Wow – who knew you could use the slow cooker (or the slow cooker setting of your Instant Pot) for something so fabulous? The recipe calls for a maple frosting, but we ate more than half of them before I even got to that part…
Ingredients
Dough
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1 packet instant yeast (1 packet = 2 and 1/4 teaspoons). If you use regular yeast, increase the cooking time (15 minutes or so)
- 1/4 cup + 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, divided
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 1 large egg
- 2 and 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
Filling
- 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter, very soft
- 1 Tablespoon cinnamon
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
Maple Icing
- 1 and 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 2 Tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 2 Tablespoons milk
Directions
- For the dough: In a small saucepan, warm the milk over low heat until lukewarm. Or use the microwave in very small increments (12 seconds or so at a time) until milk feels just barely warm to the touch.
- Pour the warm milk into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment. With a spoon, manually stir in the yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar. Cover with a towel and let sit until the yeast is foamy, about 5-10 minutes.
- On low speed, beat in the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, salt, butter, egg, and 2 cups of flour until combined. The dough will be wet. While continuing to beat on low speed, add the remaining flour 1/4 cup at a time until a soft dough forms. Dough will be ready when it gently pulls away from the side of the bowl and has an elastic consistency.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough for 2 minutes. Cover with a towel and let rest for about 10 minutes. - Prepare the pan during this 10 minutes by lining a 4 or 5 quart slow cooker with greased parchment paper.
- After 10 minutes, roll the dough out in a 14×8 inch rectangle. Spread the softened butter on top.
- Mix together the cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle it all over the dough.
- Roll up the long side of the dough tightly, then cut into 10-12 even pieces and place them inside the lined slow cooker.
- Place a paper towel right under the lid of the slow cooker to help keep condensation off of the cooking rolls.
Turn your slow cooker on high speed and cook for 2 hours, or until the rolls are fully cooked through. Once they’re done, remove the rolls from the cooker right away by lifting out the parchment paper. - Make the glaze: Right before serving, top your cinnamon rolls with glaze. Whisk the confectioners’ sugar, maple syrup, and milk together until smooth. Add a little more milk if too thick. Drizzle over the warm rolls.
Notes
- If you’re using the smaller Instant Pot, cut the recipe in half and make 6 rolls.
- Rolls are best enjoyed the same day, but stay fresh and soft in a covered container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for 5 days. Rolls (with or without glaze) freeze well up to 3 months.
- To make ahead/overnight, make the dough : This dough can be made the night before through step 7 and placed into a greased pie dish or cake pan. Cover with plastic wrap and keep in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, remove from the refrigerator and place each roll into the lined slow cooker. Then continue with the recipe. The rolls may take less time, around 1 and 1/2 hours.
- If you’d like your rolls to have a beautiful golden brown look, lift them out of the pan with the parchment paper and place the entire thing (the parchment paper and rolls) into an appropriate size pan. and bake at 300°F for 5-10 minutes.
