Some posts contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy for more information!
Who doesn’t love cinnamon rolls? I know that I’m obsessed! For me, there is nothing better than an ooey, gooey, roll of sugar, cream cheese, and cinnamon. And the smell! Oh, the smell is amazing. It fills the kitchen and reminds me of waking up on Sunday mornings.
We have been using this recipe for several years now. My husband called me from work one day and said “I have the best recipe for cinnamon rolls! Can you make them today?” He doesn’t normally get that excited for a treat so I knew these had to be good.
They didn’t disappoint. They are so easy to make, come together quickly, and are the perfect mix of bread and sweetness. I love them!
This year, I thought it would be fun to try something for St. Patrick’s Day. I added some fun colors to the dough to make Rainbow Cinnamon Rolls.
The best food coloring for this are the Wilton Icing colors. I have this set myself and it’s been so helpful! I can literally make any color frosting.
The trick is to add the colors as you are kneading the dough. I knead mine using my Kitchenaid mixer with the dough hook. The food coloring is a gel, rather than drops, and I added the colors using toothpicks. I dipped into the color I needed and ran it over part of the dough. After kneading it a couple of times, I added another color and continued that process until I had the colors that I wanted. You do not want to knead the colors in too much or they mix together and you lose the “rainbow effect” with separate colors.
To top it off, I used some cream cheese frosting with this recipe, and added sprinkles. My kids thought the colors were so fun!!
Rainbow Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
- Cinnamon Rolls:
- 2 Tbsp yeast
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 tsp salt
- 5 cups flour plus more if needed
- 1/2 cup oil
- 3 eggs beaten
- 1 1/2 cup hot water
- cinnamon brown sugar, and sugar
- Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 3 3/4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
-
For the cinnamon rolls: Combine the dry ingredients in bowl of mixer. Using the dough hook, stir them together and add the wet ingredients. Continue mixing until ingredients are combined. Add more flour as needed until the dough forms a ball and cleans the sides of the bowl (probably an additional 1-2 cups of flour). Let the mixer knead the dough for an additional four minutes. If doing it by hand, add additional flour until the dough is stiff to work with and begin working it with your hands, feeling for the dough to loose its stickiness and start to blister as you knead.
-
To add the colors, use a toothpick and dip it into the color you are using. Run the toothpick through the dough and knead it a couple of times to get it through the dough. Continue doing that for all the colors, making sure to not mix too much so the colors stay separated.
-
Scrap the dough from the bowl onto a floured surface. Roll into a rectangle 1/2 inch thick. Spread generously with butter. Sprinkle sugar and cinnamon until desired amount is achieved. Crumble brow sugar over the top of the cinnamon and sugar. Roll tightly into a jelly roll and cut into desired widths with sharp knife. I do mine about an inch thick. Place in greased pan and let raise in warm place until size doubles. Bake in preheated 400 degree oven for 10-12 minutes until lightly browned. Let cool slightly and then frost with cream cheese frosting. Top with rainbow sprinkles.
-
Cream Cheese Frosting:
-
Cream butter and cream cheese together with electric mixer. Add powdered sugar and vanilla. Add any desired food coloring and mix well.
