These maple bacon cinnamon rolls combine all my favorite breakfast flavors!

The salty sweet combination of cinnamon sugar and strips of salty bacon is absolutely delicious. Then you top it all off with a delicious maple glaze and you’re in heaven!!

The Secret to Making These Maple Bacon Cinnamon Rolls

While you might think you can just roll some bacon into cinnamon rolls, it’s not that simple!

I’ve found that adding entire strips of bacon can make the cinnamon rolls difficult to cut and eat. It also leaves you with bacon that isn’t very crispy.

I am a firm believer that bacon should be crispy, and I wanted the bacon in these cinnamon rolls to have that wonderful crunch.

The best way to do this is to bake up a crispy batch of bacon and chop it into small pieces. It’s kind of like bacon sprinkles and that’s a concept I can get behind.

Adding small bits of crispy bacon allows you to easily roll and cut your cinnamon rolls and doesn’t compromising the texture of the bacon.

How Much Flour Am I Supposed to Use??

One part of this recipe that can be a bit daunting or hard to interpret is the amount of flour this recipe uses. As you can see on the recipe card, it isn’t a set amount.

I tried so hard to find the perfect amount, but the truth is it will vary batch to batch, and kitchen to kitchen.

I’ve made these by hand and with a stand mixer. Each time I use a slightly different amount of flour.

Now, the amount of flour you start with is set at 3 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour.

As you add in your wet ingredients and the egg, a sticky dough ball forms and you will need to add additional flour.

I add in 1 tablespoon of flour at a time as I knead the dough. You need to add enough flour to create an elastic, workable dough that you can roll out.

However, if you add too much flour you can end up with dense, chewy cinnamon rolls that are difficult to roll.

This is why it’s a range. When using my stand mixer with this recipe, I usually add in 2-3 additional Tbsp. With that being said, in some batches I’ve used less and in a few I’ve used the full additional 1/2 cup of flour.

Making These Cinnamon Rolls by Hand vs. Stand Mixer

My first couple batches of cinnamon rolls were made when I was home for the holidays, and I didn’t have a stand mixer.

This recipe can be made by hand or with a dough hook / stand mixer.

It is definitely easier to make using a stand mixer, but a little elbow grease never hurt anyone.

Whichever method you use to make the dough, just be sure to knead or mix the dough until it gets an elastic texture and pulls away from the bowl or counter.

Once you get to this point, stop, and let the dough rest for about 10 minutes. This little break allows the gluten to relax bit and makes the dough easier to roll out.

If you continue to work the dough, the gluten strands can become too tight. Just like adding in too much flour, this can also lead to dense cinnamon rolls.

It’s easier to sense when the dough is ready if you’re kneading by hand.

If you’re using a stand mixer keep a close eye on your dough to ensure you don’t overwork it.

Topping These Cinnamon Rolls

The finishing touch on any cinnamon roll has to be its topping!

A cinnamon roll isn’t complete without some type of melty icing. I decided to top these maple bacon cinnamon rolls with a delicious maple glaze.

While I was tempted to use my cream cheese buttercream, for some reason a maple glaze just felt right. You can use a more traditional frosting if you prefer your cinnamon rolls that way though!

If you opt to make a maple glaze, you want the consistency to be just right. The glaze should be thick enough to drizzle over your finger and keep its shape.

I use this finger test every time I make a glaze. If the glaze keeps its shape once it’s drizzled over your finger, you know it’s the right consistency.

Substitutions and Swaps

While I love this recipe just the way it is, I know you might not have all these ingredients on hand.

Below are some swaps and substitutions that can be made in this recipe.

• All Purpose Flour – I haven’t tested this recipe out with gluten free flour, but it should work if you use a good blend like King Arthur’s GF flour. Just be sure to knead the dough a bit longer to help give it structure.
• Instant / Rapid Rise Yeast – You can use active dry yeast in place of the instant yeast in this recipe. Just let the dough to rise for longer and activate it with water and sugar before adding it to the dough.
• Unsalted Butter – If you only have salted butter on hand, you can use it in place of the unsalted butter. Just be sure to omit the salt that this recipe calls for.
• Whole Milk – Most alternative milks work fine in this recipe, including soy, oat, and almond milk.
• Granulated Sugar – I don’t recommend changing the type or amount of sugar used in the dough.
• 1 Large Egg – This is an enriched dough, so it uses an egg. You can use a flaxseed egg in its place.
• Brown Sugar – You can use light or dark brown sugar to make the filling for these cinnamon rolls.
• Bacon – I prefer using normal bacon because it gives you the most crunch once it’s cooked. However, you can use thick cut or turkey bacon if you prefer!
• Maple Extract – If you don’t have maple extract you can use 1 Tbsp maple syrup in place of the maple extract.

Tips for Making the Best Maple Bacon Cinnamon Rolls

• Use a ruler to make sure your dough is rolled out to the right size (12 in x 18 in) and cut into even pieces.
• Use dental floss to easily cut each cinnamon roll rather than a knife.
• Only cut 9 cinnamon rolls from your log to create tall and fluffy cinnamon rolls.
• Bake the cinnamon rolls in a greased square pan (mine is 8 in x 8 in).
• Let the cinnamon rolls cool for about 10-20 minutes, then add the maple glaze. This will allow it to perfectly melt over your cinnamon rolls.

Making These Maple Bacon Cinnamon Rolls in Advance

If you want to make these cinnamon rolls ahead of time, be my guest! I’m all about working ahead and making life easier.

This recipe can be made the evening before and then baked the following morning.

You can refrigerate these cinnamon rolls after they have been cut in a greased or lined pan.

Cover the cinnamon roll pan tightly with plastic wrap, making sure the seal is airtight.

If the cinnamon rolls are exposed to air, they can dry out and no one wants dry cinnamon rolls!

The morning you want to bake them, take them out 1 hour before you plan to bake them, then follow the recipe instructions to bake.

You can also bake the cinnamon rolls, then let them cool and freeze them individually.

This is what I do with our leftover cinnamon rolls. I leave the leftover rolls unfrosted, then tightly wrap each roll in a layer of plastic wrap then foil.

I move individual cinnamon rolls from the freezer to the fridge the night before I want to eat them.

Then in the morning, I unwrap the cinnamon roll and heat it up in the microwave until it’s warm and gooey (usually about 30 seconds!).

Let Me Know What You Think!

If you try this recipe for maple bacon cinnamon rolls, I’d love to hear what you think! Please leave a rating and a comment with your thoughts.

Tag me on social media @chelsweets or use #chelsweets so I can see your creations.

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