Description
These Best Homemade Cinnamon Rolls are soft, fluffy, and indulgent, with a gooey cinnamon-sugar filling and decadent cream cheese frosting. Perfect for breakfast, brunch, or a sweet treat, they’re guaranteed to be a hit with everyone!
Ingredients
For the dough:
1 package yeast (2 ¼ teaspoons)
1 cup milk
½ cup granulated sugar
4 cups all-purpose flour (plus up to ½ cup more as needed)
6 tablespoons butter, diced and softened
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
For the filling:
1 stick butter, softened
½ cup brown sugar, packed
½ cup white sugar
3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
For the easy cream cheese frosting:
¾ cup cream cheese
1 cup icing sugar (or more to taste)
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Warm the milk to around 100°F. In a small bowl, combine the yeast with 1 tablespoon of warm milk and 1 teaspoon sugar. Stir and let sit for 5 minutes until bubbles appear.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, butter, salt, eggs, yeast mixture, and remaining milk and sugar. Stir lightly to combine, then knead the dough with the dough hook on medium speed until smooth (10-12 minutes). If the dough is too sticky, add more flour a tablespoon at a time.
- Transfer the dough to a greased bowl, cover with a towel, and let rise for 1 hour, until doubled in size.
- Once risen, punch down the dough and turn it onto a floured surface. Roll it into a rectangle (18×12 inches, ¼ inch thick). Spread softened butter over the dough, then sprinkle with brown sugar, white sugar, and cinnamon evenly.
- Roll the dough tightly into a log from the longer side. Slice the log into 12 rolls using dental floss or thread for neat slices.
- Place the rolls in a greased 9×13-inch pan. Cover with a towel and let them rise for 30 minutes until puffy.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and bake the rolls for 18 minutes or until golden brown. Tent with foil and bake an additional 15-20 minutes if the center rolls aren’t done.
- For frosting, beat cream cheese, icing sugar, vanilla extract, and salt until smooth. Once the rolls cool slightly, spread frosting over the warm rolls.
- Serve and enjoy warm!
Notes
Gluten-Free: Use gluten-free flour blend and add xanthan gum for better structure.
Vegan: Substitute plant-based milk, dairy-free butter, and flax eggs.
Cinnamon Roll Bites: Cut the dough into smaller pieces and bake in muffin tins.
Nutty Version: Add chopped walnuts or pecans to the filling for extra crunch.
Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, refrigerate for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months.
Reheating: Reheat in the microwave or in the oven at 350°F for a few minutes to warm them up.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cinnamon roll
- Calories: 400
- Sugar: 30g
- Sodium: 240mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 56g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 45mg
