Easy Cast Iron Skillet Cinnamon Rolls
These cast iron skillet cinnamon rolls are fall weekend baking at its best. The skillet’s steady, even heat gives you what a regular baking pan can’t: gooey, soft centers with golden, slightly caramelized edges where the cinnamon-sugar filling bubbles against the iron. The dough is soft and enriched, rolled up with a generous brown sugar and cinnamon filling, then baked until puffed and golden and finished with a cream cheese glaze that melts into every swirl.
Baking in cast iron also keeps the rolls warm at the table long after they leave the oven — perfect for a slow weekend brunch. The dough needs one rise, so most of the time is hands-off. Roll them out in the morning, let them rise while the coffee brews, and pull a pan of warm cinnamon rolls out of the oven an hour later.
Prep time: 30 minutes Cook time: 25–30 minutes Rise time: 1 hour 15 minutes Total time: 2 hours 15 minutes Servings: 8 rolls
What You’ll Need
- 12-inch cast iron skillet (a 10-inch skillet works too — the rolls will just be snugger and a touch taller)
- Rolling pin
- Stand mixer with dough hook (or a sturdy wooden spoon and a bit of elbow grease)
- Clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap for covering the dough while it rises
If you don’t have a cast iron skillet yet, see our best cast iron skillets guide to find the right size and finish for your kitchen.
Ingredients
Dough
- ¾ cup (180 ml) whole milk, warmed to about 110°F (43°C)
- 2¼ teaspoons (1 packet) active dry yeast
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- ¼ cup (57 g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 3 cups (360 g) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
Cinnamon-Sugar Filling
- ½ cup (100 g) packed light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup (57 g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
Cream Cheese Glaze
- 4 oz (115 g) cream cheese, softened
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup (90 g) powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1–2 tablespoons milk, as needed to thin
Instructions
1. Activate the yeast. Stir the warm milk, yeast, and 1 tablespoon of the sugar together in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Let it sit for 5–10 minutes until foamy — this tells you the yeast is alive and ready.
2. Make the dough. Add the remaining sugar, egg, and melted butter to the yeast mixture and stir to combine. Add the flour and salt, then mix with the dough hook on medium-low for 6–8 minutes (or knead by hand on a lightly floured surface for 8–10 minutes) until the dough is smooth, soft, and slightly tacky but not sticky.
3. Let it rise. Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a lightly greased bowl, turning once to coat. Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm spot for about 1 hour, until doubled in size.
4. Roll and fill. Punch the dough down and roll it out on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle about 16 x 12 inches (40 x 30 cm). Spread the softened butter evenly over the surface, then sprinkle the brown sugar and cinnamon mixture over the butter, pressing it in lightly.
5. Roll up and slice. Starting from a long edge, roll the dough up snugly into a log. Pinch the seam closed. Using a sharp knife or unflavored dental floss, cut the log into 8 even rolls, about 1½ inches (4 cm) wide each.
6. Arrange in the skillet. Lightly grease the cast iron skillet with butter. Place the rolls cut-side up in the skillet — one in the center and the rest around it — leaving a little space between them for rising.
7. Second rise. Cover the skillet loosely and let the rolls rise for 15–20 minutes while you preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). The rolls should look puffy and nearly touching.
8. Bake 25–30 minutes. Bake until the tops are deep golden brown and the filling is bubbling at the edges. If the tops brown too quickly, tent loosely with foil for the last 5 minutes. A thermometer inserted into the center roll should read about 190°F (88°C).
9. Glaze and serve. While the rolls bake, whisk together the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla, adding milk a tablespoon at a time until the glaze is pourable but thick. Spread the glaze over the warm rolls so it melts into the swirls. Serve straight from the skillet.
Tips for the Best Cast Iron Skillet Cinnamon Rolls
- Don’t rush the first rise. A full, doubled rise is what makes the rolls pillowy rather than dense. If your kitchen is cool, set the bowl in the oven with just the light on, or near (not on) a warm stovetop.
- Cut with floss, not a knife. Sliding unflavored dental floss under the log and crossing the ends over the top gives clean, round slices that keep their swirl — a knife tends to squash the soft dough.
- Make them ahead. Assemble the rolls in the skillet the night before, cover tightly, and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, let them sit at room temperature for 30–45 minutes while the oven preheats, then bake as directed — fresh rolls with almost no morning work.
Warm, gooey, and straight from the skillet — these cinnamon rolls are the kind of recipe that turns an ordinary weekend morning into something worth lingering over. Serve them with coffee, keep the skillet on the table, and don’t be surprised when the pan is empty before the second pot brews.
