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!!

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