Fast, Cheap, & Easy: Caramel Cinnamon Rolls with Caramel Icing

Oh my good gracious. Y’all are gonna want to be my BFF after making these. Don’t worry. There is plenty of me to go around. ;)

For this entire recipe, you are going to need:

THESE!!!! (Although, if you don’t have them, the recipe will still be delicious and caramel-y without them)

2 T yeast

4 T sugar

3 cups warm water

2 tsp salt

8 cups flour

cinnamon

2 cups packed brown sugar

2 sticks of butter

1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 cups powdered sugar

Now. Here’s what you do …

Dough:

Dissolve together (and let sit for 5-10 minutes):

2 TBS yeast

4 TBS sugar

3 cups warm water

Add:

2 tsp salt

8 cup flour

Then, mix everything together until it forms a ball. Place a warm, wet towel over the top of the bowl. Place the bowl in a warm oven for 20 minutes to allow the dough to double in size. (I turn my oven on for a minute, until it reaches about 150 degrees)

Just before you are ready to roll out the dough, melt 1 stick of butter and get some brown sugar, cinnamon, and caramel bits ready.

Flour the surface you will roll the rolls out on. Dump the dough onto the floured surface. Using a floured rolling pin, roll the dough out into a rectangle shape (if you can … I’m not good at that part!). Then, spread the melted butter all over the dough … all the way to the edges, leaving not un-buttered spots. Then sprinkle LIBERALLY with brown sugar. Then sprinkle with cinnamon. Then sprinkle with caramel bits. It should look like this:

(Again, a little more rectangle-ish, would be best … but I just went with it)

Now you need to roll it up. Start rolling it up from the longest side, if that makes sense. You want a LONG roll to cut, not a short FAT roll. Okay? Okay.

Now. To cut … some people get all crazy and use dental floss and such. All I’ve got is mint dental floss and that just ain’t happening, people. I used a sharp, serrated Cutco carving knife and cut the roll into 3/4” pieces. Lay them flat on a GREASED casserole dish, leaving room around each roll so it can raise again. Like this:

After you’ve cut out all the rolls and put them into casserole dishes, you need to put those casserole dishes back into your warm oven. Set the timer for 20 minutes again, and let them rise for 20 minutes (they should be filling the dish now, without spaces). Like this (Sorry, Instagram picture):

Remove both casserole dishes from the oven, and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Once the oven is heated, bake the rolls at 350 degrees for about 23-25 minutes. They’ll be golden brown on top.

** While they are baking, make your icing:

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 stick of butter

1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 cups powdered sugar

Combine brown sugar and butter in a small sauce pan. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in milk, return to a boil, and cook for 1 minute, while whisking continually. Pour mixture into a mixing bowl. Stir in vanilla and salt. Whisk in powdered sugar until smooth (I used an electric mixer for this). Immediately spread glaze over warm rolls. Icing will set up fast. (It’s more like a thick glaze)