Homemade Cinnamon Rolls (Extra Soft & Fluffy)
There is nothing quite as magical as pulling a pan of giant, fluffy Homemade Cinnamon Rolls out of the oven. The smell of sweet yeast dough and caramelized cinnamon sugar fills the entire house, making it the ultimate weekend baking project or holiday morning treat.
This recipe yields rolls that are incredibly soft and pillowy—comparable to Cinnabon! The secret lies in a perfectly enriched dough and a generous amount of gooey filling, all topped off with a thick layer of vanilla cream cheese frosting that melts right down into the spirals.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Bakery Quality at Home: These are huge, soft, and impressive. They look and taste like they came from a high-end bakery.
- The Frosting: The cream cheese frosting is perfectly balanced—not too sweet, with a hint of tanginess that cuts through the rich cinnamon filling.
- Make-Ahead Friendly: You can prepare the rolls the night before, let them rise in the fridge overnight, and bake them fresh in the morning!
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
- Yeast: You can use Active Dry Yeast or Instant Yeast. If using active dry, make sure you let it foam in the warm milk first!
- Warm Milk: The milk should be around 110°F—think warm bath water. If it’s too hot, it will kill the yeast; if it’s too cold, the yeast won’t activate.
- Flour: All-purpose flour works wonderfully here and yields a very soft roll. Bread flour will give you a slightly chewier texture.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Make sure your eggs and butter (especially for the filling and frosting) are truly at room temperature.
How to Make Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
Working with yeast dough can be intimidating, but this recipe is very forgiving. Once the dough is kneaded and has doubled in size, you’ll roll it into a large rectangle. Smear it with super-soft butter and pack on the brown sugar-cinnamon mixture. Roll it up tightly into a log and slice it into 12 pieces. After a second, shorter rise in the baking pan, they bake until golden. The most important step? Spreading that cream cheese frosting on while the rolls are still warm so it melts into every crevice!
Pro Tips for the Best Results
- Measure flour correctly: Spoon and level your flour! If you scoop directly from the bag, you will pack too much flour into the cup, resulting in dry, dense rolls.
- Use unflavored dental floss to slice: Knives can squish the delicate dough log. Slide a piece of plain dental floss under the log, cross it over the top, and pull to cleanly slice the rolls!
- The Heavy Cream Trick: For ultra-gooey Cinnabon-style rolls, pour 1/2 cup of warm heavy cream over the unbaked rolls right before they go into the oven!
Overnight Instructions
To bake these in the morning: Follow the recipe right up to placing the sliced rolls in the baking dish. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator overnight. The next morning, take them out and let them sit at room temperature for 1 to 1.5 hours to take the chill off and finish puffing up, then bake as directed!
Ingredients
Method
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the warm milk, yeast, and 1 tablespoon of the granulated sugar. Let sit for 5-10 minutes until frothy.
- Add the remaining sugar, melted butter, and eggs. Whisk to combine.
- Add 4 cups of flour and the salt. Attach the dough hook and knead on low speed. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of flour only if the dough is too sticky. Knead for 5-7 minutes until the dough is smooth and slightly tacky.
- Transfer dough to a greased bowl, cover with a warm towel, and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
- Punch the dough down and roll it out on a lightly floured surface into a 12×18 inch rectangle.
- Spread the very soft butter evenly over the dough. In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar and cinnamon, then sprinkle it evenly over the butter, pressing it lightly into the dough.
- Tightly roll up the dough starting from the 18-inch side. Cut into 12 equal slices.
- Place the rolls in a greased 9×13 inch baking dish. Cover and let rise for another 30-45 minutes until puffy.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake the rolls for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.
- While baking, beat the softened cream cheese and butter together until fluffy. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla, beating until smooth.
- Spread the frosting over the warm cinnamon rolls immediately after removing them from the oven. Serve warm!
