Homemade Doesn't Have to Mean Hard Work: Cake Mix Cinnamon Rolls

I love cooking and making things from scratch, but after a busy day working outside, the last thing I sometimes want to do is spend another hour in the kitchen figuring out dinner or making a treat.

That's one reason I like having shortcuts on hand. I make meals in jars, pantry mixes and keep dehydrated and freeze-dried ingredients in my pantry so I can put meals together without starting from square one every time. It isn't about avoiding cooking; it's about making it easier when the day has already been long.

I use the same idea when baking. One of the kids' favorite treats is strawberry cookies with white chocolate chips, so I keep strawberry cake mixes on hand just for that. A simple cake mix gives me a head start, and before long, there's a homemade treat ready to share.

Wait! There’s more!

You know how much I love pantry mixes—not just for the convenience, but because I like knowing exactly what goes into them. Well, I found a great bulk cake mix that opens up even more possibilities! Now I can make my own cake mix blends to keep on the pantry shelf and use whenever I want to whip up one of my favorite shortcut treats.

I’m still experimenting with the strawberry white chocolate chip cookies, so that recipe needs a little more tweaking. Once I get it just right, I’ll share it with you! Here is the recipe for the base cake mix with variations to make it into different kinds of cakes! I highly recommend you have this in your pantry for a quick treat! Base Cake Mix With 20 Variations - This Old Baker

Cake mix cinnamon rolls are another fun way to turn a pantry staple into something special. They're soft, sweet, filled with cinnamon and brown sugar, and finished with a simple glaze.

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Cake Mix Cinnamon Rolls

Yield: 9 cinnamon rolls

Prep time: About 20 minutes, plus rising time

Bake time: 18–20 minutes

Ingredients

For the dough

• 1 box cake mix

• 2½ cups all-purpose flour

• 1 package active dry yeast

• ¼ cup melted butter

• 1 cup warm milk

• 1 egg

For the filling

• 1 stick softened butter

• ½ cup brown sugar

• 1 tablespoon cinnamon

• Pinch of salt

For the glaze

• Powdered sugar

• Melted butter

• Vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Make the dough. Mix the cake mix, flour, and yeast in a large bowl. Add the melted butter, warm milk, and egg. Mix until a dough forms.

2. Knead. Knead the dough for about 4 minutes, then cover and set aside while preparing the filling.

3. Prepare the filling. Combine the softened butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt until well mixed.

4. Roll and fill. Roll the dough into a rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Spread the filling evenly over the dough.

5. Cut the rolls. Roll the dough up tightly from the long side and cut into 9 rolls. Place them in a greased cake pan.

6. Let rise. Cover and let the rolls rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, until puffy.

7. Bake. Bake at 350°F for 18-20 minutes, or until cooked through and lightly golden.

8. Glaze. Mix powdered sugar, melted butter, and vanilla until you have a smooth, drizzle-friendly glaze. Spread over the warm rolls and enjoy.

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A Shortcut Worth Keeping

For me, a well-stocked pantry is about having options. Sometimes that means a jar of ready-to-cook soup mix, sometimes its freeze-dried ingredients waiting for a meal, and sometimes it's a cake mix that turns into cookies or cinnamon rolls.

I don't need to make every kitchen task harder to feel good about what I'm serving. If a simple shortcut helps me spend less time cooking after a long day and still put something homemade on the table, that's a shortcut worth keeping.