Best Homemade Cinnamon Rolls Ever

Overhead view of cinnamon rolls in a glass baking dish.

4.94 from 876 votes

This recipe is hands down the Best Homemade Cinnamon Rolls Ever. The perfect soft, fluffy, gooey cinnamon rolls are right at your fingertips. This is the only recipe you'll ever need.

Prep Time2

Cook Time14

Total Time2 14

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Cinnamon Rolls

Servings: cinnamon rolls

Author: Rachel Farnsworth

Ingredients

Dough

1 cup warm milk 100-110℉
1 tablespoon instant dry yeast
2 tablespoons 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

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine 1 cup warm milk, 1 tablespoon instant dry yeast, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, 3 tablespoons salted butter, and 1 large egg. Add in 3 cups all-purpose flour. Using a dough hook, turn the 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 or 9x13 pan. Punch down the dough and roll into a 12inch by 18inch rectangle.
Brush the dough with 1/2 cup salted butter. In a small bowl, stir together 1 cup brown sugar and 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon. Sprinkle on top of the melted butter. Roll up tightly lengthwise so you have one long roll. Use a sharp knife to gently 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 4 ounces cream cheese and 1/4 cup salted butter in a bowl until light and fluffy. Whip in 1 to 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract. Add enough milk to achieve a drizzle-like consistency.
Frost the rolls while still warm. Serve immediately or cool and store. These should stay good for 4 to 5 days.

Video

[yeetvid]

Notes

Cooking time is dependent on the size of your rolls. You should cook the rolls until they have just a kiss of brown on the top. If they don't have a kiss of brown, they probably aren't done. Cooking time may be upwards of 18-20 minutes.

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.

Nutrition