This recipe is hands down the Best Homemade Cinnamon Rolls Recipe Ever. The perfect soft, fluffy, gooey cinnamon rolls are right at your fingertips. This is the only recipe you’ll ever need.
I’ve clearly been holding out on you. My recipe for The Best Homemade Dinner Rolls Ever has been a viral sensation with millions of views and hundreds and hundreds of reviews, questions, and comments. Thousands if we count the ones on Facebook. So many people have requested my recipe for how I turn that same amazing dough into cinnamon rolls. Your wish is my command because here it is!
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These are the perfect cinnamon rolls. They are soft, fluffy, and gooey all at the same time. They melt in your mouth when they are still warm. Basically, they are to die for. I have to be careful when I make them because we literally eat the whole pan at once. And there are only four of us.
MAKE AHEAD INSTRUCTIONS
These cinnamon rolls can easily be made ahead. For best results, choose one of the following two methods.
OVERNIGHT INSTRUCTIONS: After you’ve rolled and cut your cinnamon rolls and placed them into your lightly greased baking pan, cover with plastic wrap and place in your refrigerator. The next day, remove them from the fridge and allow them to come to room temperature (about 45 minutes to an hour depending on the temperature of your house) before baking.
FREEZER INSTRUCTIONS: Roll and cut your cinnamon rolls and place several inches apart on a baking sheet to freeze rolls individually. Once frozen, transfer to a resealable plastic freezer bag. When ready to bake, place in a lightly greased baking dish and allow to come to room temperature before baking.
Can these be made gluten free?
I have not personally tested any variations of gluten free flours. It has been reported to me that the gluten free flour mix “Cup for Cup” works in this recipe, but I cannot personally vouch for it.
What if I don’t have a stand mixer?
You can knead it by hand! My Kitchen Aid was broken for more than a year and I still made these rolls by hand. I start out by stirring with a spoon until I can’t do it anymore and then I knead it with my hands. Just keep on kneading until all the flour is incorporated and/or the dough is soft to the touch and only slightly sticky. It’s a bit of a workout, but it’s worth it!
Can I reduce the salt in this for a low sodium diet?
Reducing the salt will not affect the rising. The only thing it will impact is flavor.
What temperature should the milk be?
The milk should be warm to the touch, between 100 and 110 degrees. You can use 1% up to whole milk. I’ll never recommend using skim milk for anything 😉
How should I measure the flour?
The flour you buy at the store these days is generally pre-sifted. There is no need to sift your flour. I prefer the scoop and sweep method as it is ultra-convenient. Simply use your measuring cup to scoop out the flour and level off the top. Weighing your flour using a kitchen scale is the only way to ensure complete accuracy. Even then, bread making is a both fickle and forgiving and the actual amount of flour you add can change just due to the humidity in the air. When making this roll recipe, it is best to go by the touch and feel of the dough.
1 cup of flour is approximately 125 grams.
How soft should my butter be?
The butter should be at room temperature and smoosh easily to the touch. If you soften the butter in a microwave, be sure to work in small time increments so you don’t get any melted pools of butter.
Does it matter if I use unsalted butter?
I have tested the recipe with both salted and unsalted butter without a huge or notable difference. Either will work.
Does it matter if I use bread flour?
I have used both all-purpose flour and bread flour without a huge or notable difference. I do not have a preference and just use whichever is convenient.
What should the dough feel like?
The dough should be slightly sticky, but still very soft and pliable. It should just barely not be sticking to the bowl. If you add too much flour and the dough stiffens, your rolls will also get a little stiff. I like to say you can feel a soft roll just by touching the dough.
You may also be interested in these Maple Pecan Sticky Buns or my Baklava Cinnamon Rolls.
Watch the video where Rachel will walk you through every step of this recipe, giving tips and tricks along the way. Sometimes it helps to have a visual, and we’ve always got you covered with our cooking show. You can find the complete collection of recipes on YouTube, Facebook Watch, or our Facebook Page, or right here on our website with their corresponding recipes.
The Best Cinnamon Rolls Recipe Ever
The Best Homemade Cinnamon Rolls Ever!
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 cup warm milk
- 1 tablespoon instant dry yeast
- 2 tablespoons white granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons salted butter softened
- 1 large egg
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
Filling
- 1/2 cup salted butter melted
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
Glaze
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1/4 cup salted butter softened
- 1 to 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 to 2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine warm milk, yeast, sugar, salt, butter, and eggs. Add in flour. Using a dough hook, turn the mixer on to a low speed.
- Once the flour starts to incorporate into the dough, increase the speed to a medium range. Add more flour as necessary so that the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. The dough mixture should be tacky, but not stick to your hands. It should be soft. Add more or less flour until the dough reaches the desired consistency. The amount of flour you add in bread making is always an approximation and you should go by feel.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly greased mixing bowl. Cover with a towel and let rise until double in size, about 1 hour.
- Lightly grease a baking sheet. Punch down the dough and roll into a 12inch by 18inch rectangle.
- Brush the dough with 1/2 cup melted butter. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle on top of the melted butter. Roll up tightly lengthwise so you have one long roll. Use plain dental floss or a sharp knife to cut the dough into 12 one-inch slices.
- Place the slices onto a lightly 9x13 pan. Cover and let rise 30 to 45 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Bake the rolls for about 14 minutes, until just kissed with brown on top.
- While the cinnamon rolls are baking, make the cream cheese glaze by using a hand mixer to whip together cream cheese and butter in a bowl until light and fluffy. Whip in powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Add enough milk to achieve a drizzle-like consistency.
- Frost the rolls while still warm. Serve immediately or cool and store. Stays good for 4 to 5 days.
Notes
Dough
236.5 mls warm milk
10 grams instant dry yeast
26 grams white granulated sugar
8 grams salt
40 grams salted butter, softened
1 large egg
375 grams all-purpose flour (approximate)
7.5 grams melted butter Filling
114 grams melted butter
200 grams brown sugar
15 grams ground cinnamon Glaze
115 grams cream cheese
113.4 grams butter
125 grams confectioner's sugar
2.1 grams vanilla extract
15 to 30 grams milk
Nutrition
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sara says
simply amazing! This was my first time baking any kind of bread, let alone cinnamon rolls. I followed the recipe to a T, and had the best cinnamon rolls ever….. super light and fl;uffy, better than the store bought stuff for sure
Sion says
SERIOUSLY GOOD.. I wasnt sure if after all the leavng to rise that the worse would happen and they would be as good as some of the comments suggeste, but NO all my hardwork was rewarded.. I followed the receipe to the letter.. and ate one hot because I simply couldn’t wai and they were sumptious, soft, warm and gooey… simpy delicious. The only thing is the cinnamon wasn’t as strong as I would have like so I may try and find a way to enhance the flavour but other than that I won’t change a thing.. excellent receipe will try some of the others
J K says
We live a mile up in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Fourteen minutes didn’t finish them. Added a total of six more minutes – baked them fine but no browning. I haven’t lived here long enough to know how to bake at this height. Any suggestions. 🙂 I have never been able to make rolls – these are easy enough for me and so delicious. I may share them. 🙂
Al Santos says
First time ever making cinnamon rolls. Followed this recipe to the letter. They turned out awesome. Thanks for the great recipe!
Ashley says
My family loves these! I’ve been making them for a year now! Everyone ask for them for holidays and birthdays! We are making them now on a rainy summer day!
I don’t have a kitchen aid mixer. So every time I have made them until today I have used my hands!
Jordyn says
This recipe is AMAZING! I have always felt defeated by the thought of making dough but I followed the instructions exactly and it rose perfectly. I love simple ingredient list! Out of the oven with icing these taste heavenly! I am already being asked to make more as 12 just weren’t enough. I will not use another cinnamon roll recipe! I did make a slight change by adding a splash of vanilla with my melted butter before brushing the dough.
Karen says
I made these Thursday, but didn’t bake them until Friday morning. I refrigerated them once rolled and cut. I let them sit out in a warm place for over an hour and a half and they didn’t rise very much. Have you ever tried this? I did bake them anyway and they were amazing, but I would have loved a bigger rise. (I was needing 48 rolls, so making them fresh first thing before breakfast wasn’t an option)
Rachel Farnsworth says
Refrigeration stalls the second rise so it’s just harder to get a big rise if you refrigerate in between.
Michelle Fullmer says
If you preheat your oven to 175 and turn it off, then Put your rolls in to rise it does help and is better if it isn’t warm enough for them to rise as much as you want. That’s what I did and it worked great!
Kat says
If making ahead to freeze the whole pan (not individually), do I allow rolls to rise BEFORE I freeze or place sliced rolls in greased pan and freeze THEN when thawing, allow to rise before baking? Thanks! Making now for company next week.
Rachel Farnsworth says
The rolls need to rise after thawing.
Shelley S says
These look so GOOD!
I saw someone’s comment/question about doubling the recipe, but there are only 2 of us here with limited freezer space. Is it possible to halve the recipe? I’m not a baker, my husband sort of is, and he always claims you ruin recipes by changing the original recipe.
Rachel Farnsworth says
Yes, you can halve the recipe.
Chris says
..but why would you? I tripled the recipe this morning to share with others. I think that was a good choice because they were delicious and everyone loved them.
Ama says
Just made these! I followed the directions exactly as posted and I am thrilled!! These are the softest cinnamon rolls ever. They are also the right amount of sweetness. I am so happy I found this recipe! Thank you!
Caitlyn Nielsen says
Can you freeze these after they have already been baked/iced?
Rachel Farnsworth says
Yes you can, but the frosting may get a little gritty and odd after thawing.
Edna Decker says
I freeze rolls unfroasted. When thawed warn in oven or microwave, then roast,
Anika says
Can someone explain why salted butter is called for in the frosting recipe? I want to try our the recipe as is but my natural instinct is to use unsalted butter cause I’m scared of salted frosting haha. Would love to know the why behind it!
Rachel Farnsworth says
Salted butter is what most people have on hand. There’s only a very small amount of salt in salted butter and it shouldn’t impact the recipe.
Jan says
Salt cuts the sweetness a little bit. I use salted butter even when the recipes calls for unsalted.
Shannon says
I’ve lost count how many times I have made these now. I refuse to try a different recipe. These are awesome and everyone always loves them!
Bonnie says
Do you cook the rolls covered or uncovered?
Rachel Farnsworth says
Uncovered.