• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

The Other Side of the Tortilla logo

  • RECIPES
  • INGREDIENTS
  • ABOUT
  • TRAVEL
  • RESOURCES
menu icon
go to homepage
  • RECIPES
  • INGREDIENTS
  • ABOUT
  • TRAVEL
  • RESOURCES
search icon
Homepage link
  • RECIPES
  • INGREDIENTS
  • ABOUT
  • TRAVEL
  • RESOURCES
×
  • Tejocotes, also known as Mexican hawthorn, in a blue and white ceramic bowl over a white marble countertop
    What are tejocotes?
  • Avocado, queso fresco and fresh salsa verde are served inside a blue and white ceramic talavera molcajete atop a table at a restaurant. There is a spoon inside the molcajete.
    What to eat at El Cardenal in Mexico City
  • La Gruta Ehden: A Taste of Lebanon in Mexico City
  • How to make a Day of the Dead altar
  • jicama: top left peeled, top right sliced, bottom right whole jicama, bottom left jicama sticks
    What is Jicama?
  • red chamoy Gushers on a piece of parchment paper sprinkled with Miguelito chamoy powder
    How to Make Chamoy Gushers
  • tomatillos in their husks inside a white ceramic colander on a white and gray marble countertop
    What are tomatillos?
  • Peach ring gummies covered in chamoy and Tajín
    Chamoy peach rings
  • mexican pan de anis in a square pan
    How to Make Pan de Anis
  • Sugar Crunch Rosca de Reyes
  • Polvorones
  • Atole de nuez

Roles de canela

Published: Oct 20, 2020 · Modified: Sep 9, 2024 by Maura Wall Hernandez · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

139 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet

Roles de canela are one of the most common types of pan dulce you’ll see in a Mexican bakery. These fluffy cinnamon rolls have a dough base made from masa bizcocho, the same dough that's used to make conchas and other popular types of pan dulce.

I love making these cinnamon rolls around the holidays, especially when I’m visiting family or they’re visiting me. Cooking for my family is my love language, so a breakfast spread with fluffy homemade cinnamon rolls hot from the oven, served with milk, hot chocolate or coffee on the side is an extra special way to let them know how much I love them. In fact, some of my happiest family holiday memories are of sitting around the table together, enjoying a meal and each other's company.

mexican cinnamon rolls drizzled with icing

If you're a pan dulce-lover you should check out my Guide to Mexican Pan Dulce with photos and descriptions of dozens of types of Mexican sweet bread! Some of my other favorite types of pan dulce to make at home include conchas, pan de muerto, orejas, and garibaldi.

It's important that when baking for my family that I use traditional recipes that taste just like they always have, which means no skimping or substituting ingredients. It's got to taste like it came from abuelita's kitchen!

Ingredients you'll need for this recipe

It’s easier to make your own roles de canela than you might think! The hardest part is waiting for the dough to rise twice. You can also make this dough the night before and let it rise in the refrigerator overnight.

There are three key ingredients to making the dough that you should not substitute.

Whole milk: Many baking recipes call for whole milk because it provides structure, flavor and moisture. The fat in whole milk also contributes to the tenderness of the bread.

Whole milk not only serves as a crucial structural ingredient to this recipe, but also helps achieve that perfectly browned color on top, while keeping the inside moist and fluffy.

milk in a pitcher in the foreground in front of a pan of mexican cinnamon rolls fresh from the oven

Bread flour: You want to use this because it contains more protein and therefore can absorb the milk and other liquid in this high-hydration dough in order to give it its elasticity and make it both light and chewy.

Fast-rise or instant yeast: This type of yeast does not need to be activated before you use it, so it makes the recipe quicker and easier. You'll throw the yeast in the mixing bowl with the other dry ingredients and save a couple steps and a little time in prep work.

You’ll also need:

  • Granulated sugar
  • 1 Large egg
  • Unsalted butter
  • Pure vanilla extract
  • Kosher Salt
  • Dark brown sugar
  • Ground cinnamon
  • Pecans
  • Powdered sugar

Kitchen tools you'll need

For perfect pan dulce every time, I recommend the following tools:

  • A kitchen scale to ensure your ingredient measurements are precise
  • A bench scraper to help you make more precise cuts in the dough
  • A greased 6-quart clear food container or large glass bowl to give the dough room to proof properly
  • A stand mixer with a dough hook attachment

Note: While you CAN knead this dough by hand, it is absolutely tedious to do so and takes a lot longer. I highly recommend using a stand mixer to do the hard work for you.

How to make roles de canela

Make your dough in a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment following the directions below in the recipe. Add ingredients in the order listed.

This is a high-hydration dough, meaning it will be sticky. The dough is ready to come out of the mixer when it mostly pulls away from the sides and sticks to the hook. Do not add extra flour to the dough, as the bread flour will absorb the liquid as the dough rises. Allow dough to rise undisturbed until it’s doubled in size, about two hours.

While the dough is rising, you can prepare the filling and glaze. Add room temperature unsalted butter, ground cinnamon, dark brown sugar, pure vanilla extract and salt to your stand mixer with the paddle attachment and combine on medium speed until the filling looks like a paste.

To prepare the glaze, mix powdered sugar and whole milk in a small bowl and set aside.

Once the dough has doubled in size, sprinkle all-purpose flour on your work surface to prevent the dough from sticking. Turn the dough out onto the surface and gently roll into a 9x13 rectangle shape. Be sure not to roll the dough too thin, as this will prevent it from rising properly during the second rise, and absorbing sugar during the baking process.

Use a spoon or offset spatula to gently spread the filling over the rectangle-shaped dough, leaving ½ inch around the edges.

spreading cinnamon roll filling on the dough

Sprinkle the chopped pecans evenly over the filling.

Cinnamon roll dough spread with cinnamon sugar butter filling and sprinkled with chopped pecans

Roll from the long side inward and tuck the dough seam underneath.

Use your bench scraper to cut 6-12 equally sized rolls and place in a 9x9 parchment-paper lined pan and cover with a lightweight kitchen towel. Allow to rise again, undisturbed, for 1 ½ to 2 hours, or until rolls have doubled in size.

After the second rise, the rolls should look like this:

cinnamon roll dough after second rise

Bake in a 350 degree F preheated oven for 15 minutes, until the top of the rolls are sufficiently browned but not burned. Remove from oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes, then drizzle glaze over the top of the rolls in a diagonal pattern. Allow the glaze to set for 10 minutes before serving.

What to serve with roles de canela

At home, I love to pair my pan dulce with warm beverages, especially on chilly fall and winter mornings. Here are some of my favorite drinks with milk you can either use to drink or dunk your pan dulce:

  • Spicy Mexican hot chocolate
  • Atole de vainilla or atole de calabaza
  • Mexican mocha latte
Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon

Roles de canela

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star No reviews
  • Author: Maura Wall Hernandez
  • Prep Time: 25 minutes active, 4 hours inactive
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 4 hours, 40 minutes
  • Yield: 9 rolls 1x
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: Mexican
Print Recipe
Pin Recipe

Description

Roles de canela are Mexico's answer to the cinnamon roll and are one of the most common types of pan dulce seen in a panadería.


Ingredients

Scale

For the bread:

  • 200 grams bread flour
  • 36 grams granulated sugar
  • 5 grams fast-rise instant yeast
  • 100 grams whole milk
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 40 grams unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 3 grams kosher salt

For the filling:

  • 113 grams (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 2 ½ tablespoons ground cinnamon
  • ⅓ cup dark brown sugar, packed
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 pinch kosher salt
  • ½ cup raw pecans, chopped

For the glaze:

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 ½ tablespoons whole milk

 

For greasing the container where you’ll proof the dough:

  • Cooking spray

For flouring your work surface:

  • All-purpose flour, as needed

Instructions

  1. Add bread flour, sugar, and fast-rise instant yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the dough hook attachment, turn mixer to speed 2 to combine dry ingredients.
  2. Add warm milk, 1 large egg, and butter to the bowl and increase speed to 4 for 5 minutes.
  3. Add pure vanilla extract and kosher salt to the bowl and continue to mix on speed 4 for about another 10 minutes, until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and mostly gathers around the hook. You may need to stop the mixer partway through to scrape down the sides with a spatula so no dough is wasted.
  4. Prepare a large glass bowl or a 6-quart food container with lid for proofing the dough by spraying the inside with cooking spray so the dough won’t stick to the sides.
  5. Turn the dough out from the stand mixer bowl into the bowl or container to proof and cover. Allow dough to rise undisturbed for about 2 hours, or until doubled in size.
  6. Once dough has doubled in size, turn out onto a floured surface (use all-purpose flour for this part, just enough so the dough doesn’t stick to your work surface). Gently roll out to 9x13 with a floured rolling pin. It’s OK if your dough isn’t a perfect rectangle.
  7. In a stand mixer, make the filling with the paddle attachment. Cream the butter and sugar first, then add ground cinnamon, pure vanilla extract and kosher salt. Mix on speed 4 until well combined.
  8. Using a spoon or offset spatula, spread the filling mixture on your rolled out dough, leaving about ½ inch around the edges.
  9. Sprinkle the chopped pecans evenly over the filling and gently roll starting with the long side inward. Tuck the dough seam underneath the roll.
  10. Using a bench scraper or very sharp knife, divide the dough into 9 equal pieces. Arrange them in a 9x9 parchment paper-lined pan and cover with a kitchen towel for the second rise, until doubled in size. This should take about an hour and a half to two hours.
  11. Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree F oven for about 15 minutes, until the tops and sides are sufficiently browned but not burned. 
  12. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before drizzling the icing. Allow icing to set for 10 minutes and serve immediately.

Notes

TO MAKE THE DOUGH AHEAD OF TIME: Make the dough the night before and allow it to rise overnight in the refrigerator. Keep the bowl or container covered so the dough does not lose moisture. The cold temperature of the refrigerator will slow the growth of the yeast, but overnight will be plenty of time for the dough to double in size. It’s OK if it rises a bit more. If it hasn’t risen enough, allow it to rise for about 30 minutes on your countertop undisturbed.

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @maurahernandez on Instagram or Threads

50

More Mexican Pan Dulce

  • mexican pan de muerto on a baking sheet
    Pan de muerto
  • Margarita-glazed doughnuts
    Margarita-glazed doughnuts
  • Mexican rosca de reyes for Día de los Reyes Magos
    What is a Rosca de Reyes?
  • Guide to Mexican Pan Dulce

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

Primary Sidebar

¡Bienvenidos!


Hi, I'm Maura Hernández, an award-winning food and travel writer, recipe developer, and former journalist sharing my passion for all things Mexico. I've traveled Mexico extensively over the last 18 years and Mexico City is my home away from home. Here, you'll find a mix of traditional and modern Mexican cooking, along with my advice on where to eat, stay and play on your visit to Mexico!

More about me

Paletas

  • Berries and cream popsicles are a mixed-berry spin on the traditional Mexican fresas con crema dessert. Recipe via theothersideofthetortilla.com
    Moras con Crema Popsicles
  • How to make strawberry hibiscus popsicles via theothersideofthetortilla.com
    Strawberry hibiscus popsicles
  • Mangonada popsicles displayed on a cookie sheet
    Mangonada popsicles
  • How to make banana, chia and coconut milk popsicles. This recipe is dairy-free and vegan-friendly! Via theothersideofthetortilla.com
    Banana chia popsicles
  • Mango cantaloupe and chile powder paletas from The Other Side of The Tortilla
    Mango cantaloupe paletas with chile powder
  • #Vegan fudge #popsicles made with avocado, raw cacao powder, coconut sugar and coconut milk. Get more #recipes from theothersideofthetortilla.com #paletas #receta #recipe
    Vegan avocado fudge pops

Footer

↑ back to top

About

  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer

Contact

  • Contact Me
  • Media Kit
  • FAQ

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Copyright © The Other Side of The Tortilla, 2009-2024

139 shares