Grandma’s Cinnamon Rolls: A Christmas Tradition

I love cinnamon rolls. Around 2010, while watching The Pioneer Woman, I found the recipe that would become my favorite. I have adapted it over the years, and for more than fifteen years, these rolls have been part of our family’s Christmas tradition.

My version has plenty of filling, with chopped pecans and coconut tucked into the cinnamon-sugar swirls, and a generous drizzle of coffee icing over the top. My family especially loves the coconut. I have also made them with chocolate chips, but the version shared here is still my favorite.

At Christmas, I make a big batch. The recipe I wrote down for my family fills about seven pans—enough to share! For this post, I’m sharing a smaller batch, but you can double it if you’re baking for a crowd.

Last year, one of my grandsons needed to share a family tradition for a class assignment. He chose Grandma’s cinnamon rolls. I gave him a copy of the recipe, and he made them to take to school and share with his classmates.

That meant so much to me. Something I had been making every Christmas had become a tradition he wanted to share—and a recipe he could make himself.

These rolls began with The Pioneer Woman’s recipe, and she deserves the credit for that wonderful starting point. Over the years, a little extra filling, pecans, coconut, and my coffee icing have made them the version my family knows as Grandma’s Cinnamon Rolls.

You certainly don’t have to wait until Christmas to make them. A slow morning, a cup of coffee, and a warm cinnamon roll sound pretty good any time of year.

Grandma’s Cinnamon Rolls

Adapted from The Pioneer Woman’s cinnamon roll recipe, with extra filling, pecans, coconut, and coffee icing.

Yield: Approximately 20–25 rolls, depending on how thickly you slice them
Oven temperature: 375°F
Baking time: 15–18 minutes

Ingredients

For the dough:

2 cups whole milk
½ cup vegetable oil
½ cup granulated sugar
1 packet active dry yeast (¼ ounce, or 2¼ teaspoons)
4 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup additional all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder, slightly heaping
½ teaspoon baking soda, scant
1½ teaspoons table salt, slightly heaping

For the filling:

¾ cup melted salted butter, plus extra for greasing the pans
¾–1 cup granulated sugar
1½ tablespoons ground cinnamon, plus more to taste
½ cup chopped pecans, optional
About 2 cups coconut flakes, optional—approximately 1 cup per dozen rolls

For the coffee icing:

1 pound powdered sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract, plus more to taste
¼ cup whole milk, plus more as needed
2 tablespoons melted salted butter
2 tablespoons strongly brewed coffee or cold brew concentrate
A small pinch of salt

Directions

Start the dough. In a saucepan over medium heat, warm the milk, vegetable oil, and sugar until just below boiling. Remove from the heat and let cool to 105–115°F. Sprinkle the yeast over the mixture and let sit for 1 minute.
Let it rise. Stir in 4 cups of flour until just combined. The dough will be very sticky. Cover and leave in a relatively warm place for about 1 hour, until puffy and risen.
Finish the dough. Gently stir or fold in the remaining ½ cup flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Use immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days, punching down the dough if it rises to the top of the bowl.
Roll it out. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and roll into a large rectangle.
Add the filling. Spread the melted butter evenly over the dough. Sprinkle generously with sugar and cinnamon, then add the pecans and coconut, if using. I use about 1 cup of coconut for every dozen rolls.
Roll and slice. Starting along the long edge farthest from you, roll the dough tightly toward you. Work slowly along its length to keep the roll even. Cut into slices approximately ¾–1 inch thick.
Prepare the pans. Grease your baking pans with melted butter. Arrange the rolls with a little room between them so they can rise without becoming overcrowded. Use approximately three to four 9-inch round pans, depending on the size of your rolls.
Let rise again. Cover the pans with a clean kitchen towel and let rise on the counter for at least 45 minutes. Toward the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 375°F.
Bake. Remove the towel and bake for 15–18 minutes, until golden brown. Avoid letting the tops become too dark.
Make the icing. While the rolls bake, whisk together the powdered sugar, vanilla, milk, melted butter, coffee, and salt until smooth. Adjust to taste and add a little more milk if needed. The icing should be thick but pourable.
Ice generously. Pour the icing over the rolls as soon as they come out of the oven, letting it run over the tops and around the edges. Some will soak into the warm rolls. Serve warm, or allow to cool before packaging to share.

Grandma’s Notes

For my Christmas batch: Double this recipe. That is the larger batch I make for my family each year.
Our favorite filling: Pecans and coconut. I have tried chocolate chips, too, but this version is my favorite.
Coconut: Adjust to the number of rolls you cut, using approximately 1 cup per dozen.
Pan butter: The butter used to grease the pans is additional to the butter in the filling.