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These Homemade Cinnamon Rolls are the best ever! Soft, fluffy and topped with luscious cream cheese frosting, they’re so dreamy!
When we say this is the BEST cinnamon roll recipe, we don’t say it lightly. This recipe beats Cinnabon (gasp!) any day of the week. These rolls are like little pillows of perfection, with a cream cheese frosting you could eat by the spoon. We can still remember special weekend mornings, waking up to the smell of our mom’s freshly baked cinnamon rolls. They’re easy enough to make on a random morning, but special enough to serve on Christmas morning, and is a must for brunch recipes. Whip up a batch of these best cinnamon rolls for your family this weekend!
Ingredients for Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
This recipe may seem overwhelming with a lot of steps, but they’re actually very simple! Gather all your ingredients together ahead of time, take it one step at a time and before you know it, you’ll have a baking dish of fluffy, gorgeous cinnamon rolls to share with people you love. Here’s what you need:
CINNAMON ROLL DOUGH:
- Warm water – one cup to mix with the yeast
- Active dry yeast – You can use instant yeast or quick rise
- Sugar – mix one tablespoon in with the warm water and yeast
- Warm milk – any kind of milk will work, but I like using whole or 2% milk for this recipe
- Butter – softened, unsalted butter works great so you can control the amount of salt flavor in the dough
- Sugar – white, granulated sugar
- Salt
- Eggs – two whole eggs
- Flour – I like using bread flour for this recipe, but all-purpose flour works great too.
CINNAMON FILLING:
- Butter – melted
- White Sugar
- Ground Cinnamon
- Brown sugar
- Walnuts, pecans or raisins (OPTIONAL)
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
- Cream cheese – one eight ounce block, softened to room temperature.
- Butter – also softened to room temperature
- Vanilla extract
- Powdered sugar – use a sifter to get the sugar super light and airy
Make Ahead of Time
This cinnamon roll recipe is the perfect thing to make the night or day before, freeing up plenty of time for lazy morning snuggling and relaxing. There are two times you can refrigerate the dough:
- After it is kneaded and before the first rise.
- After the dough has risen and is shaped on a lightly floured surface.
Cover the shaped dough in plastic wrap (if not making ahead, covering with a kitchen towel is fine) or an airtight container and keep in the refrigerator for up to a day. When you’re ready to bake, remove from fridge and unwrap slightly and let it rise in a warm place until doubled. Then bake til golden brown, frost, and enjoy!
How to Slice Cinnamon Roll Dough
Once you roll up your dough into a “tube” shape you will want to slice off each individual roll (this is actually my favorite part). Don’t do this with a knife if you can help it! It will make it so your dough un-rolls and it will most-likely be uneven. The easiest thing to do is to get about 2 feet of dental floss and place it under the rolled dough, 1 inch from the end. Bring the floss up around the dough and cross it over the top, cutting through the dough and filling. Repeat at 1-inch intervals. WAY easier than using a knife (even a sharp knife or serrated knife).
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! You can freeze them in the pan, unrisen and unbaked. Remove from the freezer the morning you want to serve them, and allow them to rise before baking. You can also freeze them AFTER baking but before they’re frosted.
To reheat from frozen, thaw them on the counter until room temperature. Pop them into the oven for about 20 minutes until heated all the way through. Or, you can microwave individual rolls for about 45 seconds, then stick them in the oven for a couple of minutes for fresh baked crust.
Cinnamon rolls are glazed with cream cheese icing after baking. Cinnamon buns are flipped out of the pan upside down, which forms a sweet buttery crust on top.
I like to use parchment paper at the bottom of my pan with a little cooking spray for easy removal and clean up.
Read Next: 35+ Brunch Ideas
The Best Frosting for Cinnamon Rolls
Arguably, the best part of this cinnamon roll recipe is the creamy cream cheese frosting. Sweet taste but not too sweet, with a rich cream cheese flavor that adds a little protein and calcium and complements the fluffy cinnamon rolls to perfection. And if you frost them while they’re still warm, the luscious icing melts down into the sweet crevices and gives the rolls a softer texture. We always use our famous Cream Cheese Frosting for this recipe (see recipe card below). It is simply scrumptious!
More Recipes with Cream Cheese Frosting
While we’re on the subject, try a few of our most favorite frosting covered treats. You’re welcome.
- Pumpkin Sandwich Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Carrot Cake Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Coconut Cream Cake with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting
- Lemon Buttermilk Cupcakes with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
- Pumpkin Roll
- Nothing Bundt Cakes White Chocolate Raspberry (Copycat Recipe)
More Delicious Cinnamon Roll Recipes
Plus, if you love a little more to your rolls, try a few of these mouthwatering recipes:
How to Make The BEST Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup warm water
- 2 tablespoons yeast (quick rise)
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 eggs
- 7 1/2 cups bread flour divided (all-purpose flour works fine also)
- 2 tablespoons oil
Cinnamon Filling:
- 1/3 cup butter
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 1/2 pounds powdered sugar
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine water, yeast, and sugar. Set aside for 10 minutes. Heat milk in microwave for 2 minutes. Set aside. In a large bowl or heavy mixer combine milk, softened butter, salt and sugar. Mix together until butter is melted. Add eggs one at a time and 3 cups flour. Mix for 2 minutes. Add yeast mixture and 2 cups flour. Mix well.
- Let dough sit for 10 minutes. (If using a standing mixer…now is the time to change to a dough hook!) Continue to mix while slowly adding remaining 2 ½ cups flour. Dough will start pulling away from the sides of the bowl, but is still quite sticky. Beat 3 more minutes. Coat another large bowl with 2 tablespoons oil. Take dough out of mixing bowl and place in oiled bowl, turning over once to coat each side. Place clean towel over bowl and let raise in a warm spot for 45 minutes.
- After 45 minutes, put dough out onto floured surface. Knead by hand, adding a little flour if needed. DO NOT USE TOO MUCH FLOUR! You want dough to remain very soft! With rolling pin, roll dough into a rectangle shape about the size of a jelly roll pan (11×15 inch) and 1/4-½ inch thick.
- Melt ⅓ cup butter in microwave for 30 seconds or until just melted. Spread over dough.
- Sprinkle ¼ cup sugar and ¾ cup brown sugar over butter. Sprinkle cinnamon on top of sugars. Top with nuts if desired.
- Roll up starting with the long side; pinch seam to seal. Cut into 1 inch rolls (see notes above on how to do this) and place on greased cookie sheet or in 2 9×13 glass baking pans.
- Cover and let rise another 45 minutes.
- Bake at 325 degrees for 16-20 minutes or until lightly browned (Do NOT over-bake). Cool for 10 minutes before frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth.
- Slowly add powdered sugar, mixing constantly, until desired consistency is reached. (you may not need ALL of the powdered sugar)
- Spread over warm cinnamon rolls.
Notes
Tips for cutting rolled cinnamon roll dough:
- Once you roll up your dough into a “tube” shape you will want to slice off each individual roll (this is actually my favorite part). Don’t do this with a knife if you can help it! It will make it so your dough un-rolls and it will most-likely be uneven.
- The easiest thing to do is to get about 2 feet of dental floss and place it under the rolled dough, 1 inch from the end.
- Bring the floss up around the dough and cross it over the top, cutting through the dough and filling. Repeat at 1-inch intervals. WAY easier than using a knife.
Another option would be to butter pan and spread brown suger for the bottom and or with raisins. (instead of a ice topping) Flip pan after baking when still warm to remove to another sheet pan.
I have made this recipe several times for various occasions. Every time I make these I get all kinds of praise for how delicious the rolls are. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. Whenever I need to convince someone to help us with something (moving, installing a fence, etc.) I’m always sure to mention I’m making cinnamon rolls, and they’re immediately on board to help! I’m already known by those in my life as “the one that bakes”, but I’ve had troubles in the past with cinnamon rolls that stay soft. This recipe, however, has always come out perfectly. This is the best cinnamon roll recipe I have ever made, and definitely the best I have ever tasted. 1000% recommend.
*Side note: I can’t consume cow’s milk, so I’ve always subbed in unsweetened cashew milk (cashew milk because it has a much less potent flavor than almond milk), and it always works out great- and it doesn’t appear to hurt the yeast at all either. Also, I have never put the nuts in… not my thing.
These were the best! The instructions are so easy to follow and my whole family helped make them! The kids are already asking for them again!
I was looking for something special to make for Christmas morning and these are just the thing. Bookmarked for later! Thank you!
I’m definitely all about pecans with this recipe. Seriously–so light and fluffy. Perfect for holiday breakfast!
I rarely make cinnamon rolls because I feel like they take so long to make. But when they look this good, I think you have me convinced! Thank you so much for this recipe, I will definitely give it a go for the holidays!
Oh my goodness – these look just absolutely outstanding! Such a perfect treat for Christmas morning! Thank you for all the wonderful little hints and tips so they turn out perfectly!
With this recipe, can you use your bread machine for the mixing and first rise and then take the dough out of the bread machine and continue with your instructions?
Hi Tammy- This recipe actually makes quite a lot so unless you have a very large bread machine I don’t know if this recipe would work well. Bread machine recipes are usually just the right amount to make equivalent to one loaf of bread, which this is much more than that. You CAN, however, use our “How To Make Bread In A Bread Machine” recipe and use that dough for cinnamon rolls (we have done that before). It just makes enough for a small batch of cinnamon rolls. Hope this makes sense!
Hi Erica,
Thank you for this amazing recipe! I tried making this recipe after a terrible first attempt at cinnamon rolls. I only made half because I didn’t have faith in my baking skills, but WOW! These ARE better than cinnabon.
I used up the last of the active dry yeast I had on hand for this last batch, but want to make more. I could only find Bread machine rapid rise yeast this time, and the instructions say that I can just mix it in with the dry ingredients. Does that seem right? Would I need to add the 1 cup of warm water to the dough when mixing to compensate for not dissolving the yeast first?
I tried finding an answer online with no luck. I would really appreciate any suggestions. Thanks so much!! 🙂
I haven’t tried substituting instant yeast for the active dry yeast in this recipe but typically 1 package active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons) = 1 2/3 teaspoons instant yeast. And yes, you still add the water. It can be hotter, like 120-130 degrees. Good luck!
Thank you for the best cinnamon roll recipe ever!! I too have been going through recipe after recipe looking for that one special recipe. I can honestly say this is it!! I have even deleted any cinnamon roll recipes I had saved. Thank you again for sharing.
We are so flattered!! Thank you so much!
I have never made Cinnamon Rolls before but I just made these on Christmas eve and put one 9×11 pan in the fridge for Christmas Morning and one in the freezer for New Years. I took the pan out of the fridge about 45 minutes before they were to go into the oven. They had done some rising in the fridge and continued to do so on the counter. Baked them up and cut the frosting recipe in half. We used to live in Bremerton, WA and there is a wonderful bakery in Poulsbo, WA called Sluy’s that we always loved to get the Cinnamon Rolls from. My husband said these are better (huge compliment). Thanks for a great cinnamon roll recipe.
Hi, I’m confused by the yield. If you’re cutting it along the long edge of 15″ and you’re cutting them 1″ each, how do you get 24 rolls? Thanks!
We gave the size of the jelly roll pan just for reference on the proportions of the sides. If you roll the dough out thin you should be able to get 24 roll.
I’m confused, your ingredient list says to use rapid rise yeast, but your link to Amazon is for active yeast. So which do you use?
The two yeasts can be used interchangeably in recipes, but active dry yeast needs to be dissolved in water before using while instant yeast can be mixed right into the dough.
Can you use almond milk? We are a no milk household.
We haven’t used almond milk before in this recipe so I can’t say for sure. If you have had success with almond milk in other backing recipes I would say give it a try! If you do, be sure to come back and let us know how it turns out!
The Best By far!! Kudos 🙂
So glad you liked them! Thanks Amber!
I’ve been on a mission to find my “go to” for cinnamon rolls. So I went to Pinterest and have been trying them one by one. I think this is the winner. I love the soft dough. I used all purpose flour and will try bread flour to see if I can tell a difference. But thanks for posting. It’s a great recipe.
Hi Emily- thank you so much for your comment!!! What a huge compliment! So happy to hear you enjoyed these cinnamon rolls so much. Thank you for the 5-stars!
Hello! I’m preparing the cinnamon rolls the night before they are needed and baking them in the morning! Just to make sure I understand this right; I can put the cut up rolls into a baking dish, cover them, refrigerate them, then the next morning I take them out and let them rise and they should bake just fine?
Thanks
Yep, that is right. Depending on how cold you keep your fridge they should’t rise until you take them out. They may rise some, and in that case you can just pop them straight in the oven! Hope this helps!
Would these work with gluten free flour?
We haven’t tried this specific recipe with gluten free flour, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t!
I was wondering how long they would need to rise again after freesing them in the pan (unbaked) 🙂
I would freeze them before they rise. Then let them rise when you thaw them out. It rising process can depend on the temperature of your house and time of day you are doing it, but my guess would be 2 hours- 1 to thaw and 1 to rise.
This filling recipe is soooooo not enough to cover to everything. Double it or even triple it.
My husband and I had Ann Sather cinnamon rolls in Chicago last weekend. This recipe is as good or better! The texture of the dough is delightful! The cream cheese frosting was good, but I just noticed I used 1 cup and 1/2 instead of 1 pound and a half of powdered sugar. User error here, so I am sure it would be that much better with correct measurements. Any tips of rolling the dough out? My rolls were very large. Thank you for sharing!
I am glad you enjoyed this recipe! I’m not sure why your rolls turned out so large, but I would just make sure that you let it rise for only 45 minutes! That way it doesn’t rise too much and become too large. Hope that helps!
Is that actually 1 1/2 pounds of powdered sugar, how many cups would that be?
1 1/2 pounds of powdered sugar is the equivalent to about 6 cups. Hope this helps!
1.5 cups is 24 oz. That is three cups, one cup is 8 ounces.
Sorry I should have clarified.. because powdered sugar is so light 1 cup is about 4 1/2 ounces. You are correct, if we were measuring water or even regular sugar it would be 8 ounces. Hope this helps!
I’m making them right now. Been baking all night. Made a 13 layer cake and thought how nice it would be for my mom, who is visiting and my son to wake up to fresh homemade cinnamon rolls!!!!
I’ve made them before and this resembles the recipe I used them. I froze half of them after I rolled, cut and put them in glass Pyrex. Then when they were frozen I put them into double freezer bags and would use the rest as needed. (****Let thaw and rise, then bake as usual. ) My son loved that!! I’ll send 6 home with my Mom, she’s raising my nephew and he’s a 17 year old eating machine he’s going to LOVE these.
I’m sure I’ll be getting more requests for them!!!
Thanks for sharing the recipe!!!
Your mom and son are very lucky to have you! When I have been baking all night the last thing I want to do it bake more– so props to you! I bet they loved waking up to hot, fresh cinnamon rolls!
I have tried several cinnamon roll recipes and this by far is my favorite! They are so soft and delicious.
I got 36 from one recipe. Also when rolling them out I cut the dough in half. Made it easier to handle.
So glad you like it! Thank you for sharing how many this yielded for you. 🙂
How many calories are in each cinnamon roll?
We don’t have the nutrition information available for our recipes yet– if you plug this recipe into an online nutrition calculator you should be able to find it. Hope this helps!
Sounds great. This sounds like it will made a lot of cinnamon rolls. Can you tell me the yeild? Also, with this much ingredients do you do step 8 twice? Can I just cut everything in half if I don’t want that many?
It should make 24 cinnamon rolls. You can half the recipe if you don’t want that many!
Thank you! Can’t wait to give this a try.
These were my first time making these. They were not bad and I definitely have room for improvement. They are very sweet tasting, light and fluffy
These are the best cinnamon rolls ever..Everyone loves them..This is my go to recipe..
I am so glad you like them!!
The ingredients lists 7.5 cups of flour but instructions only use 4.5 cups of flour. How much is actually used
In instruction #5 you add 3 cups of flour and then 2 additional cups of flour, and then in instruction #6 you add the other 2 1/2 cups of flour.
Can I bake these using a convection oven? Would I adjust temperature or time?
We haven’t made this in a convection oven before so it is hard to say. Typically with convection ovens you want to reduce the temperature by 25-degrees when baking. Again, I haven’t made these in a convection oven so I can’t say for sure about the time. If you try it, let us know how it turns out!
Can I use active dry yeast instead of the quick ride?
I just realized I used a regular yeast not a quick rising yeast.
How long do you recommend to let rise instead of 45 minutes and 45 minutes ?
Thank you
I would add 10-15 minutes to the rise time both times!
This look great. However, Step number 5 sates that you should add the eggs one at a time but eggs are not listed in the ingredients list
Oh no! Thanks for catching that! It is two eggs. I will fix it right now!
Can this be made with regular yeast? What would the time adjustments be?
I haven’t used active dry yeast with this recipe, so I’m not sure. However, when I do switch yeast types in other recipes, I like to use this guide: https://www.epicurious.com/expert-advice/swap-different-types-of-yeast-article
Hope this helps!