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soft cinnamon rolls from scratch baked in the air fryer oven recipes
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5 from 1 vote

Air fryer cinnamon rolls

Soft and fluffy cinnamon rolls baked in the air fryer make for a fantastic holiday breakfast.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time8 minutes
Proofing time1 hour 20 minutes
Course: Breads, Breakfast
Cuisine: American, International
Servings: 9 rolls
Calories: 361kcal

Equipment

  • 1 Mixing bowl
  • 1 Stand mixer You can also knead by hand.
  • 1 set measuring cups and spoons or a weighing scale
  • 1 Rolling Pin
  • 1 8 by 8 inch square baking pan
  • 1 Spatula

Ingredients

For the dough

  • 4.5 oz warm milk (1/2 cup +1 tbsp)
  • 2.25 tsp Instant Yeast
  • 3 tbsp fine sugar
  • 14 oz bread flour (1.75 cups)
  • 3 tbsp butter melted
  • 1/2 tsp salt

For the filling

  • 3 tbsp butter softened
  • 1/4 cup soft brown sugar
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon

For the cream cheese frosting

  • 4 oz cream cheese softened
  • 2 tbsp powdered sugar
  • 2 tbsp milk
  • 2 tbsp melted butter
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Instructions

Proof the yeast

  • In a mixing bowl, add warm milk, instant yeast and sugar. Whisk well.
  • Let it sit for 20 minutes until frothy and bubbly on the surface.

Making the dough

  • To the bowl of your stand mixer, add the bread flour, melted butter, salt and the frothy yeast mixture.
  • Knead till you have a smooth, non sticky and soft dough. This takes 4 to 5 minutes.
  • You can also do this by hand. When you knead by hand, you will have to do it for about 5 to 7 minutes from start to finish.

Proofing the dough

  • Grease a mixing bowl with a thin layer of melted butter. Place the dough ball in this. Cover with a shower cap.
  • Allow the dough to double in volume by placing it in a warm place. This may take anywhere between 40 mins to 2 hours, depending on the weather.

How to proof bread dough in the Instant Pot?

  • Alternatively, you can proof the dough in the Instant Pot using YOGURT setting. This is especially useful if you are living in a cold place.
  • Insert the inner pot into the Instant Pot. Add 1 cup water to the pot. Place a trivet into the pot. Now, place bowl of dough on the trivet.
  • Cover with a transparent glass lid. I strongly recommend the INSTANT POT LID since this fits snugly. Plug in the IP, press YOGURT and set the timer to 1 hour.
  • Allow the YOGURT cycle to complete. After 1 hour, you will see that the dough has doubled beautifully.

Rolling the dough

  • Punch the proofed dough down. Knead this for 1 to 2 minutes gently.  Turn it onto a floured work surface. Now, roll the dough out into a 10 by 10 inch square.

Making the filling

  • Combine brown sugar, ground cinnamon and melted butter in a mixing bowl until smooth. It should resemble a paste.

Shaping the rolls

  • Spread the filling into an even layer, leaving an 1 inch gap around the edges.
  • Roll the dough tightly into a log. Using a piece of thread, cut the log into 9 equal pieces.
  • Place each piece into a greased 8 by 8 inch square pan, leaving an inch gap between each piece.

Second proofing

  • Now, cover the pan with a shower cap. Allow this to rise for 20 minutes.

Preheating

  • Towards the end of the second rise, preheat your air fryer at 320 F (160C).  If you are going to bake them in the oven, preheat your oven at 350 F (180C).

Instant Vortex Air Fryer Oven

  • When you are ready to bake, press BAKE, set the temperature at 320F (160C) and wait for the display to read ADD FOOD.
  • Proceed to place the rolls in the air fryer oven, set the timer to 8 minutes and wait for the cooking cycle to complete.

Air fryer instructions for cinnamon rolls

  • In case you are baking these rolls in a regular air fryer, you will need to bake the rolls in a 9 inch round springform pan.
  • If your air fryer basket is small, you can line it with parchment paper and place the rolls directly in them and bake.

Temperature and timings

  • Bake at 320 F (160C) for 8 minutes or until the rolls are golden on the top. Keep an eye on the rolls after 7 mins to prevent burning.

Oven instructions

  • These rolls can be baked in a preheated regular oven at 350F (180C) for 20 minutes or until the tops are golden.

Cream cheese frosting

  • To the bowl of your stand mixer, add softened cream cheese, melted butter, milk, vanilla and sugar.
  • Whip on medium high speed until soft peaks form. This takes about 7 mins. When done, let it sit in the fridge until ready to frost.

Frosting

  • Spread an even layer of the cream cheese frosting over the rolls, while warm. Serve immediately.

Notes

  • Always test if your yeast is alive before baking bread. 
  • For successfully proofing the yeast, the milk has to be warm. 
  • Use a weighing scale to weigh all the ingredients for best results.
  • You can bake these rolls in a Ninja Foodi air fryer or any regular air fryer, air fryer oven or a traditional oven.
  • If you have a small air fryer, I suggest baking these in two batches.
  • For smaller air fryer baskets, a 7 inch round springform pan or cake pan will work well.
  • This recipe can be easily doubled or tripled.
  • For a smooth textured frosting, the cream cheese has to be softened and at room temperature.

For Instant Pot & Air Fryer Recipes

Instant Pot timings may vary based on your geographic location. Air fryer settings and timings may vary based on the capacity and the model of the Air fryer.

Disclaimer

Nutrition values are provided here as a courtesy and are only a rough guide. Please consult a health care provider if you have any concerns.

Nutrition

Calories: 361kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 42mg | Sodium: 260mg | Potassium: 129mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 511IU | Vitamin C: 0.03mg | Calcium: 54mg | Iron: 1mg
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