Easy Baking Recipes Desserts – Perfect Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
These homemade cinnamon rolls are soft, fluffy, and packed with buttery cinnamon-sugar goodness, all topped with a smooth and decadent cream cheese frosting. Perfect for breakfast, brunch, or an indulgent snack!
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 12 rolls 1x
- Category: Dessert
Ingredients
Scale
For the Dough:
- 1 ⅓ cups whole milk (320g), warmed
- 4 teaspoons active dry or instant yeast
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100g)
- 5 cups all-purpose flour (650g)
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened (113g)
For the Filling:
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened (113g)
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed (200g)
- 2 tablespoons cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon salt
For Baking:
- ½ cup heavy cream (120g), room temperature
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened (113g)
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened (56g)
- ¼ cup heavy cream (60g)
- 1 cup icing sugar (100g)
Instructions
- Prepare the Dough
- Activate the yeast: Warm the milk to about 100–110°F (it should feel pleasantly warm, not hot). Mix in the yeast and let it sit for 10 minutes until frothy.
- Mix the dough: Add sugar, flour, eggs, salt, and softened butter to the yeast mixture. Stir until a rough, shaggy dough forms.
- Kneading by hand: Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for 15 minutes using a push-and-pull motion. The dough will be sticky at first—don’t add extra flour unless absolutely necessary. Over time it will become smooth, soft, and elastic, passing the windowpane test.
- Kneading with a stand mixer: Attach the dough hook and knead on medium-high for 7–10 minutes. Stop when the dough is stretchy, smooth, and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
- First rise: Lightly oil a clean bowl, place the dough inside, and cover. Let it rise in a warm spot for 60–90 minutes until it doubles in size and springs back slightly when pressed.
- Make the Cinnamon Filling
- While the dough rises, prepare the filling by mixing the softened butter with brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. If needed, warm slightly in the microwave for easier spreading. The final mixture should be soft and spreadable.
- Assemble the Rolls
- Line a 9×13-inch baking dish with parchment paper.
- Once the dough has doubled, punch it down and roll it out on a lightly floured surface into a roughly 12×18-inch rectangle.
- Spread the cinnamon-sugar filling evenly over the dough.
- Cut the rectangle into 12 long strips along the 12-inch side (each about 1 inch wide). Roll each strip tightly into a spiral.
- Arrange the rolls in the baking dish in a 4×3 grid.
- Second Rise & Baking
- Let the rolls rest in a warm spot for 30–45 minutes until puffed and slightly springy to touch.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (conventional).
- Carefully pour the heavy cream evenly over the rolls just before baking. This ensures extra moistness during baking.
- Bake for 22–25 minutes until lightly golden and firm to the touch. Slightly underbaking is preferable for soft, gooey rolls.
- Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes.
- Make the Cream Cheese Frosting
- While the rolls cool slightly, beat together cream cheese, butter, heavy cream, and icing sugar until smooth and creamy. Spread generously over warm rolls so it melts slightly into the swirls.
- Serve & Enjoy
- Slice and serve immediately, or let the rolls cool and store for later. Perfect for breakfast, brunch, or a sweet treat any time of day.
Notes
- Yeast freshness matters: Make sure your yeast isn’t expired for the best rise.
- Milk temperature: Warm, not hot. Hot milk kills the yeast.
- Avoid over-flouring: Extra flour can dry out the dough; knead patiently instead.
- Rise times: Temperature affects rising; a warm 75–80°F kitchen is ideal.
- Undercook slightly: You want soft, gooey rolls, not dry ones.