Cinnamon Roll Skillet Bread
This Post May Contain Affiliate Links. Please Read Our Disclosure PolicyMake your mornings special with this easy Cinnamon Roll Skillet Bread recipe. This comforting treat combines the classic flavors of cinnamon and sugar in a fun, shareable format. It’s a fantastic recipe for cozy weekend mornings, providing a sweet start to your day that’s as enjoyable to make as it is to eat.
Welcome to your new favorite breakfast treat: Cinnamon Roll Skillet Bread. This recipe transforms the beloved flavors of a classic cinnamon roll into a stunning, easy-to-share bread baked right in your skillet. Perfect for lazy weekend mornings, special brunch gatherings, or just a comforting snack, this skillet bread is all about bringing people together.
When I was growing up, my paternal grandmother made these cinnamon rolls that would knock your socks off. They were without a doubt one of the best things I’ve ever eaten. That was over 20 years ago, and I can still taste them. Sadly though, the recipe died with her. And surprisingly enough, I’m kind of okay with it. I think those cinnamon rolls and that recipe were meant just for that special moment in time. I’m also grateful for the fact that her cinnamon rolls started a quest for me to taste and create as many cinnamon-and-sugar-based recipes as I could to mimic that unforgettable flavor. I have yet to succeed, but I’m sure having fun with all of my attempts
Give me a chunk of this and a big cup of coffee and I’m set. Talk about an awesome way to start your day. Plus, your house will have a delightful smell when this bad boy is baking. Yum!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Even if you’re new to the world of baking, this recipe is straightforward and forgiving. The step-by-step instructions are easy to follow, making the process enjoyable and stress-free.
- While everyone loves a good old cinnamon roll, this skillet bread version brings a fun and innovative twist to the table, literally! It’s all the flavors you cherish, presented in a delightful new format. Feel free to add nuts, raisins, or even a sprinkle of cardamom to the dough or topping for a personalized touch that suits your taste.
- There’s something deeply comforting about the aroma of cinnamon and sugar baking in the oven. This recipe promises to fill your home with those warm, inviting scents, setting the stage for a cozy morning or afternoon.
- Designed to be enjoyed together, this skillet bread is perfect for family breakfasts, brunch with friends, or as a heartwarming treat to share with neighbors. The skillet presentation not only makes for easy baking and serving but also looks impressive on any table. You get to serve up big smiles along with a big, beautiful cinnamon roll.
Looking for more delicious and unique brunch recipes? You’ve got it! I have a collection of my best crowd-pleasing brunch recipes I know you’re going to love!
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour: The base of our dough, giving structure to the cinnamon roll skillet bread.
- Sugar: Adds a subtle sweetness to the dough, enhancing the overall flavor.
- Brown sugar: Used in both the dough coating and streusel topping for a deep, molasses-like sweetness that complements the cinnamon.
- Salt: Balances the sweetness and enhances the flavors of all the other ingredients.
- Instant yeast: A key leavening agent that helps the dough rise and achieve a fluffy texture.
- Water: Activates the yeast, essential for the dough’s rise.
- Milk: Enriches the dough, making it tender and adding a slight richness.
- Butter: Used in various stages for its rich flavor and to create tender, flaky layers in the bread.
- Vanilla: Infuses the dough and glaze with a warm, aromatic flavor.
- Cinnamon: The star spice that provides the iconic warm and spicy note in every bite.
- Confectioner’s sugar: Creates a smooth, creamy glaze that drapes beautifully over the warm bread.
How to Make
Okay my friend, it’s time to bake this Cinnamon Roll Skillet Bread. I’ll walk you through it step-by-step below. I’ve also provided a full ingredient list and instructions in the printable recipe card below.
- Begin by making your dough. In a small bowl, mix together the yeast and warm water. (This mixture should bubble. That’s how you know the yeast is active.) In the meantime, in a bowl of a stand mixer equipped with a dough hook, combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Then add the warmed milk, melted butter and proofed yeast. Knead with the dough hook until smooth. Add more flour if the dough is feeling too sticky. Remove the dough and place it in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, then a towel, and let it rise until it’s doubled in size (about an hour).
- Grease a 12-inch skillet and set aside.
- For the coating: in a small bowl, combine the melted butter and and vanilla. In another small bowl, mix together the brown sugar and cinnamon. Next, divide the dough into two pieces and roll each piece into a rope about 3 feet long. Place the dough on a piece of parchment paper. Liberally brush with the melted butter and vanilla mixture, making sure to cover all sides of the dough. Once buttered, coat all sides of the dough with the brown sugar and cinnamon mixture.
- Then, pinch the ends of the ropes together and twist them together. Pinch the other ends once twisted.
- Starting in the center of your skillet, place the twisted dough inside and wind it around. If you have any extra butter from the brushing, drizzle it over the dough. Cover the skillet with plastic wrap and let the dough rise until doubled in size (about an hour).
- In the meantime, prepare the streusel topping. Combine the brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Then, using a fork or pastry cutter, cut in the cold butter. Set aside.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Once the dough is doubled, sprinkle with the streusel topping and bake for 40-45 minutes. If you notice that your bread is getting too dark, lightly cover it with a piece of aluminum foil. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly.
- Prepare the glaze by whisking together the confectioner’s sugar, milk, melted butter, vanilla, and salt. Stir until smooth, adding more milk if necessary to achieve the desired consistency. Pour evenly over slightly cooled bread.
And that’s it! All that’s left to do is enjoy this Cinnamon Roll Skillet Bread.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this recipe ahead of time?
Absolutely! You can prepare the dough and have it shaped in the skillet the night before. Simply cover it tightly and let it rise overnight in the refrigerator. The next morning, let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before baking as directed.
What if I don’t have a stand mixer?
No worries! You can mix the dough by hand. It might take a bit more time and effort, but the end result will be just as delicious. Just ensure the dough is smooth and elastic before letting it rise.
How do I know if my yeast is active?
When you mix the yeast with warm water, it should start to froth and bubble within about 5 to 10 minutes. If it doesn’t, your yeast might be expired, which means it won’t help the dough rise.
What’s the best way to serve this cinnamon roll skillet bread?
It’s best served warm, right out of the oven, to enjoy the gooey, melty texture of the cinnamon filling. If you have leftovers, reheat them in the oven or microwave for a few seconds before serving.
How should I store leftovers?
Keep any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerated for
As you can imagine, one bite of this Cinnamon Roll Skillet Bread and the memories just flooded back. While it’s not Grandma’s, I love this recipe. I hope you do, too. If you give it a try, be sure to stop back and leave a comment and a 5-star rating below.
Want more from Inspired by Charm? Join the IBC Mailing List for inspiration in your inbox! Follow along on Instagram and TikTok for daily updates and behind-the-scenes looks at my processes. There’s even more inspiration on Facebook and Pinterest!
Cinnamon Roll Skillet Bread
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 tablespoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 3 teaspoon instant yeast
- 1/4 cup water warmed to 105-110 degrees F
- 1 cup milk warmed to 105-110 degrees F
- 3 tablespoons butter melted
For coating the dough:
- 1/2 cup butter melted
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
For the streusel topping:
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon butter cold
For the glaze:
- 2 cups confectioner’s sugar
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1/4 cup butter melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Begin by making your dough. In a small bowl, mix together the yeast and warm water. (This mixture should bubble. That’s how you know the yeast is active.) In the meantime, in a bowl of a stand mixer equipped with a dough hook, combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Then add the warmed milk, melted butter and proofed yeast. Knead with the dough hook until smooth. Add more flour if the dough is feeling too sticky. Remove the dough and place it in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, then a towel, and let it rise until it’s doubled in size (about an hour).
- Grease a 12-inch skillet and set aside.
- For the coating: in a small bowl, combine the melted butter and and vanilla. In another small bowl, mix together the brown sugar and cinnamon. Next, divide the dough into two pieces and roll each piece into a rope about 3 feet long. Place the dough on a piece of parchment paper. Liberally brush with the melted butter and vanilla mixture, making sure to cover all sides of the dough. Once buttered, coat all sides of the dough with the brown sugar and cinnamon mixture.
- Then, pinch the ends of the ropes together and twist them together. Pinch the other ends once twisted.
- Starting in the center of your skillet, place the twisted dough inside and wind it around. If you have any extra butter from the brushing, drizzle it over the dough. Cover the skillet with plastic wrap and let the dough rise until doubled in size (about an hour).
- In the meantime, prepare the streusel topping. Combine the brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Then, using a fork or pastry cutter, cut in the cold butter. Set aside.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Once the dough is doubled, sprinkle with the streusel topping and bake for 40-45 minutes. If you notice that your bread is getting too dark, lightly cover it with a piece of aluminum foil. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly.
- Prepare the glaze by whisking together the confectioner’s sugar, milk, melted butter, vanilla, and salt. Stir until smooth, adding more milk if necessary to achieve the desired consistency. Pour evenly over slightly cooled bread.
I thought this was going to be good, but never expected it to be THAT good. Bravo!
Love doing skillet breads! Do you have any savory or cheesy (or both 😉) skillet breads?
We have cinnamon rolls every Christmas morn. This year it’ll be skillet cinnamon rolls for sure! (I’ll need to get a couple more skillets!) Thanks for the inspiration, Michael!
I don’t have a cast iron skillet…but can I use a regular round baking pan?
Yep! Sure will.
xo Michael
can I use my bread machine to make the dough,it has a dough options and dose the rise thing then I can take the dough out to finiash the rest will this work.thank you
I made this and we love it. Looking forward to trying other recipes. You have a fan now in Iceland 🙂
Made this for brunch this weekend. Holy cow it was amazing! I refrigerated it after the first rising and did the second rising in the morning, which meant I didn’t have to wake up at the crack of dawn. Worked like a charm 🙂
Just made this,
my bread came out a little dark after 30 to 35 minutes, but the bread was done.
i will adjust my heat 10 % down next time and see. I remember something like dark pans cook faster.
This said, I love the bread, so does hubby.
Jen, like you, next time I will prepare it ahead of time for the morning after 🙂
Thanks Michael for a great recipe!
Heike
Glad you enjoyed the bread. I often find in my own oven that I need to cover most things with a piece of aluminum foil to prevent them from getting too dark. You may want to give that a try too. Thanks for stopping back to share feedback. I really appreciate it! 🙂
xo Michael
I don’t have a cast iron skillet (i know!) and even with a normal stainless steel skillet + skipping the streusel and glaze, this was super yummy. Did the 2nd rise overnight and there was just enough time to get this out of the oven before the morning hangry set in. Thank you for another slam-dunk breakfast!
YASSSSSS!!! Isn’t it delicious!? Glad you made it work. 🙂
xo Michael
This looks amazing. I love cinnamon rolls. I need to get over my fear of yeast and just make this!
For sure!! It’s totally worth it. And after a few times, it’s not all that scary. 🙂
xo Michael
Haha – hopefully! I have your Nutella braided bread on my list to make too but that darn yeast. Ha. I’ll get on it! 🙂
Start simple and work your way up. The Nutella Bread is a little more complicated.
xo Michael
Michael,
This looks amazing! I think this could be a cool gift…something yummy and homemade and a skillet, tie a ribbon on it-DONE! Also, LOVE your sugar references on IG, because they are SO true-you had me laughing out loud at work…which is much needed sometimes! 🙂 Keep up the beautiful work!
FYI-the business cards are GORG! You actually inspired me to get gold lettering on my Christmas cards-oh how I love the business cards now!
Oh my goodness! What a beautiful, yummy skillet dish for Friday, Easter or sister get together. And I know I will be doing this for the sisters with lots of creamed coffee. Have a great weekend.
Yes! Totally agree. Your sisters will love it!
xo Michael