Homemade cinnamon rolls are soft, fluffy, and topped with cream cheese icing. Follow the step-by-step instructions for the BEST cinnamon rolls from scratch. One of our most loved recipes.
We love making cinnamon rolls from scratch. I mean there’s nothing quite like a freshly baked pan of homemade cinnamon rolls! My secret ingredient to soft and fluffy cinnamon rolls is using potato flakes. You’ll add 1-2 cups per recipe. That amount comes out of the flour total.
Try making my Homemade Pizza Dough, Cast Iron Pizza, Cast Iron Cinnamon Rolls, and Sourdough Bread.
I’ve worked on perfecting my cinnamon roll recipe for several years. They start with a homemade brioche dough, rolled up with melted butter, brown sugar, sugar, and a generous dusting of cinnamon. Prep 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 lightly 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 with cinnamon sugar mixture evenly over the melted butter.
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 1 hour.
These are some of the most delicious cinnamon rolls I’ve ever made! Cinnamon rolls just need time to rise. You can even prep the dough the night before and roll into cinnamon rolls in the morning.
I often use a high-sided half sheet pan from Nordic Ware. It’s made in the USA and holds 12 cinnamon rolls perfectly.
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 to 6 cups all-purpose or bread flour
- 1 teaspoon 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 lightly 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 with plastic wrap or reusable plastic shower cap 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 or use a pastry brush to brush on vegetable shortening again if needed). Cover with plastic wrap or reusable plastic shower cap and let rise again until doubled, 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- Refrigerate the dough for 2-4 hours or overnight.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine granulated sugar, brown sugar and ground cinnamon. Adjust the cinnamon to your liking. Cover with plastic wrap to stay fresh and set aside.
- Turn the chilled dough out onto a lightly 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. Spread evenly with cinnamon sugar mixture over the melted butter. Use your hand to evenly spread it out.
- Gently 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 or a half sheet pan plastic cover and refrigerate for 2-4 hours or overnight.
- *At this point, you can freeze cinnamon rolls if desired.
Cinnamon Roll Icing
- 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 375 degrees F.
- Remove cinnamon rolls from the refrigerator and use a pastry brush to gently brush with an egg wash, heavy cream or half & half. Place the baking pan in the preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until lightly golden brown.
- Let cool on a baking rack for 10 minutes before spooning the icing over top the cinnamon rolls.
- Enjoy cinnamon rolls immediately. Refrigerate any leftovers in an airtight container.
Video
Recipe Notes
Or you can use 1 large egg, beaten with a few tablespoons of whole milk You can substitute instant yeast and let the dough rise only once, if you prefer. Though we highly recommend (and personally prefer) using active dry yeast and letting the dough rise twice. Then rolling into cinnamon rolls. I prefer to refrigerate prepared cinnamon rolls for 2-4 hours. Sometimes they leak juices a bit if you refrigerate too long. Cinnamon rolls can also be made ahead of time, rolled into cinnamon rolls, covered and frozen. You can bake right out of the freezer or let them thaw slightly.
Nutrition
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Stephanie Banks says
These cinnamon rolls came out so soft and fluffy. I will definitely make these again.
Jessica Robinson says
Thrilled to hear you enjoyed the recipe!
Becky Ray says
These look wonderful! I need to clarify—the dough rises TWO times before you roll it out, add filling, cut into rolls, rise again and then bake? Thanks.
Jessica Robinson says
Yes!! Dough rises twice before being shaped into cinnamon rolls.
Barbie says
So you just add the flakes to don’t make them into mashed potatoes
Jessica Robinson says
Yes, you’re just adding potato flakes to the dough ingredients. 1 cup per recipe usually is great.
It’s essentially making mashed potatoes in the mixing bowl, as it contains water, milk and butter.
viviana says
Why do we need to refrigerate them?
Jessica Robinson says
You don’t necessarily have to. But refrigerating the dough overnight is a convenience, as it gives you the dough ready to go right into cinnamon rolls. As well as refrigerating the dough helps cinnamon rolls stay together.
Mkasz says
I made these Christmas morning (started the day before of course). sooooo good! A new tradition!
Jessica Robinson says
So glad to hear you enjoyed them!! Wishing you a very Merry Christmas.
Debbie McCracken says
Hi, you mentioned potato flakes but I’ve checked everyi in ingredients list, nothing, pls clarify, thxs.
Jessica Robinson says
Debbie,
Yes!! Potato flakes are noted in the recipe card. Printable recipe cards are always at the bottom of a recipe post. There’s a “jump to recipe” button that gets you there quickly. Keep in mind the recipe blog post has step-by-step images and valuable information that helps any reader, no matter their baking or cooking experience, recreate a recipe flawlessly.
While you don’t need potato flakes to successfully make cinnamon rolls or a yeast bread – I LOVE adding them and do it all the time now.
We write the recipe so someone doesn’t need to use them if they don’t have them. But it’s noted in the “notes” section of the recipe card on my website.
You’ll substitute 1-2 cups potato flakes per recipe, subtract that from the flour amount.
Measure cinnamon with love- use at least 2 heaping tablespoons of cinnamon.
This is the brand I love (Bob’s Red Mill Natural Foods) The potato flakes absorb the milk & water and really break down. You’ll see them in the dough a bit. (affiliate) https://amzn.to/4l5Glv
Let us know if you have further questions
Patti Burks says
Easy prep and simple to understand directions ❤️
Jessica Robinson says
Thank you so much!! Merry Christmas
Rebecca Land says
This recipe works so well, yum! I made some for Christmas morning too, and making more now they’re so good! Used some left over dark choc ganache for Christmas, but will go for traditional cream cheese icing this time. Thankyou 😀