Cinnamon Roll Butter Swim Biscuits

Cinnamon roll butter swim biscuits is a name that contains pretty much all of my favorite words in the English language. Cinnamon roll? Yes, please. Butter? Absolutely. Biscuits? The way to my heart. If you love cinnamon rolls and buttermilk biscuits as much as I do, this recipe is for you.

But what exactly is a butter swim biscuit? If you’re unfamiliar, it’s a shortcut recipe for classic biscuits. They’re made with essentially the same ingredients, but the recipe doesn’t require cutting butter into flour, or rolling or cutting the dough. Instead, the dough is placed in a pan coated with melted butter, then is baked until the edges are crisp and golden (a bit like to focaccia). The amount of butter used is generous, so the biscuit dough appears to be swimming in butter before it’s baked—hence the name.

This butter swim biscuit variation incorporates a layer of sweet cinnamon goodness, just like cinnamon rolls. A generous amount of cinnamon is added directly to the biscuit dough, and the baked biscuits are finished with a drizzle of rich and creamy cinnamon icing. They’re tender, gooey, and bursting with all the cozy warmth of a homemade cinnamon roll.

Ingredients for Cinnamon Roll Butter Swim Biscuits

• Butter: You can’t make butter swim biscuits without a generous amount of butter, so this isn’t a recipe you can lighten up with healthy swaps. The butter yields supremely tender biscuits with irresistibly crispy edges.
• All-purpose flour: A top tip for making biscuits is to use a light hand when mixing the dough. If you overmix the dough, you’ll overwork the gluten and end up with dense, tough biscuits.
• Sugar: A small amount of sugar lightly sweetens the biscuit dough and promotes browning.
• Baking powder and baking soda: To ensure your cinnamon roll butter swim biscuits achieve the proper rise, test your baking powder and baking soda or at least check it’s not past its expiration date.
• Salt: A pinch of salt enhances the biscuits’ flavor.
• Cinnamon: Did you know there is more than one type of cinnamon? Ceylon is likely what you already have in your cupboard, and it works great for this cinnamon recipe.
• Buttermilk: Buttermilk activates the leaveners in the dough and adds a subtle tang.
• Cinnamon drizzle: Confectioners’ sugar, cinnamon and milk are combined to make a simple, sweet glaze that’s truly irresistible.

Directions

Step 1: Melt the butter

Preheat oven to 450°F. Place the cubed butter into an 8-inch square baking pan. Bake it until the butter has melted, about one to two minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and set it aside.

Step 2: Mix the dough

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, cinnamon and baking soda. Stir in the buttermilk just until the dry ingredients are moistened.

Step 3: Bake the biscuits

Gently press the dough evenly into the prepared pan.

Score the top of the biscuit dough into nine squares (cleaning the knife as needed).

Bake the biscuits until they’re golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool them in the pan on a wire rack for five minutes. Remove the biscuits from the pan and break or cut them into nine squares.

Step 4: Mix the icing

In a small bowl, combine the confectioners’ sugar and cinnamon with enough milk to achieve the desired icing consistency. Stir until the mixture is smooth. Drizzle it over the biscuits.

Cinnamon Roll Butter Swim Biscuits Variations

• Add dried fruit: If you love cinnamon raisin bread, consider mixing as much as a cup of raisins into the dough. You could also experiment with dried cranberries, cherries or apricot pieces.
• Add nuts: For texture and crunch, consider mixing up to a cup of chopped pecans or walnuts into the dough. Alternatively, top the finished butter swim biscuits with a few handfuls of candied pecans before serving.
• Use a different icing: If you have a cinnamon roll icing you love from another recipe, feel free to use it here. We especially love this cinnamon roll icing recipe that’s made with cream cheese.
• Give them some extra sweetness: For added sweetness, consider adding up to a cup of cinnamon chips or white chocolate chips to the dough. You could also sprinkle a few tablespoons of brown sugar over the dough before baking it, if desired.

How to Store Cinnamon Roll Butter Swim Biscuits

Cinnamon roll butter swim biscuits should be stored, covered tightly with storage wrap, at room temperature. Storing the biscuits in the refrigerator isn’t recommended, since they will dry out.

How long do butter swim biscuits last?

Butter swim biscuits stored at room temperature will last for three to five days.

Can you freeze butter swim biscuits?

Absolutely. If you can freeze biscuits, why not butter swim biscuits? Once cooled, cover the cinnamon roll butter swim biscuits with storage wrap or transfer them to a zip-top bag. Freeze them for up to three months. When you’re ready to enjoy them again, remove the wrapping and warm them back up.

Cinnamon Roll Butter Swim Biscuits Tips

Can you make cinnamon roll butter swim biscuits in another type of pan?

Yes! If you don’t have a square baking pan, you can place the dough in an 8- or 9-inch round cake pan instead. A cast-iron skillet can also be used. Bear in mind that a 9-inch round or square pan will yield thinner biscuits.

For individual-sized cinnamon roll butter swim biscuits that maximize the real estate of those scrumptious crispy edges, consider baking the dough in a muffin tin. Bake the biscuits for 12 to 15 minutes, increasing the bake time as needed until the butter swim muffin biscuits are golden and fully baked.

How should you serve cinnamon roll butter swim biscuits?

Cinnamon roll butter swim biscuits are a wonderful, fuss-free baked good you can serve alongside all of your weekend brunch favorites. Serve them with an equally easy egg casserole, a colorful fruit salad and a side of oven-baked bacon. Don’t forget a fancy homemade coffee shop drink to wash it all down.