Easter bunny cinnamon rolls are homemade cinnamon rolls that are shaped like bunnies. These festive cinnamon rolls are perfect for Easter breakfast or Easter brunch!
If you love soft, gooey cinnamon rolls, but want to put a festive Easter spin on them, then these Easter bunny cinnamon rolls are for you! These big, fluffy cinnamon rolls are made with my popular homemade cinnamon roll recipe, but they’re shaped like bunnies, which makes them a great choice for Easter breakfast or Easter brunch.
Please take a minute to read through the recipe and tips below. There are step-by-step photos and plenty of tips to help you make amazing homemade Easter bunny cinnamon rolls.
I’ve also included directions for overnight cinnamon rolls and for freezing the bunny cinnamon rolls so that you can make these rolls when you have time and bake when you’re ready.
Ingredient notes and substitutions
- Milk: You can use anything from skim to whole milk. Using whole milk will give you a dough that’s a little softer and a little richer.
- Yeast: You can use either instant yeast or active dry yeast. Just make sure that if you use active dry yeast that the yeast foams. If the yeast doesn’t foam, start over as the rolls won’t rise if it doesn’t foam.
- Butter: I use salted butter in this recipe. If you’d like to use unsalted butter, simply increase the salt in the dough to by 1/4 teaspoon and add 1/4 teaspoon of salt to the filling.
- Brown sugar: I use light brown sugar, but dark brown sugar will also work.
- Cream cheese: I recommend using full-fat or reduced-fat cream cheese. Fat-free cream cheese doesn’t mix well.
- Vanilla extract: For whiter frosting, use clear vanilla extract.
How to make Easter bunny cinnamon rolls
Here you’ll find step-by-step photos showing how to make this recipe. The full recipe is given below.
Step 1: Add the yeast, warm milk, and part of the sugar to a mixing bowl. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes, or until foamy. If the yeast doesn’t foam, start over with new yeast.
Step 2: Mix in the eggs, butter, remaining sugar, and vanilla until combined.
Step 3: Add 3 cups of flour and mix in. Continue mixing in flour 1/4 cup at a time until the dough comes together. It should be soft and slightly sticky.
Step 4: Cover and let rise until dough has doubled in size.
Step 5: Roll dough into a 12×24-inch rectangle. Mix butter, sugar, and cinnamon together.
Step 6: Spread filling over dough. Roll dough up lengthwise.
Step 7: Cut dough into 12 equal-sized rolls.
Step 8: Place the rolls into the prepared baking pan about 3 inches apart.
Step 9: Unroll each cinnamon roll about 2 inches.
Step 10: Form that piece into a loop.
Step 11: Press the center of the loop against the cinnamon roll to form the ears.
Step 12: Cover pan and let rolls rise until almost doubled in size.
Step 13: Once rolls are almost double in size, uncover and bake until golden brown. You will need to reshape the ears at 4 minutes and again at 9 minutes into baking.
Step 14: Toward the end of the baking time, beat the butter and cream cheese together. Mix in the powdered sugar, vanilla, and pinch of salt.
Step 15: Let the baked cinnamon rolls stand for 5 minutes, and then spread the cream cheese frosting over the warm rolls.
Recipe Tips!
- Mixing by hand: You can mix by hand if you prefer. Just add an additional 2 or so minutes to the kneading time.
- Rising: If your kitchen is cool, your rolls will rise slowly. To create a warm spot for the rolls to rise, preheat oven to 350F for exactly 60 seconds. Press cancel. This creates a nice warm spot for the dough to rise.
- Cutting: I like to use a serrated (bread) knife to slice the cinnamon roll dough. This helps to avoid smooshing the rolls as they’re cut.
- Filling: If your filling has leaked out of the baked rolls, immediately place a lid or platter over the pan and carefully invert. This will help the filling to reincorporate into the cinnamon rolls. Just be careful as the filling will be very hot.
- Frosting: Don’t chill the frosting after you make it. The frosting needs to be at room temperature to spread over the warm rolls.
- Decorating: You can tint the frosting or add Easter sprinkles on top if you’d like.
Overnight instructions
After the cinnamon rolls have been assembled in a baking dish, wrap tightly with plastic wrap and cover with a tea towel or aluminum foil and place them in the refrigerator.
In the morning, remove the baking dish from the refrigerator and let them come to room temperature and finish rising (this takes about 30-60 minutes).
Then bake according to recipe instructions.
How to freeze
Place the unbaked cinnamon rolls in the baking pan. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and then with aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 1 month.
To bake, remove cinnamon rolls from the freezer the night before you’d like to bake them and place them in the fridge. Place the pan out at room temperature for 30-60 minutes before baking.
Uncover and bake according to the instructions.
Storage
The bunny cinnamon rolls should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They will keep for up to 5 days when properly stored in the fridge.
More Easter recipes!
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Easter Bunny Cinnamon Rolls
Equipment
- Large rimmed baking sheet
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar divided
- 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- ½ cup butter melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 – 4 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Filling
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- 2-3 tablespoons ground cinnamon or to taste
- 1/2 cup butter at room temperature
Cream cheese frosting
- 8 ounce package cream cheese softened
- 1/4 cup butter at room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- Pinch salt
Instructions
- Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.
- To make the dough, warm the milk to 105F.
- Add the warm milk, 2 tablespoons sugar, and yeast to the bowl of a stand mixer.
- Let the yeast sit for 5-10 minutes, or until foamy.3
- Add the remaining sugar, butter, eggs, and vanilla and mix until combined.
- Add 3 cups flour and the salt and stir in.
- Continue adding flour 1/4 cup at a time until the dough comes together and clears the sides of the bowl.
- Knead the dough for 2-3 minutes, or until it’s smooth and just slightly sticky to the touch. If the dough still seems too sticky at this point, add flour 1 tablespoon at a time. The dough should feel soft and smooth and should feel a little sticky but shouldn’t come off on your finger if you pinch it.
- Cover with a damp towel and let it rise in a warm spot until doubled, about 1 hour.
- Toward the end of the rising time, stir the butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon together until well-combined. Set aside.
- Lightly flour your working surface.
- Gently deflate the dough.
- Roll the dough into a 12×24-inch rectangle that’s 1/4-inch thick.
- Spread the filling over the dough. It will be a little crumbly and hard to spread. Just do your best to cover the dough.
- Roll the dough up lengthwise and cut into 12 equal pieces.
- Place the rolls into the prepared baking pan about 3 inches apart.
- Unroll each cinnamon roll about 2 inches.
- Form that piece into a loop.
- Press the center of the loop against the cinnamon roll to form the ears.
- Cover and let rise until almost doubled, about 30 minutes.
- Toward the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 350 F.
- Bake the cinnamon rolls for about 4 minutes. Gently reshape the ears into place.
- Bake for 5 minutes. Gently reshape the ears.
- Continue baking for 6-10 minutes, or until the cinnamon rolls are golden brown.
- Toward the end of the baking time making the frosting.
- Beat the cream cheese and butter until well-combined.
- Mix in the powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt until well-combined.
- Let the cinnamon rolls stand for about 5 minutes.
- Spread the cream cheese frosting over the warm cinnamon rolls.
Notes
- Milk: You can use anything from skim to whole milk. Using whole milk will give you a dough that’s a little softer and a little richer.
- Yeast: You can use either instant yeast or active dry yeast. Just make sure that if you use active dry yeast that the yeast foams. If the yeast doesn’t foam, start over as the rolls won’t rise if it doesn’t foam.
- Butter: I use salted butter in this recipe. If you’d like to use unsalted butter, simply increase the salt in the dough to by 1/4 teaspoon and add 1/4 teaspoon of salt to the filling.
- Brown sugar: I use light brown sugar, but dark brown sugar will also work.
- Cream cheese: I recommend using full-fat or reduced-fat cream cheese. Fat-free cream cheese doesn’t mix well.
- Nutrition values are estimates.
Nutrition
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