Description
This Halloween Cinnamon Roll Recipe brings a festive twist to classic cinnamon rolls with vibrant orange dough, spooky black cinnamon sugar filling, and bright green frosting decorated with candy eyeballs and mini marshmallow teeth. Perfect for a fun and delicious holiday treat that will impress family and friends.
Ingredients
Scale
Cinnamon Rolls Dough
- 1 packet active dry yeast (1/4 ounce)
- 5 cups all-purpose flour divided, plus extra for rolling out dough
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar (8 tablespoons)
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- 1 1/3 cups warm milk
- 5 tablespoons melted unsalted butter + 2 tablespoons room temperature unsalted butter for greasing bowl and pan
- 1 teaspoon maple extract
- Orange food coloring (at least 4 to 5 drops, more as needed)
Filling
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup room temperature unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons cinnamon
- Black food coloring (at least 5 drops, more as needed)
- 2 tablespoons Halloween sprinkles
Frosting
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk
- Green food coloring (3 to 4 drops, more as needed)
Decoration
- 24 mini marshmallows
- Red food coloring (optional, for ‘blood’ effect on marshmallow teeth)
- 24 candy eyeballs
- Halloween sprinkles
Instructions
- Make the Cinnamon Rolls Dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the yeast, 2 1/2 cups of the flour, and granulated sugar until well combined. Add the egg, warm milk, 5 tablespoons melted butter, maple extract, and 4 to 5 drops of orange food coloring. Use the dough hook attachment to mix until ingredients are combined.
- Knead the Dough: Gradually add the remaining 2 1/2 cups of flour while kneading with the dough hook on medium-low speed for 5 minutes. During kneading, check the dough color and add additional orange food coloring as needed to ensure a bright orange color that will fade less when baked.
- First Rise: Grease a large bowl with 1 tablespoon room temperature butter. Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and shape it into a ball. Place the dough in the greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and allow it to rise at a warm room temperature for 2 hours or until doubled in size.
- Prepare Baking Pan and Preheat Oven: Once the dough has doubled, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with 1 tablespoon room temperature butter.
- Roll Out Dough: Transfer the risen dough onto a floured work surface and roll it into a 10 x 14-inch rectangle.
- Make the Filling: In a medium bowl, use a fork to mix the light brown sugar, 1/2 cup room temperature butter, cinnamon, and 5 drops of black food coloring. Stir until the mixture resembles wet sand and is a deep black color. Add more black food coloring if necessary.
- Spread Filling: Evenly spread the black sugar mixture over the rolled-out dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edges. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of Halloween sprinkles over the filling.
- Shape Rolls: Starting at one long edge, tightly roll the dough into a log. Use a sharp knife to cut the log into 12 even pieces. Place the pieces cut side up into the prepared baking pan.
- Second Rise: Cover the pan with a clean kitchen towel and allow the rolls to rise for 10 minutes to slightly puff up.
- Bake: Place the pan on the center rack of the preheated oven and bake the rolls for 23 minutes until golden and cooked through.
- Make the Frosting: While the rolls bake, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and 3 to 4 drops of green food coloring in a small bowl until smooth and brightly colored. Add more food coloring if needed.
- Decorate Rolls: After baking, remove rolls from the oven and let them stand for 5 minutes. Drizzle the green frosting evenly over the warm rolls. Cut the mini marshmallows in half lengthwise and place 4 halves on each roll to resemble teeth. Optionally, add red food coloring to the marshmallow halves to resemble blood. Add two candy eyeballs per roll and sprinkle additional Halloween sprinkles for extra festive flair.
Notes
- Use warm milk (about 110°F) when activating yeast for best fermentation.
- Add food coloring gradually to achieve vibrant colors; colors can fade during baking so more vivid hues are preferred initially.
- If dough feels too sticky when adding flour, add a little extra flour, one tablespoon at a time to prevent over-drying.
- Let rolls cool slightly before frosting to prevent frosting from melting too much and losing bright color.
- Mini marshmallows can be tinted with red food coloring with a small brush or toothpick for a spooky effect.
- Store leftover rolls tightly wrapped in the refrigerator and reheat gently for best texture.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 roll
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 20 g
- Sodium: 220 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg
