This Halloween Breakfast might LOOK spooky and weirdly cute, but it’s simply well-made classic cinnamon rolls with yeasted dough, rich cinnamon filling and a sweet glaze.

Halloween cinnamon rolls in an orange baking pan.

This Halloween Breakfast for Kids is the perfect spooky treat!

Did you think I had run out of Halloween food ideas? Oh friends, not even close. This site has been known for Halloween treats for many years, with over 600,000 people coming here for spooky recipes.

And I have so many more to share this year. So let’s start things off with the way we’ll be starting our day on October 31st – with Halloween Cinnamon Rolls.

With this Halloween breakfast (or dessert), I wanted to walk the line between spooky, weird and just downright cute. While the decorations are pretty wild, this recipe at it’s heart is simply a well-made yeasted dough, rich cinnamon filling and a sweet glaze.

These are classic homemade cinnamon rolls, just spook-ified.

Why You Will Love This Cinnamon Roll Halloween Breakfast!

  • There’s nothing like the taste of a freshly baked, completely homemade cinnamon roll. These might LOOK spooky, but they taste like classic goodness.
  • Create a memorable Halloween tradition by getting the kids involved in rolling out the dough, spreading the filling and decorating the “monsters.”
A collage of three photos showing baking ingredients and decoration items on a black surface.

What You’ll Need For This Halloween Breakfast

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  • flour – this is the base of the 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 Cinnamon Rolls

Before and after images showing the process of making a yeasted dough.

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.

A ball of orange dough in the metal bowl of a stand mixer.

2. KNEAD. Add the remaining flour and then use the dough hook to knead the dough for 5 minutes.

Before and after images showing orange dough rising in a glass bowl.

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.

A rolled out rectangle of orange dough.

4. ROLL OUT. Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and roll into a 10 x 14-inch rectangle.

A glass bowl filled with brown sugar, butter and black food coloring on top of orange dough.

5. MAKE FILLING. Stir together the brown sugar, room temperature butter, cinnamon and black food coloring until you have a wet sand-like mixture.

A rectangle of orange dough covered in a black filling and sprinkles.

6. SPREAD. Evenly spread the cinnamon mixture over the dough and cover in sprinkles.

A rolled up log of orange dough.

7. ROLL UP. Starting at one long edge, tightly roll the dough into a log.

Orange and black Halloween cinnamon rolls in a baking pan, before baking.

8. CUT. Cut the log into 12 even pieces and transfer the pieces to a baking pan. Let rise 10 more minutes.

Orange and black cinnamon roll Halloween in a baking pan, after baking.

9. BAKE. Transfer to oven and bake 23 mintues.

Bowls of green glaze and marshmallows on a black surface.

10. MAKE FROSTING. Whisk together the powdered sugar, milk and green food coloring.

Cinnamon rolls for a Halloween themed breakfast in an orange baking dish.

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.

Home Chef Tips for Making a Spooky Halloween Themed Breakfast

  • I do not provide exact measurements for the food colorings because there are so many different varieties of food coloring available these days (classic liquid food coloring, squeeze gel, gel in little tubs, oil-based dyes, etc.).
  • The most important thing to remember is that the orange color will fade as the dough bakes, and the green color will fade as the frosting is drizzled over the rolls.
  • So, you need to start with BRIGHT orange dough and BRIGHT green frosting in order for the finished product to be vibrant. Use as much food coloring as you need to make this happen.
  • The black filling will NOT fade, so once the filling is a deep, rich black color, you do not need to add more food coloring.
A Halloween cinnamon roll on a white plate.

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How to serve this Halloween Themed Breakfast

These are big, decadent Halloween cinnamon rolls! The very best pairing is a big glass of cold milk.

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, oven baked turkey bacon or oven baked sausage.

A Halloween breakfast for kids that is a cinnamon roll being lifted out of a pan.

Halloween Cinnamon Roll storage

Leftover Halloween cinnamon rolls can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Pop individual rolls into the microwave for 20 to 25 seconds to warm and refresh them before eating.

Halloween cinnamon rolls decorated with candy eyeballs and marshmallows for "teeth."

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Halloween cinnamon rolls in an orange baking pan.

Halloween Cinnamon Rolls

Author: Lori Yates
Yield: 12 servings
Prep: 45 minutes
Cook: 23 minutes
Rise Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
Total: 3 hours 18 minutes
This Halloween Breakfast might LOOK spooky and weirdly cute, but it's simply well-made classic cinnamon rolls with yeasted dough, rich cinnamon filling and a sweet glaze.
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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.
Calories: 496kcal, Carbohydrates: 81g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 16g, Saturated Fat: 10g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 55mg, Sodium: 78mg, Potassium: 146mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 40g, Vitamin A: 512IU, Vitamin C: 0.1mg, Calcium: 79mg, Iron: 3mg
This website provides estimated nutrition information as a courtesy only. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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