Semi-Homemade Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Icing!!

Hi! Happy Wednesday!  This week is flying by!

How has your week been so far?  Despite thunderstorms predicted every day, we have made it to the pool both Monday and yesterday.  Today we have plans to meet up with some friends at our local library's story time/craft hour!

I wanted to share a "semi-homemade" recipe with you today.  While I make/bake many things from scratch, I have no problem using some store bought ingredients to help me make a recipe easier!

I cannot take the credit for this super simple, YUMMY breakfast treat.

I found the recipe off of Holly Thomas' instagram account: @doughmestichousewife

Holly is this beautiful mom of three who makes the MOST incredible, decorated sugar cookies.  I have so much fun looking at all of her beautiful creations!! She also from time to time, posts a super easy, delicious recipe....her cinnamon roll recipe has become a HIT at our house!!

Here is the link to her recipe she posted: 

https://instagram.com/p/wU0rCgFlqJ/?taken-by=doughmestichousewife

I have tweaked the recipe just a tad and this is how I make mine!

Semi-Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees (her recipe says 375- I have found 350 works better for me)

Roll out one can of crescent roll dough so that all pieces are connected and it is one big rectangle (see picture below- I get mine at Aldi!)

Spread a generous amount of butter or margarine- probably 4-5 tablespoons (I use margarine just because it is softer and easier to spread) over the crescent roll dough.

Sprinkle 1/4 cup white sugar over entire, buttered dough, then sprinkle cinnamon over the sugar.  You can adjust the amount of cinnamon to your liking- I would say about 2 tablespoons.

Roll up the dough, length wise, and cut into equal sized pieces.

Bake for approximately 15-17 minutes (based on your oven).

Drizzle cream cheese icing over hot cinnamon rolls and get ready for your family to think you are a rockstar in the kitchen!! :)

This is what the cinnamon rolls look like before they are baked.  I always get 7 rolls out of one can of crescent roll dough, but you could cut them slightly smaller to get a nice, round even number of 8!  :)

I used to buy the icing in a can- which is very yummy- but doesn't have the best ingredients in it.  For the last couple of years, I have just started making my own cream cheese icing!  I make a huge batch and freeze it (YES! It freezes beautifully!) in small containers for when I make cupcakes, cinnamon rolls, or a cake.  It is SO easy to make!
I know there are a lot of recipes for cream cheese icing out there- but I think this one is pretty darn tasty! :)  And I use the term "recipe" loosely since I don't have exact measurements for all the ingredients! HA!

I get all my ingredients at Aldi- so if you shop there- this is what you will need!

Cream Cheese Icing

1- 8 oz block of cream cheese (I use 1/3 less fat and you can't taste the difference!)- softened

1 stick unsalted butter- softened (use REAL unsalted butter for this- NOT margarine!)

1- 2 pound bag of powdered sugar (don't worry you won't use the WHOLE 2 pounds- HA!)

splash of vanilla extract (if you don't have any- it is not a huge deal)

In your mixer, beat softened cream cheese and butter together, until it is smooth and they are incorporated well together.  Then start to add powdered sugar.  This is where it gets kind of tricky- because I do not have an exact measurement of how much powdered sugar I put in the icing.  I just add a couple of cups, mix on medium speed, then add another couple of cups, mix again, ect.  It is totally up to how you prefer the taste and texture of your icing as to how much powdered sugar you put in. I put in about 1 2/3 lb of a 2 pound bag.  Once I have added all of my powdered sugar, I drizzle a couple of teaspoons of vanilla extract into the icing and then beat the icing on high to make it nice and fluffy.  

Then, I like to taste at least a couple of times to make sure it is super delicious- HA! This stuff is addictive!! :)

To ice our cinnamon rolls, I put some cream cheese icing in a bowl and add a splash of milk to it, so that I can thin it out almost to a glaze like consistency.  Since the icing and the cinnamon rolls are so sweet, a little icing goes a long way!

Here is what the semi-homemade cinnamon rolls look like, out of the oven, with some cream cheese icing drizzled over them!  

They are YUM!!

This would be a super fun recipe to make with your kids for Father's Day! It is so easy and fool proof- and I guarantee you your kids would have a BLAST helping you make them!  If you don't want to make homemade cream cheese icing, just take some powdered sugar and a little milk- mix together until you get a glaze.  That would be just as delicious!

These cinnamon rolls are on our Father's Day brunch menu along with scrambled eggs and biscuits and gravy- you can find the recipe I use here!  

We are making all of Daddy's favorites! :)

Do you have a favorite "semi-homemade" recipe?  I would love to hear about it! 

Hope you have the best day!! :)