Homemade cinnamon rolls are super easy to make with simple ingredients. These classic cinnamon rolls are soft, fluffy, and topped with cream cheese frosting.
We love making cinnamon rolls from scratch. I mean there’s nothing quite like a freshly baked pan of homemade cinnamon rolls! Especially when those cinnamon rolls are topped with a cream cheese icing! And if you’re new to baking with yeast, don’t worry! It’s really just a matter of having some patience and letting dough rise properly. For more details on baking with yeast see my Dinner Rolls Recipe.
Try making my Homemade Pizza Dough, Cast Iron Pizza, Cast Iron Cinnamon Rolls, and Sourdough Bread. Follow the directions on the package of yeast for creating great recipes.
I’ve been working on perfecting my cinnamon roll recipe for several years now. They start with a homemade brioche dough, rolled up with melted butter, brown sugar, sugar, and a generous dusting of cinnamon. You can even prepare these ahead of time, refrigerate overnight and bake the next morning. Or, prepare them, cover with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for up to a few weeks.
How to make Homemade Cinnamon Rolls:
Step 1: In a large mixing bowl of a stand mixer dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Add the warm milk, sugar, and eggs. Add the dough hook attachment, and stir in the flour and salt. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl occasionally with a rubber spatula. Cut the butter into small pieces and incorporate into the dough. Scrape the bowl a few times. Beat the dough until it becomes smooth, about 5-7 minutes.
Step 2: Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead for 5-6 minutes, making a smooth dough. This dough is going to be sticky when you turn it out. After kneading, shape into a round ball and place back into the greased mixing bowl. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and drape with a clean kitchen towel. Place in a warm area and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead the dough for a few minutes. Turn back into the greased bowl (spray with cooking spray again if needed) and let rise again until doubled, 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Step 3: Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and roll out with a rolling pin. Making it into a rectangle shape, about ½-3/4-inch thick. Spread the melted butter evenly with a pastry brush. Sprinkle the brown sugar and granulated sugar evenly over the melted butter. Sprinkle generously with ground cinnamon.
Step 4: Roll up, starting at the long end fairly tight. Brush the edge of the dough with melted butter and press to seal. Cut the dough into 2 inch rolls.
Step 5: Place the cinnamon rolls evenly into greased baking pans or a half sheet pan lined with parchment paper and sprayed with cooking spray. Cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap and a clean kitchen cloth and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes to 1 hour.
These are some of the most delicious cinnamon rolls I’ve ever made! A yeast cinnamon roll just takes time to rise. You can even prep the dough the night before and roll into cinnamon rolls in the morning.
For more great baking recipes be sure and try my Sourdough Bread, Oatmeal Bread, Oatmeal Cream Pies, Raspberry Oatmeal Bars, Cast Iron Cinnamon Rolls, and Jelly Doughnuts.
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Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
Cinnamon Roll Dough
- 2 ¼ teaspoons (1 packet) active dry yeast
- ¼ cup lukewarm water
- 1 ½ cups milk warm (scalded and cooled to warm)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 5 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup 1 stick unsalted butter softened
Cinnamon Roll Filling
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ground cinnamon
Cinnamon Roll Icing
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2-4 tablespoons whole milk
Instructions
Cinnamon Roll Dough
- In a large mixing bowl of a stand mixer dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Add the warm milk, sugar, and eggs. Add the dough hook attachment, and stir in the flour and salt. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl occasionally with a rubber spatula. Cut the butter into small pieces and incorporate into the dough. Scrape the bowl a few times. Beat the dough until it becomes smooth, about 5-7 minutes.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead for 5-6 minutes, making a smooth dough. This dough is going to be sticky when you turn it out. After kneading, shape into a round ball and place back into the greased mixing bowl. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and drape with a clean kitchen towel. Place in a warm area and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead the dough for a few minutes. Turn back into the greased bowl (spray with cooking spray again if needed) and let rise again until doubled, 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and roll out with a rolling pin. Making it into a rectangle shape, about ½-3/4-inch thick. Spread the melted butter evenly with a pastry brush. Sprinkle the brown sugar and granulated sugar evenly over the melted butter. Sprinkle generously with ground cinnamon.
- Roll up, starting at the long end fairly tight. Brush the edge of the dough with melted butter and press to seal. Cut the dough into 2 inch rolls.
- Place the cinnamon rolls evenly into greased baking pans or a half sheet pan lined with parchment paper and sprayed with cooking spray. Cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap and a clean kitchen cloth and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Cinnamon Roll Icing
- While they are rising, whisk together your icing. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside. You want it to be fairly thick.
- To make the icing; mix the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, softened cream cheese, and milk in a bowl with a whisk or heavy duty spoon. Adjust the milk amount as needed based on how thick or thin you prefer your icing.
Cinnamon Rolls
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Once the cinnamon rolls have doubled in size, brush gently with an egg wash. Place the baking pan in the preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes. Let cool on a baking rack for 15 minutes before spooning the icing over top the cinnamon rolls.
Recipe Notes
Cinnamon Rolls:
This is a sticky dough. Use plenty of flour on your work surface as needed so the dough doesn’t stick to your work area.Make Ahead Cinnamon Rolls:
Make the dough the day before. After the second rise, place the entire bowl in the fridge. Cover the top of the bowl loosely with plastic wrap. Spray the plastic wrap with cooking spray so the dough doesn’t stick to it! In the morning, simply roll out the dough and shape into cinnamon rolls. Let rise or warm up for about 30 minutes to 1 hour. Bake as directed. Egg wash is 1 large egg, beaten with 1 teaspoon of water and a pinch of saltNutrition
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Sue says
I have only made homemade cinnamon rolls one other time and it was a fail. Well, I seen your recipe and wanted to try again since they looked sooo good! Wow!! They turned out amazing! This is my go to recipe now! Thank You!
Jessica Robinson says
Sue,
So happy to hear you enjoyed my cinnamon rolls recipe!
Claudia stornettac says
Never fails to impress the family I have a great recipe for cinnamon rolls been using it for years Never had any problems but one day I came across your apple fritter recipe purely a accident wasn’t looking for a fitter recipe but after reading it made fritters that night and fried them the next morning family went crazy! So when I noticed this one for cinnamon rolls I didn’t even question it its now my go to the only change I make sometimes not always is I add about 5tbs of butter into the pan and let it melt then 1/2 brown sugar once it is all combined I put my rolls on top for the final proof when it’s done you turn it out onto a slightly larger (I use cutting board)dish and all that butter and brown sugar has made a caramel no need for icing but that never stopped me lol
Jessica Robinson says
Hello Claudia,
Thank you so much for taking the time to write and let us know you loved the recipe! Happy to hear you found us by accident and found recipes you love!
Lisa Hatfield Torres says
This recipe is the BEST! Oh my gosh, it is now one of my favorites. A winner!
Jessica Robinson says
I mean, who doesn’t LOVE homemade cinnamon rolls?!