How To Make Air Fryer Cinnamon Rolls
With this exciting recipe, making Air Fryer Cinnamon Rolls is a piece of cake! Well not quite cake but close enough!
There is nothing like a delicious, soft, gooey, sweet treat and air fryer cinnamon rolls are certainly at the top of this category.
Your friends and family will be so satisfied you may have to open up your own bakery just to keep them happy!
But let’s get straight into the good stuff.
Equipment Needed For Air Fryer Cinnamon Rolls
Air Fryer. We are of course going to need an air fryer. If you do not have an air fryer yet or are thinking about upgrading your current model, then feel free to check out our air fryer reviews section here. Or have a look at some of our most popular reviews such as:-
Stand mixer. Using the dough hook is by far the easiest way to knead the dough. If you do not have a stand mixer, then you can always knead your dough by hand.
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Wooden spoon. For mixing your dough together.
Rolling pin. For rolling out that wonderful dough.
Serrated knife. Using a serrated knife will help you cut the cinnamon rolls out after you roll them. Serrated knives will cut through the raw dough cleaner, anything like a bread knife is perfect.
Silicone Spatula. Helpful for a wide variety of kitchen tasks, but today, we will be using it to spread the filling on the dough.
Parchment Liners. Using parchment liners will stop the cinnamon rolls from sticking to the air fryer and making a mess!
Kitchen Thermometer. This is a very handy gadget to have in your kitchen. Although not essential, it often makes life much easier.
Equipment Available On Amazon
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Stand Mixer |
Serrated Bread Knife |
Silicone Spatula |
Parchment Liners |
Kitchen Thermometer |
Ingredients
For the dough
- ¾ cup warm milk (whole milk preferred) (110 degrees F)
- 1/4-ounce package quick rise yeast
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg plus 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
- ¼ cup butter, melted
- 3 cups bread flour, plus more for dusting
- 1 teaspoon salt
For the filling
- 2/3 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
- ¼ cup butter, room temperature
- Zest of an orange (optional)
For the glaze:
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Handful of chopped hazelnuts
Ingredients Available On Amazon
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Quick Rise Yeast |
Bread Flour |
Ground Cinnamon |
Ground Nutmeg |
Vanilla Extract |
Dark Brown Sugar |
Confectioner's Sugar |
Prep Work (The Night Before)
- Warm milk to around 110°F (43°C). This is easiest to do by placing in a safe bowl in the microwave for 40 seconds or so. If you do not have a thermometer, it should be like warm bath water but not hot. Transfer warm milk to the bowl of an electric mixer and sprinkle yeast on top.
- Add in sugar, egg, egg yolk and melted butter. Mix until well combined. Next stir in flour and salt with a wooden spoon until the dough begins to form.
- Place dough hook on stand mixer and knead dough on a medium speed for 8 minutes. The dough should form a neat ball that is ever so slightly sticky to the touch. However, if the dough is sticking to the mixing bowl, then it is too wet. In this case add more bread flour a tablespoon at a time until it stops sticking. If you don’t have an electric mixer, you can knead the dough by hand for 8-10 minutes on a well-floured flat surface.
- Transfer dough ball to a well-oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and a warm towel. Leave the dough to “proof”. Your dough should double in size; This usually takes 1 – 1 ½ hours depending on the temperature and humidity of your home.
- Once the dough has doubled in size, transfer it to a well-floured surface and roll out into a rectangle. This should be roughly 10 inches by 15 inches.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine the room temperature butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and orange zest (if you are using this for added zing). With a spatula, gently spread the mixture onto your dough in an even layer.
- Tightly roll the dough. Start at the 10-inch side and roll the dough evenly all the way to the end. Use your finger to press the edge of the dough together to prevent all that cinnamon goodness leaking out!
- Slice your log into sections, you should get 8-10 rolls from this recipe.
- Place cinnamon rolls into a baking pan lined with parchment paper and cover with plastic wrap. These can then go in the fridge for tomorrow!
Cooking Instructions (1 Hour Before)
- Remove your cinnamon buns from the fridge and leave them covered on the side for an hour or so, to allow them to come to room temperature and do a final little rise.
- Preheat your air fryer to 360°F (182°C).
- Place your cinnamon rolls onto a parchment liner ensuring that they are not touching. Add the parchment and rolls to your air fryer. They must be 1 inch away from the edge of the air fryer other wise you will have a terrible clean up job on your hands! You will probably need to do more than one batch depending on the size of your air fryer.
- Cook for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown on top.
Making the Glaze (While the rolls are cooking!)
- Sift the confectioner’s sugar into a mixing bowl. This gets rid of any clumps and aerates the sugar to ensure that the glaze is smooth.
- With a whisk, mix in the milk one tablespoon at a time until you get to your preferred consistency.
- Add the vanilla to the mix and stir in thoroughly.
- By this stage your cinnamon rolls should be cooked perfectly so remove them from the air fryer. Using a spoon, drizzle the glaze onto the buns while they are still hot.
- Throw on a small handful of chopped hazelnuts and enjoy!
Storage tips
You can store your freshly baked air fryer cinnamon rolls covered at room temp for 1-2 days, then transfer them to the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Simply reheat in the air fryer at 360°F for just 1 minute to warm them through.
Can you freeze air fryer cinnamon rolls?
Absolutely! They will keep for 6-8 weeks in the freezer.
To freeze before baking: The dough should be frozen after the first rise (once they are rolled up with the filling in and cut). Place into a container and cover well, then pop it in the freezer. When you are ready to bake, let the dough thaw in the fridge — preferably overnight, the follow the cooking instructions from there.
To freeze after baking: Leave the cinnamon rolls out to cool down to room temperature. Then place them into airtight containers. We recommend freezing them in batches of 1-3 other wise they will all freeze into 1 large block! When you are ready to eat them, defrost at room temperature until completely thawed and warm them up in the air fryer for 1-2 minutes at 360°F.
Conclusion
We hope you enjoyed these wonderful air fryer cinnamon rolls as much as we have. You will be the envy of all your friends and family before long!
If you enjoyed this recipe then why not check out some of our other air fryer favorites! Such as:-