Slow-Cooker Cinnamon Buns

slow cooker cinnamon buns
Photo: Stephen Kent Johnson
Yield:
10 to 12 Serves

Yes, you can "bake" cinnamon buns in a slow cooker! The machine seals in moisture, making these breakfast treats even more gooey and delicious. The drizzly vanilla glaze doesn't hurt, either. This recipe appears in our cookbook "Martha Stewart's Slow Cooker" (Clarkson Potter).

Ingredients

Buns

  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for brushing

  • 1 ⅓ cups warm water (about 110 degrees F)

  • 1 tablespoon active dry yeast

  • 2 tablespoons honey

  • 3 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

  • ¾ cup granulated sugar

  • ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar

  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Glaze

  • 3 cups confectioners' sugar

  • Juice of 1/2 lemon

  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

  • ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons milk

Directions

  1. Buns:

    Brush the insert of a 5-to-6-quart slow cooker with butter. Line bottom with parchment; brush parchment with butter. Combine warm water, yeast, and honey in a bowl; let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Add flour and salt.

  2. Beat on low speed until just combined. Increase speed to medium and beat 5 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes. Meanwhile, combine butter, both sugars, and cinnamon in a bowl; mix until smooth.

  3. Preheat slow cooker. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and roll into a rectangle, about 9 by 15 inches. Sprinkle dough evenly with cinnamon-sugar mixture. Starting from one long side, roll into a log, pinching seams to seal in filling. Slice log into 10 to 12 rounds, each about 1 1/2 inches thick.

  4. Arrange rolls, cut-sides down, in cooker. Wrap lid tightly with a clean kitchen towel, gathering ends at top (to absorb condensation). Cover and cook on high until cooked through, 1 1/2 hours. After 1 hour, rotate cooker insert 180 degrees to prevent scorching. Turn out onto a wire rack; let cool completely.

  5. Glaze:

    Beat confectioners' sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla on medium speed until smooth. Slowly add 1/4 cup milk; beat on medium speed just until combined. Add up to 2 tablespoons more milk, a drop at a time, to reach desired consistency. Drizzle rolls with glaze just before serving.

Cook's Notes

Recipe reprinted from "Martha Stewart's Slow Cooker: 110 Recipes for Flavorful, Foolproof Dishes (Including Desserts!), Plus Test-Kitchen Tips and Strategies from the Kitchens of Martha Stewart Living." Copyright 2017 by Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC.

Originally appeared: Martha Stewart Living, September 2017

Related Articles