Easy Red Velvet Valentines Day Cinnamon Rolls
Easy Red Velvet Valentines Day Cinnamon Rolls with cream cheese icing. A soft homemade cinnamon roll recipe perfect for special mornings.
Red cocoa dough, a cinnamon-sugar spiral, and cream cheese icing give these rolls their Valentine’s Day look. They are homemade yeast rolls rather than a quick cake-mix shortcut, so plan for two rises. Most of the elapsed time is waiting for the dough, not working on it.
The dough should feel smooth and slightly tacky after kneading. Add only enough flour to keep it manageable, then let the first rise reach roughly double its starting size. After filling and slicing, the ten rolls need a second rise until they look expanded and puffy; the clock is a guide, not a substitute for those signs.
For a morning bake, use the overnight option in the FAQ and give the chilled rolls time to finish rising before they go into the oven. Let the baked rolls cool for ten minutes before spreading on the icing. Any iced leftovers belong in the refrigerator, not on the counter for the rest of the day.
Questions you may have about this recipe
Do these taste like classic red velvet cake?
They have a mild cocoa flavor with the familiar warmth of cinnamon rolls.
Can I make these ahead of time?
Yes. Complete the first rise, fill and cut the rolls and place them in the buttered pan. Cover and refrigerate before the second room-temperature rise for up to 16 hours. In the morning, keep them covered while they warm and finish rising until puffy, allowing about 1 hour or longer if needed. Preheat near the end, remove the cover and bake as directed. Do not bake still-dense rolls simply because they spent the night in the refrigerator. Keep icing refrigerated until needed.
Do I need food coloring?
The liquid coloring supplies the red appearance rather than the rise. Without it, the cocoa dough will be brown instead of red.
Are these overly sweet?
These are sweet breakfast rolls, with sugar in the dough, cinnamon filling and icing. The cream cheese adds a tangy finish.
Can these be reheated?
Yes. Warm gently for best texture.
What you need to make Easy Red Velvet Valentines Day Cinnamon Rolls
For the dough
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled, plus a little for dusting
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tbsp instant yeast
1 tsp salt
1 cup milk, warmed to about 120°F
1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled until no longer hot, plus a little extra for greasing
1 large egg
1 tbsp liquid red food coloring
For the filling
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tbsp ground cinnamon
For the icing
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
How to make Easy Red Velvet Valentines Day Cinnamon Rolls
In a large bowl, stir together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, instant yeast and salt.
Add the warm milk, cooled melted butter, egg and liquid food coloring. Mix until the ingredients come together into a dough.
Knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth, stretchy and slightly tacky, about 8 to 10 minutes. Use only enough extra flour to prevent sticking; do not make the dough dry or stiff.
Put the dough in a lightly buttered bowl and cover. Leave in a draft-free place until approximately doubled, about 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Judge the dough rather than the clock; it may be ready sooner or take longer in a cool kitchen.
Lightly butter a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Gently press the air from the risen dough and roll it into an approximately 18-by-12-inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface. If it shrinks back, cover and let it relax for 10 to 15 minutes.
Spread the filling butter over the dough, leaving a narrow bare strip along one long edge. Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon, then distribute evenly over the butter.
Roll up from the opposite long edge to form an 18-inch log and pinch the seam closed. Cut into 10 equal rolls with a sharp knife or unflavored dental floss. Put cut-side up in the pan, evenly spaced in staggered rows of 3, 4 and 3.
Cover and let the rolls rise again until noticeably expanded and puffy, about 60 to 90 minutes or longer if needed. Near the end of this rise, heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Remove the cover before baking.
Bake on the center rack for about 25 to 35 minutes, until the centers are baked through, not wet or doughy. A thermometer inserted into the dough of a center roll, avoiding the filling, should read about 190°F. If the tops darken too quickly, cover loosely with foil and continue baking. Color alone is unreliable with red dough.
Cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Beat the softened cream cheese smooth, then mix in the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla. Spread over the warm, not piping-hot, rolls and serve.
Refrigerate leftover iced rolls covered at 40°F or colder and use within 3 to 4 days. Do not leave cream-cheese icing or iced rolls at room temperature for more than 2 hours total, or 1 hour above 90°F.
Tips
Timing is an estimate: about 4 hours 10 minutes includes 30 minutes active prep, 30 minutes baking, 2 hours for the first rise, 1 hour for the second rise and 10 minutes cooling. Allow both rises to reach the described size and puffiness even if they take longer. Expect about 4 to 5 hours or longer in a cool kitchen, and bake to the center-doneness cue.
Use room temperature cream cheese for smooth icing.
Cool the rolls for 10 minutes before icing so the topping does not melt straight off.
Because the icing contains cream cheese, refrigerate covered iced rolls at 40°F or colder and use within 3 to 4 days. Follow the 2-hour room-temperature limit, or 1 hour above 90°F.
Reader reviews
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Soft, beautiful, and perfect for a special morning.” Linda P
⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Great balance of flavor and sweetness.” Mark H
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “These were a hit at brunch and looked lovely.” Susan W
⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Easy to follow and turned out just right.” George T
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “A fun twist on cinnamon rolls without extra work.” Carol S
Printable Recipe
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Easy Red Velvet Valentines Day Cinnamon Rolls
Easy Red Velvet Valentines Day Cinnamon Rolls with soft cocoa dough, cinnamon filling, and cream cheese icing. A festive bake made simple.
Ingredients
- For the dough
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled, plus a little for dusting
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp instant yeast
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup milk, warmed to about 120°F
- 1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled until no longer hot, plus a little extra for greasing
- 1 large egg
- 1 tbsp liquid red food coloring
- For the filling
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 tbsp ground cinnamon
- For the icing
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a large bowl, stir together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, instant yeast and salt.
- Add the warm milk, cooled melted butter, egg and liquid food coloring. Mix until the ingredients come together into a dough.
- Knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth, stretchy and slightly tacky, about 8 to 10 minutes. Use only enough extra flour to prevent sticking; do not make the dough dry or stiff.
- Put the dough in a lightly buttered bowl and cover. Leave in a draft-free place until approximately doubled, about 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Judge the dough rather than the clock; it may be ready sooner or take longer in a cool kitchen.
- Lightly butter a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Gently press the air from the risen dough and roll it into an approximately 18-by-12-inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface. If it shrinks back, cover and let it relax for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Spread the filling butter over the dough, leaving a narrow bare strip along one long edge. Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon, then distribute evenly over the butter.
- Roll up from the opposite long edge to form an 18-inch log and pinch the seam closed. Cut into 10 equal rolls with a sharp knife or unflavored dental floss. Put cut-side up in the pan, evenly spaced in staggered rows of 3, 4 and 3.
- Cover and let the rolls rise again until noticeably expanded and puffy, about 60 to 90 minutes or longer if needed. Near the end of this rise, heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Remove the cover before baking.
- Bake on the center rack for about 25 to 35 minutes, until the centers are baked through, not wet or doughy. A thermometer inserted into the dough of a center roll, avoiding the filling, should read about 190°F. If the tops darken too quickly, cover loosely with foil and continue baking. Color alone is unreliable with red dough.
- Cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Beat the softened cream cheese smooth, then mix in the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla. Spread over the warm, not piping-hot, rolls and serve.
- Refrigerate leftover iced rolls covered at 40°F or colder and use within 3 to 4 days. Do not leave cream-cheese icing or iced rolls at room temperature for more than 2 hours total, or 1 hour above 90°F.
Notes
Timing is an estimate: about 4 hours 10 minutes includes 30 minutes active prep, 30 minutes baking, 2 hours for the first rise, 1 hour for the second rise and 10 minutes cooling. Allow both rises to reach the described size and puffiness even if this takes longer; the process can take about 4 to 5 hours or longer in a cool kitchen. For an overnight start, complete the first rise, fill and cut the rolls and place in the buttered pan. Cover and refrigerate before the second room-temperature rise for up to 16 hours. The next morning, keep covered while they warm and finish rising until puffy, allowing about 1 hour or longer if needed. Preheat near the end, remove the cover and bake as directed. Do not bake still-dense rolls simply because they spent the night in the refrigerator. Keep icing refrigerated until needed. The liquid coloring gives the red appearance; without it the cocoa dough is brown. These are sweet breakfast rolls with a tangy cream-cheese icing.
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