Easter Bunny Cinnamon Rolls are a cute and easy Easter breakfast that’s sure to get the kids hopping with egg-citement. They’re especially fun when you take them up an extra notch with colorful icing and festive sprinkles.
Make yours with our delicious from scratch cinnamon roll recipe or choose to simply open up a can of ready made cinnamon roll dough. Either way, these adorable sweet rolls are perfect addition to your Easter brunch.
Why we love Easter Bunny Cinnamon Rolls
- With those fluffy bunny ears and colorful icing (adapted from this easy sugar cookie icing recipe), these Easter cinnamon rolls are just too cute to pass up.
- You can also make them with canned cinnamon roll dough! Just make sure to see the FAQ section below before baking. 😉
- They’re not just for Easter. These would be adorable for a spring baby shower or Mother’s Day brunch, too.
- Kids can help make them. Yep, let the littles shape the bunny ears before baking. They can make the ears straight up, floppy, or any way they want to add their own creative spin.
What You’ll Need:
Ingredients:
For the Rolls:
- Butter, melted
- Instant yeast
- All-purpose flour
- Egg
- Granulated sugar
- Water
- Whole milk
- Vanilla extract
- Salt
Filling:
- Butter, softened
- Ground cinnamon
- Dark brown sugar
Icing:
- Powdered sugar
- Whole milk
- Vanilla extract
- Gel food colors
- Sprinkles
Equipment:
- 2-3 quart Sauce pan
- Mixing spoon
- 1 Large mixing bowl
- 2 medium mixing bowls
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Whisk
- Plastic wrap
- Parchment paper
- Spoons and/or a small rubber spatula
- Sharp knife (not serrated)
- Wooden spoon
- Mixer
- 4 small bowls
- Recommended: Pastry Mat
- Recommended: Kitchen Scale
How to Make Easter Bunny Cinnamon Rolls:
To make things even easier for you, I created a simple photo guide below. For all measurements and a more detailed guide, check out the recipe card at the bottom of this page.
If you make this recipe, please leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating in the recipe card and let me know how it turned out in the comments below. This provides helpful feedback for me and to other readers. And if you want more fun party ideas, subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook.
Prepare the Dough:
Heat water, milk, and butter in a 2-3 quart sauce pan over medium heat until the butter melts.
In a large mixing bowl, sift flour and whisk in sugar, salt, and instant yeast.
Pour the heated wet ingredients and vanilla extract into the dry ingredients. Mix carefully.
Add the egg and continue to mix just until combined.
On a floured surface or pastry mat, knead the dough for 3 minutes.
Place your dough in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Rest in a warm place for about 40 minutes.
While the dough rises, prepare the filling
Mix dark brown sugar, ground cinnamon and softened butter in a medium mixing bowl. Set aside.
Roll Out The Dough.
After the dough has risen for 40 minutes, preheat your oven to 350˚F and prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Remove the dough from the bowl, and roll into a rectangular shape.
Spread the brown sugar filling mixture evenly on top of the dough.
From the long end, roll the dough into a log. Use a sharp knife to cut the log into 10 even pieces.
Create the Bunny Shape.
Place your cinnamon roll on the prepared baking tray.
Unroll the outer edge of the cinnamon roll and bend it to create two bunny ears. (See tips)
Press the bunny ears together and press the end of the cinnamon roll dough back into the cinnamon roll. Repeat with the remaining cinnamon rolls.
Allow the bunny shaped cinnamon rolls to rise for an additional 10 minutes before baking.
Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven and gently re-shape the bunny ears if necessary (see tips). Bake for an additional 10 minutes.
While the Rolls Bake, Prepare the Icing:
Sift powdered sugar into a large bowl. Add vanilla extract and milk, and use a whisk or a mixer at medium speed to beat until smooth.
Divide the icing into 4 bowls. Color each bowl of icing with gel food colors. (We used pink, blue, green, and yellow)
After the cinnamon rolls are fully cooked, removed them from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
Spread the icing on your cinnamon rolls. Add sprinkles on top and enjoy while warm.
Essential Tips:
Don’t skip these tips – read them before baking to avoid any potential mistakes.
Tips for Making Homemade Cinnamon Roll dough:
- Make sure your heated milk mixture is the right temperature. If it’s too hot, it will kill the yeast and your dough won’t rise properly. You want it to be between 105˚F and 110˚F for the best results.
- Use room temperature eggs. Just like too much heat will kill the yeast, too much cold will keep your dough from rising. Let your eggs come to room temperature before baking. (In a pinch, you can warm up eggs in a bowl of warm water for 5-10 minutes)
- Don’t add too much flour! The total weight of flour for this recipe should be about 360 grams. I know most of us in the US don’t weigh our ingredients, but this is one time it’s super helpful. Too much flour will make your cinnamon rolls tough and dry – and no one wants that. (Read more about how and why to weigh flour here.)
Tips for Shaping and Baking Your Easter Bunny Cinnamon Rolls
- It’s easiest to create the bunny ear closest to the end of the cinnamon roll first, and then unroll as much as you need to create an even bunny ear next to the one you already made.
- Don’t crowd your bunnies on the sheet. They need at least an extra inch around all sides to rise as they bake.
- Make sure to pinch the ears together very well before baking. They will open up a bit in the oven, and sticking them together reduces how much reshaping needs to be done during the baking process.
- Be careful when reshaping the bunny ears in the middle of the baking process. The rolls will be hot, and you don’t want to burn yourself. Let them cool for few seconds before re-shaping or use the handle of a wooden spoon to put the ears back in place.
- Allow the cinnamon rolls to cool before decorating. If they’re too warm, the icing will thin out and run off – and that would just be sad.
FAQs:
Can I Make Easter Bunny Cinnamon Rolls Ahead Of Time?
Yes! Here are the details:
Prep without baking:
If you want to get a head start on your morning, you can make the cinnamon rolls all the way up until you’ve shaped the bunny ears. Cover the baking ban and cinnamon rolls tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
When you’re ready to bake, remove the plastic wrap and bake as directed.
Baked in Advance:
Easter bunny cinnamon rolls can also be baked ahead of time. Refrigerate before adding the frosting and sprinkles for up to three days.
When you’re ready to serve:
- Place the cinnamon rolls on a baking sheet.
- Brush a bit of melted butter or heavy cream on top, and cover with aluminum foil.
- Bake at 350˚F for 10 minutes or until warmed through.
- Decorate as directed.
Can I Use Canned Cinnamon Roll Dough?
Absolutely!
Shape the cinnamon rolls according to the directions above, and bake according to the package directions.
!Important! Remove your cinnamon rolls from the oven halfway through the baking time on the package directions- usually 6-7 minutes. If you wait too long, the dough will be too set, and you won’t be able to reshape the ears.
Why is my dough tough and dry?
The culprit here is one of two possibilities: 1. You added too much flour, or 2. You over worked the dough.
The total weight of flour for this recipe should be about 360 grams. I know most of us in the US don’t weigh our ingredients, but this is one time it’s super helpful. Another way to keep track of your flour is to make sure the dough is still slightly tacky and not too dry.
It’s also important not to use too much flour when rolling out the dough, as that will dry out your cinnamon rolls too.
Want to Make Your Easter Breakfast Even More Special?
Add a few cute printable Easter decorations and print out some fun Easter games to add to the festivities and make some amazing memories with your family!
More Easter Recipes to Enjoy
If you liked my Easter Bunny Cinnamon Rolls, you’re going to love these:
- Birds Nest Cookies – Quick, easy, and cute!
- Blueberry Lemonade Mimosas – A flavorful twist on a classic brunch cocktail
- Easter Dinner Recipes – 15+ yummy meals to try this year
- 11 Stunning Ways to Make a Peeps Cake for Easter
Or you can check out my all my Easter Party Ideas here.
Easter Bunny Cinnamon Rolls
Make them from our scratch or with canned dough, these colorful Easter bunny cinnamon rolls will the the star at your Easter breakfast.
Ingredients
Cinnamon Roll Dough:
- ¼ cup butter, melted
- 1 package instant yeast (1/4 ounce)
- 3 cups (360 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup water
- ¼ cup whole milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
Filling:
- 6 tablespoons butter, softened
- 1 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup dark brown sugar
Icing:
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 4 tablespoons milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Gel food colors (pink, yellow, green, blue)
- Sprinkles
Instructions
- Heat 1/4 cup water, 1/4 cup milk, and 1/4 cup butter in a 2-3 quart sauce pan over medium heat just until the butter melts.
- In a large mixing bowl, sift 3 cups flour* and whisk in 1/4 cup sugar, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 oz instant yeast.
- Pour the heated wet ingredients and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract into the dry ingredients. Mix carefully.
- Add the egg and continue to mix just until combined.
- On a floured surface or pastry mat, knead the dough for 3 minutes.
- Place your dough in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Rest in a warm place for about 40 minutes, or until the dough is doubled in size.
- While the dough rises, prepare the filling: Mix 1/4 cup dark brown sugar, 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon and 6 tablespoons softened butter in a medium mixing bowl. Set aside.
- After the dough has risen for 40 minutes, preheat your oven to 350˚F and prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Remove your dough from the bowl, and roll into a rectangular shape (approximately 15 inches x 9 inches).
- Spread the brown sugar filling mixture evenly on top of the dough.
- From the long end, roll the dough into a log.
- Cut into 10 pieces.
- Create the Bunny Shape. Place your cinnamon roll on a baking tray prepared with parchment paper.
- Unroll the outer edge of the cinnamon roll and bend it to create two bunny ears. (see tips)
- Press the bunny ears together and press the end of the cinnamon roll dough back into the cinnamon roll.
- Repeat with the remaining cinnamon rolls.
- Allow the bunny shaped cinnamon rolls to rise for an additional 10 minutes before baking.
- Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven and gently re-shape the bunny ears if necessary. Bake for an additional 10 minutes.
- While the rolls bake, prepare the icing: Sift 2 cups powdered sugar into a large bowl. Add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract and 4 tablespoons milk. Use a whisk or a mixer at medium speed to beat until smooth.
- Divide the icing evenly into 4 bowls. Color each bowl of icing with gel food colors. (We used pink, blue, green, and yellow)
- After the cinnamon rolls are fully cooked, removed them from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
- Spread the icing on your cinnamon rolls. Add sprinkles on top and enjoy while warm.
Notes
Remember, the step-by-step photos and FAQ in the recipe post are there to help you if you feel stuck at any point.
- Don't overheat the milk mixture. It's best between 105˚F and 110˚F.
- This is one time when it's best to weigh your flour on a kitchen scale. You should be using about 360 grams of flour. If you use too much flour, your cinnamon rolls will be tough and dry.
- Allow at least an extra inch around each Easter bunny cinnamon roll on your sheet to allow them to rise while baking.
- It's easiest to create the bunny ear closest to the end of the cinnamon roll first, and then unroll as much as you need to create an even bunny ear next to the one you already made.
- Pinch the ears together very well before baking to reduce reshaping.
- Be careful when reshaping the bunny ears in the middle of the baking process. The rolls will be hot, and you don't want to burn yourself. Let them cool for few seconds before re-shaping or use the handle of a wooden spoon to put the ears back in place.
- Don't rush to add the icing. If the cinnamon rolls are too warm, the icing will thin out and run off.
- You can make these cinnamon rolls up to three days in advance. See the recipe post FAQ section for more details.
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