How do you make one giant cinnamon roll?

Roll the dough thin, cut it into long strips, spread with filling, and coil the strips end to end into a single spiral in a skillet. It bakes as one big roll you slice into wedges.

Why is the middle of my giant cinnamon roll raw?

The center is much thicker than a normal roll, so it needs longer. Bake to 190°F internal and tent the top with foil so the edges don't over-brown while the middle finishes.

What size pan do I need?

A 10-inch cast-iron skillet is ideal for even heat and edges, but a 9-inch round cake pan or deep pie plate also works. Leave room for the spiral to expand.

How many people does a giant cinnamon roll serve?

One skillet-sized roll slices into about 8 generous wedges — a fun centerpiece for a brunch or birthday.

Giant Cinnamon Roll

Name: Giant Cinnamon Roll
Prep time: 110 min
Cook time: 34 min
Total time: 159 min
Yield: 8 slices
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 cup warm whole milk (about 110°F); 2.25 tsp instant yeast; 0.25 cup granulated sugar; 0.33 cup unsalted butter, melted; 1 egg large egg + 1 yolk; 4 cup all-purpose flour; 1 tsp fine salt; 0.5 cup unsalted butter, very soft; 1 cup packed brown sugar; 2 tbsp ground cinnamon; 0.25 tsp fine salt; 4 oz cream cheese, softened; 0.25 cup unsalted butter, softened; 1.25 cup powdered sugar; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 1 tbsp milk, to loosen

One enormous skillet-sized cinnamon roll — a single continuous spiral you slice like a cake, with gooey layers all the way to the center.

one enormous single giant cinnamon roll filling an entire cast-iron skillet (AI-generated editorial image) — Image: CinnamonRollsRecipe.com · AI-generated editorial (Flux)

Total time: 2 hr 39 min
Bake: 34 min
Yield: 8 slices
Level: intermediate

The quick answer

To make a giant cinnamon roll, roll the dough thin, cut it into long strips, spread with cinnamon-sugar filling, then coil the strips end to end into one big spiral in a 10-inch skillet. Bake at 350°F for 30–38 minutes until the center reads 190°F. Because it's so thick, the center takes longer than normal rolls — tent with foil if the edges brown first.

This is the showstopper: instead of a dozen small rolls, you coil the dough into one giant spiral that fills a skillet and gets sliced into wedges like a cake. It's the same tender enriched dough and brown-sugar filling, but the dramatic scale means more of those craveable middle-of-the-roll gooey layers and a genuine centerpiece for a birthday or brunch. The technique is actually easier than cutting a dozen even rolls — you build the spiral from long strips, so there's no fussy slicing.

a thick wedge cut from a giant skillet cinnamon roll lifted out (AI-generated editorial image) — The soft, pull-apart crumb you're after.

Ingredients

Make

slices

Dough

1 cupwarm whole milk (about 110°F) — warm, not hot
2¼ tspinstant yeast — one packet
¼ cupgranulated sugar
⅓ cupunsalted butter, melted — cooled slightly
1 egglarge egg + 1 yolk — room temperature
4 cupsall-purpose flour — plus more to dust
1 tspfine salt

Filling

½ cupunsalted butter, very soft
1 cuppacked brown sugar
2 tbspground cinnamon
¼ tspfine salt

Cream cheese frosting

4 ozcream cheese, softened
¼ cupunsalted butter, softened
1¼ cupspowdered sugar
1 tspvanilla extract
1 tbspmilk, to loosen

long wide strips of cinnamon-sugar-covered dough being coiled together into one single giant spiral inside a cast-iron skillet (AI-generated editorial image) — A look at the method — follow the steps below.

Instructions

Whisk the warm milk, yeast, and 1 tsp of the sugar and let it stand until foamy.
Foamy and yeasty-smelling.
Add the remaining sugar, melted butter, egg and yolk. Mix in the flour and salt, then knead until smooth and elastic.
Dough is smooth and springs back.
Cover and rise until doubled.
Doubled in size.
Roll the dough into a large 18x12-inch rectangle, a little thinner than usual. Spread with the soft butter and sprinkle the brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt to the edges.
With a pizza cutter, cut the rectangle lengthwise into 5–6 long strips about 2 inches wide.
Coil the first strip into a tight spiral and stand it in the center of a buttered 10-inch skillet. Wrap the next strip around it, pressing the ends together, and continue with each strip to build one giant spiral out to the pan edge.
One continuous spiral fills the skillet with a little room to expand.
Cover and proof until puffy.
The giant roll looks pillowy and has filled the pan.
Bake at 350°F. Because it's so thick, the center needs longer than normal rolls — start checking at 30 minutes and tent with foil if the edges darken first.
Deep golden; the very center reads 190°F / 88°C, not doughy.
Cool 15 minutes so the center sets, then beat the frosting to a spreadable glaze and pour it over the top.
Frosting drips down the spiral grooves.

Make ahead, store & reheat

Make ahead: Build the giant roll in the skillet, cover tightly, and refrigerate overnight. In the morning let it sit at room temperature for about an hour to finish proofing, then bake (add a few minutes from cold).
Storage: Cover and keep at room temperature up to 2 days or refrigerate up to 5 days. Slice wedges as you go so the cut center stays moist.
Reheating: Warm a wedge in the microwave 20–25 seconds, or reheat the whole skillet covered with foil at 300°F for 12–15 minutes.
Freezing: Freeze the baked, unfrosted roll whole (well wrapped) up to 2 months. Thaw, warm, then frost.

Substitutions

A 9-inch round cake pan or pie plate instead of 10-inch cast-iron skillet
Active dry yeast (bloom it in the warm milk first) instead of instant yeast

Troubleshooting

The center was underbaked while the edges were done: This is the classic giant-roll issue — the thick center needs time. Tent with foil once the edges color and keep baking to 190°F internal; an extra 5–8 minutes is normal.
The spiral unraveled while baking: Press the end of each strip firmly into the previous coil and keep the spiral snug. Proofing in the pan also helps the coils fuse together.
It domed and cracked on top: The proof was a little short or the oven ran hot. Give a full puffy proof and check your oven with a thermometer; a foil tent softens a hot top.
Filling pooled in the pan: Some caramelization at the base is delicious, but if it's excessive, use soft (not melted) filling butter and don't overfill the thin strips.

Tools I reach for

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Frequently asked questions

How do you make one giant cinnamon roll?: Roll the dough thin, cut it into long strips, spread with filling, and coil the strips end to end into a single spiral in a skillet. It bakes as one big roll you slice into wedges.
Why is the middle of my giant cinnamon roll raw?: The center is much thicker than a normal roll, so it needs longer. Bake to 190°F internal and tent the top with foil so the edges don't over-brown while the middle finishes.
What size pan do I need?: A 10-inch cast-iron skillet is ideal for even heat and edges, but a 9-inch round cake pan or deep pie plate also works. Leave room for the spiral to expand.
How many people does a giant cinnamon roll serve?: One skillet-sized roll slices into about 8 generous wedges — a fun centerpiece for a brunch or birthday.

Nutrition (estimate): 1 slice (of 8) · ~520 kcal. Nutrition is an automated estimate and will vary with brands and exact quantities.

Food safety: don't taste dough containing raw flour or raw egg. Refrigerate anything with cream cheese frosting, and reheat leftovers until piping hot.