Funfetti Cinnamon Rolls
Ever since I made my last batch of quick yeast cinnamon rolls, my husband has been asking me to make another. Time I wanted to mix things up and try something new. That’s when the idea of funfetti cinnamon rolls popped into my head.
My husband loves sprinkles and all things funfetti so I knew this was the perfect cinnamon roll flavor to try!
What Flavor is Funfetti?
In my opinion, anything funfetti flavored really just includes sprinkles!!
But I also like to add in a hint of almond extract to the frosting to elevate the overall flavor a touch more.
This funfetti cinnamon roll recipe has rainbow sprinkles folded into the dough and baked into each swirled layer.
The sprinkles add both a pop of color, and a bit of texture to each bite.
While sprinkles themselves are mostly sugar, there is something about that little bit of crunch in each bite that is absolutely delicious.
What Types of Sprinkles Should I Use to Make Funfetti Cinnamon Rolls?
While you might think all sprinkles are created equal, they’re not.
When making funfetti cinnamon rolls, you have to be sure you use the right type of rainbow sprinkle.
The best sprinkles for making this are rainbow jimmies.
They are the longer sprinkles that you used to (and may still) put on your ice cream.
These sprinkles keep their color and won’t bleed into your dough.
This is important, because it allows the color of the sprinkles to really shine through once the rolls are baked.
If you really want to be picky about your sprinkles, I also recommend getting a rainbow sprinkle blend that doesn’t have any chocolate/brown sprinkles in it.
The type of sprinkle you should NOT use are the tiny, round, rainbow sprinkles.
They’re called nonpareils, and they bleed their colors a lot more easily!
Because they’re so small, they also don’t add that wonderful textural component.
The key takeaways? Use rainbow jimmies in this funfetti cinnamon roll recipe!
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, in a stand mixer, here in NYC, and in my childhood home in Seattle.
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.
But as you add in your wet ingredients and a sticky dough ball starts to form, you will likely need to add in additional flour.
I do this as I knead the dough and add in a Tablespoon at a time. You need enough 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.
This is why it’s a range. When using my stand mixer, I usually add in 4-6 additional Tbsp as the dough is kneaded.
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 top edge of the bowl or counter.
My favorite way to know if my dough is ready is to poke it with my finger. It should feel tacky but not sticky. As you pull your finger away, there should be no residue on your finger.
Once you get to this point, stop, and let the dough rest for 10-15 minutes.
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 pretty easy to sense when the dough is ready if you’re kneading by hand.
However, if you’re using a stand mixer, keep a close eye on your dough to ensure you don’t accidentally overwork it.
Giving These Rolls a Bit of Height
When I think about cinnamon rolls, I want them tall. Like Cinnabon tall!
In my opinion, they should be at least 2 inches tall once they’re baked.
To give these cinnamon rolls that kind of height, I roll my dough out to be 18 inches long.
Yes, I use a ruler to make sure I get the dimensions right. It also helps me cut each cinnamon roll to be a similar size.
I also only cut 9 cinnamon rolls from the rolled dough. This means they’re about 2 inches tall before they rise and bake.
I rarely make breakfast for more than 9 people, so this works great for me.
However, if you need to feed more people, you can cut the dough into more pieces.
Just be forewarned that they will end up being shorter than mine.
The Assisted Rise
Another thing that helps these funfetti cinnamon rolls turn out soft, fluffy, and tall is an assisted rise.
This recipe uses your oven to help the yeast rise, which is called an assisted rise.
Don’t worry, the oven is preheated at a low temperature (200 degrees F) and then turned off before you place the cinnamon rolls in there to rise.
The cinnamon roll pan is also covered with foil, to ensure no actual baking takes place.
I love this method, because in the winter my house is always cold.
It’s almost impossible to find a warm spot for the cinnamon rolls to rise.
No matter what temperature your kitchen is, your cinnamon rolls are guaranteed to rise and puff up with this method.
You also know how long it will take for them to rise (about 30 minutes), rather than anxiously checking on them every 10 minutes to see if they’ve risen.
The Best Way to Cut a Cinnamon Roll
Now I know this sounds weird, but I highly recommend having some floss on hand to help cut your cinnamon rolls.
Most knives don’t cut the rolls as cleanly and tend to kind of smush the cinnamon roll log.
On the other hand, if you use a piece of floss, it cuts through the dough smoothly.
It takes hardly any effort, and you get perfectly cut cinnamon rolls every time!!
Try it just once, and you’ll never look back.
And if you only have mint dental floss on hand? Don’t worry! I tried this with mint flavored dental floss, and my husband had no clue. I also couldn’t tell!
The Best Cinnamon Roll Frosting
The finishing touch on any cinnamon roll has to be the frosting.
A cinnamon roll isn’t complete without sweet, melty icing. I decided to top these cinnamon rolls with a small batch of my american buttercream.
While I was tempted to use my cream cheese buttercream, for some reason my classic buttercream frosting felt right.
But you can use cream cheese frosting if you prefer it on cinnamon rolls!
No matter what frosting you chose to make, you want the consistency to be just right!
The frosting should be thick enough to spoon onto each cinnamon roll, but thin enough that it will melt over every inch of your warm cinnamon rolls.
This cinnamon roll frosting recipe uses 2 cups of powdered sugar to make it nice and sweet, and it’s thinned out with some heavy cream and vanilla extract.
Substitutions and Swaps
While I love this recipe just the way it is, I know some of 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.
- Unsalted Butter – If you only have salted butter on hand, you can use it in place of the unsalted butter in this recipe. Just be sure to omit the salt that this recipe calls for. You can also use vegan butter in its place!
- Instant / Rapid Rise Yeast – You can use active dry yeast in place of the instant yeast in this recipe, just be sure to activate the yeast with warm water and sugar before adding it, and allow the dough to rise for a bit longer (active yeast takes longer to rise than instant)
- 1 Large Egg – This is an enriched dough, so it uses an egg! You can use a flaxseed egg in its place to make eggless or vegan funfetti cinnamon rolls
- Heavy Cream / Whole Milk – Most alternative milks work fine in this recipe, including soy, oat, and almond milk!
Tips for Making the Best Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
- Keep adding flour to your dough and kneading it until it becomes elastic and easy to handle.
- Use a ruler to make sure your dough is rolled out to the right size (12in x 18in), and cut into even pieces.
- Use dental floss to easily cut each cinnamon roll, rather than a knife.
- Let the cinnamon rolls cool for about 5-10 minutes, then add the frosting. This will allow it to perfectly melt over your cinnamon rolls.
- 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 8in x 8in).
Making These Funfetti Cinnamon Rolls in Advance
If you want to make these funfetti 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 funfetti cinnamon rolls, I’d love to hear what you think! Please leave a rating and a comment with your thoughts.
You can also tag me on social media @chelsweets or use #chelsweets so I can see your creations!!
Other Recipes You Might Like:
Funfetti Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
Cinnamon Roll Filling
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar 100g
- 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon 6g
- 1 tsp cornstarch optional, but helps the filling stay in place while the rolls bake (3g)
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened 56g - to be spread on the dough
Funfetti Cinnamon Roll Dough
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour + up to 1/2 cup addition flour to be added later in process 438g-500g
- 2 1/4 tsp or 1 packet instant dry yeast 7g, 1/4 oz.
- 1 tsp fine salt 6g
- 1 cup whole milk 240g
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar 100g
- 1/4 cup butter, room temperature 56g
- 1 large egg, room temperature and beaten 56g
- 1 cup rainbow sprinkles 175g - to be added after the dough is made
Vanilla Frosting
- 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature 56g
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 4g
- 1 tsp almond extract 4g
- 1/4 tsp fine salt 1g
- 1 cup powdered sugar 125g
- 1 Tbsp whole milk 15g
Instructions
Cinnamon Roll Filling
- While the dough rises, make the cinnamon roll filling.
- In a medium-sized bowl, mix together 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar, 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon, and 1 tsp cornstarch. Set aside.
Funfetti Cinnamon Roll Dough
- Preheat your oven to 200 F / 95 C.
- In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine 3 1/2 cups of flour, 1 packet of instant dry yeast, and 1 tsp salt.
- In a separate, heat-proof bowl, add 1 cup milk, 1/4 cup softened butter, and 1/2 cup granulated sugar into a microwave-safe bowl.
- Heat on high power for 60-90 seconds, until the mixture is warm to the touch and the butter is melted. Stir to combine the ingredients.
- Add the warm milk mixture slowly to the flour mixture, mixing on medium speed with a dough hook between additions.
- Add 1 large egg and mix on low speed until a sticky dough ball forms. Continue mixing on medium-low speed for 2-3 minutes until the dough becomes more elastic.
- As the dough mixes, add additional flour 1 Tbsp at a time until the dough begins to leave the sides of the bowl. My favorite way to know if my dough is ready is to poke it with my finger. It should feel tacky but not sticky. As you pull your finger away, there should be no residue on your finger.
- Once the dough reaches this stage, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rest for 10 minutes. This will relax the gluten and make the dough easier to roll out.
- Generously flour your counter and roll out the dough ball.
- When you're about halfway through rolling, sprinkle the dough with 1/2 cup of rainbow sprinkles and gently press them into the dough.
- Fold the dough in thirds (like a letter) and continue to roll it into a large rectangle 12 inches x 18 inches. It should be about 1/2 cm thick.
- Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of rainbow sprinkles on top of the dough and gently roll or press them into the dough.
- Heat the remaining 1/4 cup of room temperature butter in the microwave for 10-15 seconds, to partially melt it.
- Pour the partially melted butter over the dough, and gently spread it over the sprinkles with a pastry brush or the back of a rubber spatula. Be sure to leave about 1/2 inch of dough on the long side of the rectangle uncovered. This will help you seal off the roll and keep it tight.
- Spread the cinnamon roll filling (instructions above) evenly over the buttered area and pat down with the back of a spoon or spatula.
- Tightly roll the dough horizontally, toward the uncovered strip.
- Cut the dough log into 9 equal pieces with dental floss (you can cut it into more pieces if you want smaller/shorter cinnamon rolls), and place in a greased square pan (mine is 8in x 8in).
- Turn the oven off! I REPEAT, TURN THE OVEN OFF.
- Cover the cinnamon roll pan with foil and place in the oven for 30 minutes (until the cinnamon rolls have risen).
- Remove the pan from the oven and take off the tinfoil. Turn the oven back on, and heat to 350 degrees.
- Once the oven has preheated to 350 F, bake for 26-32 minutes or until rolls are golden brown.
Cinnamon Roll Frosting
- To make the cinnamon roll frosting, place 1/4 cup of unsalted butter, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1 tsp almond extract, and 1/4 tsp salt in a medium-sized bowl. Mix with a whisk or hand mixer until combined.
- Add in 1 cup of powdered sugar, then pour in 1 Tbsp of milk. Mix until smooth.
- Let the cinnamon rolls cool for 10-20 minutes, then spoon the frosting over each cinnamon roll. Serve warm.
Video
Notes
Using the Right Type of Yeast: Active vs. Instant Yeast
Be sure you are using instant yeast! It comes in small packets that can usually be found in the refrigerated section of your grocery store. You can use active dry yeast in place of the instant yeast in this recipe, just be sure to activate it with a bit of warm water and sugar before adding it into the dough and allow the dough to rise for longer (active yeast takes longer to rise than instant).Tips for Making the Best Funfetti 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.
- If you're struggling to cut your cinnamon rolls, place the cinnamon roll log on a baking sheet and chill it in the fridge for 20-30 minutes. It will make it easier to cut.
- Cut 9 equal-sized cinnamon rolls from your log to make sure they all bake evenly.
- Try to let the cinnamon rolls cool for about 10-20 minutes, then add the glaze. This will allow it to perfectly melt over your cinnamon rolls!
These tasted delicious and were so fun to make! Hit a few bumps along the way though :/ I felt like as I was rolling out the final rectangle of dough, it wasn’t an even shape and so my ends weren’t evenly rolled. The bake time said 25-30 minutes, but mine was severely underbaked. Then I noticed in your video that each roll had enough room around it to breathe/cook, not touching the other rolls – when I split the rolls between two pans, they finally cooked! Other than that, taste was phenomenal!
Hi Kaval,
Happy to hear that they turned out delicious!! Squaring off your dough definitely does make it easier to make uniform rolls, but it is a pain!
What size of pan were you originally using? That’s great that you were able to troubleshoot to make it work out great in the end. Hopefully next time you make them it will be easier 🙂
AMAZING. Best cinnamon rolls I’ve ever had- and many family members agree!!! I absolutely love the frosting as well. I’m a huge fan of almond extract… can’t wait to make these again! We might have a new Mother’a Day tradition 🙂
That is so wonderful to hear Nicole!! Thank you for sharing 🙂 And I totally agree, doesn’t the touch of almond take them to the next level?!? Haha happy baking!
Love your blog and this recipe! I used corn starch to keep the filling in place, but some still seeped out, hardened, and tasted almost burnt. Would you recommend transferring onto a wire rack to let the excess filling drain, or should I try something different?
Hi Toni!!
What type of pan did you bake your cinnamon rolls in? Using a light colored metal pan works best, as glass or dark metal pans don’t distribute heat as well. The other thing that could influence how the filling bakes is the type of butter you used.
I’d suggest making them in a different type of pan next time, or you could add a touch more cornstarch to your filling. Hope that helps, and that they turn out better next time <3
Hi Chelsea, I am thinking about making these for my son’s birthday breakfast, but because he wakes up at the crack of dawn, I would need to prep the night before. Would I just do the exact same recipe but with regular yeast (doubled)? Could I keep them prepared and ready to go in the fridge to just pop in the oven that morning, and if so how should I adjust the cook time since they would be cold?
Haha that’s such a cute idea Tessa, you can totally do that! I would just let them cook a few additional minutes, to make sure the centers bake through. Hope that helps, and that your son loves them!! 🙂
Hi
I have the LorAnn Almond Emulsion, can I use that 1:1 for the almond extract or should I use less.
Hi! Love your page!! Thank you for sharing your tips and recipes. I was curious to know if I could use active dry yeast as opposed to instant dry yeast? Are they the same thing? Thank you once again.
~Julianna
I am making these for Christmas morning so I can pop them in the oven and not do all the work that day. Can I make the frosting ahead of time? If so how long and how should I keep it?
Have you ever colored the dough to make rainbow cinnamon rolls? Would that change the recipe at all?
Any tips on trying to do this without a stand mixer?
Hi Chelsea!
I made these for the 2nd time last night and they turned out great!
I need a bit more practice to make mine look as pretty as yours, but I’m still pleased with how they turned out.
What I like about this recipe is, the first time I made them several months ago, I messed up a little bit, but they still turned out great.
I think this is a great recipe for a beginner as it’s easy to follow and the directions are very clear. These will definitely be something I make again and again!
Thank you!
I am so happy to hear that Kara 🙂 Thank you for sharing!!
Hi, I’m planning on making this recipe and am confused on the amounts required. I see 1/2 cup brown sugar in the ingredients, but 3/4 cup in the instructions. Same for cinnamon. Could you please clarify so that I use the amounts as intended? Thanks! Can’t wait to try it out.
Hi Daniel,
I’m so sorry for the confusion!! I have updated the recipe card so that everything is aligned now. Happy baking 🙂
Can I make and bake these the night before my bake sale?
Hi Misty,
You can! Just let the cinnamon rolls cool completely, then cover the pan tightly so they don’t dry out. The next morning, warm them gently in the oven (about 250°F for 10–15 minutes) to refresh them, and frost right before serving if you can. They’ll still be soft, fluffy, and super cute for your bake sale. Hope that helps, happy baking!!