Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

Deliciously gooey Homemade Cinnamon Rolls come with step-by-step photos, detailed instructions, and all my top tips for perfect rolls every single time.

Create the ultimate breakfast or brunch by serving them alongside breakfast potatoes and this strawberry smoothie!

Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

If you ask my toddler what his favorite thing to eat is, he won’t hesitate at all to yell “CINNAMON ROLLS!” He loves them! Because of this, we make a lot of cinnamon rolls at our house, and subsequently, do a LOT of testing. The result of all that testing? This delicious Homemade Cinnamon Roll recipe just might become YOUR favorite thing to eat!

I’ve included step-by-step photos and detailed instructions below, so you can make these — even if you don’t have much baking experience. If you get a chance to try these, let me know what you think in the comment section below!

How to make Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

Step One: Warm the milk and proof the yeast.

• Warm the milk to exactly 100 degrees and remove it from the stovetop. (I use a thermometer for precision.)
• Next, we proof the yeast, which means that we activate it. To do this, add the yeast and sugar on top of the warm milk and let it stand for 5-10 minutes. Do not stir the yeast into the sugar and milk.

Step Two: Combine butter, vanilla, and egg.

• While the yeast is activating, melt 4 tablespoons of butter and let it cool back to room temperature – it’s important the butter isn’t hot so when it’s added to the egg, the egg doesn’t cook.
• Whisk together the butter, an egg yolk (reserve or discard the whites), and vanilla extract.

Step Three: Combine the mixtures.

• Before combining the yeast with the butter and egg mixture, you need to be sure the yeast is activated. Activated yeast will have a bubbly foam on the surface, just like the picture below on the left. If you don’t get the foamy yeast, you’ll need to start again or you’ll end up with dense homemade cinnamon rolls. The 2 most common reasons for the yeast not activating is old/bad yeast, or the milk was too hot. 
• Once you’ve verified the yeast is activated, whisk together the yeast with the butter and egg mixture (bottom right photo).

Step Four: Add in the dry ingredients.

• Add all the dry ingredients to a stand mixer bowl. Mix together, then create an indent in the center of the dry ingredients.
• Add the wet ingredients from step 3 to the indent you created in the dry ingredients (bottom left picture).
• Mix on low speed with the dough hook until thick and slightly sticky (~2 minutes), scraping down the sides with a spatula as needed.
• Knead on medium speed until the dough gathers around the hook, (~5-6 minutes).
• If the dough is not gathering around the hook you can add a small amount of additional flour. The dough should be slightly sticky and tacky, so resist the urge to add too much additional flour; this will take away from the softness of the dough.

Step Five: Let the dough rise.

• Gently form the dough into a ball, place it in a large, greased bowl, and cover. Let rise until doubled; about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• PRO TIP: The dough will rise faster in a warm (not hot!) environment. There are a couple of ways we do this in our house. My husband will put his rising dough in front of our fireplace on low heat. I like to heat my oven to 170 degrees F, turn it off, add the bowl of dough, and keep the oven open just a crack.

Step Six: Roll out the dough.

• Lightly flour a clean surface and roll out the dough. Try to get a rectangle shape that is approximately 15 x 12 inches (with the 15-inch side facing you). Avoid overworking the dough.
• Spread the butter, cinnamon, and brown sugar over the dough.
• Starting on the long end, tightly roll the dough in a jelly roll-style roll. You should end up with an even-sized cylinder.
• Cut the cylinder of dough into 12 even slices. (Use your measuring tape for perfect accuracy!)

Step Seven: Let the rolls rise.

• Grease a 9×13-inch pan and place the cut homemade cinnamon rolls onto the pan. (This 9 x 13 Cake Pan is my favorite pan ever!)
• Cover the rolls and allow them to rise (again, in a warm environment for best results) for 20-30 minutes or until nearly double in size. 
• Once the rolls have risen, pour warmed heavy cream evenly over the rolls. This makes the cinnamon rolls deliciously gooey, flavorful, and slightly caramelized around the edges. This tip comes from Tastes of Lizzy T and we don’t make our cinnamon rolls without it now.

Step Eight: Bake and glaze.

• Place the cinnamon rolls in the oven and prepare the topping while they’re baking.
• Once the rolls are out of the oven, let them cool for 10-15 minutes before spreading the frosting evenly over the rolls.
• Enjoy while warm and gooey!

Cinnamon Roll FAQs

More delicious recipes

• French Toast (with a four-ingredient caramel syrup!)
• Acai Bowl (four flavors!)
• Healthy No-Bake Cookies
• Cinnamon Roll Cheesecakes (reader favorite!)
• The absolute best homemade pancakes with blueberry syrup

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4.95 from 19 votes

Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

By Chelsea Lords

Gooey, Homemade Cinnamon Rolls made easy with step-by-step photos and foolproof tips for perfect rolls every time!

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 18 minutes minutes

Dough Rising: 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 2 hours hours 3 minutes minutes

Servings: 12 large cinnamon rolls

Equipment

• Medium pot
• stand mixer with dough hook
• 9 x 13-inch baking pan ceramic or glass; avoid metal if possible

Ingredients  

1x2x3x

For the Dough

• ▢ 1 cup whole milk I wouldn’t recommend a lower fat
• ▢ 2-1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast not instant or rapid rise
• ▢ 1/3 cup + 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
• ▢ 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and cooled to room temperature
• ▢ 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
• ▢ 1 large egg yolk
• ▢ 2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour plus some additional flour as needed
• ▢ 3/4 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the Filling

• ▢ 8 tablespoons butter 1/2 cup, softened
• ▢ 1 cup dark brown sugar I like dark, but light works great too; firmly packed
• ▢ 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• ▢ 1/3 cup heavy cream slightly warmed

For the Frosting/Glaze

• ▢ 4 ounces cream cheese, full-fat, at room temperature
• ▢ 1/4 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
• ▢ 1 cup powdered sugar
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ▢ 1/8 teaspoon salt

Instructions 

Make the Dough

• Preheat oven to 170°F. Heat the milk in a medium pot over low heat until it reaches 100°F. Remove the pot from heat and add the yeast and 1/2 teaspoon sugar. Do not stir. Let sit until foamy, about 5–10 minutes. (If the mixture doesn’t foam, you may need new yeast, or the milk could have killed the yeast if it was too hot. Start over or your rolls won’t rise.)
• While the yeast is proofing, melt the butter and let it return to room temperature. Once cooled, whisk in the vanilla extract and egg yolk until smooth. Whisk this mixture into the yeast/milk mixture.
• Using a stand mixer, mix together flour, the remaining 1/3 cup sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Once combined, make an indent in the center and pour the yeast mixture into it. Mix on low speed with the dough hook until thick and slightly sticky (~2 minutes), scraping the sides with a spatula as needed. Knead on medium speed until the dough gathers around the hook, (~5–6 minutes). If the dough isn’t gathering around the hook, you can slowly add more flour (1/4 up to 3/4 cup extra). Aim for a slightly sticky and tacky texture—just enough to gather around the hook without sticking to your fingers. Avoid over-flouring to keep the dough soft.
• Remove the dough and shape it into a ball (it will be a little sticky!). Grease the mixing bowl with cooking spray or butter and return the dough to the bowl, turning to coat with the spray or butter. Cover with plastic wrap or a towel and let rise until doubled. This takes roughly 45 mins to 1.5 hours. Placing the dough in a warm environment will make it rise faster. (I turn off the oven that preheated to 170°F, add the bowl of dough into the oven, and crack the oven open 4–5 inches.)
• Lightly flour a clean surface and roll out the dough. Try to get a rectangle shape that is approximately 15x12 inches (with the 15-inch side facing you). Avoid overworking the dough.

For the Filling

• In a large bowl, combine the softened butter with brown sugar and cinnamon. Beat until you have a thick mixture.
• Use a knife or spatula to spread the cinnamon-sugar mixture over the entire dough rectangle. Starting on the long side (closest to you), tightly roll up the dough jelly-roll style.
• Cut the roll of dough into 12 equal slices and place in a greased 9x13-inch ceramic or glass pan. (Avoid metal pans if possible.)
• Cover the rolls in the pan and allow them to rise until nearly doubled. Again, place in a warm environment to make them rise quicker, about 20–30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Warm the heavy cream for 15–20 seconds in the microwave (you don’t want it hot, just not cold/straight from the fridge).
• Using a pastry brush, spread the heavy cream over the risen rolls and allow it to soak down, in, and around the rolls.
• Bake cinnamon rolls at 375°F for 17–26 minutes, until the rolls are lightly golden brown at the edges and the center of the rolls are cooked through.

For the Frosting/Glaze

• While the rolls are cooling, prepare the frosting/glaze. Combine room-temperature cream cheese and butter in a large bowl and beat until smooth and creamy, about 2–3 minutes. Add in powdered sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. Beat until smooth.
• Allow cinnamon rolls to cool at room temperature for 10–15 minutes, then spread the glaze evenly over the rolls. Enjoy warm!

Video

Recipe Notes

Storage: Store leftover cinnamon rolls in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. For longer storage, wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat, warm in the microwave or oven until soft.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 376kcal | Carbohydrates: 61g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 49mg | Sodium: 243mg | Potassium: 156mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 36g | Vitamin A: 407IU | Calcium: 109mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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