Old Fashioned Mennonite Cinnamon Rolls

Cinnamon rolls. My goodness, you can make them so many ways. Regular, raspberry, blackberry, peach….help  me, Jesus.

These are my go to cinnamon rolls. I’ve tried so many other recipes (even the Pioneer Woman’s, *gasp*), but this one, this one takes the trophy every.single.time.

I never measure things, and neither do the old-fashioned Mennonites. This recipe was actually adapted from an old recipe that a beautiful Mennonite woman gave to me. I had to learn, quite often, how to adapt recipes that I tried at home when trying to replicate Mennonite recipes from the cute little Mennonite store I used to work at. But, it has made me a better cook and baker because of it!

Looking for a sourdough cinnamon roll recipe instead… Try this one!

The Moisture Lock Secret: Why Underbaking Is Actually the Professional Move

Everything you’ve learned about baking tells you to bake until golden brown. For cinnamon rolls, this conventional wisdom produces dry, disappointing results.

The Commercial Bakery Standard:
Professional bakeries pull cinnamon rolls when they’re still pale on top with just the slightest color on the edges. Here’s why this works:

Temperature Timing Breakdown:
• At 10 minutes: Internal temp reaches 185°F (minimum safe temperature)
• At 12 minutes: Edges begin to color, internal temp hits 190-195°F (optimal)
• At 15+ minutes: Tops brown, internal temp exceeds 200°F (moisture loss begins)

What Happens During Carryover Cooking:
After removing from oven, rolls continue cooking for 3-5 minutes from residual heat. Factor this into your timing.

The Visual Cue You’re Looking For:
Rolls should look slightly underdone—pale cream color on top, light golden only where rolls touch each other. The center should still jiggle very slightly when you shake the pan.

Moisture Retention Results:
Rolls pulled at first color stay moist for 2-3 days at room temperature. Fully browned rolls dry out within 24 hours.

Note: if you want to put these in the fridge to bake the next morning, simply place the made cinnamon rolls in the pan into the fridge (before the second rise) until the next morning. When you pull them out, allow them to rise before placing them in the oven. 

Old Fashioned Mennonite Cinnamon Rolls

Dough Ingredients:

1/2 cup warm water
2 Tbs of yeast

• Stir together in small bowl (or your stand mixer) and let sit while mixing the rest of the ingredients.

1/2 cup salted butter
2 cups milk
1/3 cup sugar
6-7 cups flour

1. Heat butter, milk, and sugar in a saucepan until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved. Let rest until lukewarm.I actually just let it set for about 5 mins and then go ahead and use it.
2. In a stand mixer, combine butter/milk mixture and yeast mixture.
3. Add 6 cups of all purpose flour, slowly. Your dough should be a little sticky, but still firm. You can also knead by hand. If dough is still too sticky, then add up to another cup of flour in half cup increments. Knead until smooth and elastic
4. Put dough in a greased bowl and lightly grease top of dough. Let rise for about 45 mins or until doubled. I like to use a heating pad to speed up the process, or I put the bowl on top of a towel over the burner that I was using to melt the butter mixture. Makes it rise quicker.

While the dough is rising….

FILLING:
1 stick butter
sugar
cinnamon

1. Set out 1/2 to 1 stick of butter to soften while dough rises.

Once dough has risen….

1. Once dough is risen, divide dough in half and roll each half out into a ½” to 1″ thick rectangle. If you’ve done it right, you’ll notice that your dough is very light and airy feeling as you roll it out.
2. Spread 1/2 of the stick of butter onto the dough.
3. Sprinkle a thin layer of sugar and cinnamon across the butter layer.
4. Starting from a long side, begin rolling your dough tightly into a long cinnamon roll log.
5. Once rolled, take a piece of thread (or use a sharp knife) and cut ¾” to 1” cinnamon rolls, depending on what size you’d like. Place in a buttered pan (I use 4+ round cake or pie pans, but you could use a rectangle baking dish). Let rise for approx. 15 minutes and then bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes OR until tops are start to color around edges. You do not want your cinnamon rolls brown on top. As soon as they start to turn, take them out. This keeps them extra moist. Allow to cool until warm to the touch, then add frosting while still warm.
6. You can use the other half of the dough to make more cinnamon rolls, or you can use them as dinner rolls.Now comes the best part…the frosting!

Frosting. It’s the best part of cinnamon rolls, isn’t it? This frosting is super simple and easy.

FROSTING:
3 Tbs soft butter
4-6 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2-3 tbsp milk

1. Stir together all ingredients, starting with just 4 cups of p. sugar.
2. Add sugar gradually until frosting is “spreadable”.
3. Frost rolls when they are still warm but not too hot. This allows the frosting to start melting, but still keeps frosting on top of rolls.

I hope that you and your family enjoy this recipe as much as my little family has!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use instant yeast instead of active dry yeast?
Yes, instant yeast works perfectly in this recipe. You can mix it directly with the dry ingredients without dissolving it first, though dissolving still works fine. Use the same amount called for in the recipe. Instant yeast may reduce rising time by about 10-15 minutes.

Why did my dough turn out dense instead of light and fluffy?
Dense dough typically results from adding too much flour, not kneading long enough, or killing the yeast with liquid that was too hot. The butter-milk mixture should feel warm to the touch but not hot—around 110°F is ideal. Make sure to knead until the dough becomes smooth and elastic, which develops the gluten structure needed for fluffiness.

Can I freeze baked cinnamon rolls for later?
Absolutely. Bake the rolls completely but don’t frost them. Let them cool completely, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer bag. They’ll keep for up to 3 months. To serve, thaw at room temperature for 2-3 hours or microwave individual rolls for 30-45 seconds, then add fresh frosting.

What’s the best way to reheat leftover cinnamon rolls?
For best results, wrap individual rolls in a damp paper towel and microwave for 15-20 seconds. The moisture from the paper towel creates steam that rehydrates the roll. Alternatively, place rolls in a covered baking dish with a tablespoon of water and warm at 300°F for 10 minutes.

Can I make these without a stand mixer?
Yes, this recipe works perfectly by hand, which is how traditional Mennonite bakers made them. Mix ingredients in a large bowl and knead on a floured surface for 8-10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Your arms will get a workout, but the results are just as good. The tactile feedback from hand kneading actually helps you better judge dough consistency.

Other Posts You May Enjoy:

• Homemade Mennonite Yeast Dinner Rolls
• Sourdough Cinnamon Roll Recipe
• Creamy Sweet Potato Casserole with Oatmeal Topping
• Easy Old Fashioned Soft Pumpkin Cookies with Icing
• Old Fashioned Apple Cake | A Family Heirloom
• Easy Blueberry Cobbler with Fresh Blueberries
• Easy Sourdough Pie Crust
• Sourdough Dinner Rolls (Long-fermented)
• Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls (Long-fermented)

Old Fashioned Mennonite Cinnamon Rolls

Print

Prep Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients

• DOUGH:
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 2 Tbs of yeast
• 1/2 cup salted butter
• 2 cups milk
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 6-7 cups flour
• FILLING:
• 1 stick butter, softened
• sugar
• cinnamon
• FROSTING:
• 3 Tbs soft butter
• 4-6 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2-3 tbsp milk

Instructions

Stir together warm water and yeast in small bowl (or your stand mixer) and let sit while mixing the rest of the ingredients.

Heat butter, milk, and sugar in a saucepan until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved. Let rest until lukewarm.I actually just let it set for about 5 mins and then go ahead and use it.


In a stand mixer, combine butter/milk mixture and yeast mixture.
Add 6 cups of all purpose flour, slowly. Your dough should be a little sticky, but still firm. You can also knead by hand. If dough is still too sticky, then add up to another cup of flour in half cup increments. Knead until smooth and elastic


Put dough in a greased bowl and lightly grease top of dough. Let rise for about 45 mins or until doubled. I like to use a heating pad to speed up the process, or I put the bowl on top of a towel over the burner that I was using to melt the butter mixture. Makes it rise quicker.

Once dough is risen, divide dough in half and roll each half out into a ½” to 1″ thick rectangle. If you’ve done it right, you’ll notice that your dough is very light and airy feeling as you roll it out.
Spread 1/2 of the stick of butter onto the dough.


Sprinkle a thin layer of sugar and cinnamon across the butter layer.
Starting from a long side, begin rolling your dough tightly into a long cinnamon roll log.


Once rolled, take a piece of thread (or use a sharp knife) and cut ¾” to 1” cinnamon rolls, depending on what size you’d like. Place in a buttered pan (I use 4+ round cake or pie pans, but you could use a rectangle baking dish).

Let rise for approx. 15 minutes and then bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes OR until tops are start to color around edges. You do not want your cinnamon rolls brown on top. As soon as they start to turn, take them out. This keeps them extra moist. Allow to cool until warm to the touch, then add frosting while still warm.


You can use the other half of the dough to make more cinnamon rolls, or you can use them as dinner rolls.Now comes the best part…the frosting!

Stir together all ingredients, starting with just 4 cups of p. sugar.
Add sugar gradually until frosting is “spreadable”.


Frost rolls when they are still warm but not too hot. This allows the frosting to start melting, but still keeps frosting on top of rolls.