Slow cooker cinnamon rolls are soft, gooey, and baked to perfection right in your crock pot. They’re an easy, hands-off way to make homemade cinnamon rolls without heating up the oven.
Cinnamon rolls are the ultimate comfort food breakfast, but sometimes making them from scratch can be time-consuming. That’s where the slow cooker comes in! With this recipe, you’ll get soft sweet rolls swirled with cinnamon sugar and topped with cream cheese icing that bake up right in your crock pot.
The best part? The slow cooker does all the work for you. They’re perfect for weekends, holidays, hot summer days, or any time you want a special breakfast without the fuss. Serve them warm with a drizzle of icing and watch them disappear!
Ingredient notes and substitutions
- Milk: Using whole milk will give you richer, softer dough. However, you can use whatever milk you have on hand.
- Yeast: You can substitute an equal amount of instant yeast for the active dry yeast.
- Butter: If using unsalted butter, increase the salt in the dough to 3/4 teaspoon and add a pinch of salt to the filling and frosting.
- Cream cheese: I recommend using full-fat cream cheese for the richest icing. You could also use 1/3-less fat cream cheese, but I don’t recommend using fat-free cream cheese.
How to make crock pot cinnamon rolls
Here you’ll find instructions and step-by-step photos showing how to make this recipe. The full recipe, including ingredients, is given below.
Step 1: Line slow cooker with a piece of parchment large enough to go up the sides. Turn slow cooker to warm, and set aside.
Step 2: To make the cinnamon roll dough, add milk, sugar, yeast, and water to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.
Step 3: Give it a stir, and then let it sit for 5-10 minutes, or until foamy.
Step 4: Add in butter, and stir to combine.
Step 5: Add 2 cups flour and salt. Switch to dough hook, and knead in.
Step 6: Continue adding flour in 1/4 cup increments until dough clings to paddle and clears the sides of the bowl. Dough should feel a little sticky but shouldn’t stick to your finger if you poke it.
Step 7: Place dough on a floured surface, and roll out to an 9×13-inch rectangle.
Step 8: Spread softened butter over dough.
Step 9: Combine sugars and cinnamon, and sprinkle over butter.
Step 10: Roll up lengthwise, and gently press the seam to the dough.
Step 11: Cut dough into 12-14 pieces, depending on desired size of cinnamon roll.
Step 12: Place slightly apart in 5-quart oval slow cooker.
Step 13: Cover opening with a thin cotton towel, and let sit for 10 minutes.
Step 14: Turn slow cooker to high, and cover with slow cooker lid.
Step 15: Cook for approximately 1 ½ hours.
Step 16: Remove from slow cooker, and prepare icing.
Step 17: To make the icing, beat together cream cheese and butter until well-combined.
Step 18: Add powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons milk. Continue beating, adding additional milk as necessary to get desired consistency.
Step 19: Drizzle or spread over warm cinnamon rolls.
Recipe Tips!
- Temperature matters: The temperature of the liquids in the dough matters. If they’re too hot, they can kill the yeast. If they’re too cool, they will slow the rising.
- Mixing by hand: You can mix and knead the dough by hand if you prefer.
- Cutting the cinnamon rolls: I like to use a serrated bread knife to cut the cinnamon rolls because it doesn’t squish the dough down. You could also use unflavored dental floss if you prefer.
Storage
Store any leftover cinnamon rolls in an airtight container at room temperature. They will keep for 2-3 days when properly stored.
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Slow Cooker Cinnamon Rolls
Equipment
- 5 quart slow cooker
Ingredients
Cinnamon roll dough
- ¼ cup warm milk 105F-115F
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
- ¾ cup warm water 105F – 115F
- ¼ cup salted butter softened
- 2 ½-3 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
Filling
- ¼ cup salted butter softened
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar
- 1-2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Icing
- 3 ounces cream cheese softened
- 2 tablespoons salted butter softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Line slow cooker with a piece of parchment large enough to go up the sides.
- Turn slow cooker to warm, and set aside.
- To make the rolls, add milk, sugar, yeast, and water to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.¼ cup warm milk, ¼ cup granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon active dry yeast, ¾ cup warm water
- Give it a stir, and then let it sit for 5-10 minutes, or until foamy.
- Add in butter, and stir to combine.¼ cup salted butter
- Add 2 cups flour and salt.½ teaspoon salt
- Switch to dough hook, and knead in.
- Continue adding flour in 1/4 cup increments until dough clings to paddle and clears the sides of the bowl. Dough should feel a little sticky but shouldn’t stick to your finger if you poke it.
- Place dough on a floured surface, and roll out to an 9×13-inch rectangle.
- Spread softened butter over dough.¼ cup salted butter
- Combine sugars and cinnamon, and sprinkle over butter.⅔ cup granulated sugar, ⅓ cup light brown sugar, 1-2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- Roll up lengthwise, and gently press together the seam.
- Cut dough into 12-14 pieces, depending on desired size of cinnamon rolls.
- Place slightly apart in 5-quart oval slow cooker.
- Cover opening with a thin cotton towel, and let sit for 10 minutes.
- Turn slow cooker to high, and cover with slow cooker lid.
- Cook for approximately 1 ½ hours.
- Remove from slow cooker, and prepare icing.
- To make the icing, beat together cream cheese and butter until well-combined.3 ounces cream cheese, 2 tablespoons salted butter
- Add powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons milk.1 cup powdered sugar
- Continue beating, adding additional milk as necessary to get desired consistency.
- Drizzle or spread icing over warm cinnamon rolls.
Notes
- Milk: Using whole milk will give you richer, softer dough. However, you can use whatever milk you have on hand.
- Yeast: You can substitute an equal amount of instant yeast for the active dry yeast.
- Butter: If using unsalted butter, increase the salt in the dough to 3/4 teaspoon and add a pinch of salt to the filling and frosting.
- Cream cheese: I recommend using full-fat cream cheese for the richest icing. You could also use 1/3-less fat cream cheese, but I don’t recommend using fat-free cream cheese.
- Foil collar: I’ve found that my slow cooker has hot spots. Chances are yours does, too. If it does, make yourself a foil collar in your slow cooker to ensure even “baking”.
- Nutrition values are estimates.
Nutrition
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