We bring a favorite recipe from so many of you, the Oreo cinnamon roll. They are everything you are looking for in a cinnamon roll, but with OREO flavor. The rolls are pillowy soft, they have some Oreo inclusions inside, and are filled with butter, cinnamon, and crushed Oreos.

The cream from inside the Oreos will melt and give you the perfect rolls. It’s all topped with a vanilla bean paste and cream cheese frosting that you can whip up in 5 minutes. We have shared Nutella rolls, chocolate rolls, and even Kinder Bueno rolls; this one is one of our favorites!

Grab these ingredients

Most of the ingredients here are also found in recipes like our red velvet Nutella rolls, cookie dough rolls, or salted caramel rolls.

• Milk: It needs to be warm so it can activate the yeast. I prefer using whole milk instead of skimmed for better results.
• Active dry yeast: you can easily find it at all grocery stores. It needs to be previously activated with warm milk and sugar so you can use it.
• Sugar: We are using powdered sugar for this recipe, for the dough and the icing. It also has the name of confectioner’s sugar.
• Eggs: room temperature. They bind everything together and give us a very moist and fluffy roll.
• Flour: All-purpose flour, also known as common-use flour. It’s a flour you can use for everything.
• Butter: unsalted room temperature butter. If you prefer using salted butter, it’s up to you, but I recommend unsalted butter to have better control over the amount of salt we are adding to this recipe. If a dough has too much salt, it will not rise.
• Salt: balances the sweetness and enhances the flavors of the Oreo rolls.
• Vanilla: You can use pure vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract, whatever you have in hand. We are using paste.
• Cream cheese: room temperature, full-fat.
• Oreo: crushed.
• Cinnamon: ground. It will give a nice warm flavor to the finished rolls.

How to activate active dry yeast

To prepare this recipe for Oreo cinnamon rolls, we first need to activate the yeast. To do so, all you need is warm milk and sugar. The sugar will feed the yeast, allowing it to grow easily. Adding sugar to the yeast is not necessary, but it will help speed up this step.

To activate the yeast, you will need the milk to be at 100F-110F (38C-43C). If the milk temperature is under 90F (32 °C), the yeast will become inactive as the temperature is not enough for it to proof. Above 120°F (49°C), it will kill the yeast.

If you notice the yeast didn’t do any reaction and there are no bubbles visible, I recommend you discard it and start again. If there’s the same reaction, it means the yeast is not active due to being badly stored or expired.

Kneading and proofing

When we knead dough for our many rolls recipe, like cheese garlic rolls, birthday cake rolls, or brownie rolls, we are using a stand mixer, fitted with a dough attachment. The dough attachment is the one that looks like a piggy tail.

Place all of the dough ingredients in the bowl, minus the butter, and knead on a medium-low speed. After 15 minutes of kneading, add the soft room temperature unsalted butter and knead for 10 minutes. This technique is not only used in our rolls recipes, but it’s also used in our Nutella brioche.  

After proofing the dough, the bowl needs to be covered so the top doesn’t dry, leaving a dry crusty dough layer on top. Proof the dough for 2 hours at 82F (28C). The dough should double in size.

How to cut Oreo cinnamon rolls

Something that people always talk about is the best method for cutting rolls. We have mentioned it many times on our website, in recipes like Biscoff rolls, strawberry rolls, or even our s’mores cinnamon rolls. There are different methods for cutting our rolls, but everyone has their favorite.

My personal recommendation, to have better control over the shape of the rolls, is to first roll out the dough, spread and add the filling, cut the dough into 8 strips, and roll each one individually. Using this method, you will have better control over the shape and size of the dough.

There are different methods you can try, like cutting the rolled dough into a log with a knife or even kitchen twine/dental floss.

Best tips to prepare cinnamon rolls

1. Don’t skip proofing or kneading. They are both very important steps in this Oreo dessert recipe that affect the final texture and flavor.
2. Adding the butter in the last 10 minutes of kneading will give us a dough with a better structure.
3. Using a stand mixer for the dough speeds up the process and makes it even easier.
4.  You can add anything you want inside. We chose a simple butter, Oreo, and cinnamon filling, but it’s up to you and your creativity.
5. Use whole products, don’t use skimmed milk or a light cream cheese.
6. Having access to a dough proofer will help you with proofing the dough at the right temperature, without having to worry about the weather or wind. We use it in many recipes, like Nutella brioche loaf or twisted brioche.

Vanilla bean cream cheese frosting

To prepare this easy frosting recipe, you don’t even need a stand mixer. It comes together in 5 minutes, and it’s delicious.

In a mixing bowl, work the room temperature butter once it’s very soft and creamy, add powdered sugar, pure vanilla bean paste, and whisk again. Once you notice it’s all incorporated, you can add the room temperature cream cheese. Using a whisk, mix it all very well to have a thick lump-free icing.

How to prepare Oreo cinnamon rolls ahead of time

You can prepare Oreo cinnamon rolls ahead of time. After you prepare the dough following the recipe card instructions, continue until the step where you should proof it for a second time. Instead of proofing it again, to then bake. You can either freeze the rolls or refrigerate them.

If you refrigerate the Oreo brioche rolls, cover them in plastic wrap, and keep them in the fridge overnight. About 1 hour before you need to bake them, proof them in a warm place in your house. Bake following the recipe.

If you decide to freeze the rolls, cover them with aluminum foil, add the name, baking time, and date of the day it was made. Whenever you need them, you need to thaw them in the fridge overnight, it will need to stay in a warm place or counter for 1 h 30 minutes approximately or until it doubles in size.

Storing, reheating & freezing

We mentioned how to freeze the rolls before baking, but you can also freeze Oreo rolls after they have been baked. Let them cool completely and cover them very well with aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months.  

When you store a cinnamon roll, or any type of roll, you need to keep something in mind: homemade dough tends to dry out hours after you make it. That’s why I recommend freezing to store. You can freeze the rolls in individual rolls, so you don’t have to fight to grab just one. Make sure to freeze them separately, microwave to thaw, and warm up slightly before enjoying.

If freezing is not an option, refrigerate. Make sure you warm them up in the microwave before enjoying for the best results.

KEY POINTS for making rolls

• The milk needs to be at the right temperature
• Skipping kneading or proofing can give us dense and hard rolls.
• Use a whisk to remove lumps in our icing/frosting.

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