How To Make The Best Cinnamon Squares Ever
Making cinnamon rolls is one of my favorite things, so today I’m sharing a new recipe called Cinnamon Squares! I remember teaching a class about how to make cinnamon rolls and the class members were so surprised how much cinnamon I use. I use a lot, and I mean a lot. Let’s just say I buy at least ten containers of that yummy spice from Costco for my yearly baking. I own it. Of course, I have been known to share a jar or two with friends. If you can learn to make bread with the flour your body can tolerate you can survive any disaster for a very long time. Plus, it will save you $$$ on your grocery bill.
Lots of people are on diets, and I should be on one for sure. I will admit I have a sweet tooth, but I’m trying to cut back on the bad carbs. I’m trying to eat healthier and exercise as well. But let’s be honest, who doesn’t love cinnamon rolls or cinnamon squares? This recipe is my roll recipe, but with a new twist, I am dying to share it with you today. Pictures are my thing, so bear with me, I have a lot of pictures today to walk you through how to make these.
I bet you can almost smell the cinnamon above, right? I hope you try making these, they are the best cinnamon squares ever!
Cinnamon Squares
- 4 teaspoons SAF instant yeast
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 cups warm milk
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 cup sugar
- 1-1/2 teaspoons sea salt
- 4 teaspoons dough enhancer (optional)
- 2 eggs
- 6-7 cups white bread flour (Add half of the flour and then add more until the dough pulls away from the sides of the mixing bowl.)
- 1/2 cup butter (softened)
- 1/4-1 cup brown sugar (sprinkled)
- 2-4 tbsp cinnamon (as desired)
- 1/2 cup butter (softened)
- 1-8- ounce cream cheese (softened)
- 3 to 3-1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1-2 teaspoons vanilla
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Place the ingredients in order into your mixing bowl. I use a Bosch bread mixer, but I have made these by hand for years. Be careful with the eggs not to add the warm milk too quickly or you will have scrambled eggs. Add half of the flour and keep adding the rest of the flour until the bread dough pulls away from the sides of the mixing bowl. Cover with greased plastic wrap, let rise the first time for about an hour.
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Punch the dough down and roll the dough into one-12-inch by 18-inch rectangle. Spread the butter, sprinkle a lot of cinnamon and brown sugar to taste. Use a pizza cutter to “square” the dough. Cut into squares the size of your bread pans. Tip your bread pans to stand up on end and layer the squares of dough until the pans are full. Cover with greased plastic and let rise one more time, about an hour or until double the size. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20-30 minutes. Do not overbake. They should be a golden brown.
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Cream the butter with the cream cheese and slowly add the powdered sugar to the thickness you desire. Add the vanilla until blended.
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You can drizzle cream cheese frosting on them when partially cool after removing them from the pans.
Step One – Mix the Dough
The picture above is the dough I mixed in my Bosch mixer, punched down, and placed in my buttered 18-inch stainless steel bowl. Everyone should have one of these, this has to be 25 years old and is still going strong. Stainless Steel Bowl
Step Two – Roll Out the Dough – Add Brown Sugar – Cut Into Squares
I rolled out the dough to about 12 inches by 18 inches. I slathered a lot of butter, then sprinkled a LOT of cinnamon and a few sprinkles of soft brown sugar evenly on the dough. I totally forgot to take a picture of how I “squared” the dough. You basically square the dough with a pizza cutter and then cut the dough vertically and then diagonally to make squares that are a bit smaller than your bread pans. I only use small one-pound bread pans. I have some stainless steel ones and several aluminum ones too. Fat Daddio Pans “Includes (2) 7.75″x3.75″x2.75″ anodized bread pans”
Step Three – Place the Squares in Cooking Pans
These are not perfectly shaped by any means. Here’s the deal with these, they are so moist and gooey, gooey cinnamon squares your whole family will love to make and eat, I promise.
Step Four – Cover and Let Rise – Then Bake
Next, cover the cinnamon squares with greased plastic wrap and let them rise. After they double in size, bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes. If you use larger pans they will need to be baked a little longer.
Step Five – Remove and Let Cool
After baking, remove the cinnamon squares from the oven, immediately remove them from the pans and cool them on a rack. You can drizzle some cream cheese frosting if desired, or eat them warm from the oven as is. You will love these!
Thanks again for being prepared for the unexpected. These would bake great in a Sun Oven, or even in a Dutch Oven. If you have a camping combination stove/oven those would work great to bake these outside with propane. If you have a wood stove you can bake these inside your home. Please try cooking and baking outside now before we have a major disaster or grid down. Please teach your family to be self-reliant. Today. Right. Now. Not. Tomorrow.
May God bless you and your family.
Copyright pictures:
Cinnamon Sticks: AdobeStock_116496289 by Rawf8
Oh my Linda these do look delish. It was difficult to get past the ads with worm pics. though!
Thanks for sharing. Happy Easter.
Hi, Rita, I’m sorry about the worm ads, dang. They support my website, my expenses are about $800.00 at the very least to keep my website running. I chose not to sell webinars, stuff, and click and bait courses. Thanks for skimming through the ads. I think there is something that you can do to your computer to block ads, I think. I’m not techy, I have to pay people to do that for me. Hugs, Linda
I suspect if you bake these outside after a disaster, you will have a miles worth of neighbors at your door before they are done!!! They look yummy, though!
Hi, Jan, oh my gosh, I have the giggles now! I bet the neighbors could smell the cinnamon for miles!! LOL! Linda
These look absolutely so much fun. I really try to stay away from this stuff but isn’t cinnamon ‘good’ for us
lol and we all eat a great treat occasionally. After all it is much better home made than pre-packaged from the unknown. I love your posts and information always. Thanks for this one !
Hi Sue, this is so funny because I make rolls and bread I’m always thinking of ways to make a different treat for next to nothing in cost! I love cinnamon rolls!! Cinnamon is really good for us…. <3 Linda
A next to nothing treat is a wacky cake. That is old fashion and is so simple to make. I do make cinnamon rolls
and have a lot of request for them. I also make something from the Amish called Cinnamon flops. They are really good too.
Hi June, what is a next to nothing wacky cake? I love new recipes! Cinnamon flops sound awesome, if you can share the recipes I would love it! Linda
Wacky Cake–
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cup Flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoon cocoa
Put in a sifter and sift into a 8×8 pan. Make 3 holes in mixture. 1st hole add 1 tablespoon vinegar,
2nd hole add 1 tablespoon vanilla, 3rd hole add 5 tablespoon melted butter. Pour 1 cup of water over mixture and mix well. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. eat hot or ice.
Linda I am trying to find my cookbook for Cinnamon Flops, I have books everywhere and
can’t find my recipe off hand. Also I haven’t forgot about the Stollen recipe you asked for. Sorry for this delay.
Hi, June, no worries, I’m still looking for some of my mom’s old recipes! Hugs, Linda
Another Cake you might like; Chop Suey Cake
2 cups Flour
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoon Baking soda
1—20 oz can crushed Pineapple
1/2 cups chopped nuts
Mix well, pour into a greased 9×13 pan. Bake at 350 for 35 to 40 minutes
Cream cheese icing;
1—8 oz cream cheese
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
enough Milk to make a good icing. Pour over cake while hot.
Hi, June, thanks so much for these new recipes, I love it! Linda
1 egg Cake
2 cups Flour
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoon Baking Powder
vanilla
1 egg
1/2 stick butter
Add enough milk for a good cake batter. Mix well and pour in a 8×8 pan.
bake at 350. ( Sorry this is an old recipe with some measurements missing)
Hi, June, thanks for the recipes! I’m going to print them out. Linda