Grandma's homemade ooey-gooey cinnamon roll recipe (2024)

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Grandma's homemade ooey-gooey cinnamon roll recipe (1)

My grandma makesrolls that are out of this world and cinnamon rolls that make your mouth water and your tummy happy. I don’t make the cinnamon rolls very often because they’re addicting and not exactly healthy. But they sure are a treat, so I wanted to share them with you.

You basically start with my grandma’s roll recipe to get your dough.

GRANDMA RAMONA’S ROLL RECIPE

Ingredients

  • 2 eggs and water to equal 1 1/2 cup
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 4 cups flour (my Grandma prefers Gold Medal, I use whatever is on sale)
  • 1/4 cup powdered milk
  • 2 teaspoons rounded yeast

Directions

  1. Add two eggs to a big measuring cup, add warm water until the level reaches 1 1/2 cups. Pour into bread machine (see bread machines on Amazon).
  2. Add butter (I warm mine first), salt, sugar, flour and powdered milk to bread machine – in that order
  3. Make a well in the top of your ingredients and add your yeast
  4. Turn the bread machine ondoughsetting (this just makes the dough, it doesn’t bake it)
  5. My bread machine takes two hours.
  6. After dough is done, take it out of bread machine and set it on counter, cover and let rise for 30 minutes, covered. Should look a little something like this when it’s done:

Grandma's homemade ooey-gooey cinnamon roll recipe (2)
Now that you have your dough ready – here’s what you need to do to make cinnamon rolls:
Get some serious counter space (clean) and roll out your dough into a big rectangle. It’s doesn’t have to be perfect, mine kinda looked like the state of Washington. I didn’t measure it, sorry – but I’m guessing 20-24 inches wide and maybe 16 inches tall? Just guessing here – but basically you want to make a pretty big rectangle.

Grandma's homemade ooey-gooey cinnamon roll recipe (3)

Now that you’re dough is rolled out, you need to cook up the gooey insides. . .

On the stove top, in a sauce pan, combine:

1/2 cup honey
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp of cinnamon (more or less to taste)

Heat on low heat until gooey. Be careful not to let it burn.

Meanwhile, in the microwave melt about a half-stick of butter and preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Using a silicon brush (or your clean hands) spread the melted butter out onto the dough. Then spread out the gooey brown sugar and honey mixture. If you want nuts – add those too. I like to think of it as one big party – and it should look a little something like this:

Grandma's homemade ooey-gooey cinnamon roll recipe (4)

Then we get to the “roll” part of the cinnamon roll. Start on the long end closest to you and you will start to tightly roll up the dough onto itself.

Grandma's homemade ooey-gooey cinnamon roll recipe (5)

Roll it all the way up. You should end up with one HUGE roll. Find the very middle of the roll and cut it straight through. I use a pastry thingy (see picture below) but a knife should work just fine. Once you’ve cut in the middle you should have two long pieces – cut those two pieces both in half. Now you have four pieces – cut those both in half, and so on.

Grandma's homemade ooey-gooey cinnamon roll recipe (6)

You should end up with about a 12-15 rolls and by cutting it this way (middle, then halves of each) – they should be all about the same size.

Grandma's homemade ooey-gooey cinnamon roll recipe (7)

Then you are going to take a greased baking pan. I used my Pampered Chef baking stone dish (about 9×13) and you’re going to lay each roll out. The two little end pieces that you cut off the roll, can be squeezed together in a corner.You are getting so close!

Grandma's homemade ooey-gooey cinnamon roll recipe (8)

Then bake this puppy for about 30 – 35 minutes at 350 degrees or until the tops look golden brown. . .

Grandma's homemade ooey-gooey cinnamon roll recipe (9)

Then for the fun part. . .while it’s still warm, you’re going to put a cookie sheet on top of this. Wear oven mitts and be very, very careful.

Grandma's homemade ooey-gooey cinnamon roll recipe (10)

And then you’re gonna wanna flip it. All that gooey goodness that seeped to the bottom of the baking dish is now covering your rolls. Ta dah!
Grandma's homemade ooey-gooey cinnamon roll recipe (11)
If you must, let it cool before eating. These are great to make and share with friends and neighbors. My mother-in-awe (yes, she is awesome) is watching the kids this weekend so we can get some yard work done (fun, fun) – so I sent a batch with the kiddos. My grandma freezes hers and you just take them out to thaw and pop them in the microwave for a short time to get them gooey again.

I hope you enjoy them as much as we do. . . .
Grandma's homemade ooey-gooey cinnamon roll recipe (12)

Does your family have favorite recipes from Grandmas or Grandpas? Do you have a favorite breakfast recipe you’d like to share?

Grandma's homemade ooey-gooey cinnamon roll recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why aren t my cinnamon rolls gooey? ›

Let the dough have its full rise time: Yeasted dough requires some extra time and planning but it's so worth it for homemade cinnamon rolls. Make sure you give the dough the full rise time for the ultimate soft and fluffy dough. If you try to rush the process you can end up with sad, dense rolls.

What happened to Kroger Ooey Gooey cinnamon rolls? ›

The cinnamon rolls are the latest seasonal treat to be discontinued as Kroger recently revealed that it stopped selling its store-brand eggnog. Shoppers were also left bemused when Kroger said it had stopped selling Private Selection's hot pineapple ginger and rum barbecue sauce.

How sticky should cinnamon roll dough be? ›

The dough should be tacky to the touch, but not so sticky that it's very messy. It should pull away from the sides of the bowl easily and the bowl should appear fairly clean. If the dough appears too sticky, continue kneading and add flour, one tablespoon at a time, until the dough reaches that tacky texture.

Is melted butter or softened butter better for cinnamon rolls? ›

It can definitely be tempting to just stick that butter in the microwave if you've been storing it in the fridge, which can easily lead to accidentally melting it, but ensuring that your butter is softened will make all the difference: It will make it easier to evenly spread the filling on top of the dough.

What happens if you let cinnamon rolls rise for too long? ›

Can cinnamon rolls rise for too long? Yes definitely! If you let your cinnamon rolls rise for too long you can over-proof them. This can lead to dense rolls or rolls that collapse after baking.

What does pouring heavy cream over cinnamon rolls do? ›

The heavy cream absorbs the cinnamon, sugar, and butter that leaks from the insides of the rolls as they bake to create a glorious cinnamon sugar syrup for the bottom of your rolls.

What happens if you add too much flour to cinnamon rolls? ›

ONLY add as much flour as needed to handle the dough. It's better for the dough to be sticky at the start than to add too much flour and wind up with dense rolls, instead of light and fluffy ones.

Is half-and-half the same as heavy cream? ›

According to the FDA, half-and-half contains between 10.5 percent to 18 percent milk fat, while heavy cream contains between 36 percent and 40 percent milk fat. Because heavy cream contains more fat, it is thicker and has a richer taste and a creamier mouthfeel than half-and-half.

Why is my cinnamon roll gummy? ›

Don't Overbake Cinnamon Rolls

Overbaked cinnamon rolls are tough and chewy instead of light and pillowy. Since it can be a bit tricky to know when rolls are fully baked, use a digital thermometer. Bake cinnamon rolls until golden brown and the internal temperature reaches between 190°and 200°F.

What is a sticky bun vs cinnamon roll? ›

Cinnamon rolls are celebrated for their soft, spiraled dough and sweet icing, making them a comforting, straightforward treat. Sticky buns, by contrast, offer a more decadent experience with their caramelized topping and nutty texture, making each bite a complex blend of flavors and consistency.

Do canned refrigerated cinnamon rolls go bad? ›

Canned dough, such as Pillsbury cinnamon rolls, can last for a certain period of time in the fridge. While it is always best to consume them before the expiration date, they can still be safe to eat for some time after that date if stored properly.

What is the secret ingredient in Cinnabon? ›

Cinnabon's Secret Ingredient

This special Indonesian cinnamon, called Makara, is trademarked by Cinnabon. And because of that trademark, you won't find this product in your local grocery store spice aisle.

How do you know when to stop kneading cinnamon roll dough? ›

To knead cinnamon roll dough, fold the dough over and push down with the heel of your hand. Turn, fold dough over, and push down again. Repeat this process over and over. You know the dough is ready when it is smooth and elastic.

Can I leave cinnamon rolls out overnight to rise? ›

Instead of letting the rolls rise at room temperature and baking them, you'll cut and arrange the rolls in the baking pan, tightly cover them with plastic wrap, immediately transfer them to the fridge and let them rest overnight. (Do not leave them out at room temperature for any longer than needed.)

Why are my cinnamon rolls hard after baking? ›

Don't Overbake Cinnamon Rolls

Overbaked cinnamon rolls are tough and chewy instead of light and pillowy. Since it can be a bit tricky to know when rolls are fully baked, use a digital thermometer. Bake cinnamon rolls until golden brown and the internal temperature reaches between 190°and 200°F.

Why do my cinnamon rolls taste doughy? ›

According to Mashed, other reasons cinnamon rolls might turn out too hard include packing them in the pan too tightly, which causes them to go doughy and dense in the center, including too much flour. Taste of Home suggests mixing the dough slowly, steadily sprinkling in the flour as the mixer runs.

Why are my cinnamon rolls tough and dry? ›

The trick with cinnamon rolls is not to rush the rising process. If your cinnamon rolls are coming out of the oven dry and dense, the rolls are telling you that you didn't adequately rest the dough before baking. During the first rise, your dough should at least double in size.

Why are my cinnamon rolls hard the next day? ›

You are describing the normal quality of the item as it cools. It it remains soft and doughy, it means that it has not been fully baked. That said, if the rolls are becoming too hard and chewy, you may not be permitting the dough to rise enough, or you may be working the dough too much before shaping.

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