Skillet Cinnamon Rolls with Caramel Sauce

These soft, homemade cinnamon rolls, baked right in a cast iron skillet and topped with simple caramel sauce, make a wonderful breakfast for a cozy weekend or holiday.

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The cast iron skillet we utilized is a vintage piece.

We found it tucked away in a basement corner; it was rusty and seemed ready for the discard pile. However, after learning about the advantages of cooking with cast iron, I brought it home and started investigating.

Through proper care and seasoning it using oil and heat, we successfully restored it for use.

We did, and it's now in use!

I now use that aged cast iron skillet almost daily in our residence. I truly appreciate how well it browns meat and imparts such delightful flavor to dishes. (If you seek a cast iron skillet, this item resembles ours.)

I recently found a bread recipe suitable for cast iron skillets and decided to adapt it to create cinnamon buns. The result was incredibly tasty!

This recipe merges a cinnamon swirl bread formula with my sister-in-law's excellent caramel topping for cinnamon buns. Experimenting with this was so much fun. Cooking with cast iron always gives me a feeling of being a “homesteader”!

Making Skillet Cinnamon Rolls with Caramel Drizzle

Here are the items required for this skillet cinnamon rolls recipe:

• 1 cup of warm 2% milk (at 110 degrees, or simply warm enough to test with a finger!)
• 1/2 cup of melted butter
• 1/4 cup of sugar
• 2 Tablespoons of warm water
• 2 1/4 teaspoons of instant or rapi-rise yeast
• 3 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour, with extra on hand if necessary
• 2 teaspoons of salt
• 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup of brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 2 Tablespoons of melted butter
• 1 large egg, lightly whisked

Set your oven to a low heat of 225 degrees.

While I was blending the dough, I warmed my oven to a gentle heat (225 degrees). Since our home tends to be chilly, I prefer a comfortably warm – but not scorching! – oven for my dough to rise in.

If you attempt this dough rising tip, ensure your oven isn't too hot, or it will destroy the yeast. You simply want it to be pleasantly warm – as if the dough was placed beside a warm fire in a fireplace.

Once the oven hits 225 degrees, switch it off and keep the door shut.

The dough for this cinnamon bun recipe can be prepared in your electric mixer!

I was delighted to discover that this dough recipe can be accomplished with the convenience of the dough hook on an electric mixer.

Here is the process:

Combine milk, melted butter, sugar, water, and yeast in a 2 cup liquid measuring cup and whisk until the yeast dissolves. In a separate bowl, whisk flour, salt, and 2 teaspoons cinnamon together using a stand mixer.

With the mixer on low speed and the dough hook attached, gradually add the milk mixture and mix until the dough forms, roughly 2 minutes.

Raise the speed to medium and keep mixing until the dough is smooth and elastic. It should detach from the bowl's sides but remain attached to the bottom.

After the cinnamon roll dough is mixed, move it into a lightly greased bowl, cover with greased plastic wrap, and allow it to rise until doubled in volume – approximately 1 hour.

This is the moment I open the oven (which has been preheated and then TURNED OFF!), check the temperature, and set the dough inside. If the oven feels a bit too warm, leave the door open for several minutes to release some heat, then place the dough inside.

Move the risen dough onto a lightly floured countertop and roll it out.

I rely on my Grandma’s pastry cloth and roller sleeve for any rolled dough task. (A comparable item is available here.) It simplifies cleanup and stops the dough from clinging to my counter!

Roll the dough into a 16 by 12 inch rectangle, keeping the long side nearest to you.

Apply 2 tablespoons of melted or softened butter across the dough, leaving a 1/2 inch margin at the borders. Sprinkle cinnamon and brown sugar over the butter.

Starting at the long edge, roll the dough tightly upward and secure the ends by pinching them.

Slice the rolled dough log into 16 one-inch pieces.

Generously butter a 10 inch cast iron skillet

Arrange the 16 cinnamon rolls in the skillet. Cover with greased plastic and let rise until doubled – roughly 45 to 60 minutes.

Once they have doubled in size, set the oven to 325 degrees.

Brush the cinnamon rolls with beaten egg and bake until they are golden brown – approximately 35 to 45 minutes.

While the cinnamon rolls bake, get the caramel topping ready.

For a thick caramel layer (as displayed in the final image), prepare the full recipe. If you only want a drizzled glaze, halve the recipe.

To create the caramel topping, combine these ingredients in a saucepan:

• A single cup of brown sugar
• One quarter cup of butter
• Two tablespoons of milk

Cook the mixture over heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar has fully dissolved, which takes roughly one to two minutes.

As soon as the cinnamon rolls finish baking, pour the caramel glaze over the surface.

After taking the skillet out of the oven, place it on a cooling rack and allow it to rest for ten minutes. Once the time has passed, you can take the rolls out of the pan to cool on a rack, or keep them warm right inside the skillet.

These treats are incredibly tasty the moment they come out of the oven!

To see additional homemade bread recipes and helpful advice, visit:

• Overnight Buns
• Techniques for Rolling Bun Dough