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!
Cinnamon rolls are one of the BEST breakfasts. You can make quick and easy cinnamon rolls or you can make pancakes or bread pudding, but this right here is the best Homemade Cinnamon Roll 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, gooey breakfast sweet rolls that everyone craves. Our best recipe that we’ve been serving friends and family on holidays and any other day for over 15 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 as you start to bake.
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. I still add the instant yeast to the milk just to help it get active. But you don’t have to wait for it to active.
- 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 is good). You’ll also want to warm the butter so it is soft and mixes in easily. But again, the butter should not be over 110º Fahrenheit. I use salted butter, but unsalted butter works well too.
- 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 cycle 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 by hand, be careful not to add too much flour. The dough is supposed to be tacky, which is what keeps these rolls soft.
**Pro Tip: 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 filling:
- Softened (almost melted) butter (oh…and you should try our brown butter cinnamon rolls if you love butter!)
- Brown sugar
- Cinnamon. Use Saigon cinnamon in this filling. One of Cinnabon’s secrets is the cinnamon they use. It’s called Makara. They trademarked this cinnamon so from what I understand it is hard to buy.
You can add one teaspoon vanilla extract if you’d like. We find it’s not necessary, but feel free to do so. Mix this all together while the dough is rising. This only takes a few minutes!
Love raisins and walnuts? Sprinkle them over this filling, then roll.
How to Roll Cinnamon Rolls
After you let the dough rise in a greased covered bowl (you can cover it with a towel or plastic wrap) until it is double in size, you’re ready to roll.. Use a pastry mat sprinkled with flour or other floured surface 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. Use a sharp knife or a steel dough cutter to 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.
Here’s a Pro Tip for cutting the cinnamon rolls: Use dental floss! It makes such a perfect cut without squishing the dough.
*Note: the rolls will be more evenly if they are spread out in a 10×15 baking pan.*
Cinnabon Copycat Recipe
Before I had this recipe, I was addicted to Cinnabon cinnamon rolls. They were large, soft, and gooey. I’m all about the gooey. Why is Cinnabon so gooey? What is the Cinnabon secret ingredient? 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 totally 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 unbaked 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 rolled dough.
- Can you make these 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?
Note: If you don’t have cream, use half and half, coffee creamer, evaporated milk, whole milk or coconut cream. Any of these will work. Even 2% milk will work, but we prefer a higher fat milk.
Cinnamon Roll Frosting
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.
This frosting contains 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 the BEST cinnamon rolls ever. My girls were hesitant to share our family secret ingredient, but so many of you have asked, they reluctantly agreed because they love you and want to see you happy. 🙂
Watch me make this cinnamon roll recipe:
Homemade Cinnamon Rolls {Cinnabon Copycat}
Ingredients
For the Dough:
- 1 cup warm milk (about 115 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 salted butter** (Melted, but make sure it isn't over 110º Fahrenheit. Just softened is fine.)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (divided)
For the Filling:
- 1/2 cup salted 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 salted butter (softened)
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 tablespoon maple extract (or vanilla)
Instructions
- Pour the warm milk in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast overtop.
- Add the eggs, butter and sugar. Mix until combined.
- Add in salt and 4 cups (save the other 1/2 cup and add only if you need it) of 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.
- Scrape the dough off the beater blade and remove it. Attach the dough hook.
- Beat the dough on medium speed, adding in up to 1/2 cup more flour if needed to form a dough. Knead for 5-7 minutes or until the dough is elastic and smooth. **The dough should 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. We generally add about 4 1/2 cups, but start with 4 cups.
- Spray a large bowl with cooking spray.
- Use a rubber spatula to remove the dough from the mixer bowl and place it in the greased large bowl.
- Cover the bowl with a towel or wax paper.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Flour a rolling pin and roll the dough to about a 24×15" rectangle. (the size of the rectangle can vary…it does not have to be exact!)
- Use a rubber spatula to smooth the cinnamon filling over the whole dough rectangle.
- Starting on the long end, roll the dough up tightly jelly roll style.
- Cut into 12 slices and place in a greased 9×13 baking pan.****
- Cover the pan and allow the rolls to rise for 20 minutes or until nearly double.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- 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.
- 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.
- Bake at 375 degrees for 20-22 minutes, until the rolls are lightly golden brown and the center rolls are cooked through. Note…the time will vary based on how big the rolls are, what type of pan, how close the rolls are packed, etc. They could take up to 25-27 minutes. Check the rolls at 20 minutes. If they are getting too browned, cover loosely with foil for the remaining baking time.
- While the rolls are cooling, prepare the cream cheese frosting.
- In a large bowl, combine the softened cream cheese and butter using a hand mixer. Blend well.
- Add in your favorite extract and the powdered sugar. Beat until combined.
- Spread the frosting over the cooled rolls.
- Store in an airtight container.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Overnight Cinnamon Rolls
We often make the cinnamon rolls and get them to the point of the second rise (when they are rolled out, cut up and put in the pan). Cover and refrigerate until morning.
The morning you want to bake them, pull them out of the refrigerator. They may have doubled in size in the fridge overnight. If they have, let them sit for 30 minutes to get the chill off, then bake.
If they did not rise in the fridge overnight, allow them to rise at room temperature. Plan about at least an hour for this. Then pour on the cream and let them bake.
Can you freeze cinnamon roll dough before baking?
Yes! Make the cinnamon rolls and get them to the point of the second rise (when they are rolled out, cut up and put in the pan). Place them on a pan (not touching) and put them in the freezer for about 1 hour. Then place the rolls in a zippered bag.
When you’re ready to bake the rolls, plan ahead and put the rolls in the fridge to thaw overnight. Then pull them out of the refrigerate and allow them to rise the morning you want to bake them. Plan about at least an hour for this so you aren’t waiting too long! Allow them to do their second rise, then bake as normal.
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.
Remember…we like to celebrate with GIANT CINNAMON ROLLS!
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!
Two quick observations… 1) 1/2 C heavy cream is 119g, not 238g, but not many people are likely using metrics. 2) For those whose dough is producing a “bready” texture, note that flour amount here = 125g per 1 C. Some common U.S. flour brands are 120g per 1 C, so check side panel of flour bag. Measuring by volume and not weight is a far less accurate method, but yes, many rail against it. Weighing using metrics allows for consistency and accuracy, and enabkes one to look at a recipe’s formula for baker percentages and ratios, thereby avoiding baker… Read more »
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.… Read more »
Hi all and special salute to Lizzy T. I’m 82, still cooking still wowing the younguns with old recipes that today’s nutritionists want to ban. Ha Ha, this must have been very similar to my mum’s cinn bun mix, as i remembered them as soon as my eye’s fell on the pic at the beginning, I’m estatic Lizzy. I’m gunna cause a stir with all that beautiful cream and eggs and butter and sugar,,,Thank You Thank You Thank You, lizzy, you’ve made an old man very happy. !!!
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.
Your recipe is spot on with all the extra tips! This is a keeper for our family. I doubled the recipe and gave most of the rolls away to family. I am always looking for a way to brighten peoples day, especially through this pandemic. This really brightens up all of our day! I have something delicious to give and they have something wonderful to sweeten up their day. I will be looking into more recipes from you! It takes a little longer to read through, but it is well worth it. Thank you for being so thorough with your… Read more »
I have made this several times already and they always come out amazing! I leave out the frosting because my parents aren’t too fond of sweetness, but it still tastes great. One time I tried substituting the brown sugar for coco sugar, and also tried lemon sugar + blueberries for the filling.. whatever I put in comes out great, because of the awesome dough! So so happy with this recipe, so versatile and yields consistent results. Something I will definitely pass on to future generations, when I have kids. Hahaha Thank you again for this recipe!
Question! Can I half the recipe? Would that mess anything up? I am baking for one during the quarantine and eating too much! LOL
Hello, my name is Ariana I love to bake! I am just turning12 on Saturday. I love this recipe I always wanted a soft cinnamon roll, this is the perfect recipe! make sure to rest it for 5 minutes before letting it knead with the dough hook if not is so sticky and have to add more flour. I have made this recipe over 10 times with my KitchenAid stand mixer! As I am writing this, I am making more cinnamon rolls!
I have never posted a comment. I do , however, read comments. I must say this is very very wonderful dough. I do not have a stand mixer. It still worked. It is a very smooth dough that I didn’t even need to use a rolling pin. It just stretched gently with my hands. I did bring out my sewing ruler and measure. It was mighty fine. Oh! And the finished product was definitely a winner!
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.
Wow! I have been craving a Cinnabon cinnamon roll for so long, but unfortunately all the locations are gone from where I live! I came across this recipe and thought I would give it a try! My whole family said these were even better than Cinnabon! Thank you for this recipe and for the step by step instructions, tips, and secrets to creating the perfect cinnamon roll. I did miscalculate with the roll cutting and ended up with 10 pieces instead of 12, but it still turned out amazing! No one complained about a extra extra extra large cinnamon roll!… Read more »
Is there anyway to freeze them? Or make them put in oven in the a.m.?
I made these about 5 times already, and each time they turn out SO perfect. i followed the recipe EXACTLY as written and had no issues at all! i find that depending on the size of the pan i use, the baking time varies (which is normal and expected) – so just watch them after the 25 minute mark carefully. sooooo yummy and always a hit! thank you!!!!!!!!!!!
I’ve waited 45 mins for the dough to rise and nothing yet. What did I do wrong? Help please:)
Can you half the recipe?? What size pan would you use? We’re a small family… and one doesn’t eat food yet. I’d hate for it to go to waste!
We just bit into the cinnamon rolls—which I made for the first time ever—and my husband and I are in utter heaven! What a fantastic recipe! I poured the cream over the rolls 12 minutes into the baking and iced them right out of the oven with a simple sugar glaze. Absolutely wonderful. I’m so proud of myself, thanks to your clear directions and video. Many, many thanks!
Move over Cinnabon! Ooey Gooey goodness!!! I used Silk Almond Milk since that was all I had but still tasted great! Next time will make half a batch of the cream cheese frosting as I had plenty left over. Will save it for the next time I make this. Thank you so much for the recipe!!!
How could I modify to make these pumpkin cInnamon rolls?
These sound soooo good and I’m going to make your recipe today!
These were divine! I stirred mix by hand and only quickly kneaded in bowl 2 mins and they still came out tall and fluffy! I used 2% milk on top also since I didn’t have cream. However they baked for 30 minutes instead of the 20 -22 min. Came out FABULOUS!!
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… Read more »
These were amazing! Soft, with a moist crumb, but not doughy, and the right amount of sweetness. The first time I made it as written, but the second time I was pressed for time so I mixed all the dry ingredients together, then added all of the thoroughly combined wet (but warm) ingredients, and it turned just fine. I prefer weight measurements so I calculated 580 grams unbleached gold medal flour — I don’t know if this needs to be adjusted with higher protein flours like KAF — and it seemed to be the right amount each time. And yes,… Read more »
I am terrible at yeast breads. Over 50 and still can’t make them correct. I followed this recipe right down to the yeast and taking the temperature of the milk. I still looks like my dough hasn’t doubled in a half hour. Any suggestions?? Thanks
This sounds amazing! thank you for sharing!
I can’t wait to try these cinnamon rolls with my 3 Girls!