A Delicious Treat That’s Easier to Make Than You Think!

There’s nothing quite like the smell of freshly baked cinnamon rolls filling your kitchen. The soft, pillowy dough, swirled with sweet cinnamon sugar, topped with a luscious cream cheese frosting—these cinnamon rolls are pure comfort food. And the best part? Baking that perfect cinnamon roll is not complicated! All you need is a great recipe, ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen, and a little patience.

There are so many recipes for cinnamon rolls but not all recipes are created equal. The texture is critical. Soft but structured and baked to perfection with the perfect caramelized filling twisted throughout. After trying dozens of recipes I found my favorite! The goal of this post is to empower you with the perfect recipe and simple instructions so you can bake the perfect cinnamon rolls for your friends and family, or just for yourself.

The secret to the perfect cinnamon roll starts with the dough. Because yeast is used to ensure the dough rises it is important to knead the dough in two phases. Never skip this important step. It takes extra time but is critical in the formation of gluten giving bread that melt in your mouth texture.

Learn From My Mistakes

Baking is a skill anyone can learn and even master. Trial and error is inevitable. Here are some of my errors so you can avoid the same mistakes.

1. The milk and melted butter must be the temperature of a baby’s bottle. What I mean by this is the milk needs to feel slightly warmer than your skin. Warm milk creates the perfect environment for the yeast to activate. Too hot and the yeast dies and so do your hopes and dream-Just kidding just the yeast dies.
2. Don’t put the salt directly in the yeast and milk mixture. Salt inhibits the growth and reproduction of yeast. Nothing is more depressing than mixing, kneading, and shaping your dough only to see it fail to rise – a very sad day. That being said without salt the yeast is free to eat all the sugar available in the dough.
3. Use whole milk and real butter-It just tastes better. Trust me I have tried saving money by using less expensive ingredients and when it comes to baking-you can tell.
4. Take the full time to let the dough rise. When this process is rushed your cinnamon rolls are heavy and tough.
5. Take the time to Proof: Dough rises best in a warm moist environment. To create this in your oven fill an oven-proof bowl with 3 cups of boiling water and place it on the bottom of the oven. On the middle rack place your formed cinnamon rolls and let sit for 30 -60 minutes.
6. If you are using a convection oven, reduce the requested temperature by 25° F. If not your dough will brown too quickly and not bake properly in the center.

Pro Tips for Perfect Cinnamon Rolls

Use Room Temperature Ingredients: This helps everything mix together evenly, leading to a smoother dough.

Don’t Rush the Rising Time: Allowing the dough to rise fully gives the rolls their soft and fluffy texture. Be patient!

Spreading the Filling: Ensure the butter is soft enough to spread easily so you get an even layer of cinnamon goodness in every bite. In the filling melting the butter works well.

• Generous Frosting: Don’t be shy with the frosting. If you choose a cream cheese frosting or a buttery drizzle, top off your perfect bake with gorgeous frosting. The rolls should be blanketed with a generous layer that adds the perfect finish. I love to frost them when they are almost cooled so the frosting thins slightly. My daughter calls them ‘juicy’ when the frosting has melted into the swirls of the cinnamon roll. To have the “Fresh Out Of The Oven” experience, even days later simply pop your cinnamon roll into the microwave and heat for approx. 20 sec or in the oven for 10 minutes at 200° F

What You Need To Make Perfect Cinnamon Rolls

Here’s a list of essential supplies that a baker would typically use when making cinnamon rolls:

Baking Tools & Equipment:

• Stand Mixer with Dough Hook: Makes kneading the dough quick and easy.
• Mixing Bowls: Different sizes for mixing the dough, filling, and frosting.
• Rolling Pin: To roll out the dough into a smooth, even rectangle. I prefer the weight of a marble rolling pin for rolling dough.
• Bench Scraper: Useful for cutting the dough into even rolls and handling the dough.
• Measuring Cups and Spoons: For precise measurements of liquid and dry ingredients.
• Baking Dish or Pan: A 9×13 inch pan for baking the rolls.
• Pastry Brush: For brushing butter onto the dough or greasing the baking dish.
• Spatula: For spreading the cinnamon filling and frosting.
• Dough Mat or Clean Surface: To roll out the dough evenly without it sticking.
• Sharp Knife or Unflavored Dental Floss: For slicing the dough into rolls cleanly.
• Parchment Paper or Baking Mat: To line the pan for easy cleanup and prevent sticking.
• Kitchen Thermometer (optional): Helpful for ensuring liquids like milk are at the correct temperature when activating yeast.

For Baking & Serving:

• Cooling Rack: To cool the cinnamon rolls after baking, place the hot pan on a cooling rack. Many counter surfaces are easily damaged by direct contact with heat. Protect your kitchen surfaces with a cooling rack.
• Oven Mitts: For safely handling hot baking pans.
• Small Offset Spatula: Useful for spreading the cream cheese frosting smoothly over the rolls.

These supplies simplify the cinnamon roll-making process so it is smoother and more efficient, from mixing the dough to serving the finished rolls!

Gather Your Ingredients

Time To Put It All Together

First-Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl. I use the bowl from my KitchenAid Stand Mixer. By mixing the dry ingredients you increase the ability of your yeast to activate.

Next- Combine the warm milk and soft butter until the butter is melted. If you use the microwave, carefully monitor the temperature of the milk and butter mixture. If the mixture is too hot it can kill the yeast and your rolls will fail to rise. When you have this problem you can put it in the fridge or freezer until cooled or you can add 2-3 ice cubes. When the mixture is just above room temperature you are ready to combine the wet and dry ingredients.

It’s Go Time!

Combine the wet and the dry ingredients together using a stand mixer. Here in this picture I have 2 eggs because when I took this photo I was making a double batch. I have used 2 eggs on a single batch when the eggs are on the smaller side. Eggs provide a rich flavor and help improve the loft of your dough during the proof.

Combine half the dry mixture until smooth (4-5 min) then add the second half gradually until the dough forms a ball in your mixing bowl. Remove the dough from the mixing bowl onto a dough mat or clean floured surface.

Knead dough for an additional 10 minutes by hand. Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover with a towel. Set aside for 45-90 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.

The speed dough rises is contingent on many factors. A dry rapid-rise yeast activates slower than fresh yeast. The ambient temperature and humidity level of the kitchen has a direct impact on how fast your cinnamon rolls are ready to put in the oven. A warm humid environment activates yeast and keeps the top f the dough from drying out.

Once the dough has doubled in size, transfer it to the dough mat or clean floured surface. Roll the dough into a rectangle shape making the dough 1/4 ” think. In a separate bowl combine softened/melted butter, cinnamon, and brown sugar. Mix until smooth-then spread the mixture equally on the dough.

. Roll the dough lengthwise and cut into thick pieces and place on 9″x13″ baking pan lined with parchment paper.

Quick Tip– When placing the rolled dough into the pan allow plenty of space between the rolls for expansion.

Heat the oven to 375° F and bake for 20-30 minutes until rolls are golden brown. If using a convection oven, heat to 350°F for even baking.

Remove rolls from the oven and let cool. While your cinnamon rolls cool, start the frosting!

For the frosting, place 1 cube of real butter and 1 package of cream cheese-both softened in a bowl. With a hand mixer or stand mixer cream the butter and cream cheese together. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla and milk and mix until smooth.

When cinnamon rolls are cooled you are ready to frost and eat! Dig In!

Warm Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting

Recipe by SharaCourse: Breakfast, DessertCuisine: American, Traditional, BrunchDifficulty: Easy, Medium

Servings

12

servings

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time

20

minutes

Calories

340

kcal

Rise Time

30

minutes

Total Time

3

Hours

Soft And Scrumptious Cinnamon Rolls That Are Impossible To Resist!

Dough

• 4 Cups All-Purpose Flour

• 1/3 cup Granulated Sugar

• 2 1/4 tsp Instant Rise Yeast (One Packet)

• 1 tsp Salt

• 1 1/2 cups Milk

• 8 TBS Butter

• 1 Egg-Room Temperature
  

• Cinnamon Sugar Filling

• 1/4 cup Butter, Room Temperature

• 1 TBS Cinnamon

• 2/3 cups Light Brown Sugar

• Pinch of Salt

• Cream Cheese Frosting

• 4 oz Cream Cheese

• 1/2 cup Butter-Room Temperature

• 3 cups Powdered Sugar

• 2-3 TBS Milk

• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract

• Pinch of Salt

Directions

• In a large bowl combine 2 cups flour, sugar, yeast and salt
• In a microwave-safe bowl, heat the milk and butter in the microwave for 30-45 seconds at a time until the butter is melted but the milk is mildly warm. If the milk is too warm wait until it is cooled. If the milk is too hot the yeast will die. Add the mixture to the flour mixture.
• Add Egg
• Beat on low speed until combined. Gradually add in the remaining 2 cups of flour scraping the bowl occasionally until the mixture is smooth and pulls away from the bowl.
• Place dough on a well-floured surface and manually knead for 10 minutes or until the dough is smooth and stretchy. To test dough stretch a portion between fingers and look for light shining through without breaking or tearing.
• Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl and cover. Let dough rise