Halloween Cinnamon Rolls
Our gooey, delicious Halloween Cinnamon Rolls are the perfect way to start a candy-filled day! Homemade yeasted dough filled with a festive, yet traditional, cinnamon-sugar flavor will have everyone reaching for seconds!
Monster Mash Halloween Cinnamon Rolls
If you think we’ve run out of Halloween food ideas . . . oh, friend, sit down and grab a cinnamon roll. This site has been a hub for spooky treats for years, and today we’ve got something special to kick off October 31st with these monster-inspired Halloween Cinnamon Rolls.
They may look weirdly cute with those marshmallow teeth, but underneath the spooky decorations lies a soft, fluffy, and completely classic cinnamon roll with a warm, yeasted dough, a gooey cinnamon-black sugar filling, and a bright green glaze.
This recipe is perfect for Halloween brunch food for kids or a festive Halloween party dessert centerpiece.
Why You’ll Love This Halloween Breakfast
- They look spooky, but taste like the cinnamon rolls of your dreams.
- A fun Halloween breakfast activity! Get the kids involved with decorating!
- No spooky shortcuts here! These are made with a real, homemade dough and rich filling for the perfect Halloween breakfast.
Spooky Breakfast Ingredients
A full recipe card, including exact ingredient amounts, appears at the bottom of this post. This section contains affiliate links.
- flour – this is the base of the scratch made cinnamon roll dough.
- granulated sugar – sweetens the dough and feeds the yeast!
- active dry yeast – the leavening agent that rises the dough for the cinnamon buns.
- egg – adds richness and flavor to the dough.
- milk – adds moisture to the dough and frosting (whole milk preferred if possible).
- butter – used for adding flavor to the dough, making the cinnamon filling, as well as greasing the rising bowl and baking pan.
- maple extract – enhances the flavor profile with a subtle maple aroma. You can substitute vanilla extract if you prefer.
- brown sugar – to make the gooey filling that cinnamon rolls are known for.
- cinnamon – and plenty of it to add the signature flavor.
- powdered sugar – forms the base of the frosting.
- mini marshmallows – used to create the “teeth” of the monster decroations.
- candy eyeballs – to add detail to the monsters.
- Halloween sprinkles – goes inside the cinnamon rolls and adds a festive touch to the tops of the decorated rolls.
- food coloring – you’ll need orange, black, green and maybe red food colorings. More info on this under “Home Chef Tips.”
How To Make Halloween Themed Breakfast Food
1. MIX. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the yeast, half the flour and granulated sugar. Then mix in the milk, melted butter, maple extract, and orange food coloring.
2. KNEAD. Add the remaining flour and then use the dough hook to knead the dough for 5 minutes.
3. RISE. Shape the dough into a ball and please it in a large greased mixing bowl. Allow the dough to rise until it is doubled in size.
4. ROLL OUT. Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and roll into a 10 x 14-inch rectangle.
5. MAKE FILLING. Stir together the brown sugar, room temperature butter, cinnamon and black food coloring until you have a wet sand-like mixture.
6. SPREAD. Evenly spread the cinnamon mixture over the dough and cover in sprinkles.
7. ROLL UP. Starting at one long edge, tightly roll the dough into a log.
8. CUT. Slice the log into 12 even pieces and transfer the pieces to a baking pan. Let rise 10 more minutes.
9. BAKE. Transfer to the preheated oven and bake 23 minutes.
10. MAKE FROSTING. Whisk together the powdered sugar, milk and green food coloring.
11. FROST AND DECORATE. When the rolls are done baking, remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes. Then drizzle with green frosting (use an offset spatula to spread if needed). Place marshmallow halves on rolls to resemble teeth (optional: use red food coloring to add “blood” to the teeth). Add candy eyeballs and sprinkle all rolls with more sprinkles.
Halloween Brunch Food Home Chef Tips
- Start with very bright food coloring for this spooky breakfast! The orange dough and green frosting will fade slightly during baking and cooling.
- The black filling won’t fade, so once it’s a deep, rich black, stop there.
- Use whatever type of food coloring you prefer (gel, liquid, or oil-based), but adjust the quantity to achieve the desired vibrancy.
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Make It A Complete Halloween Themed Brunch
To complete a Halloween morning breakfast spread, add a bowl of fresh fruit in Halloween colors (maybe blackberries + orange segments + green grapes?), and some Oven Bacon, Turkey Bacon In Oven, or Oven Baked Sausage.
How To Store Halloween Cinnamon Rolls
Store leftover Halloween cinnamon rolls in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Warm individual rolls in the microwave for 20 to 25 seconds for that just-baked magic.
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Halloween Cinnamon Roll Recipe
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Ingredients
For the Cinnamon Rolls:
- 1 packet active dry yeast (1/4 ounce)
- 5 cups all-purpose flour divided, plus extra for rolling out dough
- ½ cup granulated sugar (8 tablespoons)
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- 1 ⅓ cups warm milk
- 5 tablespoons melted unsalted butter + 2 tablespoons room temperature unsalted butter for greasing bowl and pan
- 1 teaspoon maple extract
- Orange food coloring
For the Filling:
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup room temperature unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons cinnamon
- Black food coloring
- 2 tablespoons Halloween sprinkles
For the Frosting:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk
- Green food coloring
For the Decoration:
- 24 mini marshmallows
- red food coloring (optional)
- 24 candy eye balls
- Halloween sprinkles
Instructions
- Make the Cinnamon Rolls: In bowl of stand mixer, whisk yeast, 2-1/2 cups flour and granulated sugar until well combined.
- Add egg, milk, 5 tablespoons melted butter, maple extract, and at least 4 to 5 drops of orange food coloring. Use dough hook to mix until well combined.
- Add remaining 2-1/2 cups flour and knead with dough hook on medium-low speed for 5 minutes. During this time, assess the orange color. You want it to be VERY bright orange before it bakes, as the color will fade as the rolls bake. If necessary, add more orange food coloring as the dough is kneaded.
- Grease a large bowl with 1 tablespoon room temperature butter. Transfer dough to work surface and shape into a ball.
- Transfer dough to prepared bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise at warm room temperature 2 hours or until doubled in size.
- Once doubled in size, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 9 x 13-inch baking pan with 1 tablespoon room temperature butter.
- Transfer dough to floured work surface and use rolling pin to roll into 10 x 14-inch rectangle.
- Make the Filling: In medium bowl, use a fork to stir together brown sugar, 1/2 cup room temperature butter, cinnamon and at least 5 drops black food coloring until you have a wet sand-like mixture that is deep black. Add more food coloring if necessary to get a rich black color.
- Evenly spread the black sugar mixture over the rolled out dough, leaving 1/2-inch space around the perimeter. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons sprinkles.
- Starting at one long edge, tightly roll dough into a log.
- Use sharp knife to cut log into 12 even pieces, and transfer pieces to prepared baking pan. Cover pan with clean kitchen towel and let rise 10 minutes.
- One rolls are slight risen again, transfer pan to center rack of oven and bake 23 minutes.
- While the rolls are baking, make the Frosting: In small bowl, whisk powdered sugar, milk and 3 to 4 drops of green food coloring until well combined. Again, you want this to be BRIGHT green, so add more food coloring if necessary. Cut the marshmallows in half lengthwise.
- After rolls are done baking, remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes. Then, evenly drizzle the green frosting over the rolls.
- Place 4 marshmallow halves on each roll to resemble teeth (optional: use red food coloring to add "blood" to the teeth). Add two candy eyeballs to each roll and sprinkle all rolls with more sprinkles.
Can you make the night before and cook in the morning?
Yes you can, Melissa! I would cut them and place them in the pan, cover and refrigerate, then do the final rise and bake in the morning.