Giant Cinnamon Roll

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This Giant Cinnamon Roll recipe is made in a pie pan. All of the cinnamon roll dough is rolled into one big roll topped with sweet cream cheese frosting that can be cut into slices to serve.

November 1st is National Cinnamon Day! There are many ways to celebrate eating cinnamon. The best way is to make a Giant Cinnamon Roll! You can also make cinnamon sugar soft pretzels, Caramel Cinnamon Roll Bundt Cake or Cinnamon Fudge! Share the cinnamon love on social media today using the hashtags #NationalCinnamonDay, #CinnamonDay and #RecipesForHolidays.

Be sure to follow my November Food Holidays page so you never miss a food holiday in the month of November!

“Anyone who gives you a cinnamon roll fresh out of the oven is a friend for life.”

-Daniel Handler

The History of Cinnamon:

Cinnamon may be one of the oldest spices in the world. Native to Ceylon (Sri Lanka), cinnamon dates back in Chinese writings to 2800 BC.

Ancient Egypt used cinnamon in their embalming process. There was a time when ancient Egyptians valued cinnamon more than gold.

Medieval doctors used cinnamon in medicine to treat coughing and sore throats.

In the 1500’s explorer Ferdinand Magellan discovered cinnamon in the Philippines when he was searching for spices on behalf of Spain.

In the 17th century, the Dutch seized the world’s largest cinnamon supplier (the island of Ceylon) from the Portuguese. In 1795, England seized Ceylon from the French- who had acquired it in the victory over Holland during the Revolutionary Wars.

By 1833, other countries began discovering that cinnamon could easily be grown in tropical climates, so the monopoly on cinnamon became less of a threat.

Today, Sri Lanka produces 90% of the cinnamon in the world. Over 30,000 tons of cinnamon is produced annually.

How to proof yeast:

In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in warm water and whipping cream until foamy. If it doesn’t foam, that means your yeast is likely bad. Take out a fresh packet and try again!

How to make a Giant Cinnamon Roll:

The complete, printable recipe is at the end of this post.

In another larger bowl, combine the sugar and salt; add 3 cups of the flour, the yeast mixture, the egg and the melted butter. Stir until moistened. Stir in enough of the remaining flour to form a soft dough.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 3 to 4 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover; let it rise in a warm place until just about doubled, about 45 minutes.

Punch down the dough. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface; roll into a 15×12-in. rectangle. Spread the softened butter over the dough. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Using a pizza cutter, cut into 2-in.-wide strips. Roll up 1 strip and place in the center of a greased 9-in. deep-dish pie plate; wrap the remaining strips around the center to form 1 giant roll. Cover with greased foil; let it rise until almost doubled, about 1 hour. Don’t worry if it doesn’t rise significantly. It will grow more in the oven! Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F.

Bake until golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes. If the dough starts browning too quickly, cover it lightly with foil. Cool on a wire rack.

Whisk together the icing ingredients in a medium bowl until smooth. If it seems too thick, add in a couple teaspoons of milk at a time until it reaches your desired consistency. If it is too thin, add in extra powdered sugar.

Spread your desired amount of icing on top of the warm cinnamon roll.

Cut into slices to serve. This Giant Cinnamon Roll is most delicious when served warm!

Fun Facts About Cinnamon:

• Cinnamon comes from the bark of the cinnamon tree.
• Cinnamon sticks are also called “quills.”
• Roman Emperor Nero ordered a year’s supply of cinnamon to be burnt after he murdered his wife.
• Although it doesn’t have a sweet taste, cinnamon amplifies the sweetness of other ingredients.
• The “cinnamon challenge” was a social media trend in 2016. The challenge was to ingest a teaspoon of cinnamon.
• The cinnamon bun was invented by the Swedish in the 1920’s.