Grandma’s Glazed Whole Wheat Cinnamon Rolls

The frosting is spread over the tops of these whole wheat cinnamon rolls while still warm so it melts down into the delicious layers. The recipe makes two cookie sheet pans, perfect for a crowd! *This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link.*

When my husband was growing up, his mom used whole wheat in everything from rolls to sugar cookies. So that’s what he knows and loves but his favorite is her cinnamon rolls. When everyone grew up and starting having kids of their own, she would make a big batch and bring them over to us. So, naturally, the grandkids loved them too.

Then in 2020, she unexpectedly had a stroke. At first the doctors thought she wouldn’t wake up, but she did. Then they thought she would be wheelchair bound and not be able to talk. But she eventually got back all of her speech and walked with a walker. Then she walked on her own. Such a miracle that we are grateful. For a few months she couldn’t remember how to bake. Everyone was missing her cinnamon rolls, so I decided to see if she could make them from muscle memory and I would write down her recipe. I got out all of the ingredients I thought she would need and she just starting pouring stuff in a bowl. She had made them so many times she could make them without thinking about it. I measured stuff as she poured and wrote down her recipe. Do you have any recipes you can make from memory?

She eventually was able to bake (she even drives now) but we’ve appreciated having her recipe written down. My niece and her husband have an Etsy shop and they can engrave cutting boards and lots of different things. I had them make these for the women in our family for Christmas in my Mother-in-laws handwriting. (If you want, you can find the bridal shower I threw for my niece here!) Behind the cutting board is a vintage Hostess mini muffin pan I bought in St. Lewis. I think it’s so cool!

All right, let’s get started. Pour warm water into bowl of mixer. Add sugar and yeast and let get bubbly for a few minutes. I found that if I put the yeast in before water sometimes the yeast doesn’t mix in all the way. Once when I pulled out the dough there was a pocket of yeast on the bottom. I really like SAF instant yeast. I keep mine in the freezer and pull out what I need. It keeps bubbly really quickly. You can find a link for that yeast here.

Add beaten eggs and mix for a minute with the dough hook. Add three cups of wheat flour and mix until fully incorporated. Sprinkle salt over the top and mix in. I like to mix the salt after I’ve added some flour because I’ve had it sink to the bottom before and I found a salt pocket when I pulled out the dough. Add in the rest of the wheat flour one cup at a time and let mix in completely before adding next cup.

My Mother-in-law taught me a trick that day I was writing down her recipe. She added the oil after most of the flour was mixed in. The oil cleans up the side of the bowl if added later.

Add in one cup of white flour at a time until the dough clings to the hook and cleans the side of the bowl. It shouldn’t be sticky to the touch. Let the mixer go for a few minutes after the dough is formed to knead it.

Spray the top of the dough with cooking spray and cover with a clean towel. Let rise in a warm spot until double in size.

Scrape dough onto a floured surface and roll into a rectangle about 12×28 inches. Pour melted butter over the top.

Mix 1 1/2 cups of sugar with 2 Tbsp of cinnamon.

Spread the cinnamon and sugar over the rectangle getting as close to the sides as you can.

Roll the long side and place seam side down.

I use a serrated knife with a sawing motion to cut my rolls. It’s easier to get even rolls if you mark where you want to cut before slicing all the way through. Each roll was about an inch wide. I like to start in the middle of the dough and work my way out.

Place on a greased rimmed cookie sheet or use a silpat mat. They can be barely touching so there is room for them to rise. Spray the tops with cooking spray and cover with plastic wrap to keep them from drying out.Now you have two choices here: either let them raise right then in a warm spot until double in size or place in the fridge overnight. I personally like to raise them in the fridge and pull them out 30 minutes before I want to bake them in the morning.

When they are doubled in size, carefully remove the plastic wrap.

Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes or until they are golden brown.

Here’s my trick: as soon as I pull them out of the oven I make my frosting. With whisk attachment on my mixer, I mix up the powdered sugar and softened butter. I then add the vanilla to my milk and slowly pour it in. Let mix on medium speed until the lumps are gone. If you want it thinner, add a tiny bit more milk. If you want it thicker, add some powdered sugar.

Right after I make the frosting, I spread it on the tops of the warm cinnamon rolls. I found this was the perfect amount of time for the rolls to cool enough not to melt the frosting all the way but warm enough to have it soak in. Now, if you like the traditional cinnamon roll, let them cool completely and then top them with the frosting. Either way, they are delicious!