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Air Fryer Cinnamon Rolls

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Homemade yeast-dough cinnamon rolls air fried at 320°F in just 10 minutes, topped with a cream cheese glaze. Faster than oven baking with more even browning thanks to 360° circulating airflow.

Ingredients

Scale
  • For the Dough:
  • 2¼ tsp (1 packet, 7g) active dry yeast
  • ¾ cup (180ml) warm whole milk (110°F / 43°C)
  • ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar, divided
  • 3 cups (375g) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
  • ½ tsp fine salt
  • ¼ cup (57g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • For the Cinnamon Sugar Filling:
  • ¼ cup (57g) unsalted butter, softened
  • ⅓ cup (65g) packed light brown sugar
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp fine salt
  • For the Cream Cheese Glaze:
  • 2 oz (57g) cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup (120g) powdered sugar, sifted
  • 3–4 tbsp whole milk
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Warm milk to 110°F (43°C), stir in 1 tablespoon of the sugar, and sprinkle yeast on top. Let stand 8 minutes until foamy — if it doesn’t foam, the yeast is dead or milk was too hot; start over.
  2. Combine flour, remaining sugar, and salt in a stand mixer bowl. Add yeast mixture, melted butter, and egg; knead with dough hook on medium for 7 minutes (or 10 minutes by hand) until smooth and slightly tacky. Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let rise 90 minutes until doubled.
  3. Mix softened butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt into a paste. Roll risen dough on a floured surface to a 12×16-inch rectangle, spread filling evenly leaving a ½-inch border at one long edge, then roll into a tight log and press the border to seal.
  4. Cut log into 6–8 rolls using dental floss or a sharp knife. Place cut-side up in a lightly oiled 7-inch round pan, cover, and let rise 60 minutes until rolls are touching and dough springs back slowly when pressed.
  5. Preheat air fryer to 320°F (160°C). Place pan in basket and air fry for 10 minutes, checking at 8 minutes — tops should be golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read 190–200°F.
  6. Remove pan and let rolls rest 5 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, and 3–4 tablespoons milk until smooth and pourable. Drizzle generously over warm rolls and serve immediately.

Notes

Always cook cinnamon rolls in a pan inside the air fryer — direct contact with the basket floor burns the bottom before the top is done. A 7-inch round pan or silicone muffin cups both work well.

Do not rush the second rise. Rolls are ready to bake when they have visibly puffed and are touching each other in the pan. Under-proofed rolls bake dense instead of fluffy.

Check doneness with an instant-read thermometer (190–200°F in the center) rather than color alone — the exterior can look done while the interior is still doughy.

Find it online: https://airfrycentral.com/air-fryer-cinnamon-rolls/