Red Velvet Cinnamon Rolls made easy with a cake mix, yeast, flour, butter, brown sugar & a rich cream cheese icing! Festive & delicious cinnamon rolls for Valentine’s Day!
I love taking a shortcut and using cake mix to help speed these rolls along. These Red Velvet Cinnamon Rolls have a cinnamon brown sugar filling and a luscious cream cheese frosting sprinkled with red hearts these gorgeous cinnamon rolls are always a hit!
Ingredients for Red Velvet Cinnamon Rolls
Water: Use warm water to activate the yeast.
Yeast: 2 ¼ tsp instant yeast helps the dough rise, giving the cinnamon rolls their light, fluffy texture.
Cake mix: One 15.25-oz box red velvet cake mix acts as a flavorful shortcut. Adding sweetness, cocoa notes, and signature red color while reducing prep time.
Flour: Adding additional flour builds structure in the dough so the rolls hold their shape while staying tender.
Filling
Sugar: ½ cup brown sugar creates a rich, caramel-like sweetness that melts into the rolls as they bake.
Cinnamon: Ground cinnamon adds warm spice that defines the classic cinnamon roll flavor.
Butter: ¼ cup butter, softened, helps the cinnamon sugar stick to the dough and adds richness to every swirl.
Cream Cheese Icing
Cream cheese: Softened cream cheese provides a tangy, creamy base that balances the sweetness.
Butter: ¼ cup butter, softened, adds smoothness and richness to the icing for a spreadable texture.
Sugar: Powdered sugar sweetens and thickens the icing into a luscious frosting.
Sprinkles (optional): Add a festive Valentine’s touch and a pop of color on top with red heart sprinkles.
Tips that make a real difference with cake mix cinnamon rolls:
Full instructions in the recipe card below, but here are a few helpful tips for the baking process.
- Watch the dough, not the flour amount: Cake mix brands vary, so add the final flour slowly and stop as soon as the dough pulls cleanly from the sides but still lightly sticks to the bottom. Too much flour will make the rolls dense instead of soft.
- Don’t rush the first rise: This enriched, cake-mix dough needs the full rise time to develop structure. If it hasn’t doubled, give it more time or the rolls will bake up heavy.
- Use very soft (not melted) butter for the filling: Soft butter spreads evenly without soaking into the dough, keeping distinct cinnamon swirls instead of a melted, gooey layer.
- Ice while slightly warm: Spreading the cream cheese icing when the rolls are warm—but not hot—lets it melt just enough to seep into the layers without disappearing completely.
How long are these cake mix cinnamon rolls good for?
These cinnamon rolls are best enjoyed within 3 days at room temperature when stored in an airtight container.
For longer storage, keep them refrigerated for up to 5 days (the cream cheese icing makes refrigeration ideal). Or freeze unfrosted rolls for up to 2 months—just thaw and frost before serving for the freshest taste.
Red Velvet Cake Mix Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups warm water
- 2 ¼ tsp instant yeast
- 15.25 oz box red velvet cake mix
- 2 ½ cups flour divided
Filling:
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup butter softened
Cream Cheese Icing:
- 4 oz cream cheese softened
- ¼ cup butter softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- Red heart sprinkles if desired
Instructions
- Add the warm water and yeast to a large mixing bowl and let sit for five minutes to bloom. Add in cake mix and 2 cups flour, then use an electric mixer to beat for 2 minutes.
- Have the remaining ½ cup flour ready, and add just enough to the dough so that cleans the sides of the bowl and sticks to the bottom only in a small circle, about the size of a quarter. (You might use all of the remaining ½ cup, you may only use ¼ cup.)
- Lift the dough out of the bowl with one hand and spray the bowl with oil with the other hand. Replace the dough and spray the top of the dough. Cover and set in a warm area to rise until doubled in size, about 2 hours.
- Once the dough has doubled in size roll it out to about 16×12 rectangle.
- Mix together the brown sugar and cinnamon. Spread ¼ cup softened butter all over the dough. Sprinkle the brown sugar mixture all over the dough.
- Starting with the long side, roll up the dough. Slice into 12 pieces and place in a greased 9×13 baking dish. Cover loosely with a tea towel and set in a warm place for 1 hour to rise again.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake rolls for 18-20 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly while you make the frosting.
- Using an electric hand mixer beat together the cream cheese, ¼ cup butter and powdered sugar until well combined. Spread over the cinnamon rolls. Sprinkle with red heart sprinkles, if desired. Serve & enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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Do these taste like cake or cinnamon rolls?
They still taste like soft, fluffy cinnamon rolls, but the cake mix adds extra sweetness, moisture, and the signature red velvet color & flavor.
Can I use active dry yeast instead of instant yeast?
Yes, just be sure to fully bloom it in the warm water for 5–10 minutes before adding the other ingredients.
Why is my dough sticky?
This dough is meant to be slightly sticky because of the cake mix; add flour gradually and stop once it pulls from the sides of the bowl to avoid dry rolls.
Try more of our favorite cake mix shortcut recipes here:
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- Peach Cobbler with Cake Mix is the ultimate easy dessert—just combine cake mix, peaches, and a can of soda for a sweet, bubbling cobbler. Quick, effortless, and full of juicy peachy goodness!
Red Velvet Cinnamon Rolls are an easy, show-stopping treat made with cake mix, cinnamon-sugar filling, and topped with luscious cream cheese icing. Perfectly festive and irresistible for Valentine’s Day!
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