Big, soft, homemade Cinnamon Rolls are irresistible with whipped cream cheese icing that melts over the warm rolls. We love these freshly baked while they are warm but they also reheat well if you’re lucky enough to have leftovers. Watch the video tutorial and you will realize it’s easier than you think to make cinnamon rolls from scratch.
These easy cinnamon rolls are the perfect breakfast for any holiday or special occasion. They are such a treat, especially on Christmas morning and Easter.
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The sweet smell of homebaked treats like Apple Pie and Banana Bread wafting through your kitchen is so comforting and a batch of homebaked cinnamon rolls tops my list of favorites. These are the best when served warm from the oven with some of the glaze melting between each sweet roll.
Cinnamon Rolls Video
This easy Cinnamon Roll Recipe never fails to impress. If you enjoyed this video tutorial, and click the bell icon so you’ll be the first to know when we post a new video.
Quick and Easy Cinnamon Rolls
These are melt-in-your-mouth soft and the icing is irresistible. As my sister puts it, they are “better than Cinnabon!” and way better than Pillsbury or anything you’d get out of a can.
These easy cinnamon rolls take just 2 hours to make and most of that is rising time. If you’re new to working with yeast doughs, see our tips below and you will be a pro in no time!
The Best Cinnamon Roll Icing
The fluffy cream cheese frosting is so simple with just 4 ingredients and it comes together in 1 mixing bowl: cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. This icing is my favorite the next day when you reheat a cinnamon roll and it gets all melty. I love that it’s not overly sweet but if you like a sweeter glaze, by all means, add more powdered sugar.
How to Make Cinnamon Rolls
Homemade cinnamon rolls are easier than you think. In fact, there is very little active time – most of the time required is in letting the dough rise and puff up.
- Make the Dough – combine and knead the dough for 3 min, cover and rise for 30 min in a warm spot
- Roll the dough into a 10×17 rectangle and spread with softened butter
- Sprinkle on cinnamon sugar and roll tightly into a log
- Shape Rolls – Cut into 12 pieces, transfer to a buttered metal 9×13 casserole, cover, and proof 20-30 min in a warm place
- Bake the rolls – Brush tops with melted butter and bake
- Frost rolls– Make the icing and spread it onto warm rolls.
Tips for Working with Yeast
Be sure to use Instant or Rapid Rise Yeast which is a fast-acting and quick-rising yeast. It speeds up the process. We use the Red Star Brand Rapid Rise Yeast and you can also use their Platinum Instant Yeast.
Heat Kills Yeast and stops the rising process. Never overheat the liquids (they should be 110˚ to 115˚F) and keep the oven under 110˚F if proofing in the oven. I double-check temperatures with an instant-read thermometer.
Pro Tip: “Rapid Rise Yeast” and “Instant Yeast” are used interchangeably. They are not the same as “Active Dry Yeast” which requires additional activating and proofing.
How to speed-proof dough
Yeast doughs require rising times. In most cases, you can cut the rising time by proofing in a warm place around 100˚F to 110˚F.
- Oven Proofing: If you don’t have a low heat proofing setting, you can warm your oven to the lowest heat setting for 2 minutes and turn it OFF. Set the dough bowl over a towel in the oven to proof, just don’t forget the towel in the oven.
- Microwave Proofing: Place a damp kitchen towel in the microwave and heat on high for 1 minute. Cover dough with plastic wrap, place in the warm microwave, and let rise in the warm microwave with the door closed.
Common Questions
Butter plays a crucial role in how moist the cinnamon rolls are. Unless you want a dry cinnamon roll, don’t skimp on the butter. In fact, you can use even more inside the rolls and brush the tops with double the butter.
All-purpose flour or bread flour works well for cinnamon rolls. Bread flour is even better and has a higher amount of gluten to give you the softest, fluffiest rolls.
In recent years, I have found that a metal baking pan works best. It conducts heat faster and gives your buns color a little earlier so there is less risk of over-baking.
Set the dough in a warmer place (100-110˚F oven). Avoid overheating or it will kill the yeast. Also, check that yeast is not expired and avoid adding too much flour.
Avoid over-proofing your dough. If you let it rise for too long, you will exhaust the yeast and the rolls can fall flat or seem dry when baked. Also, avoid adding too much flour and over-baking.
Make-Ahead Cinnamon Rolls
If you love make-ahead desserts like Lemon Bars, Baklava, and Cheesecake, you’ll be happy to know that you can make cinnamon rolls the day before and enjoy freshly baked cinnamon rolls in the morning. Check out our Overnight Cinnamon Rolls Recipe.
To Reheat: You can quickly warm refrigerated rolls in the microwave for 18-20 seconds. The dough becomes soft and the frosting softens and melts like a thick glaze over the cinnamon roll.
These cinnamon rolls and whipped cream cheese frosting remind me of my favorite bakery rolls and you really can’t beat a freshly baked cinnamon roll.
More Dessert Recipes
These are some of our favorite dessert recipes for special occasions or if I’m craving a bakery-quality treat at home.
Easy Cinnamon Rolls Recipe
Ingredients
Ingredients for Cinnamon Rolls:
- 1 cup warm milk , (110-115˚F), not hot
- 2 1/4 tsp instant yeast, (rapid rise)
- 1 large egg , room temp
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter , melted, divided
- 4 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 cups all-purpose flour or bread flour, plus 2 to 4 Tbsp (and more to dust)
For the Cinnamon Roll Filling:
- 6 Tbsp unsalted butter , softened, plus more to for grease pan
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 Tbsp ground cinnamon
For the Cream Cheese Icing:
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter , softened
- 4 oz cream cheese , softened
- 1/2 Tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
How to Make Cinnamon Rolls:
- In a large mixing bowl (or using a stand mixer), add 1 cup warm milk (110-115˚F) and sprinkle with 1 packet instant yeast. Whisk in 1 egg, 4 Tbsp sugar, 1 Tbsp melted butter and 1/2 tsp salt.
- Add 3 cups flour (measured correctly*) and stir in with a firm spatula or wooden spoon. Add more flour 1 Tbsp at a time just until dough is no longer sticking to fingertips or the walls of the bowl. It should still feel slightly sticky but won’t stick to clean/dry fingertips. Knead dough by hand for 3 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm 100˚F oven for 30 minutes (or at room temp 1 hour), until doubled in size.
- Generously dust a clean work surface with flour and turn the dough out onto the floured surface. Sprinkle dough lightly with flour and roll into even 17″x10″ rectangle, squaring off the sides. Dot the surface of dough with 6 Tbsp softened butter and spread it out evenly all the way to the edges.
- In a small bowl, stir together 1/4 cup sugar and 1 1/2 Tbsp cinnamon and sprinkle ALL OF IT evenly over buttered dough. Roll the dough up starting with one of the longer sides and work in a typewriter motion, keeping a tight roll. Once it's rolled up, push ends in slightly to make them a little more uniform then slice into 12 equal-sized rolls.
- Butter sides and bottom of a 9×13 metal baking pan with 1 Tbsp butter and arrange cinnamon rolls, evenly spaced with the cut-side down. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm 100˚F oven 20-30 minutes, (or room temp 50-60 min), until puffed. Do not proof too long.
- Brush tops with 1 Tbsp melted butter and bake at 350˚F for 20-24 mins or until tops are lightly golden. Let cool in pan 15 minutes then frost warm buns generously with the cream cheese glaze (instructions below).
How to Make Cinnamon Roll Icing:
- In a medium bowl with an electric hand mixer, cream together 4 Tbsp softened butter and 4 oz cream cheese. Beat in 1/2 Tbsp vanilla then add 1 cup powdered sugar and continue mixing on high speed until fluffy (3-4 min), scraping down the bowl as needed.
Notes
**Liquid should not be hotter than 115˚F and oven no hotter than 100˚F or you will cook and ruin the yeast.
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
Hi! I always love making these cinnamon rolls and my kids love them too! I was wondering, if I make half the recipe do you think the bake time should remain the same?
Thank you for all the amazing recipes that you come up with!
Hi Dominique, Yes, you can split the recipe in half using the same instructions.
Hi Natasha.
Can you use half and half in place of milk for this recipe? Thank you.
Hi Lisa, I haven’t tried it but it may work with half and half. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
Thank you so much Natasha for this amazing recipe. I never thought I could make homemade cinnamon rolls, but it is so well explained and they turned awesome, the whole family loved them. I wish you and your family a happy New year!
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Lana! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Hi Natasha! I baked these cinnamon rolls for Christmas and they were splendid. While they baked they filled every nook and crany of the house with a lovely aroma of cinnamon. My family loved and enjoyed them very much. I send you some pictures through mail but I suppose you weren’t able to see it because you might’ve been busy. Thank you so much for giving us wonderful and comforting recipes.
You’re very welcome! Thank you for sharing. I’m so glad they were a hit!
Hello what icing can i use instead of the cream cheese ione the cinnamon rolls came out amazing
Hi Lizzy! I’m glad you loved the cinnamon rolls. We love to use cream cheese, the flavor combination is amazing. But you could try another frosting or icing recipe if you’d like.
This recipe is incredible and very easy to follow! One question though. How long can they stay outside the fridge after baked/iced? I forgot my tray on the counter overnight, and really hope they haven’t spoiled!
Hi Amira! The cinnamon rolls themselves are fine to remain at room temperature for a few days, it’s the cream cheese frosting that needs to be refrigerated so once they are frosted, they should be refrigerated.
Moved back to my country after living in the States for 7-8 years, and I was so sad when I couldn’t find decent Cinnamon Rolls, but I was craving Cinnamon Rolls, so I had to try to make it and I found your recipe ( it was a long time ago, didn’t you modified it a bit since then?), the rest was history. Anyone that has tasted this recipe gave a wonderful review, and is always asking when I am going to make it again! Thank you for this amazing recipe!!
Hi Yvonne! I’m so glad you came across this recipe again. Thank you for the review.
Just made these easy cinnamon rolls, but found an inconsistency in recipe. In the cinnamon roll ingredients list it has 1/2 Tsp of cinnamon, however in the step by step instructions it says 2 Tbsp. Big difference in the amount of cinnamon. Can you clarify?
Hi Richard, I just took a look at the post and see “1 1/2 Tbsp ground cinnamon” in the recipe ingredient list. If the recipe slider was adjusted, that might be why you’re seeing a difference.
Hi, My recipe is for 12 rolls. My recipe under the dough portion say 2 Tbs unsalted butter, melted divided but, the video says 1 Tbs. and what does divided mean? Under roll filling my recipe says 1 1/2 Tbs cinnamon but the video says 2Tbs? I am currently following the printed recipe so hope its ok. Thank you
HI Anette, We are always working on improving recipes and I updated this recipe slightly a while back to make it even better and I would suggest following the print-friendly printed recipe here.
These turned out so yummy! Perfectly fluffy and the frosting is excellent, not overly sweet. 100% will be making these again. Thank you Natasha, your recipes never disappoint!
You’re welcome! I’m so glad you loved them.
OMG! Natasha the cinnamon rolls were delicious 😋 this was my first time making them and they came out great. Thanks for sharing the recipe 😊
You’re very welcome, Maria! I’m so glad you liked them. Thank you for trying my recipe.
These turned out so deliciously! Way better than my previous recipe. The actual dough part is super fluffy and light. I had to go back for another one!!
That’s good to know, Rebecca. Thank you for sharing!
Hi Natasha! I’ve been following this recipe for years now and I’d like to ask if it’s possible to freeze the cinnamon rolls and enjoy them later. Would you recommend freezing them right away after the second rising or bake them and then freeze them? Thank you in advance!
I honestly have not tried freezing these. I guess they can be frozen before that last rising time, then thawed in the fridge overnight, then brought to room temperature and allowed to let rise for that last rise before baking. If you test that out, please let me know how it goes.
I love how you include calories in each food. Thank you so much.
Thank you, Nara! I’m so glad that has been helpful to my readers!
The recipe was easy and delish, just added more filling and added pecans to mine which made it even yummier.
Yum! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
So good I am 11 and make this epic cinnamon rolls
The only thing I do different is stir some butter and cinnamon together and before baking spread it over.
It melts in and is soo good
I especially love making this when my mom is resting as a nice surprise for her
I am your biggest fan
🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤
Hi Polly! That sounds amazing. Thank you for sharing with me. I’m so glad you enjoy this recipe. Keep up the good work. 🙂
Could you make the dough and refrigerate tell the morning? I have made these before and they are awesome
Hi Kelly, use this recipe for overnight cinnamon rolls HERE.
Can salted butter be used for this recipe? If so, should the salt as noted on the ingredient list be adjusted?
Yes, you may use salted butter and omit the salt in the recipe or lessen it.
Easy, and delicious! Made them fresh this morning. Thank you again.
You’re welcome, glad you enjoyed it!
I would like to know if 2% milk can be used to make these cinnamon buns. I just found your website and I am eager to try this recipe. Thank you for the video it is very helpful. My first time making them. Your recipes look great also
Hi Ellen. I think that would be fine. Let us know how you like this recipe! 🙂
Natasha, Every recipe I have tried from you is fantastic. Your awseome.
Aww, that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me, CeCe. I’m all smiles reading your comment!
OH MY GOSH!!
These cinnamon rolls are Fantastic !!
Kind of knew at baking things. So I thought i’d give it a try. I’m sure glad i did!
That’s awesome, Lee! I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe. 🙂
Natasha,these cinnamon rolls ,not only easy quick and yummy!!! Your recipes are easy to follow,you simply tops!!!!
Thank you! So glad you enjoy my recipes.