You heard correctly, we are boldly claiming that this homemade recipe is the best Cinnamon Rolls you will have in your life! Made from scratch, these ooey gooey buns are easy to make and so tasty.
This is the perfect Christmas morning breakfast you were looking for. The recipe is simple and easy to follow and the results are amazing. Topped with cream cheese frosting, these warm and fluffy rolls are great for family gatherings.
I spent over a decade perfecting this recipe. I've tried all different fillings, different icings, and different ingredients and ratios in the dough. I have been making them like this for about 8 years now. Occasionally I will try something new if I find an interesting idea, but I always come back to this recipe. They are perfect.
We love all things cinnamon rolls. We have you covered from completely from scratch recipes, like this one, to enhancing Pillsbury dough for a quick and easy treat. Try Cinnamon Roll Casserole, Air Fryer Cinnamon rolls, and even TikTok Cinnamon Rolls.
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Ingredients
Be sure to follow our encouraged ingredients for big and fluffy cinnamon rolls. We have the best ingredients for vanilla flavored icing.
Dough
- Milk- For this recipe, you will need warm milk. Make sure that it's not hot! We recommend using whole or 2%.
- Sugar- The dough has a slightly sweet taste and that's from using a small amount of granulated sugar. The filling uses dark brown sugar.
- Yeast- You'll need quick rise yeast. 1 packet is equivalent to the required amount.
- Butter- Salted and melted butter is used for the dough. The filling will need very soft butter but not melted.
- Eggs- We highly recommend using an egg at room temperature. This will keep the dough from cooling off. If the dough cools off too much, it will slow down the yeast activity. If you forgot to get your egg out ahead of time, simply place it in a bowl of hot water for 10 minutes while you take care of the other things.
- Bread Flour- For about a decade, I made my cinnamon rolls with all-purpose flour, but I found myself frustrated that the bread part was less tender after day 1. I researched and tested different things until I landed on bread flour. Bread flour keeps the bread soft and tender for 3-4 days.
- Cinnamon- Of course, to get that classic cinnamon taste you will need ground cinnamon for the filling.
- Cream Cheese- Be sure to soften before using so it creams easily.
- Powdered sugar- After you mix in the initial amount, you may need to add more to get the consistency of icing you are looking for.
- Vanilla- Balance out those flavors and add a smooth vanilla taste.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to make Cinnamon Rolls
Cinnamon rolls have never been easier with this easy to follow recipe. Follow these step by step process photos for the best results.
- In a stand mixer or bread machine, activate the yeast in warm milk and sugar. After five minutes add the other dough ingredients.
- Knead the dough in the bread machine, a stand mixer, or by hand for 15 minutes.
- Spray a glass bowl with cooking spray and add the dough. Let it rise for about an hour or until it doubles in size.
- Combine the ingredients for the filling. Roll the dough out and cover the surface with the soft butter and then add the cinnamon filling.
- Roll the dough into a log and with a sharp knife cut into sharp 12 even rolls. Add the rolls to a greased baking pan. Rise for 30 minutes before baking for 15 minutes at 350° F. Remove and cool.
- While the rolls bake combine the ingredients for the icing and mix until smooth. Cool for at least 20 minutes before frosting or the the frosting will melt away. For the exact recipe look at our Cinnamon Roll Icing.
Substitutions and Variations
We have some great tips for some fun flavor combinations.
- With Heavy Whipping Cream- After arranging the cinnamon rolls in a pan, loosen them up a bit, then pour 1 teaspoon of heavy whipping cream on top of each one. This makes them extra tender and soft.
- Mini- For a cute and fun variation, try making them mini-style. When rolling them out make the short side only 4 inches long. You will need a bigger pan to accommodate for the amount that it will make. You will also need to check them about 7 minutes in because they will cook faster.
- Pumpkin Spice- Make this during the fall substitute pumpkin spice for cinnamon.
- Chocolate- Liberally smear the dough with your favorite chocolate spread instead of the cinnamon and sugar. You can even try Nutella!
- Overnight- While this recipe isn't a great overnight recipe, you have to try this Overnight Cinnamon Roll recipe.
Why Did The Middles Pop Out of My Cinnamon Rolls?
This happens when they are rolled up too tightly! After placing them in the pan, I like to spread the layers out just a little bit to give them space to rise. This can also happen if your pan is too small and they don't have enough room to expand outwards, so instead they expand upwards.
How to Store and Reheat
Store leftover rolls covered with plastic wrap on a plate or in the baking pan, in the refrigerator. You can even freeze individual rolls once baked. Thaw in the refrigerator before eating.
When ready to eat again warm them up in the microwave for 10-15 seconds for that fresh-from-the-oven texture.
Why Are My Cinnamon Rolls Not Fluffy?
This is most likely due to a yeast or rise problem. Always proof your yeast to make sure it is active and growing. It is also important to let the dough rise until it is at least double in size before rolling it out. Your dough may also be too wet or dry. Additionally, if you let your cinnamon rolls rise too long they may collapse towards the end of baking, becoming dense.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Recipe
Cinnamon Rolls Recipe
Ingredients
Dough:
- 1 cup warm milk whole or 2% recommended
- 2 Tablespoons +1 teaspoon granulated sugar divided
- 2 ¼ teaspoons quick rise yeast (1 packet)
- 6 Tablespoons butter melted, I used salted
- 1 large egg at room temperature, whisked
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3-3 ¼ cups bread flour or all purpose flour, see notes
Filling:
- ⅓ cup salted butter very soft
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ cup dark brown sugar light brown works too
Icing:
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- ¼ cup butter softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar or more for desired consistency
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
Make the Dough:
- Combine warm milk (ideally 105-110° F) and combine with 1 teaspoon sugar and yeast. Set aside to proof. Within 5 minutes the mixture should be very foamy and growing pretty rapidly. If not, throw away and start over. Your yeast must be active and well for the best cinnamon rolls.
- Melt butter and whisk egg. Combine butter, egg, salt, sugar, salt, remaining sugar, bread flour and proofed yeast together and mix to combine. You can use a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment, your hands (I recommend watching a youtube video on how to knead) or a bread maker on the dough setting to knead the dough. Knead 10-20 minutes until dough is silky smooth and elastic. Push a finger into the dough to make an indentation; the dough should bounce back easily. See photos above for a visual guide.
- Spray a glass bowl with cooking spray or oil it with your preferred oil. Place dough inside, then spray the top with a little oil so they don't dry out. Cover with cling wrap and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about an hour.
Make the filling and fill the dough:
- Combine the cinnamon and granulated sugar together in a bowl.
- Roll the dough out evenly. It should be about an ⅛-1/4" thick and the long end should be about 16-18". Spread the very soft butter across the dough evenly. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture evenly over top of the butter. Use your fingers to crumble the brown sugar evenly over the top of the rest of the filling.
Roll up the dough and bake:
- Starting on the long end, roll up the dough. Cut into 12 even rolls. I like to cut the log in half, then each half in half again. Then each of those I cut into 3 even pieces. This is the easiest way for me to get them even in size. See picture above for a visual reference. Place evenly in a greased 9x13" pan. I like to spread them out a bit and make sure they aren't tightly rolled. I find this enables the insides of the rolls to puff up and expand more. Cover and allow to rise for 30 minutes. 10 minutes in, preheat the oven to 350° F. Once they are done rising, bake for 17-22 minutes until done. The tops and edges will just be starting to turn golden brown.
Make Icing and Frost the Cinnamon Rolls:
- Beat the cream cheese and butter together on medium speed until completely smooth and lump free, about 1-2 minutes. Add the powdered sugar and mix until well combined. Add the vanilla, then mix until combined.
- Allow cinnamon rolls to cool about 10-20 minutes before frosting. This way they will still be warm and the icing will seep into the rolls. For frosting that sits on top of the rolls, wait until they have cooled completely. Make sure to check out the notes below for all the tips and tricks!
Notes
- I prefer making these with 2% or whole milk, they make for a softer rolls. You can absolutely use skim or 1% if that's what you have on hand.
- For years I made these with regular all-purpose flour. And while they were still amazing, I discovered in my research that if I used bread flour they stayed soft and tender longer. I now use bread flour exculsively.
- I usually end up using 3 cups + 2 Tablespoons of flour. Things like humidity can affect how much flour you need. The dough should just barely be pulling away from the sides of whatever bowl you are mixing it in. The dough should be very soft and almost sticky.
- It is so important to proof your yeast. Getting it activated and foamy and ready to go ensures you will get a good rise from your rolls and the perfect texture.
- I usually make my dough in a bread maker on the dough setting. I find it works perfectly, as it is what it is designed to do. I love that I don't really have to do anything besides add the ingredients.
- Reheat individual rolls in the microwave for 10-15 seconds for that fresh-from-the-oven texture.
- For icing that sinks almost completely into the rolls, frost immediately after removing from oven.
- I like to spread the rolls out just a bit when placing them in the pan. I find that when I don't do this, the inside bits of the roll don't expand as much and can be a little dense. Spreading them but a bit, enables them to grow and expand making them so soft and fluffy.
Andrea says
These are by far the best Cinnamon Rolls I have ever had. They are so soft and fluffy and really easy to make. I made them for my family this weekend and they didn't last long enough!