Nothing says celebratory or comforting brunch quite like a pan of warm, homemade cinnamon rolls! With wafts of sweet cinnamon and brown sugar in the air, a freshly iced pan of these fluffy rolls is simply irresistible. This honestly is the best cinnamon roll recipe (and Brian, who is a self-proclaimed but very experienced cinnamon roll expert, would agree!).
They’re fluffy, sweet, buttery, and topped with a decadent cream cheese glaze. And the best part is that they are all pillowy-softy with no hard edges in sight. If making cinnamon rolls from scratch feels intimidating, I have you covered with my best tips and tricks to make these rolls perfect every time. For more sweet breakfast recipes, check out my sticky buns recipe, strawberry rolls recipe, and pumpkin cinnamon rolls recipe.
What You Need to Make This Recipe
Milk – whole milk will provide the best flavored and textured cinnamon buns as the extra fat tenderizes the dough. Warm the milk to 110-120°F, or until the milk is just warm to the touch.
Active Dry Yeast – be sure to check the expiration date and that it isn’t labeled as rapid-rise or instant yeast. Expired yeast may not rise properly, and rapid-rise yeast shouldn’t bloom in hot liquid. Both of these can cause the rolls will turn out flat and dense. To keep yeast fresh the longest, store it in the refrigerator or freezer.
All-Purpose Flour – for light and fluffy cinnamon rolls, measure the flour by weighing it. If you do not have a food scale, scoop the flour into the measuring cup and level off the top for an accurate measurement.
Egg – one large egg brought to room temperature is all you need. Don’t use a cold egg, as the cold temperature can throw off the yeast’s rising process. To quickly bring an egg to room temperature, place it in a bowl of warm water for 5 minutes.
Unsalted Butter – both room temperature and melted butter are used in this recipe. Room temperature is used in the brown sugar filling, and melted butter makes the rough dough tender and rich. Always use unsalted butter, unless salted is all you have. If so, reduce the salt in the dough to a generous ¾ teaspoon if opting for salted butter.
How to Make Cinnamon Rolls
1. In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment, stir together the warm milk, granulated sugar, and yeast. Let sit until foamy, or for about 5 minutes.
2. Add the all-purpose flour, brown sugar, melted butter, egg, vanilla extract, salt, and cinnamon to the yeast mixture. Mix together on low speed until the dough starts to come together. Increase the speed to medium-low and continue kneading until the dough is springy and tacky to the touch but doesn’t stick for your fingers, or for about 8 to 10 minutes.
3. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or a dish towel and place the dough in a warm place until doubled in size, or for about 1 ½ to 2 hours, for the first rise.
4. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with butter or cooking spray. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface. Roll the dough into roughly a 12×18-inch rectangle.
5. Spread the room temperature butter onto the cinnamon roll dough in a thin and even layer, leaving a ½-inch border down on long side of the dough.
6. In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar and cinnamon until combined. Sprinkle the sugar evenly over the buttered dough.
7. Starting at one long end opposite of the unbuttered border, roll up the dough into a tight log. Using a serrated knife or unflavored dental floss, cut the log into 12 equal pieces, each about 1½ inches wide. Place the rolls cut side-down and evenly spaced in the prepared baking dish. Loosely cover the dish and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, or for about 1 hour.
8. While the dough rises, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Uncover the rolls and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown on top. Place the buns on a wire rack to cool. Meanwhile, beat the cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and salt together in a medium mixing bowl until smooth. Sift in the powdered sugar and beat on low speed until well combined. If desired, thin the frosting with 1 to 2 tablespoons of milk. Spread ⅓ of the frosting on the warm rolls as soon as they come out of the oven. Let them cool for 5 more minutes, and then spread the rest of the frosting on top. Enjoy the cinnamon rolls warm!
Pro Tips For Making This Recipe
- Dust the work surface with flour. A lightly floured surface will keep the dough from sticking to the counter when kneading and rolling it out. Always flour the rolling pin as well, too, to keep the dough from sticking to it.
- Use dental floss or a serrated knife to slice the dough. Both will cleanly cut the rolled dough, allowing for great presentation and easy rising.
- Kneading options. If you have a stand mixer, knead the dough with the dough hook attachment. Otherwise, you can knead the dough on a lightly floured surface or counter. Give the dough a good long kneading – at least 8 to 10 minutes – or until it stretches evenly and doesn’t stick to your hands or the counter.
- Proof the dough in a warm but not hot place. The ideal proofing temperature is around 75°. I often proof the rolls in the oven with the heat off but the oven light on. Other great places are on a sunny counter, on top of the refrigerator, or in any other warm place in your house or kitchen.
- Spread the rolled dough with very soft, room-temperature butter. If it is still firm, microwave it in 5-second intervals until it is easily spreadable.
- Use a 9×13-inch ceramic or glass baking pan. This size will allow the rolls the room they need to rise and spread without the centers popping out so the rolls can bake evenly. Using ceramic or glass creates the softest rolls. Metal conducts heat better and can dry out the rolls on the edges and corners of the pan. They will still bake up fine in metal, but they won’t all be as soft.
- Frost the rolls in two steps. This will allow the frosting to melt into the layers of the swirl while also accumulating on top. Swipe ⅓ of the cream cheese frosting over the hot buns immediately after they come out of the oven; spread on the rest of the frosting 5 minutes later, after the buns have cooled slightly.
- Make the rolls ahead of time. This is the perfect recipe to assemble at night and bake the next morning. Fill the rolls, cut them, and place in the prepared baking pan before covering them with plastic wrap and refrigerating for up to 18 hours. Making them ahead like this allows you to skip the second rise, as they will rise in the fridge. When ready to bake the buns, remove the pan from the oven and let them come to room temperature for an hour. Once at room temperature, bake as directed, uncovered in a preheated oven.
Frequently Asked Questions
Store leftover iced rolls in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. The rolls can also be frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Defrost the rolls at room temperature for 2-3 hours, or until thawed.
Serve cinnamon rolls warm with hot tea, freshly brewed coffee, orange juice, or hot chocolate. On hungry mornings, plate the cinnamon rolls with sliced fruit, yogurt, and even scrambled eggs for a complete breakfast.
Though there are a handful of potential reasons why the rolls are not fluffy, the most common are that too much flour was added to the dough or enough time wasn’t given to let the dough rise properly. The bread will become dense, heavy, and dry if too much flour is added to the dough while kneading. To prevent this, add the flour to the kneading surface in small amounts, allowing the flour to be worked in before determining if you need more flour. Secondly, if the dough doesn’t rise enough, the dough will be dense instead of light and fluffy. Allow the buns to double in size before placing them in the oven. A trick to know that they have risen sufficiently is to take a before photo to which you can compare the risen buns.
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If you’ve tried this homemade cinnamon rolls recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Cinnamon Rolls
Equipment
- Mixing Bowls
- Stand mixer
- 9×13-inch baking pan
- Rolling Pin
Ingredients
For the Dough:
- ¾ cup warm milk (110-120F) (180mL)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar (50g)
- 2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast (.25oz/7g packet)
- 3½ cups all-purpose flour plus more for dusting (420g)
- ¼ cup packed light brown sugar (55g)
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted (90ml)
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
For the Filling:
- ¼ cup unsalted butter room temperature (57g)
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar (73g)
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
For the Glaze:
- 4 ounces cream cheese room temperature (113g)
- 2 tablespoons butter room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 2 cups powdered sugar (240g)
- 1 to 2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, stir together the warm milk, granulated sugar, and yeast. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
- Add the remaining ingredients. Begin mixing on low speed until the mixture starts to come together. Increase the speed to medium-low and continue kneading until the dough is springy and tacky to the touch but doesn’t stick to your fingers, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled large bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm place (about 75F) until doubled in size, about 1½ to 2 hours.
- Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking pan with butter or baking spray
- Turn out the dough onto a well-floured surface. Roll the dough into roughly a 12-x18-inch rectangle.
For the filling:
- Spread the butter onto the dough in a thin and even layer, leaving a ½-inch border down one long side of the dough. (make sure your butter is very soft! If it’s still firm, microwave it in 5-second increments until easily spreadable.)
- In a small bowl, stir together the sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar all over the butter.
- Starting at one long end opposite the unbuttered border, roll up the dough into a tight log. Cut the log into 12 equal pieces (about 1½ inches wide) using a sharp serrated knife or unflavored dental floss.
- Place the rolls cut side down evenly spaced in the prepared baking dish. Loosely cover and let rise in a warm place until almost doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350F while rising.
- Uncover and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until lightly browned on top. Place on a wire rack to cool.
For the Glaze:
- While the rolls are baking, combine the cream cheese, butter, vanilla and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Beat together on medium speed until smooth. Sift in the powdered sugar and beat on low speed until well combined. For a thinner consistency, beat in 1 to 2 tablespoons of milk.
- When the rolls are right out of the oven, spread a third of the glaze over the hot rolls. Let cool for 5 minutes, then spread the remaining glaze on top. The rolls are best enjoyed warm but can be covered and stored at room temperature for 2 days.
Video
Notes
- Dust the work surface with flour. A lightly floured surface will keep the dough from sticking to the counter when kneading and rolling it out. Always flour the rolling pin as well, too, to keep the dough from sticking to it.
- Use dental floss or a serrated knife to slice the dough. Both will cleanly cut the rolled dough, allowing for great presentation and easy rising.
- Kneading options. If you have a stand mixer, knead the dough with the dough hook attachment. Otherwise, you can knead the dough on a lightly floured surface or counter. Give the dough a good long kneading – at least 8 to 10 minutes – or until it stretches evenly and doesn’t stick to your hands or the counter.
- Proof the dough in a warm but not hot place. The ideal proofing temperature is around 75°. I often proof the rolls in the oven with the heat off but the oven light on. Other great places are on a sunny counter, on top of the refrigerator, or in any other warm place in your house or kitchen.
- Spread the rolled dough with very soft, room-temperature butter. If it is still firm, microwave it in 5-second intervals until it is easily spreadable.
- Use a 9×13-inch ceramic or glass baking pan. This size will allow the rolls the room they need to rise and spread without the centers popping out so the rolls can bake evenly. Using ceramic or glass creates the softest rolls. Metal conducts heat better and can dry out the rolls on the edges and corners of the pan. They will still bake up fine in metal, but they won’t all be as soft.
- Frost the rolls in two steps. This will allow the frosting to melt into the layers of the swirl while also accumulating on top. Swipe ⅓ of the cream cheese frosting over the hot buns immediately after they come out of the oven; spread on the rest of the frosting 5 minutes later, after the buns have cooled slightly.
- Make the rolls ahead of time. This is the perfect recipe to assemble at night and bake the next morning. Fill the rolls, cut them, and place in the prepared baking pan before covering them with plastic wrap and refrigerating for up to 18 hours. Making them ahead like this allows you to skip the second rise, as they will rise in the fridge. When ready to bake the buns, remove the pan from the oven and let them come to room temperature for an hour. Once at room temperature, bake as directed, uncovered in a preheated oven.
