Cinnamon Twists

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These Cinnamon Twists are an easy and accessible version of cinnamon rolls! Imagine soft, sweet dough packed with cinnamon sugar goodness, then drizzled with a creamy icing that ties it all together. Cinnamon Twists will fill your belly with joy and fill your house with the warming and cozy aroma of cinnamon. 

Cinnamon Twists drizzled with icing glaze

Homemade Cinnamon Twists

Many of my creations are borne out of a craving, and this cinnamon twist recipe is no different! I was in the mood for a baked good, sort of pastry-like, and I wanted it to be full of sweet cinnamon flavor. I basically wanted an elevated version of a cinnamon roll, and voilá – Cinnamon Twists were born!

Now, this isn’t unusual for me. I’ve been known to make twists (no pun intended) on cinnamon rolls, like my Cinnamon Roll Muffins and Cinnamon Roll Cookies, but these are a bit simpler in their replication.

These cinnamon twists are made of a simple dough twisted together with a cinnamon sugar filling, then drizzled with sweet and creamy icing. Each cinnamon twist is soft, sweet, and baked to perfection! 

My only suggestion is not to get caught up in making them look absolutely perfect. You’ll wind up going crazy! Just do your best, let them be, and they will taste like heaven. Enjoy!

Why You’ll Love This Cinnamon Twist Recipe

  • Delicious
  • Gorgeous presentation
  • Excellent for breakfast and brunch
  • Great for entertaining
  • Simple ingredients

Key Ingredients to Make Cinnamon Twist Bread

For this Cinnamon Twist recipe, you’ll have a lot of ingredient overlap between the dough, filling, and icing. That just means you have to buy fewer ingredients! 

  • YEAST – You’ll need to use dry active yeast to get the perfect rise.
  • MILK – You’ll need to use warmed milk for the dough, then you can use cold milk for the icing.
  • EGG – A large egg will help bind the dough ingredients together perfectly.
  • SUGAR – You’ll need white sugar for the dough as well as the filling.
  • SALT – Adding a little bit of salt to your baked goods helps bring out the sweetness.
  • BREAD FLOUR – It’s important to use bread flour if possible to achieve the right texture.
  • BUTTER – Use softened butter for the filling and icing.
  • CINNAMON – The key ingredient is ground cinnamon. Yum!
  • POWDERED SUGAR – For the icing, powdered sugar is where it gets its sweetness.
  • VANILLA – Use pure vanilla extract to get the best flavor.

Instructions to Make Cinnamon Roll Twists

COMBINE YEAST AND MILK: In a small bowl, add the yeast and half a cup of warm milk. Stir to combine the two, then set the mixture aside to proof. 

PREPARE THE DOUGH: In the bowl of your stand mixer, add the remaining warmed milk along with the egg, sugar, butter, and salt. Mix them well, then add in the flour and proofed yeast. Mix everything until it’s well combined.

Switch to the dough hook and knead the mixture for 10 minutes. While kneading, the dough should start to form into a ball and pull away from the sides of the bowl. If not, that means it’s too wet and you will need to add more flour. Add in small amounts until it’s just slightly sticky to the touch.

Continue kneading and then let the dough rest, covered, for 15-20 minutes in a warm area. 

PREHEAT AND PREP: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and grease two baking sheets. Set them aside. 

folded dough to make cinnamon twists

ADD FILLING: Roll out your proofed dough to a roughly 15×18-inch rectangle. Brush the dough with 2 ½ tablespoons of softened butter. In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon and sugar, and then sprinkle it over the buttered dough. 

cinnamon twists on baking sheet

TWIST THE DOUGH: Fold the dough in half and cut it into 1-inch strips. Gently twist each strip before placing it on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the twists are lightly golden. Cool your twists before drizzling with icing. 

MAKE THE ICING: Combine all the icing ingredients and whisk them together until the mixture is smooth. Drizzle the icing over your cooled cinnamon twists and enjoy!

homemade cinnamon twists ready to serve

FAQ

How do I proof my cinnamon roll dough?

When proofing bread, I like to preheat my oven to 175 degrees F and then turn it off. I immediately set my dough in the warm oven and let it rest there – it helps it to proof faster! 

Can I make this cinnamon twist recipe without a stand mixer?

Yes, you can! Just use a large bowl to mix up your dough by hand and turn it out onto a floured surface to knead it. Knead your dough until it is smooth and springy. 

What would cause my homemade cinnamon twists to be tough?

Over kneading! As I mentioned above, you only want to knead your dough until it’s smooth and springy. Over-kneading will cause the dough to come out tough and chewy. 

How can I store my cinnamon twists?

Store them in an airtight container at room temperature! I wouldn’t recommend keeping them past a couple of days, but I don’t think they’ll last that long anyway. 🙂 

More Cinnamon Recipes To Try

Thanks so much for reading! Let me know what you think about this cinnamon twist bread!

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Cinnamon Twists

Course: Bread
These Cinnamon Twists are an easy and accessible version of cinnamon rolls! Imagine soft, sweet dough packed with cinnamon sugar goodness, then drizzled with a creamy icing that ties it all together. Cinnamon Twists will fill your belly with joy and fill your house with the warming and cozy aroma of cinnamon. 
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 12 minutes
Servings: 15 -18
Author: Countryside Cravings
Print Recipe Save Recipe

Ingredients

Dough

  • 2 1/4 teaspoons dry active yeast
  • 1 1/4 cup warm milk about 110 degrees F, divided
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 3 tablespoons butter melted
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3 1/2 cups bread flour

Filling

  • 2 1/2 tablespoons butter softened
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Icing

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tablespoon butter softened
  • 1 tablespoon milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • pinch of salt

Instructions

  • Dough
  • In a small bowl add the yeast and 1/2 cup of the warm milk. Stir to combine and set aside.
  • In the bowl of your stand mixer add in the remaining milk, egg, sugar, butter and salt. Mix well. Add in the flour and proofed yeast and mix until combined. Switch to the dough hook and knead for 10 minutes. While kneading your dough should start to form a ball and leave the sides of the bowl. If it is too wet it will not do this and you will need to add more flour. Add in small amounts of flour until it is just slightly sticky to the touch. Continue kneading. Let rest covered for 15-20 minutes in a warm area.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two baking sheets and set aside.
  • Roll out the dough to roughly a 15×18 inch rectangle. Brush the dough with the 2 1/2 tablespoons softened butter. In a small bowl combine the cinnamon and sugar then sprinkle over the dough.
  • Fold dough in half and cut into 1 inch strips. Gently twist each strip before placing on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly golden. Cool before drizzling with icing.
  • Icing
  • Combine all the icing ingredients until smooth. Drizzle over cooled cinnamon twists.

Notes

When proofing bread I like to preheat my oven to 175 degrees F then turn it off and set my dough in the warm oven. It helps it to proof faster. Also if you don’t have a stand mixer just use a large bowl to mix up your dough and turn it out onto a floured surface to knead. Knead until your dough becomes smooth and springy.

10 thoughts on “Cinnamon Twists”

  1. If I was to make these cinnamon twists.. they definitely would not last for very long. I have no self control when it comes to cinnamon sugared treats!

    Reply

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