These homemade Cinnamon Rolls are so easy, gooey, and delicious! Topped with a luscious cream cheese frosting, they’re perfect any time. Breakfast is extra special when these sweet rolls are on the menu.
Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
If you have ever thought about making your own homemade Cinnamon Rolls, then today’s recipe is for you. And, if you are intimidated by the thought of working with yeast, let me assure you it’s easier than you think!
Our family loves waking up to these fluffy and delicious Cinnamon Rolls occasionally on the weekend. They’re a staple at all of our holiday breakfasts – Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, birthdays, etc.
This has been my go-to recipe for more than twenty years! Occasionally, I make them using my bread machine because I can just dump all of the dough ingredients in the machine and let it do its thing. Other times, I’ll use my stand mixer. Sometimes, I like to do all of the work with my hands – there’s something so therapeutic about working with dough. No matter how you choose to make these, I’ve got you covered!
If you’re ready to see how they’re made, let’s go …
Cinnamon Rolls Recipe
Ingredients for Cinnamon Rolls
- warm milk
- large eggs
- butter
- bread flour
- salt
- granulated sugar
- active dry yeast
Filling ingredients
- brown sugar
- ground cinnamon
- butter
Ingredients for Cinnamon Rolls Icing
- cream cheese
- butter
- powdered or confectioners’ sugar
- vanilla extract
- salt, optional
How to make Cinnamon Rolls
Time needed: 2 hours and 30 minutes
How to make Cinnamon Rolls
- Dissolve yeast in milk.
In a large mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm milk.
- Add ingredients.
Mix in the sugar, margarine, salt, and eggs. Add flour and mix well.
- Knead the dough.
Knead the dough into a large ball, using your hands dusted lightly with flour.
- Let dough double in size.
Put the dough ball in a large oiled bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
- Prepare filling.
In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon to make the filling.
- Make the cinnamon rolls.
Punch the dough down and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into a 16×21-inch rectangle. Spread the dough with 1/3 cup butter and sprinkle evenly with sugar/cinnamon mixture. Roll up the dough and cut into 12 rolls. Place rolls in a lightly greased 9×13 inch baking pan. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Bake.
Bake the rolls in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes.
- Prepare the icing.
While rolls are baking, beat together all of the icing ingredients in a medium mixing bowl with a hand mixer.
- Ice the rolls.
Once the rolls are baked, remove them from the oven and spread icing over the top of warm rolls before serving.
Recipe Note
The dough for these sweet rolls can also be prepared in a bread machine, if you prefer.
Instructions for preparation in a bread machine
- Place the dough ingredients in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select the dough cycle; press Start.
- After the first rise is complete, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, cover, and let rest for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon to make the filling.
- Roll the dough into a 16×21-inch rectangle. Spread the dough with 1/3 cup butter and sprinkle evenly with sugar/cinnamon mixture. Roll up the dough and cut into 12 rolls. Place rolls in a lightly greased 9×13 inch baking pan. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Bake the rolls in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes.
- While rolls are baking, beat together all of the icing ingredients in a medium mixing bowl with a hand mixer.
- Once the rolls are baked, remove them from the oven and spread icing over the top of warm rolls before serving.
Cinnamon Rolls: FAQs
Yes. It will change the texture slightly, but it’s not a huge deal.
For this recipe, airtight in the refrigerator or freeze them.
Since these rolls have a cream cheese frosting, they DO need to be kept refrigerated. If they haven’t been iced yet, you can keep them at room temperature for 3-5 days.
Yes! Wrap individual baked rolls without icing in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and place them in a larger freezer-safe ziptop bag or container. You can also keep them in the pan and use a double layer of plastic wrap and/or foil. Frozen rolls are good for up to two months. Ice them after them are thawed and reheated.
Yes! Make sure to cover the unbaked pan of rolls and refrigerate them overnight. They will still rise – just more slowly. Usually, there will be a slightly more yeasty flavor, which some people prefer.
Too much flour in the dough or overmixing.
How did you like this recipe
Aren’t these homemade Cinnamon Rolls the bomb? How did your crew like them? If you gave them a try, I would love for you to leave your feedback down in the comments below.
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Cinnamon Rolls
Equipment
Ingredients
Dough:
- 1 cup warm milk 110°F
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- ⅓ cup butter melted
- 4 ½ cups bread flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 packet active dry yeast 0.75 oz.
Filling:
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- 2 ½ tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ⅓ cup butter softened
Icing:
- 1 package cream cheese, softened 8 oz.
- ½ cup butter softened
- 3 cups powdered or confectioners’ sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch salt optional
Instructions
By hand or stand mixer instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm milk.
- Mix in the sugar, margarine, salt, and eggs. Add flour and mix well.
- Knead the dough into a large ball, using your hands dusted lightly with flour.
- Put the dough ball in a large oiled bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
- In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon to make the filling.
- Punch the dough down and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into a 16×21-inch rectangle. Spread the dough with 1/3 cup butter and sprinkle evenly with sugar/cinnamon mixture. Roll up the dough and cut into 12 rolls. Place rolls in a lightly greased 9×13-inch baking pan. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Bake the rolls in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes.
- While rolls are baking, beat together all of the icing ingredients in a medium mixing bowl with a hand mixer.
- Once the rolls are baked, remove them from the oven and spread icing over the top of warm rolls before serving.
Bread machine instructions
- Place the dough ingredients in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select the dough cycle; press Start.
- After the first rise is complete, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, cover, and let rest for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon to make the filling.
- Roll the dough into a 16×21-inch rectangle. Spread the dough with 1/3 cup butter and sprinkle evenly with sugar/cinnamon mixture. Roll up the dough and cut into 12 rolls. Place rolls in a lightly greased 9×13-inch baking pan. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Bake the rolls in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes.
- While rolls are baking, beat together all of the icing ingredients in a medium mixing bowl with a hand mixer.
- Once the rolls are baked, remove them from the oven and spread icing over the top of warm rolls before serving.
Notes
- In a pinch, all-purpose flour can be used in place of the bread flour.
Nutrition
Please note that the nutritional information listed on this page is an estimation based on the products I used. Ingredients and nutritional information can vary significantly between brands. Always be sure to read labels. Please verify that a recipe fits your needs before using it. Nutrition info may contain errors, so please verify it independently. Likewise, recipes may contain errors, so please use your common sense when following them.
Hi there, just wondering if one can substitute gf flour instead of the bread flour?
Thanks and keep up the great work!
Thanks so much, Diane! I’m not familiar enough with gluten-free flour to give you any personal feedback. However, from what I have read, it looks like gluten-free flour can be used at a 1:1 ratio. If you decide to give this recipe a try with gluten-free flour, I would love to know how it turned out for you in case anyone else has the same question. Happy Baking!
Hi! I have a question about the dough recipe. The recipe above mentions 1/3 butter, but the instructions call for margarine. Can you use either, or is one better than the other? Thanks.
Often, they are interchangeable – but in my opinion, butter is always butter to use.
I love these rolls! They are amazing. Im planning on making 4 dozen for a wedding coming up. I’m needing a few tips on whether or not to reheat the rolls after I have made them, then put the icing on them, or just have them rolled out the day of and put them in the oven at the church. I really would appreciate your thoughts! Thankyou!!