The best homemade cinnamon rolls ever! If you love gooey cinnamon buns, THIS is the recipe with the secret ingredient that makes all the difference.
Prep time: PT30M
Cook time: PT22M
Total time: PT102M
Rating
4.81 stars (5781 reviews)
Keywords
brunch, christmas morning, weekend
Ingredients
1 cup warm milk ((115 degrees F))
2 1/2 teaspoons instant dry yeast* ((I like Red Star Platinum Baking Yeast) )
2 large eggs (at room temperature)
1/3 cup salted butter** ((Melted or very softened, but make sure it isn't over 110º Fahrenheit.) )
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
4 1/2 cups bread flour ((divided))
1/2 cup salted butter ((almost melted))
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1/2 cup heavy cream*** ((for pouring over the risen rolls))
6 ounces cream cheese ((softened))
1/3 cup salted butter ((softened) )
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tablespoon maple extract ((or vanilla) )
Categories
Breakfast
Cuisine
American
Steps
Pour the warm milk (115ºF) in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast overtop. Allow this to sit for 3-4 minutes. The yeast will get a little frothy to show it is activated. 1 cup warm milk, 2 1/2 teaspoons instant dry yeast*-
Add the room temperature eggs, butter and sugar. Mix until combined. 2 large eggs, 1/3 cup salted butter**, 1/2 cup granulated sugar
Add in salt and 4 cups (save the other 1/2 cup and add only if you need it) of flour and mix using the beater blade just until the ingredients are barely combined. Allow the mixture to rest for 5 minutes so the flour has time to soak up the liquids. 1 teaspoon salt, 4 1/2 cups bread flour
Scrape the dough off the beater blade and remove it. Attach the dough hook.
To knead, beat the dough on medium speed for 5-7 minutes, adding in up to 1/2 cup more flour only if needed to form a dough. The dough should be elastic and smooth. **The dough should be tacky and will pull away from the sides of the bowl but may stick slightly to the bottom. That's ok! Don't be tempted to add more flour at this point. We generally add about 4 1/4 cups, but start with 4 cups.
Spray a large bowl with cooking spray. Use a rubber spatula to remove the dough from the mixer bowl and place it in the greased large bowl. Cover the bowl with a towel or wax paper.
Set the bowl in a warm place and allow the dough to rise until double. I like to turn on the oven to the lowest setting for 1-2 minutes. Then turn off the oven and place the dough to rise in there. It normally takes about 30 minutes for the dough to rise. Do not allow the dough to rise too much or your cinnamon rolls will be airy.
While the dough is rising, prepare the cinnamon filling. In a medium bowl, combine the soft butter, brown sugar and cinnamon, mixing until well combined. Set aside. 1/2 cup salted butter, 1 cup packed brown sugar, 2 tablespoons cinnamon
Sprinkle a pastry mat or work surface generously with flour. Turn out the dough onto the surface and sprinkle the top of the dough with additional flour.
Flour a rolling pin and roll the dough to about a 24x15" rectangle. (the size of the rectangle can vary...it does not have to be exact!)
Use a rubber spatula to smooth the cinnamon filling over the whole dough rectangle.
Starting on the long side, roll the dough up tightly jelly roll style.
Cut into 12 slices and place in a greased 9x13 baking pan.**** Cover the pan and allow the rolls to rise for 20 minutes while the oven is preheating.
Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
Warm the heavy cream until the chill is off. Don't make it hot...you just don't want it cold. It should be warm to the touch. Once the rolls have risen, pour the heavy cream over the top of the rolls, allowing it to soak down in and around the rolls. 1/2 cup heavy cream***
Bake in a preheated oven for 25 minutes, until the rolls are lightly golden brown and the center rolls are cooked through. Note...the time will vary based on how big the rolls are, what type of pan, how close the rolls are packed, etc. They could take up to 30 minutes. Check the rolls at 20 minutes. If they are getting too browned, cover loosely with foil for the remaining baking time.
While the rolls are cooling, prepare the cream cheese frosting.
In a large bowl, combine the softened cream cheese and butter using a hand mixer. Blend well. 6 ounces cream cheese, 1/3 cup salted butter
Add in your favorite extract and the powdered sugar. Beat until combined. Spread the frosting over the cooled rolls. 1/2 tablespoon maple extract, 2 cups powdered sugar
Nutitrion
Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 618 kcal
Carbohydrates: 85 g
Protein: 7 g
Fat: 28 g
Saturated Fat: 17 g
Cholesterol: 109 mg
Sodium: 427 mg
Sugar: 47 g
Reviews
Jaelyn on 2026-03-25 (5 stars): Turned out delicious
Kate on 2026-03-23 (5 stars): So good!
Erika on 2026-03-19 (5 stars): They came out absolutely amazing !
Brad on 2026-03-17 (5 stars): Great!
Brea Segura on 2026-03-14 (5 stars): 1,000/10. I followed the recipe to a T and these came out perfect. Well, almost.instead of putting the yeast and warmed milk in the mixer, I left it in my glass Pyrex measuring cup to activate. Just a couple stirs with a spoon and let it sit for 5 mins. I had a moment of silence for how good these are. I am a beginner when it comes to yeast and making my own dough but this is foolproof.
Dee Marie on 2026-03-13 (5 stars): These were delicious. I am always trying to make the perfect cinnamon roll and they seem to turn out different each time. I think my oven and having mild dementia has a lot to do with that. ; ) For years I have put some of my favorite flavored coffee cream on top of my rolls before baking because it was always hard to keep heavy whipping cream on hand. Thanks for the great recipe!
Farida on 2026-03-10 (3 stars): I gotta say...they were super tasty but there were a few things I would mention;
1. The milk and yeast don't just foam in a few minutes. I thought my milk was too hot (even though I was using a thermometer) and ended up discarding the first go. The second time I did it, I added some sugar, and, Lo! And Behold! It activated the yeast.
2. There is no mention of how to place them in the baking dish and so, I ended up with mine exploding from the middles. I made 15 and wish I had spaced them out a bit more to have more uniform buns.
3. I added a touch of vanilla to the filling, and it was great. And also, I used unsalted butter for the inside and the frosting and instead added a pinch of salt to each layer.
Thanks and I will tweak this a bit and hopefully nail it!
Courtney Decker on 2026-03-08 (5 stars): Can I leave these on the counter overnight or do they have to go in the fridge?
Carol on 2026-03-07 (5 stars): I made these a couple of years ago and they were fantastic. Easy to make and really easy to eat.
Harry on 2026-03-05 (4 stars): Might have been a bit ambitious for my first time baking these, but they turned out almost perfect. I slightly undercooked them in the middle, needed a bigger pan for a bit more room and make the size more even. So moist and the bread roll was light. Very pleased.
Debra F on 2026-03-01 (5 stars): Wow! These are so good! Turned out perfect on my first try! I’m excited to share!
