Description
Create festive and delicious Spooky Cinnamon Rolls for Halloween with this easy-to-follow recipe. These visually dramatic treats feature contrasting dark and orange swirls, a rich cinnamon-sugar filling, and a sweet glaze, making them a perfect addition to your Halloween celebrations.
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
- Brown sugar
- Instant yeast
- Salt
- Milk (warm)
- Butter (melted and some softened)
- Eggs
- Black cocoa powder (or dark food coloring / activated charcoal + regular cocoa)
- Orange food coloring
- Ground cinnamon
- Powdered sugar (for glaze)
- Vanilla extract
Instructions
- Make the dough: Activate yeast with warm milk and a pinch of sugar until foamy. Mix flour, salt, and sugars. Add eggs and melted butter. Knead into a smooth, elastic dough.
- Color the dough: Divide dough into two portions. Color one orange and the other dark with black cocoa powder or coloring.
- Let it rise: Place each dough ball in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
- Roll and layer: Roll out the orange dough into a large rectangle. Do the same with the dark dough. Stack them, pressing lightly to adhere.
- Spread filling: Mix softened butter with brown sugar and cinnamon. Spread evenly over the layered dough.
- Roll up & cut: Roll the dough from the long edge into a tight log. Slice into 1 to 1.5-inch rolls using a serrated knife or dental floss.
- Second rise: Place rolls in a greased baking dish or muffin tin, cover loosely, and let rise for another 30–45 minutes.
- Bake: Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for 20–25 minutes, or until cooked through and lightly golden.
- Glaze: Mix powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and a splash of milk. Drizzle over warm rolls.
Notes
- Using black cocoa gives a deep color without excessive dye.
- Gel food coloring provides a bolder orange hue than liquid types.
- Allow the glaze to drip down the sides for a spooky effect.
- Do not skip the second rise for fluffy texture.
- Decorate with Halloween sprinkles, candy eyeballs, or marshmallow ghosts.
- Serve warm with hot apple cider or pumpkin spice lattes.
- Wrap a few rolls in cellophane as party favors.
- For variation, use pumpkin spice filling or cream cheese frosting.
- Shape rolls like pumpkins by tying with string before baking.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 roll
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 25g
- Sodium: 200mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 9g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 50g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 40mg