Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
There’s just nothing better than a batch of warm frosted Homemade Cinnamon Rolls! Made from scratch and with a whole lot of love, these classic breakfast treats are actually a whole lot easier to whip up than you may think. And yes… dare I say, they’re even better than Cinnabon.
Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
What’s your favorite part of a cinnamon roll? Everyone always says the gooey middles, and I’m inclined to agree. However, with this pretty perfect recipe, it’s hard not to say the whole entire thing!
The spiced, yet sweet cinnamon filling, the angelically soft dough and cream cheese frosting all come together to make each bite even better than the last.
It’s impossible to have just one of these sweet morning treats, but I dare you to try! If you’re making a batch of these cinnamon rolls for a big breakfast or brunch party, you may want to consider making a double batch.
These bad boys tend to fly from the baking dish! I mean really, just with the sweet, cinnamon-y smell alone they’re downright impossible to resist.
If you’ve ever made any form of homemade dough, the steps here will be a real cinch for you. And if you’re more of a novice baker, welcome! You’ve chosen a great easy recipe to start with.
Simple ingredients come together in just a few easy to follow steps to yield what might just be (in my humble opinion) the BEST. Cinnamon. Rolls. EVER!
How to Make Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
Don’t let the amount of steps here scare you off. While the process may be a bit lengthy, the steps themselves are SO simple. Plus, the end results are well worth your efforts!
- Mix the wet ingredients. Use a dough hook attachment for your stand mixer to combine the milk, eggs, and butter.
- Add the dry ingredients. Pour in the bread flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. Mix together on low speed until a dough forms. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes.
- Let it rest. Let the dough rest, untouched, for 10 minutes. This helps build stronger gluten structure and helps to hydrate the flour!
- Knead and add more flour. Using the dough hook, knead the dough again for another 5 minutes. You can add more flour if the dough looks too wet. Keep in mind that you may not need to use all of the flour. The dough should be a bit sticky and come off the sides of the mixer. If you add too much flour, your rolls will be a bit dry.
- Let it rise. Spray a bowl with cooking spray. Place the dough into the greased bowl. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm space until doubled in size. This usually takes about 30-40 minutes, depending on the temperature of where it is rising.
- Make the filling. Combine the melted butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a bowl. This is great to do while the dough is rising.
- Make a rectangle. Sprinkle flour onto your countertop and place the dough on it. Roll it into a rectangle. The ideal length of the rectangle is 18 inches.
- Spread and roll. Spread the cinnamon mixture evenly across the dough. Roll up the dough into a log. Pinch it at the seam so it stays together.
- Cut, cover, and rise. Cut the log into 12 even pieces. Place the unbaked rolls into a greased baking dish. Cover and let rise until doubled – this will take about 30-40 minutes.
- Bake. Bake the cinnamon rolls for 18-23 minutes at 375°F.
- Make the frosting. Make the cream cheese frosting by combining the cream cheese and butter. Then, mic in the vanilla and powdered sugar until well combined. This is great to do while the rolls are baking.
- ENJOY! Frost the cinnamon rolls, let them cool for a few minutes, and serve.
Can I substitute active dry yeast for the instant yeast in this recipe?
Yes, you can use it but you will need to be sure to activate the yeast first. Put the yeast in warm milk with one tablespoon of sugar and let it sit for 5 minutes. It should be foamy. Then, continue adding the rest of the ingredients.
Can I make these the night before and bake them in the oven in the morning?
Absolutely! Go ahead and make the recipe up to where the cinnamon rolls are sliced and put into the 9×13 baking dish. Cover the pan tightly and place it in the refrigerator overnight. The rolls will slowly rise overnight. In the morning, take the pan out of the refrigerator and bring it up to room temperature for 30-45 minutes. Preheat the oven and bake the rolls as instructed.
Can I use all-purpose flour instead of bread flour?
Bread flour has higher protein which helps strengthen bread dough and also helps with rising. You can use all-purpose flour, but I recommend bread flour to help give your cinnamon rolls the perfect texture.
Start your day with more of my favorite sweet treats!
- Banana Pancakes
- Crockpot Cinnamon Roll Casserole
- Overnight French Toast Casserole
- The Best Belgian Waffle Recipe
- Bananas Foster Cinnamon Rolls
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Get the Recipe: Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
Ingredients
Dough:
- 1 cup whole milk, warmed to 110 degrees F
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 4 ½ cups bread flour
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 ½ teaspoons instant yeast
- 1 teaspoon salt
Filling:
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
Cream cheese frosting:
- 4 tablespoons butter, room temperature
- 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Equipment
- 1 baking dish
Instructions
- Attach dough hook attachment to stand mixer.
- Add milk, eggs, and butter to a stand mixer bowl.
- On top of the wet mixture, add four cups of bread flour, granulated sugar, instant yeast, and salt. Try to keep the yeast separate from the salt when pouring it on top of the flour.
- Turn the mixer on low with the dough hook and mix the dough until it comes together. Then knead the dough for 5 minutes.
- Stop the mixer and let the dough rest for 10 minutes. (Note: resting the dough helps build stronger gluten structure and helps to hydrate the flour).
- Knead the dough again with the dough hook for another 5 minutes. During this time if the dough looks too wet, slowly add some of the remaining 1/2 cup of flour. You may not need to use all of the flour. The dough should be a bit sticky and come off the sides of the mixer. If you add too much flour, then it will cause your rolls to be a bit dry.
- Spray a large bowl with cooking spray and transfer the dough into the greased bowl. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rest in a warm space until doubled in size. (Note: this usually takes about 30 – 40 minutes depending on the temperature of where it is rising).
- While the dough is rising, prepare the filling. Combine the melted butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a bowl.
- Once the dough is done rising, sprinkle some flour onto a flat surface. Transfer the dough to the surface and begin rolling it out into a rectangle. Try to get the length of the rectangle to at least 18 inches (this will allow you to cut 12 rolls out at 1 ½ inches).
- Spread the cinnamon sugar mixture all over the dough.
- Start at the long end of the dough and roll it up. Try to pinch the seam together so it stays rolled up.
- Cut the dough into 12 pieces and add to a greased 9×13 baking pan. Cover the rolls and let them rise again until nearly double. (This usually takes about 30 – 40 minutes.
- While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Once the dough is ready, put it into the oven for approximately 18 – 23 minutes.
- While the dough is baking, prepare the cream cheese frosting.
- In a bowl combine cream cheese and butter for one minute or until well combined. Add the vanilla and mix it together. Slowly add in the powdered sugar and mix until well combined.
- Once the rolls come out of the oven, spread the cream cheese frosting on them.
- Allow rolls to cool for a few minutes and serve. Leftovers should be stored in an air-tight container.