Maple Bacon Cinnamon Rolls

Melt-in-your-mouth Maple Bacon Cinnamon Rolls are the yin and yang of salty and sweet, and are sinfully addicting!

Maple Bacon Cinnamon Rolls are sure to be a hit with anyone who tries them. These are exploding with Bacon and taste amazing with a side of Scrambled Eggs and Copycat Orange Julius to top it off!

cinnamon rolls on a new level!

We LOVE Cinnamon Rolls all year long, but I know the Holiday Season seems to bring out that incontrollable NEED for these in our lives.

Well, I’m positive that this site has you covered when it comes to your Cinnamon Roll cravings (SEE Exhibit A, B, and C). 😉

This version has a maple bacon glaze and bacon chunks throughout and sprinkled on top, making them perfect for all those that love the sweet and salty goodness of the maple and bacon combo.

They were especially popular with the men in the family and will be great to try out this holiday season. We loved how they turned out and know you’ll love them too.

Maple Bacon Cinnamon Roll Recipe

DOUGH. In a small bowl with warm milk, dissolve your yeast. In a large bowl, combine sugar, butter, eggs, salt, yeast mixture and 2 cups flour; beat on medium speed until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough (dough will still be a little sticky).

Note. Use 2% or whole milk. The fat contributes to soft, fluffy rolls.

RISE. Knead dough on a floured surface about 6-8 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Turn into a greased bowl. To ensure it is all covered, top bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

FILL. Mix brown sugar, cinnamon, and bacon in a small bowl, set aside. Punch down and divide the dough in half on a lightly floured surface. Roll each portion into an 11×8″ rectangle. Brush one rectangle with one tablespoon melted butter and sprinkle with half of your brown sugar mixture.

ROLL. Starting with a long side, roll up jelly-roll style and pinch the seam to seal. Cut into 8 slices. Repeat steps with remaining dough, butter and sugar mixture. Cut side down, place eight slices in each pan. Cover with kitchen towels and let it rise in a warm place for about 1 hour or until doubled in size.

BAKE. Bake at 350°F until golden brown (about 20-25 minutes). Cool on wire racks.

FROST. For the frosting, beat all ingredients until well blended. Spread over warm rolls and top with more chopped bacon pieces. ENJOY!

Note. We used REAL MAPLE SYRUP, but later realized we should have tried mapeline extract so it would have given the frosting more of that caramel looking color. We are hoping to try this again with the extract, but are thinking that it would only take a few TB to do the trick. 😉

Recipe Tips

Speed up the rising process. The temperature of the room makes a big difference in how quickly the dough will rise. Use the oven to create a warm environment that will allow the dough to rise faster. Heat the oven to 200°F and then turn it OFF. Cover the bowl with the dough in it with a damp tea towel. Place in the oven and let the dough rise until it has doubled in size.

There are a lot of reasons that keep the dough from rising. Here are few of the most common reasons: 

• Expired yeast.
• The room is too cold and you just need more time.
• The water was too hot or too cold and the yeast died.
• A different flour other than what was written in the recipe was used.
• Sometimes the dough was left for too long, rose and then fell.

Cutting the dough without squishing them can be quite tricky. The best tip I’ve learned is to use dental floss. Yes, really! 

1. Roll the dough into a log.
2. Slide a long strand of dental floss under the dough.
3. Bring the floss up, cross the strands, and pull the strands tight. It will cut right through the dough! 
4. Cut all the slices the same width.
5. Repeat for each roll. 

Storing Info

Form the rolls ahead of time and bake later. You can keep the shaped rolls in the fridge for up to 12 hours. Follow the written recipe, but do not let them rise a second time. Instead, cover the pan with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge. When you’re ready to bake them remove the pan from the fridge, allow them to rise for about an hour, and bake as directed. 

The rolls are best fresh out of the oven when they are warm and gooey. However, you can STORE the rolls at room temperature or FREEZE them for later. I don’t recommend storing them in the fridge as they will dry out much faster.

• Room temperature: Keep rolls in an airtight container for up to 4 days. To reheat place the roll in the microwave for about 7 seconds. 
• Freezer: Once the rolls have been baked allow them to cool. Cover the pan, or wrap each roll individually, with plastic wrap them again with aluminum foil. Freeze frosting in a separate container. They can stay in the freezer for up to 6 months. Allow then to thaw and warm the rolls up in the oven (400⁰ oven for about 15-25 minutes) or microwave (place individual roll in the microwave for 5-8 seconds then in a hot oven for 1-2 minutes to get a fresh baked texture) Spread frosting over warm rolls. 

For more great breakfast recipes, check out:

• French Toast Muffins
• Breakfast Enchilada Casserole
• Breakfast Grilled Cheese
• Old Fashioned Donuts
• Pound Cake French Toast
• Sticky Walnut Buns