Pizza Dough Cinnamon Rolls
Pizza dough cinnamon rolls are an easy way to turn pizza dough into a dessert! These homemade cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting can be made with store-bought pizza dough or homemade pizza dough.
Whether it's 15-minute pita pizzas or cast iron skillet pizza, I am a HUGE pizza lover. Repurposing leftover pizza dough to make cinnamon rolls sounds like a no-brainer to me!
Why Pizza Dough?
Pre-made pizza dough can be found at your local grocery stores, like Whole Foods and Trader Joe's. Also, you can make homemade pizza dough and freeze it for pizza night or cinnamon rolls! Pizza dough is a versatile bread that's easy to turn into a dessert.
Ingredient Notes
Pizza dough is the base for these delicious cinnamon rolls. For a serving size of 12 cinnamon rolls, you need about 28 ounces of pizza dough. The recipe card has instructions for making homemade pizza dough, but store-bought pizza dough works fine too.
Use salted butter. Soften the butter and cream cheese at room temperature. The cream cheese icing uses confectioner sugar (also known as powdered sugar). Regular sugar can not be substituted.
I prefer dark brown sugar, but light brown sugar is suitable. Use any vanilla extract and ground cinnamon.
How To Make Pizza Dough Cinnamon Rolls
Either use store-bought pizza dough or use homemade pizza dough.
Roll out the pizza dough into a large rectangle on a lightly floured surface. The dough may be sticky, so dust the rolling pin with flour.
Rub softened butter into the pizza dough. Mix the ground cinnamon and brown sugar in a small bowl.
Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture in a thin layer.
Roll the pizza dough into a log.
Mark the log into 12 sections using a sharp knife. Cut the cinnamon roll log with a thin string or floss (you can also use a sharp knife).
Add the cinnamon roll dough to a parchment paper lined baking dish. Let the rolls rise for 45 minutes before baking. Preheat the oven to 350 ℉ (177 ℃).
Make the cream cheese frosting by adding room-temperature butter and cream cheese to a bowl. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract.
Using a hand mixer, beat the frosting until smooth.
Bake rolls at 350 ℉ (177 ℃) for about 25 minutes until golden brown. Let the pizza dough cinnamon rolls cool for 15 to 20 minutes before frosting.
Slather on the cream cheese frosting.
Tips and Tricks
The dough is sticky. Flour your hands, surfaces, and the rolling pin to work with the dough easily.
Frost the top of the cinnamon rolls once they are slightly warm but not too hot. The cream cheese frosting will completely melt if frosted while hot.
Place parchment paper in the baking dish for a quick clean-up and easy removal of the cinnamon rolls.
For a smooth frosting, make sure the butter and cream cheese are softened before making the cream cheese icing.
Variations and Substitutions
Fresh pizza dough- I use this homemade pizza dough recipe but substitute all-purpose flour or bread flour instead of 00 pizza flour. Pizza dough can also be store-bought. If store-bought, weigh the dough to make sure you have the right ratio of dough to cinnamon mixture (you need about 28 ounces of dough for 12 cinnamon rolls). If pizza dough is frozen, thaw the dough before making cinnamon rolls.
📋 Recipe
Pizza Dough Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
Homemade Pizza Dough
- 4 cups all-purpose flour or bread flour
- 1½ cups warm water between 110 ℉ and 115 ℉
- 2¼ teaspoon quick-rise yeast or instant yeast
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 tablespoon melted butter
- 1 teaspoon salt
Cinnamon Rolls
- 28 ounces pizza dough store-bough or homemade, see note 1
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 6 tablespoon salted butter room temperature
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 6 ounces cream cheese
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 tablespoon salted butter
Instructions
Homemade pizza dough (optional)
- Heat water in the microwave for about 45 seconds or until the water temperature reaches between 110 ℉ and 115 ℉. Mix the sugar and quick-rise yeast into the warm water. Wait for the water to get foamy as the yeast activates (about 5 minutes). In a separate bowl, measure out the flour and salt. Once the yeast is activated, add it to the dry ingredients along with the melted butter.
- Mixer instructions: Mix the ingredients with a mixer attachment until the dough forms. Change to the dough hook attachment and knead the pizza dough on medium speed for 10 minutes. Add a little more flour if the dough is too sticky.
- Hand instructions: Mix the ingredients in a bowl until a dough ball forms. The dough will be sticky. On a lightly floured surface, knead the pizza dough by hand for 10 minutes. Add more flour if the dough is too sticky.
- Put the dough in an oiled bowl with a damp cloth covering it. Let the pizza dough rise for about an hour in a warm spot.
Make cinnamon rolls
- Flour the rolling pin and surface. Roll out the pizza dough into a rectangle. Spread softened butter in a thin layer on the dough. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture on top.
- Roll the dough tightly to form a log. The dough may be sticky. Make 12 indentions and cut the rolls with a knife or use floss. Place the cinnamon rolls in a parchment paper lined baking dish. Allow the rolls to rise for about 45 minutes.
- Bake cinnamon rolls in a 350 ℉ oven for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Allow rolls to cool before frosting.
Make cream cheese frosting
- In a mixing bowl, add the softened butter, softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Mix using a hand mixer until smooth. Slather the cream cheese frosting on the cooled cinnamon rolls.
Equipment
Notes
- Make homemade pizza dough or use store-bought pizza dough. This recipe for homemade pizza dough makes about 28 ounces of dough. Pizza dough can be made ahead and frozen. To use frozen pizza dough, thaw dough in the fridge overnight.
- Ingredient notes: Use salted butter. All-purpose flour and bread flour are the best flour if making pizza dough from scratch.
- Storage: Once the rolls are frosted, place them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave.
Can I make a sugar frosting instead of cream cheese?
Yes- feel free to swap out any kind of frosting.