Beware! A cinnamon twist is pretty (not mine, though, you’ll see!) and of course it is a delicious breakfast option especially when it’s a homemade breakfast pastry but I’ll stick to cinnamon rolls and here’s why:
This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Why I’ll stick to cinnamon rolls over cinnamon twists
I decided to give the cinnamon twist a try instead of my traditional cinnamon rolls.
Let me say here that I was not disappointed. The opposite, in fact.
I was impressed, loved the crunchier texture (some ooey-gooey cinnamon roll fans are gonna come for me with that remark!), and couldn’t stop eating the twist!
Cinnamon Roll vs. Cinnamon Twist
Jump to Recipe
Listen, you probably have better self-control than I do!
Cinnamon rolls are easier to control myself because I can add two rolls to my plate and indulge in their sweet, cream cheese-y goodness over my morning coffee and be just fine.
Having to cut pieces off of a twist to serve and oh wait– that piece is coming a part anyway, better grab it too… it makes me eat more of it!
Perhaps I feel like it’s okay to cut a thin cinnamon twist slice now and then again in 15 minutes and maybe once more in about an hour. Quickly I could see myself eating half or more of the twist alone!
Cinnamon rolls are pre-portioned and just overall a wiser health choice for me.
If you have more control over your willpower, then this cinnamon twist recipe is a good one to keep on hand for a from scratch breakfast or a brunch board.
Cinnamon Twist Recipe
Without further ado, here you go, friend! Bake it at your own risk:
I use the same recipe for cinnamon rolls but instead of slicing into rounds to create cinnamon rolls or cinnamon buns, I will slice the log length-wise in three sections to braid.
(I braid hair way better than I braid cinnamon pastry! Judge if you must.)
Ingredients
Cinnamon Twist Pastry:
- 200g warm milk
- 1.5 tsp instant yeast
- 1 egg
- 1.5 tbsp organic raw cane sugar
- 2.5 tbsp melted butter plus 1 more tbsp for greasing bowl
- 375g flour
- 1.25 tsp real salt
Filling:
- 1/2 cup raw cane sugar
- 2 tsp cinnamon
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 3 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 5 tablespoons butter, softened
- 2/3 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- heavy pinch of salt
Head on over here for the rest of the cream cheese frosting recipe how-to.
Method
Jump to RecipeTwist Pastry:
Start by warming milk and melting butter. After that, add milk, yeast, eggs, sugar, and melted butter to create a yeast mixture in a standing mixer’s bowl.
Then weigh out flour and add it to the yeast mixture in the bowl, making sure to add the salt to the standing mixer bowl last.
Knead the dough for 18 minutes on low in your standing mixer. Set a timer because this step is very important to the success of your dough.
While the mixer is kneading, use butter or avocado or olive oil to lightly grease the bottom and sides of a bowl. You’ll want at least an 8 quart bowl because this dough rises high.
When the timer goes off, transfer dough to the greased bowl. Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel or plastic wrap and let it rise for at least 30 minutes, no more than 1 hour. If you use plastic wrap, let it lie loosely on the bowl’s top. This dough will rise pretty high!
Lightly dust a clean countertop with flour and turn out the dough onto it. Gently stretch out the dough with your hands to create a rectangle, leaving dough about 1/8 inch thick. Rolling pin is optional, hands work better.
Twist Filling:
Whisk together sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Now spread the sugar mixture over the dough all the way to the edges.
Start with the edge closest to you and begin rolling the sugared dough into a log. When you’ve almost completed the log, use the last edge to bring it up and towards you to seal the log. Then pinch the seam closed, including the two ends so all the sugar mix stays inside the log. Now place the log onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Using a sharp knife, slice the log length-wise to create three long strips. Doing the best you can, braid the strips by gently laying one strip over and under.
Bake cinnamon twist on 350 degrees for 28-30 minutes or until desired golden brown. Allow twist to cool down mostly before adding the cream cheese frosting, cutting into chunks, and serving.
(I told you earlier my “braid” is better on hair than pastries!)
I could eat this entire cinnamon twist myself. That’s the equivalent of about 10 cinnamon rolls!
Shop this post
The best stainless steel baking sheets
More baking recipes
Homemade Burger and Hot Dog Buns
Follow Along for more Baking Posts
If you try bake this cinnamon twist, come back and leave a comment or share a picture on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest so I can see it!
Keep up to date on recent posts and sharings and more on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and Instagram: @johnsonhomenc and sign up for my weekly newsletter where I share read time gardening and kitchen things from my home to yours: HERE.
Check out other Johnson Home NC affiliated links HERE.
Johnson Home NC is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and links to Amazon.com. As part of this Amazon Associates program, the Website will post customized links, provided by Amazon, to track the referrals to their website. And I thank you for using these links!
Ingredients
Method
- Twist Pastry:
- Start by warming milk and melting butter. After that, add milk, yeast, eggs, sugar, and melted butter to create a yeast mixture in a standing mixer’s bowl.
- Then weigh out flour and add it to the yeast mixture in the bowl, making sure to add the salt to the standing mixer bowl last.
- Knead the dough for 18 minutes on low in your standing mixer. Set a timer because this step is very important to the success of your dough.
- While the mixer is kneading, use butter or avocado or olive oil to lightly grease the bottom and sides of a bowl. You’ll want at least an 8 quart bowl because this dough rises high.
- When the timer goes off, transfer dough to the greased bowl. Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel or plastic wrap and let it rise for at least 30 minutes, no more than 1 hour. If you use plastic wrap, let it lie loosely on the bowl’s top. This dough will rise pretty high!
- Lightly dust a clean countertop with flour and turn out the dough onto it. Gently stretch out the dough with your hands to create a rectangle, leaving dough about 1/8 inch thick. Rolling pin is optional, hands work better.
- Twist Filling:
- Whisk together sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Now spread the sugar mixture over the dough all the way to the edges.
- Start with the edge closest to you and begin rolling the sugared dough into a log. When you’ve almost completed the log, use the last edge to bring it up and towards you to seal the log. Then pinch the seam closed, including the two ends so all the sugar mix stays inside the log. Now place the log onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Using a sharp knife, slice the log length-wise to create three long strips. Doing the best you can, braid the strips by gently laying one strip over and under.
- Bake cinnamon twist on 350 degrees for 28-30 minutes or until desired golden brown. Allow twist to cool down mostly before adding the cream cheese frosting, cutting into chunks, and serving.
