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A white dish holds eight iced cinnamon rolls with raisins, freshly baked and covered in glaze, sitting on a white countertop with a honeycomb-patterned backsplash in the background.
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Old-Fashioned Cinnamon Raisin Yeast Breakfast Rolls

These soft, old-fashioned cinnamon raisin yeast rolls take me straight back to childhood. Our elementary school cafeteria worker used to make cinnamon raisin rolls as a special treat, and I still remember how good they were warm from the oven.

Ingredients

  • 690 g Ballerina Farm High Protein Flour or another high-protein bread flour
  • 245 g warm water
  • 2 large eggs
  • 105 g honey or substitute granulated sugar
  • 56 g salted butter softened
  • 2½ teaspoons salt
  • 18 g instant yeast
  • 2 cups raisins
  • 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • Optional Egg Wash
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tablespoon milk
  • Old-Fashioned Vanilla Icing Glaze
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • ½ –¾ cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste

Instructions

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the flour, warm water, eggs, honey, salt, and yeast. Mix on low speed for 1–2 minutes, just until all the flour has been absorbed.
  • Increase the mixer to medium-high speed and knead for about 10 minutes. Don’t rush this step—the full kneading time develops the gluten and gives these rolls their wonderfully soft, fluffy texture.
  • Add the softened butter and continue kneading for another 2–3 minutes, until completely incorporated. The dough should be smooth, strong, slightly shiny, and just a little tacky.
  • Add the raisins and cinnamon. With the mixer on low, add 2 cups of raisins and 1½ teaspoons cinnamon. Mix just until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
  • Shape the dough into a ball, return it to the mixing bowl, cover, and let rise until nearly doubled in size, about 1–2 hours.
  • Once risen, divide the dough into 15 large rolls or 24 standard-size rolls.
  • Shape each portion into a smooth, round roll and arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving a little room between each one. Cover and allow to rise for about 1 hour, or until noticeably soft and puffy.
  • Near the end of the second rise, preheat the oven to 375°F.
  • If using the egg wash, whisk together the egg and milk and gently brush over the tops.

Bake

  • 24 standard rolls: 16–18 minutes
  • 15 large rolls: About 25 minutes
  • Bake until beautifully golden and the centers reach approximately 190°F.

Make the Old-Fashioned Icing

  • Add the powdered sugar and vanilla to a bowl. Begin with ½ cup heavy whipping cream and whisk until completely smooth.
  • Add additional cream a little at a time until the icing reaches your desired consistency. For that nostalgic old-fashioned breakfast-roll finish, you want it thick enough to coat the rolls but loose enough to slowly run down the sides.
  • Let the freshly baked rolls cool slightly, then generously spoon or drizzle the vanilla icing over the still-warm rolls, allowing it to soften and melt just a little over the tops.
  • Serve warm and enjoy. ❤️

Notes

The Well Seasoned Table Tip: If your raisins are particularly dry, soak them in warm water for about 10 minutes, then drain and pat them very dry before adding them to the dough. This gives you soft, plump raisins without introducing extra moisture into the dough.