Let me tell you something about me,  cinnamon rolls are my absolute favorite dessert. Not cookies, not cake, not pie. Cinnamon rolls. There is just something about pulling a pan of fresh, hot, pillowy cinnamon rolls out of the oven that makes everything in the world feel right. The smell alone is enough to get the whole family out of bed.

But here’s the thing,  I failed a lot before I got here. A lot. I have made cinnamon rolls that were dense, flat, doughy, dry, you name it, I made it wrong at some point. And every time I would think, why is this so hard?! They look so simple! But I kept going, kept tweaking, kept eating the imperfect ones because even a bad cinnamon roll is still a cinnamon roll, right?

And then finally, this recipe. This is the one. The one that made me do a little happy dance in my kitchen. Soft, fluffy, pillowy rolls absolutely buried under a thick, melty cream cheese frosting. I am talking you cannot even see the rolls under all that frosting, and that is exactly how I like it. Once I landed on this recipe I stopped looking. This is it.

These are perfect for every occasion , brunch, a lazy Sunday, or honestly any day that needs a little something special. If you have never made homemade cinnamon rolls from scratch before, I promise you, you are going to be shocked at how doable this is. And once you make them homemade, you will never go back to the can.

Let’s Make It

Start by proofing your yeast. Mix your warm milk, yeast, and sugar together and let it sit until it gets foamy,  this usually takes about 5 to 10 minutes. This step is so important, so don’t skip it. If it doesn’t foam, your yeast may be expired. Toss it and start fresh. I know that’s frustrating to hear but trust me, it saves you so much heartache later.

Once your yeast is beautifully foamy, add in your eggs and melted butter and mix.

Then add your flour and mix until a dough forms. Let the dough rise until doubled in size. Cover it and be patient, good cinnamon rolls cannot be rushed.

While the dough rises, mix together your brown sugar, butter and cinnamon for the filling and set it aside.

Once the dough has doubled, turn it out onto a floured surface and roll it into a large rectangle. Dust your surface and your rolling pin generously with flour to keep things from sticking.

Brush the entire surface of the dough with milk, then rub your brown sugar, butter  and cinnamon mixture evenly all over. Don’t be shy with it.

Starting at the short end, roll the dough into a tight log. Then slice it into 12 even rolls, about 1 to 2 inches each. A sharp knife makes this so much easier. Place the rolls cut side up into a greased baking pan, cover them, and let them rise until doubled in size. 

Bake at 375°F for 20 minutes until golden. While they bake, beat together your cream cheese frosting,  butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla until smooth and dreamy.

Pull those rolls out of the oven and frost them immediately while they are still hot. Watch that frosting melt right into every single swirl. It is a beautiful thing.

Don’t Skip These Tips

Don’t rush the rise. Give that dough the time it needs to fully double. Cutting the rise short means dense rolls and nobody wants that.

There is truly nothing better than a warm cinnamon roll on a slow morning. Make a big batch, share them with people you love, and don’t be afraid to go heavy on the frosting. That’s always the right call. 

…and that’s all we did today.

Cyndi 

Item’s Used

• Weck Jars
• 1 Liter Weck Jars
• Kitchen Wid Mixer
• Pullman Loaf Pan
• Rolling Pin
• Mixing Bowl
• Scale
• Rubber Spatula
• Bowl Scraper
• Wisk
• Sourdough Wisk
• 9×13 Glass Baking Pan

Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting

5 from 2 votes

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Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

What You'll Need

Forthe dough:

• 244 g warm milk
• 9 g quick yeast
• 100 g sugar
• 2 eggs
• 76 g soft butter melted
• 480 g all purposeflour

For the filling:

• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 tbsp cinnamon

For the cream cheese frosting:

• ½ stick butter
• 2 blocks cream cheese
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tbsp vanilla

Method

 

1. In a bowl, combine warm milk, yeast, and sugar.
2. Let sit for 5–10 minutes until foamy.
3. Add eggs and melted butter and mix well.
4. Add flour and mix until a dough forms.
5. Cover and let dough rise until doubled.
6. In a separate bowl, mix butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon for the filling.
7. Roll dough into a large rectangle on a floured surface.
8. Brush dough lightly with milk.
9. Spread cinnamon filling evenly over the dough.
10. Roll tightly into a log.
11. Slice into 12 rolls and place into a greased baking dish.
12. Cover and let rolls rise until doubled.
13. Bake at 375°F for 20 minutes or until golden.
14. Beat together butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla until smooth.
15. Frost warm cinnamon rolls immediately after baking.

Tried this recipe?

Let us know how it was!