So last week was Valentine’s week…which for me meant lots of sugary, sparkly (cookie frosting with the little cousins…who always end up using LOTS of sprinkles!) baking projects. Why buy valentine’s food goodies when you can make them yourself?!

Red velvet recipes are obviously pretty dominant during the month of February, so I decided to give red velvet cinnamon rolls a try. To be honest, I did not bake many red velvet recipes growing up, so I am still figuring out the best recipes. I was fairly pleased with this version of cinnamon roll. I used a bread machine to make the process a little easier. I also decided to make the recipe a little lighter so it’s not too much of a calorie splurge.

Ingredients

Cinnamon Roll Dough

• 1 1/4 cup hot water
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp. red food coloring
• 1 1/4 cup red velvet cake mix
• 1 1/4 cup bread flour
• 1 1/4 cup whole wheat white flour
• 1/2 Tbsp. cocoa powder
• 2 1/4 tsp. bread machine yeast
• 1/2 tsp. salt

Filling

• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup red velvet cake mix
• 1/2 Tbsp. cocoa powder

Cream Cheese Drizzle

• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 tsp. vanilla
• 1 tsp. – 1 Tbsp. skim milk (depending on consistency)

Directions

Place the ingredients for the cinnamon roll dough into the bread machine in the order listed. Set the machine to “dough cycle.” Once the dough cycle has ended, punch it down and allow the dough to rise for another hour. It should double in size.

While waiting, spray a 13×9 inch pan with non-stick cooking or baking spray. Set the butter and cream cheese out to soften and mix the dry ingredients for the filling.

After the second rise, remove the dough and move to a floured surface and roll into a large rectangle.

Spread the butter over the dough followed by sprinkling the filling mixture.

Roll the dough into a long, skinny log lengthwise. Next, using floss, cut the dough into pieces. I cut with the floss by placing it underneath the dough, crossing over the top and pulling in opposite directions. This methods works great!

Place the cinnamon rolls into the pan. Cover with plastic wrap and allow the rolls to rise for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Remove the plastic wrap and bake for 15-20 minutes (use a toothpick to test the dough to see when ready).

For the frosting, combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk until smooth. Wait until the cinnamon rolls have cooled slightly, and then drizzle.

 

Ta-da! All finished! These are served best warm and make a great snack or breakfast!