Vanilla Pudding Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting!

No, I cannot actually taste vanilla pudding in these cinnamon rolls, but the bread is so soft and no where near dry. The cream cheese frosting tastes just like Cinnabon's!
All I can or even need to say here is....these are AMAZING!

Recipe from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

*Note: to use instant yeast instead of active dry yeast, decrease the yeast amount to 1 1/2 tablespoons instant yeast. Still mix it with the water and sugar but you don’t need to wait for it to proof – just continue with the recipe, adding in the yeast/water mixture where indicated.
***I forgot to read this part! I use instant yeast and I still used 2 TBSP, but it obviously turned out just fine.

Rolls:
1/2 cup warm water (110-115 degrees)
2 tablespoons active dry yeast
2 tablespoons sugar
3.5 ounce package instant vanilla pudding
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled a bit
2 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
6+ cups flour (I used 7 cups flour, because I do the scoop and sweep method when measuring flour)

Filling:
1 cup butter, softened to room temperature (softened enough to be spreadable with a pastry brush, but not melted)
2 cups brown sugar
4 teaspoons cinnamon

**Halve the filling ingredients, and make it twice in two separate bowls. You will be making two rectangles with your dough.

Frosting:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened to room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups confectioner’s sugar
2-3 tablespoons milk (I used 3 T.)

*I waited to make my frosting fresh the morning of. I baked my rolls the night before. When I was ready to serve them, I microwaved each roll for a couple seconds and then frosted.

In the bowl of your electric mixer, combine water, yeast and sugar. Stir until dissolved.
In large bowl, take pudding mix and prepare according to package directions (also allowing it to chill for just 5 minutes in the fridge). Add butter, eggs and salt to chilled pudding. Mix well. Then add to yeast mixture, and blend. Gradually add flour. Do not overflour the dough! It should be very soft but not sticky. Switch to dough hook and knead until smooth (about 3-5 minutes on medium speed). Place in a greased bowl. Cover and let rise until doubled (I let mine rise for 1 hour). Then split dough in half and roll each half out on floured board to about 17 X 10 inches in size. Take 1 cup soft butter and spread over surface. In bowl, mix half of the filling ingredients and sprinkle over the top. Roll up very tightly. Cut with thread (I used dental floss) into 12 equal parts. Place on lightly greased 9x13 pan 1 inch apart. Repeat with second half of dough.
Cover pans and let rise until double again (I let mine rise for one hour again). Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes (I baked mine for 20 minutes). Remove when they start to turn golden (don’t overbake). Frost warm rolls with cream cheese frosting (combine butter and cream cheese and mix well, then add vanilla and sugar and mix again, then add milk for desired consistency). Makes 24 very large rolls.

*Freezable Recipe: After shaping the rolls and placing them on the baking sheet, cover with lightly greased saran wrap and a layer of tin foil. Store in the freezer. The night before you want to serve them take out the rolls and put them in the refrigerator. Let them thaw in the refrigerator. Take them out about 8-9 hours after being in the refrigerator and let them rise until doubled. Bake according to the recipe. (If you have less time, you can take the rolls out of the freezer and let them come to room temperature on the counter – about 4 hours, then let rise until doubled). (I did not use this method. I just baked mine the night before, heated them a bit in the microwave and frosted them the morning of.)



Before rising...

After rising...

After baking... Mmmm!