Description
Celebrate Halloween with these festive and delicious Halloween Cinnamon Rolls. Bright orange dough, a spooky black cinnamon sugar filling, and vibrant green frosting create a fun and eye-catching treat. Adorned with mini marshmallow ‘teeth’, candy eyeballs, and sprinkles, these sweet rolls are perfect for a spooky party or a festive breakfast.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Cinnamon Rolls:
- 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 (4-5 drops, plus more as needed)
For the Filling:
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup room temperature unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons cinnamon
- Black food coloring (at least 5 drops, plus more as needed)
- 2 tablespoons Halloween sprinkles
For the Frosting:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk
- Green food coloring (3-4 drops, plus more as needed)
For the Decoration:
- 24 mini marshmallows
- Red food coloring (optional, for ‘blood’)
- 24 candy eyeballs
- Additional Halloween sprinkles
Instructions
- Activate Yeast and Prepare Dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the yeast, 2 1/2 cups of 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. Using the dough hook, mix until all ingredients are incorporated.
- Knead Dough and Add Color: Add the remaining 2 1/2 cups flour and knead on medium-low speed with the dough hook for 5 minutes. During kneading, check the dough’s color; add more orange food coloring if needed to achieve a very bright orange, as the color tends to fade during baking.
- First Rise: Grease a large bowl with 1 tablespoon room temperature butter. Transfer the dough to a work surface and shape into a ball. Place dough in the greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let it rise at a warm room temperature for approximately 2 hours or until doubled in size.
- Prepare for Baking and Roll Out Dough: Once the dough has doubled, preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with 1 tablespoon room temperature butter. Transfer dough to a floured surface and roll it out into a 10 x 14-inch rectangle with a rolling pin.
- Make the Filling: In a medium bowl, combine brown sugar, 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cinnamon, and at least 5 drops of black food coloring. Stir with a fork until mixture resembles wet sand and is a deep black color. Add more black food coloring if necessary.
- Assemble Rolls: Evenly spread the black sugar mixture over the rolled dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edges. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of Halloween sprinkles on top. Starting from one long edge, roll the dough tightly into a log.
- Cut and Second Rise: Use a sharp knife to cut the log into 12 even pieces. Arrange the pieces in the prepared baking pan. Cover the pan with a clean kitchen towel and let the rolls rise for 10 minutes.
- Bake Cinnamon Rolls: Place the pan on the center rack of the preheated oven and bake for 23 minutes, until golden and cooked through.
- Make the Frosting: While rolls bake, whisk together powdered sugar, milk, and 3 to 4 drops of green food coloring in a small bowl. Adjust the food coloring until you achieve a bright green color. Cut mini marshmallows in half lengthwise for decoration.
- Decorate and Serve: Once baked, remove rolls from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Drizzle the green frosting evenly over the rolls. Arrange 4 marshmallow halves on each roll to resemble teeth, optionally adding red food coloring to create a ‘bloody’ effect. Add two candy eyeballs to each roll and sprinkle with additional Halloween sprinkles for a spooky finish.
Notes
- Use bright orange and black food coloring to create vibrant Halloween colors, adding more as needed during the process.
- Letting the dough rise in a warm spot is critical for the best fluffiness.
- The green frosting coloring should be bright to stand out against the rolls.
- For ‘bloody’ teeth, gently dab red food coloring on marshmallow halves after placing them on the rolls.
- If you don’t have a stand mixer, knead dough by hand for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- Additional sprinkles can be customized based on Halloween themes or personal preference.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 roll
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 18g
- Sodium: 180mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 52g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 6g
- Cholesterol: 45mg
