking me, where does the caramel come in? Well, when the rolls bake, the butter and brown sugar bubble together and create the most delicious caramel. I don’t ever frost these cinnamon rolls because the caramel in the bottom of the pan is used for dipping the cinnamon rolls in. I’m not kidding, you should see my kids hovering over the pan, fighting for who gets the most caramel.

Now, just in case you didn’t understand what I was doing when I was slicing the rolls, here is a video of me demonstrating how to do it.

Easiest Ever Caramel Cinnamon Rolls
Makes about 9 rolls- 1 hour 45 minutes. Includes rising and baking time.

• 1 package fresh french bread dough from the local grocery store bakery
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) salted butter plus 2 tablespoons, softened
• 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons (or more) cinnamon

Start by rolling out your dough into a large rectangle. I use my non stick mat so I don’t have to use extra flour. If you don’t have a non stick mat, use wax paper or flour. Rolling out a 19″ rectangle will make 9 cinnamon rolls to fit in a 9×9 pan.

Spread the softened stick of  butter generously all over the top of the dough leaving about 2 inches bare on the long side of the rectangle. I do this so when I roll up the dough, the bare dough will stick and the whole thing won’t fall apart. Sprinkle the sugars and cinnamon evenly over the top of the butter leaving about 2 inches bare for sticking to the end after rolling.

Start rolling the dough from the long side that isn’t bare.

Pull over the bare dough so it will stick to the roll and press down so it doesn’t unroll.

Now here is the second trick I’m going to teach you. Get out your sewing kit, yes you heard me, sewing kit, and get out some thread. Wiggle the thread under the roll and cross it over itself. Pull tightly through the dough and the thread slices the dough. Yay! No more knifes getting stuck in the sticky dough or cutting my silicone mat.

Butter the 9×9 pan with the remaining 2 tablespoons softened butter.

Place the cinnamon rolls in the pan 3×3, cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled. About an hour.

When the rolls have risen enough, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for about 30-40 minutes or until middle is set and they are starting to turn a golden brown.

Now you are asking me, where does the caramel come in? Well, when the rolls bake, the butter and brown sugar bubble together and create the most delicious caramel. I don’t ever frost these cinnamon rolls because the caramel in the bottom of the pan is used for dipping the cinnamon rolls in. I’m not kidding, you should see my kids hovering over the pan, fighting for who gets the most caramel.

Enjoy!

Annette