Tastes of Lizzy T

Healthy with a little bit of happy!

Subscribe for all the latest Tasty goodness!

Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

Tastes of Lizzy T is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Any highlighted, clickable Amazon link you see is an affiliate link that we may earn advertising fees on.

The best homemade cinnamon rolls ever! If you love gooey cinnamon buns, here’s the secret ingredient. Everyone raves about these homemade yeast rolls. You may also love our orange rolls! 

Jump to Recipe

Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

It’s been almost 5 years coming. The girls didn’t want me to do it, but we’re finally sharing our secret ingredient cinnamon rolls. The from-scratch breakfast sweet rolls that everyone craves. Gooey homemade cinnamon rolls. Our best recipe that we’ve been serving friends and family on holidays and any other day for over 12 years.

We’ll get to the secret ingredient, but let’s start right into how to make these sweet rolls, because I know you don’t want to waste any time. The exact directions and rising times are in the recipe box below, but here are some hints for making cinnamon rolls.

OUR LATEST RECIPES

How do you make cinnamon rolls?

When I originally set out to make the best cinnamon roll recipe, I started with this bread dough. Over that year as I tweaked the recipe, I made the dough just a tad bit sweeter. The ingredients are very basic. I like to use Red Star Platinum yeast which is an instant yeast. This means you don’t have to let the yeast “proof”. If you don’t use instant yeast, be sure to allow the yeast to proof in the warm milk until it is frothy. This will take an extra 5 minutes or so.

Be sure that your milk is warm to activate the yeast, but not too hot so that it kills the yeast (about 105-110 degrees Fahrenheit). You’ll also want to warm the butter so it is soft and mixes in easily. Bring the eggs to room temperature also by placing them in a glass of warm water before adding them to the mix. If the ingredients are not cold, they’ll help the yeast to do what it needs to do quickly and give a beautiful rise to your cinnamon rolls.

After you have the ingredients added, it’s time to mix the dough.  In the video I use a stand mixer to mix the dough. If you have bread machine you can use the dough setting to make this extremely easy. Or, go the old-fashioned route and get those hands working by kneading the bread without a mixer. Any way works. If you decide to knead with your hands, be careful not to add too much flour. The dough is supposed to be tacky, which is what keeps these homemade cinnamon rolls soft.

Again…it’s important to note that the dough will be tacky and soft. It shouldn’t completely stick all over your hands, but if you touch it should feel tacky and not dry and floury. Don’t be tempted to keep adding flour!

Cinnamon Roll Filling

We use three ingredients in our homemade cinnamon rolls filling: softened (almost melted) butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. You can add a touch of vanilla extract if you’d like. We find it’s not necessary, but feel free to do so. Mix this all together while the cinnamon rolls are rising. This only takes a few minutes!

Rolling the Cinnamon Roll Dough

After you let the dough rise in a greased covered bowl until it is double in size, you’re ready to roll the cinnamon rolls. Use a pastry mat sprinkled with flour to keep the dough from sticking. Remember…the dough will be tacky and this is the point where it is ok to add flour on the pastry mat and on top of the dough itself for easy rolling. You’ll find this dough is very easy to roll out. If it is too much of an arm workout, you’ve most likely added too much flour.

After you’ve rolled the dough, spread the cinnamon filling on top and roll-up jelly-roll style. Cut into as many rolls as you’d like. We like to do 12 rolls for a 9×13 pan (which end up deliciously large!) or if we need to feed a bigger crowd, 15 rolls in a 10×15 baking pan.

Gooey Cinnamon Rolls: Cinnabon Copycat Recipe

Before I had this homemade cinnamon rolls recipe, I was addicted to Cinnabon cinnamon rolls. They were large, soft, and gooey. I’m all about the gooey. I searched and searched (mostly recipe books because recipe websites were not a huge thing back then) and finally found a key idea. Add heavy cream to the cinnamon buns before baking. THIS is the secret ingredient and what makes the rolls rich and gooey. Cinnabon copycat recipe? That’s not what I was going for, but I think we pretty much got it.

Here’s how you do it. After the cinnamon rolls are rolled into their pretty swirls and you’ve allowed them to rise in the pan…right before they are ready to bake, warm heavy cream in a small bowl. Why warm the cream? Because your rolls have risen in warmth and you don’t want to add refrigerator-cold cream to your cinnamon rolls. Adding warm (not hot!) heavy cream will keep the rolls rising as they should during baking. Pour the heavy cream overtop all of the rolls and watch that rich cream soak in and around the cinnamon roll dough.

Can you make the cinnamon rolls without heavy cream? Yes. Will they be good? Yes. Will they be as gooey? No. I find that the heavy cream helps the filling of the cinnamon rolls to be smoother and not as grainy. So just try it, K?

Cinnamon Roll Icing

After the homemade cinnamon rolls have baked and look like cinnamon heaven, it’s time to frost them. You can use a simple powdered sugar glaze or a store-bought fluffy white frosting if you’d like. But we prefer our cream cheese icing. Butter, powdered sugar, cream cheese and extract (either vanilla or maple). You could even throw in a touch of cinnamon to make a cinnamon glaze. We’ve done it all!

You can add the icing while the rolls are warm and allow it to soak in, or if you’d like a pretty frosted look, spread the cream cheese icing on when the rolls are at room temperature.

And that my friends, is one of our BEST family recipes. My girls were hesitant to share our family secret ingredient for homemade cinnamon rolls, but so many of you have asked, they reluctantly agreed because they love you and want to see you happy. 🙂

What You Need to Make Cinnamon Rolls

Stand Mixer: Ok, you don’t 100% need this, but it does make life easier.
Red Star Yeast: My favorite yeast! It’s so forgiving and I have perfect baked goods, every time.
Saigon Cinnamon: The best flavored cinnamon.
Pastry Mat: This makes clean-up a breeze.
Dough Cutter: I JUST got one of these. What have I done without it all these years? Works as a scraper too, to get stuck-on dough off surfaces.
Baking Pan 9×13 or 10×15, depending on what you need.

4.98 from 71 votes
The best homemade cinnamon rolls recipe with a secret ingredient
Print
Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
19 mins
Total Time
45 mins
 

The best homemade cinnamon rolls ever! If you love gooey cinnamon buns, here's the secret ingredient. Everyone raves about these homemade yeast rolls.

Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12
Calories: 618 kcal
Ingredients
For the Dough:
  • 1 cup warm milk (120-130 degrees F)**
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons instant dry yeast (I like Red Star Platinum Baking Yeast)
  • 2 large eggs at room temperature
  • 1/3 cup butter melted
  • 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
For the Filling:
  • 1/2 cup butter almost melted
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream (for pouring over the risen rolls)
For the Frosting:
  • 6 ounces cream cheese (softened)
  • 1/3 cup butter (softened)
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/2 tablespoon maple extract (or vanilla)
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. Pour the warm milk in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast overtop.

  2. Add the eggs, butter, salt and sugar.

  3. Add the flour and mix using the beater blade just until the ingredients are barely combined. Allow the mixture to rest for 5 minutes so the flour has time to soak up the liquids.

  4. Scrape the dough off the beater blade and remove it. Attach the dough hook.

  5. Beat the dough on medium speed for 5-7 minutes or until the dough is elastic and smooth. **The dough will be tacky and will still be sticking to the sides of the bowl. That's ok! Don't be tempted to add more flour at this point.

  6. Spray a large bowl with cooking spray.

  7. Use a rubber spatula to remove the dough from the mixer bowl and place it in the greased large bowl. 

  8. Cover the bowl with a towel or wax paper.

  9. Set the bowl in a warm place and allow the dough to rise until double. I like to turn on the oven to the lowest setting for 1-2 minutes. Then turn off the oven and place the dough to rise in there. It normally takes about 30 minutes for the dough to rise. Do not allow the dough to rise too much or your cinnamon rolls will be airy.

  10. While the dough is rising, prepare the cinnamon filling. In a medium bowl, combine the soft butter, brown sugar and cinnamon, mixing until well combined. Set aside.

  11. Sprinkle a pastry mat generously with flour. Turn out the dough onto the pastry mat and sprinkle the top of the dough with additional flour. 

  12. Flour a rolling pin and roll the dough to about a 12x15" rectangle.

  13. Use a rubber spatula to smooth the cinnamon filling over the whole dough rectangle.

  14. Starting on the long end, roll the dough up tightly jelly roll style. 

  15. Cut into 12 slices and place in a greased 9x13 baking pan.*

  16. Cover the pan and allow the rolls to rise for 20 minutes or until nearly double.

  17. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

  18. Warm the heavy cream until the chill is off. Don't make it hot...you just don't want it cold. It should be warm to the touch.

  19. Once the rolls have risen, pour the heavy cream over the top of the rolls, allowing it to soak down in and around the rolls.

  20. Bake at 375 degrees for 17-19 minutes, until the rolls are lightly golden brown and the center rolls are cooked through.

  21. While the rolls are cooling, prepare the cream cheese frosting.

  22. In a large bowl, combine the softened cream cheese and butter using a hand mixer. Blend well.

  23. Add in your favorite extract and the powdered sugar. Beat until combined.

  24. Spread the frosting over the cooled rolls.

  25. Store in an airtight container.

Recipe Notes

**Different yeast calls for slightly different proofing methods. We follow Red Star Platinum's temperature guidelines. Please check your yeast packet to see what temperature the milk should be at.

*For smaller rolls, cut the dough into 15 slices and use a 10x15" baking pan.

*If you only make 12 rolls, you may end up with extra frosting. 

*I have halved the frosting recipe ingredients since originally posting it.

*The Calorie count shows the amount with ALL of the frosting used. There will be less calories in the rolls if you don't use all of the frosting at once.

*Time shown does not include time for rising, so this recipe will take longer than 49 minutes. Plan about 2-2 1/2 hours with rising time and everything.

Nutrition Facts
Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
Amount Per Serving
Calories 618 Calories from Fat 252
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 28g 43%
Saturated Fat 17g 85%
Cholesterol 109mg 36%
Sodium 427mg 18%
Potassium 145mg 4%
Total Carbohydrates 85g 28%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Sugars 47g
Protein 7g 14%
Vitamin A 19.3%
Calcium 8.9%
Iron 14.5%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

The best homemade cinnamon rolls ever! If you love gooey cinnamon buns, here's the secret ingredient. Everyone raves about these homemade yeast rolls.

Subscribe

for all the latest tasty goodness

Comments

    • I am a little confused about the heavy cream.Does in go with the cinnamon sugar middle part or just over the top of the rolls before you bake them.

      Reply

      • I had our last one this morning split with my husband made them Friday afternoon frosted and ate them sat morning daughter and grands were down for mothers day didn’t have any heavy cream on hand but had vanilla ice cream let it come to room temperature and used that someone suggested it in the comments the family all agreed they were the best !!!!

        Reply

    • I’ve been experimenting for several years trying to find the perfect cinnamon bun recipe, especially one that is like Cinnabon’s. I think it’s safe to say there isn’t such a thing as a bad cinnamon bun, and I had settled in on a couple of terrific recipes. But try as I did (using milk instead of water, more egg/ less egg, higher baking temp, less, more butter for the filling,) I never got close to getting that great gooey ness that so typifies Cinnabon. That is until I tried this recipe. The “secret” ingredient was just what the baking gods demanded for putting these buns over the top. They are absolutely fabulous. This is the kind of recipe that is kept under lock and key stamped “Eyes Only”, and only whispered about among conspiracy theorists for actually existing!
      Thanks SO much for sharing this!

      Reply

    • I’ve made this recipe twice. For some reason my dough is not sticky as it’s described it should be after blending the flour into the wet ingredients. I measure the flour accurately and the cinnamon rolls are delicious but I’m wondering if they would be even better if my dough was lighter and fluffier. What am I doing wrong?

      Reply

  4. Thank you so much for sharing such a great recipe! Your advice on how to prepare the dough is helpful. I tried one recipe with fresh blueberries and a little blueberry jam in the filling in one attempt of making rolls. My rolls were dry. Again when I tried another recipe of orange rolls and the dough again was dry. I used the amount of flour that was specified. Then I saw your recipe and video! I need to be careful not to add too much flour. The idea of adding cream just before baking was a surprise!

    I can hardly wait to try these rolls!!!

    Reply

  5. The recipe I use is very similar except instead of just pouring warm cream over the rolls before baking, I make a cinnamon whipped cream from the heavy cream and put a dollop of the whipped cream on top of each roll just before putting them in the oven.

    Reply

  7. My mother made her cinnamon rolls as per the recipe….but instead of pouring sweet cream over them, she mixed brown sugar with sour cream ….and I believe she poured it over just a few minutes before taking out of the oven. Then when they were turned out, upside down, there was a wonderful caramel coating on them. My kids and all of the cousins still rave about Grandmas cinnamon rolls.
    So much nicer than icing.

    Reply

    • You would need a powerful hand mixer to beat the dough, but if you have that you could give it a try! This dough is soft so is easy to mix by hand, too. Just be sure you don’t add too much flour if you knead by hand. You want the dough to be slightly sticky.

      Reply

  11. This recipe is amazing! My family loved them. I doubled the recipe and used only one batch of icing and had lots of icing left over. Will make this again!

    Reply

  12. Thank you for sharing your recipe. I am going to make these. I have been looking for a good cinnamon roll recipe and this one sounds amazing.

    Reply

  13. Made it today for the first time. Awesome recipe. Turned out very good. Sooo soft sooo delicious. Thank you so much for sharing.

    Reply

  14. I have been hunting for this recipe for years! Maybe not the exact one, but a cinnamon roll that called for cream being poured over them just before baking! It was my mother’s recipe and as a teenager, I would bake them for my grandpa. Back then we had the good old fresh cream. Oh they are so good! As it goes, the recipe got lost over the years … I’m 70 now. You have made me so very happy. Thank you!

    Reply

      • Checking to see if you tried freezing the rolls and when, before or after baking? Getting things planned ahead for Thanksgiving and wondered about freezing. I did a test run and they were absolutely wonderful. I’m always on the lookout for the “perfect” roll recipe and finally found it!

        Reply

    • I make them and once rolled and put in pan I put them straight into the fridge before they have a chance to rise. I then taken them out in the morning and let them double in size and bake as instructed come out perfect every time!

      Reply

  20. We made these today, but there was still a lot of runny cream at the bottom after baking for 20 minutes? Any idea why or how to avoid this?

    Reply

  21. Are you sure it’s 2 tsp. of yeast and not 2 Tbs? Every recipe I’ve ever done has been Tbs. I just want to be sure it isn’t a typo before I do the whole thing.

    Reply

  22. Thanks for sharing this recipe – these are SO SO good! I live where there is no Cinnabon so being able to make them at home is awesome! My dough was not tacky at all so I got a little worried but they still turned out perfectly! Live it when that happens!

    Reply

  24. These were the cinnamon rolls I have been looking for. Although the recipe seemed a bit rich to me, so I only warmed 1/2 c cream and then only used about 1/4 or 1/3 and that was perfect. I also only did 2 T butter, 4 oz cream cheese, 2 c powdered sugar, 1/2 T vanilla for the icing. I had a bit left over but it was pretty close. I will probably cut a bit of the butter for the filling as well. I didn’t think all that extra butter was necessary, and they still turned out fabulous. Thank you for sharing. So yummy!

    Reply

  27. I am 59 years old and I do not like to bake that much. I have never had any luck making cinnamon rolls until now. All I can say is these are soooooo good and I will be making them again. Thanks for sharing this recipe.

    Reply

  28. I have to eat Gluten free due to Celiacs disease. Have you ever tried to make these Gluten free? And do you think it would work by just substituting Gluten free flour for regular flour.

    Reply

    • I HAVE. It is very challenging to get it to look the part of rolled dough. It’s confusing, especially if you haven’t before. They do however go about tasting the same. Do not over due it on the flour. It wil last taste like flour if you add anything moreover. It’s gunna be sticking everywhere, keep your hands floured to help u get it into the greased bowl.

      Reply

  34. These are the freaking bomb!! I now have a new go to recipe for cinnamon rolls!! Question: Can I ma,ke these and let them rise in the fridge overnight so all I have to do is pull them out and pour the cream over them in the morning? We love fresh baked cinnamon rolls!

    Reply

  35. This is a very yummy recipe. Definitely a new favorite of my family’s. One question…. if I wait to put the icing on till serving, storing in an airtight container, should that be refrigerated? Or doesn’t matter?

    Reply

  36. Hi, has anyone ever used almond milk instead of milk? Did it come out okay? And has anyone ever made these in a crockpot? If so, did it come out okay?

    Reply

  38. What can I use in place of heavy cream to pour over unbaked rolls? I have sour cream and 2% milk. Can I use this mixed? If so, how much of each? My first time visiting your blog. I really like your detailed instructions.You make it easy for occasional bakers like me. Thank you

    Reply

    • Hi there! I’m glad you found us! I’ve not tried this with anything but heavy whipping cream. The sour cream would definitely give it a little bit of a different flavor. Maybe reduce the milk by two tablespoons and add in two tablespoons of sour cream? I’m really not sure.

      Reply

  39. Hi! What is the serving size? 816 calories for 1 of 12 rolls, all frosting used? Or 816 calories for pan of all 12 rolls, all frosting used?

    Reply

  40. Hi, could can cream be used instead of the heavy whipping cream to pour over the top of the cinnamon rolls before baking? I’m baking these now and just discovered I didn’t have any heavy cream.

    Reply

  41. I made these for an office potluck and they were an absolute hit! The cream is definitely the secret ingredient and I will be adding it to my cinnamon roll recipes going forward. Mine always come out a bit dry but these were soft and delicious! I had a moment of panic because I thought I measured my cream incorrectly-it looks like way too much in the pan! I think the dough would be great in a lot of sweet roll variations-it came together beautifully and was so easy to roll out. I halved the frosting ingredients and didn’t even use half of what I made. These would be great with just a glaze as well. Just be sure to follow directions and temp guidelines and you will have perfect cinnamon rolls!

    Reply

  44. Can’t wait to try these! Is there a way to pre make these the night before then cook in the morning? Thanks for your advice!

    Reply

  45. Sounds yummy! Thank you for the great baking tips. I think “canned cream” is evaporated milk in one of the questions. Can Carnation evaporated milk replace the 1/2 c heavy cream. ?

    Reply

  46. I didn’t realize until now that my heavy cream went sour and have no more! 🙁 please help what can I replace it with or can I put them in without anything?

    Reply

  47. These were absolutely delicious! After reading the comments, I halved the icing recipe and it was still plenty for frosting the cinnamon rolls! So super delicious and soft and gooey. My father-in-law who get Cinnabon every time he travels said these were even better than his beloved Cinnabon – which is probably the highest order of compliment ever! Thanks for the awesome recipe!!

    Reply

  48. These sound amazing. I’ve never seen the secret of pouring cream over the rolls before baking but it makes sense to me. On the icing, I read somewhere, sometime (don’t know if its true) that one of the Cinnabon secrets to “gooiness” is to put some of the cream cheese frosting on while the rolls are warm right out of the oven, then add more frosting when the rolls have cooled completely.

    Reply

  49. Hi, I just came across your website when looking for for a for a cinnamon roll recipe and after reading your recipe and reviews I can’t wait to dive in and see what else you have to offer. I briefly checked your other recipes and it seems you have so much to offer like I cook! I’m always checking out cooking websites and they start off great and then you realize they’re actually from another planet, lol. I’m from Texas and I learned ro cook from my grandmother and great grandmother. I am adapting to some of the healthier options but I still like “the good stuff” Anyway, I just wanted to let you know I was very impressed with your site and can’t wait to read more! Your girls were very sweet to share yalls “secret ingredient” for your cinnamon roll recipe. Tell them thanks 🙂

    Reply

  50. oooh my goodness–THESE (!!!!!!) I have tried many cinnamon roll recipes (I’m only in my mid-twenties, so not like THAT many recipes, but probably four or five), but this is without question the best. I followed the dough recipe exactly, and it was absolutely perfect; it was so easy to roll out, it rolled up flawlessly, and it held its shape once rolled and cut. There was no sticky mess at all, and they were really beautiful little rolls! I baked mine for longer than stated–It was about 20 min until they were golden. The cream absorbed nicely and made them sticky and soft in the bottom. I only had an 8oz package of cream cheese, so for the frosting I just did 1/2 cup butter, 8oz cream cheese, 1 tsp vanilla, 3 cups powdered sugar–worked out perfectly. Thank you for posting this! This is likely to be a christmas eve morning tradition for decades to come. 🙂

    Reply

  51. These are AMAZING. Thanks for the recipe. My first time making cinnamon buns but with this recipe I think I will now be a regular. My dough was not tacky so was a little worried but didn’t seem to be a problem. Also, they took much longer to bake but some of that could be because we are high altitude. LOVE THESE.

    Reply

  52. These were every bit as good as promised. Follow the instructions to the T (for anyone wondering) and you’ll be amazed.

    Reply

  53. The first time
    I made this recipe they turned out amazing and I received a ton of compliments. I just tried to make them again and the dough did not turn out twice. The first time I though maybe a miscounted the amount of flour because the dough was tough. The next batch turned out the same way but I know I followed the recipe to a T. I live at high altitude and am wondering if that was the problem or maybe bad yeast. Any thoughts?

    Reply

  54. Best cinnamon bun recipe I’ve ever tried. And I’ve tried quite a few. Thank you so much for sharing the secret ingredient. It never occurred to me to pour cream over uncooked dough, but wow. Glorious gooey goodness. I’ve got a Christmas potluck at work in a few days. I signed up to bring bread. I think I’ll bring a batch of these as well. How could I not?!

    Reply

  56. Have you, or has anyone, tried freezing these yet? I’m wondering if you could even freeze them fully cooked then just warm them up to eat. That’s how the pioneer woman freezes hers.

    Reply

    • I have frozen frosted cinnamon rolls many times. I do a lot of them individually so when my husband wants one we do 30 seconds in the microwave and they are like just baked! We have found the cinnamon flavor increases after freezing and rewarming them!

      Reply

  58. Is it okay to leave these sitting on the counter in airtight container overnight since it has cream cheese or do I need to refrigerate?

    Reply

  59. How can I make these ahead of time? We always have cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning but I prepare them 1-2 days before and refrigerate to bake Christmas morning while we open gifts. Can I refrigerate after the 2nd rise?

    Reply

    • I find that they rise too much if I refrigerate them after the second rise. I haven’t test this too much at all, but I’d maybe try rolling them up and freezing them before the first rise. Then pull them out the night before (or the morning of if you are up early enough) and let them defrost, then rise for the second time.

      Reply

  61. Do you stir the eggs etc before you add the flour? My dough didn’t really rise before I rolled it out, and the cut rolls didn’t double in side in the pan. Any ideas as to why?

    Reply

    • My guess was it was something to do with the yeast. Was the yeast fresh? What type of yeast did you use (instant, etc)? Did you proof it? Was the water too hot? It also can take varying times for the dough to rise depending on temperature and humidity.

      Reply

  62. What a terrific recipe. I used it for this year’s cinnamon rolls to give as neighbor gifts. This will be my go-to recipe. I doubled the recipe with no problem. These fit beautifully in an 2 – 8″ disposable round aluminum pans. My yield was 4 of these by doubling. I used the gift cellophane to wrap (fastened with bow of your choice). Thanks for sharing your secret ingredient! The dough came together beautifully and was a pleasure to work with. Thank you for this well-crafted recipe and clear directions.

    Reply

  65. We are currently waiting for the second rise! Can’t wait! My family will love these beauts. I wish I could attach a picture, because they are looking soooo delicious! Such a bummer we have to wait for them to cook… 😉

    Reply

  66. Here are some “make ahead” tips. I made these on December 23rd and we enjoyed them Christmas morning.
    I followed the recipe exactly until the point of cutting the rolls. At this point, I cut the rolls, put them in my prepared baking dish. Covered the dish with Saran Wrap and put in the freezer. I did not do a second rise at this point.
    On Christmas Eve night I took them out of freezer and removed Saran Wrap. I covered loosely with wax paper and let sit on counter top over night. With that the rolls proofed over night.
    On Christmas morning I preheated oven. Put 1/2 cup of luke warm cream over rolls. Baked as directed, they took about 22 min to get golden. Spread cream cheese frosting over them. They were a huge hit. We had a few left over and they reheated in microwave for 15 seconds perfectly.

    Reply

  67. Yum. I used my go to recipe for the rolls, but added the warmed cream to them. Made them over the top delicious! Thank you for sharing your secret for gooey cinnamon rolls. My family thanks you as well!

    Reply

  68. Only two of us so wish to make 4 large rolls in 8 x 8 pan, if I cut recipe in half any suggestions on rolled out dimensions and size of the cut. Cannot wait to try but do not wish to waste those we will not eat. Four would be the perfect number for us and guests.

    Reply

  69. i MADE THESE TODAY FOR THE FIRST TIME AND THEY WERE FANTASTIC. IT TOOK ME MUCH LONGER TO BAKE THEM BUT HAD I USED A BIGGER PAN I MAY HAVE GOTTEN A QUICKER BAKE. GREAT RECIPE. WILL DEFINITELY MAKE THESE AGAIN.

    Reply

  70. I doubled this recipe and decided to refrigerate them overnight in order to bake them fresh in the a.m. They wouldn’t stop rising in the fridge! So I threw them in the oven around 1:30 a.m. I put some foil over them to keep them moist till morning. Everyone will just have to reheat them prior to eating, as I think hot is the only way to really enjoy cinnamon rolls. Oh, BTW, both batches I made bubbled over while baking, so I’d advise putting a piece of foil under them or another cookie sheet to save a mess in the oven. They are delicious. I cut back the sugar by 1/2 in the icing recipe and it allows the goodness of the cream cheese to shine through! There’s plenty of sugar in the rolls themselves for our family. This is a keeper of a recipe. Thanks so much for sharing.

    Reply

    • Yes, I’ve mentioned that they will keep rising in the fridge overnight. This will also cause them to bubble over when baking because they’ve risen more. I’m glad you loved the recipe though!

      Reply

      • Yes, I had seen your previous comment. Just confirming what you said, as I had to find out for myself: I’ve made cinnamon rolls before and had no problem with putting them in the fridge overnight. Not sure what the difference is between your recipe and the others that would cause that but there is a difference! =) My first batch, prior to doubling this one, bubbled over as well and they went straight into the oven. No matter though: everyone loves them!

        Reply

    • Are you using large eggs? And what percent of milk did you use? Be sure not to pack the flour in when measuring. Spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level it with a knife so you don’t get too much.

      Reply

  72. Amazing! I made these gluten free by subbing Bobs Red Mill 1 to 1, and they were crazy good. (If you want good food gf, you gotta make it from scratch!) I used quick rising yeast, and initially I thought the dough wasn’t rising much, but after 30-45 min in the warm oven the dough was puffy and easy to roll out. The filling was a little thick, but that’s ok. Didn’t need to let rise a 2nd time, and in fact, had to use a second pan for a few rolls because they were so big. They baked up perfectly – a mix of both bready and gooey. Frosting was delish as well. Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply

  73. Just a hint…I have been making these for years. If you put the butter brown sugar and cinnamon in a pan to melt it will spread easier. You do have to do it quickly. Great recipe can’t wait to try the milk.

    Reply

  74. Ma’am!! These cinnamon rolls are AMAZING! I made them last night and they are a HIT! This recipe is official and I’m sharing it with everyone I know. Thank you so much!

    Reply

  76. Wouldn’t the heavy cream increase the time it takes for the rolls to bake all the way through? I tried the recipe, putting on the heavy cream as required, but the rolls were underdone, even though they looked baked completely. I don’t know what I did wrong. The oven isn’t an old clunker. I have collected more than 100 cinnamon roll recipes. I was happy to find your recipe since it provides an interesting twist. Thank you.

    Reply

    • I don’t know how long you baked, but mine were perfect. Here is what I did – I put my rolls in a 9X13 cake pan and put a sheet of tin foil, shiny side down, into a 375 degree oven. I baked them a full 20 minutes, loosely laying a sheet of tin foil over the top of the rolls the last 5 minutes because this keeps them from browning too much. They were perfect! Good luck!

      Reply

  77. Thanks for your response. I use usually use glass bakeware, but this time I used a cake pan. My only guess is, that there was not enough room in the pan for the rolls to bake properly when heavy cream was poured on the rolls. I’ve seen photos of cinnamon rolls baked in metal round cake pans and they appeared to be fine.

    I’ll try it again with a larger glass pan and see if that’s better. Thanks again for your input.

    Reply

  79. I’ve made these a few times to perfection. Really delicious. This time I doubled the recipe. Not sure how that will work. The dough was a little drier so I’m concerned but I think they will be fine. Hope so.

    Reply

  82. I halved this recipe since I have a small family and baked in an 8×8 greased pan. They are amazing! The heavy cream on top didn’t keep them from turning golden brown and they have great doughy texture while being a yummy, gooey mess. I also didn’t have cream cheese for the icing so I made with a small amount of sour cream and butter. Thank you for sharing this recipe! It’s gonna be a household go to from now on. 🙂

    Reply

  83. These were fantastic. I found I needed longer resting and proving times, but these turned out great! A big hit with the family.

    Reply

  85. Made these with wheat flour took a little longer to make and since I had no heavy cream, I made my own 3/4 cup of milk and 1/3 stick of butter mixed together (=1 cup). It turned out pretty good

    Reply

  86. Used bread flour. I put them in freeze and took them out next morning. Let them do their second rise which took 3 hrs with help of heating pad, ha Ha. Came out awesome! 😆 Did half the icing recipe which was plenty for my liking. Took them to work nice and warm for a moving on party. Everyone enjoyed them and stated how moist they were. This is a keeper…..

    Reply

    • A heating pad!. Brilliant! That would free up the oven in case of other things. Thank you for his tip! My double batch of cinnamon rolls are just about ready for their cream bath and baking… Oooo so excited to bring these to a friend’s birthday tonight.

      Reply

      • Im sure everyone liked them. People were telling Me how they didn’t even feel guilty about the calories it was so good

        Reply

  87. I have been baking for over 5 decades. I thought I had the world’s best cinnamon roll, but I was mistaken. I was intrigued by the 1/2 cup warm cream. Wow! Knocked my socks off! These are indeed the best cinnamon rolls in the universe! I rolled my rectangle out larger, and in the frosting, I left out the butter and used Kroger Greek cream cheese/yogurt. It comes in a box like cr. cheese and I used half of it. I also used almond milk in the frosting and it was heavenly! If you are searching for the world’s best cinnamon roll, you have found it at last! Thanks so much for sharing!!!

    Reply

  89. I didn’t have time to read all the comments, so I don’t know if this question was asked previously…… I don’t care for white frosting….. can you tell me how to make a simple almost transparentvmaple or cinnamon glaze?

    Reply

  90. the recipe I use for cinnamon rolls ; I like to take one can of condensed milk and pour over them before baking. I will have to try heavy cream….thank you

    Reply

  92. I thought I already had the best recipe for cinnamon rolls but when I ran across this one, especially with the number of almost 5-star reviews, I had to check it out. I thought I’d learn something new or a tip to improving mine. Come to find out, this is the EXACT same recipe I’ve been using for years except for a 1/2 cup difference in the flour and of course the 1/2 Cup of cream. I can’t wait to see just how much better it is with the cream. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply

  93. Do you have the Nutrition facts for no frosting? Looking forward to trying these with no GMO products!

    Reply

    • By my estimations, if you make the recipe into 12 rolls, 1 roll would be 471 calories, 24 grams of fat and 58 carbs. 7 grams protein and 260 grams of sodium. This is just an estimation based on recipe calculators. Thanks!

      Reply

  94. Absolutly perfect! Soft,fluffy,and ooey goey!!! I made the dow the night before, let it rise once ( in crockpot,lowest heat setting,in a open crockpot bag on one side,glass of water on the other with lid on 20-30 minuets,bag was sprayed with cooking spray.) Took bag out,fidnt punch down dow,put the bag with dow in fridge overnight.Took out next morning let them rise again in crockpot 20 minutes,made rolls,then let pan rise in oven after turning on lowest setting fir 10 minutes, turned off oven,put pan with rolls in,covered lose with damp paper towls 20-30 minutes. Made everything according to recipe, microwaved cream half cup 40 seconds in microwave and these turned out perfect for me! Thank you for this amazing recipe!!!

    Reply

  96. I’m wondering if this can be made with artificial sweetener. Being diabetic, I salivate for cinnamon rolls.

    Reply

  97. I have tried this! and it’s very easy to make! Delicious and Amazing!!!!!!!!! thank you so much for this wonderful recipe 😊😊😊

    Reply

  98. First time making cinnamon rolls and won’t be needing to find a new recipe. My family LOVED them!! I used the bread machine for the dough, so it was super easy! Thanks so much for this recipe!

    Reply

  99. I’m having trouble making the cinnamon rolls not too dry. I’m using an electric standing mixer. I thought I added the right amount of flour, but I’ve found I’ve had to add more flour before I let it rest for 5 mins. Anyone else having trouble with this? I noticed using bread flour the first time helped, but the cinnamon rolls came out too soft.

    Reply

    • Hmmmm…I don’t use bread flour because it tends to make them chewier instead of softer. I’ve never added more flour before letting it rest for 5 minutes. About how much are you adding? The only time I add more flour is during the kneading stage if needed. The dough should definitely still be tacky to touch.

      Reply

  100. Amazing. The cinnamon rolls were too good. I never expected them to be so gooey and perfect. Thankyou so much for the recipe!!

    Reply

  101. I have made these twice; the first time forgetting the “secret ingredient.” However both times were amazing! Adding the secret ingredient made it so much better, though! This is from now on my go-to cinnamon roll recipe.

    Reply

  102. I made these yesterday as a Father’s Day surprise for my boyfriend’s mom and dad, and I heard thery were delicious!

    I am Paleo (no dairy, sugar, or grains) so I couldn’t try them but everyone who had one said they were the best they’d ever eaten.

    Thanks!

    Reply

  105. So I am actually still in the process of making this recipe… And I do wonder if there is a typo in the amount of yeast or if this is better done by hand and not using a bread hook in the mixer. I have followed the instructions exactly and my rolls are not rising. I did not overwork my dough and they are sitting in a nice warm spot…

    Thoughts? There must be something up with something that I did because everybody’s reviews are raving awesome and yet I’m sitting in my kitchen covered in flour and sad. Suggestions for next time or something to look for that I might have done accidentally and not realized?

    Reply

    • Is the yeast fresh? Did you use the Red Star platinum? Be sure you follow the directions on the back of your yeast packet…it may need proofing depending on what kind you pick up.

      Reply

  106. BEST. CINNAMON. ROLLS. EVER!!!!! I made these rolls with about 150 grams of the same wild yeast levain that I use for my family’s bread. (Used 4 cups of all purpose flour and 1/2 c organic white bread flour; reduced the milk by about 20% to make up for the liquid in the levain–half organic whole wheat, half organic bread flour, 100% hydration.) I hand kneaded the dough once for about 10 minutes then let it rise for about 6 hours.
    Rolled out the dough, which was much easier to work with than I’d thought it might be, followed directions in the recipe from here on out, but let the rolls rise for another hour or so before baking them.
    Five of us ate the dozen within twelve hours and we all thought they were fabulous! The dough was tender and the gooey factor was just right.

    Reply

  107. It’s just me and my husband for now, is there a way to cut the recipe in half? I wasn’t sure if just cutting the ingredients would taste the same. We are making them today as is. Maybe we can compare after. We can’t wait to have them!

    Reply

  108. I love this recipe, but have never tried it with the heavy cream. Is there a substitute I can use for the heavy cream? Will warm milk have the same affect?

    Reply

  110. I have tried so many cinnamon roll recipes and all of them have been below average tastewise….until now!! This truly is an amazing cinnamon roll recipe, thank you SO MUCH for sharing!! We’re excited to try more of your recipes!

    Reply

  111. Best Cinnamon Rolls EVER!!!!!! They were so easy to make and had just the right balance of cinnamon/sugar. I used all my powdered sugar for red velvet cake frosting earlier this week, and even with out the frosting they were delicious! I also did not have heavy cream and tried another posters idea of melted vanilla ice cream and it works great. My family of 6 loved them and I will definitely be making them again. Thanks for sharing…..and now on to peach bread!

    Reply

  112. There was supposed to be a SECRET INGREDIENT . I don’t see anything that is a secret ingredient.
    It doesn’t label any thing that would be secret.

    Please help me with this.

    You can send it to me via email, please: [email protected].

    Thanks you.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

You might also like

Tastes of Lizzy T is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Any highlighted, clickable Amazon link you see is an affiliate link.

Send this to a friend