Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

Pulling an iced cinnamon roll out of a baking pan.

Homemade Cinnamon Rolls are the only breakfast worth waking up to in the morning! These are perfectly soft and fluffy with a buttery, brown sugar, cinnamon filling that's all rolled up into swirls of deliciousness. To top it off, you have a rich, sweet and tangy cream cheese frosting. A must try recipe that's even better than Cinnabon!

Course Breakfast, Brunch

Cuisine American

Diet Vegetarian

Prep Time 2 20

Cook Time 20

Total Time 2 40

Servings rolls

Calories 634

Author Kim

Ingredients

For the Rolls

2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter softened
1/2 cup (100g) white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon (9g) instant yeast 1 (0.32 oz) packet
2 large eggs room temperature
5 1/2 to 6 cups (720g) all-purpose flour start with 5 1/2 cups and only add more 2 tablespoons at a time if dough is too sticky

For the Filling

1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons (141g) unsalted butter softened
1 1/4 cup (268g) packed brown sugar
1 1/4 tablespoon ground cinnamon

For the Icing

4 ounces cream cheese softened
1/4 cup butter softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
pinch pinch salt
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk or as needed for consistency

Instructions

Microwave milk for 2-3 minutes until it’s bubbling. Pour the milk into the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment.
Add the butter, sugar and salt. Mix on low speed until the butter is melted. Let the mixture cool until warm, but not hot. (If it's too hot it will kill the yeast and the rolls won't rise.) Add the yeast and eggs and mix until combined.
Gradually add about half of the flour. Switch to dough hook attachment and add the rest until the dough clears the sides of the bowl. After about 7 to 8 minutes, the dough should start to pull away from the sides of the bowl and be soft and slightly sticky. If after 8 minutes the dough is too sticky and is staying stuck to the sides (as opposed to pulling away), then add more flour 2 tablespoons at a time. You want the dough to be a little sticky to the touch, but still soft enough to handle easily.
Transfer the dough to a large bowl sprayed with nonstick spray. I like to spray a fine mist on the top of the dough too, so I can cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled, about one hour.
Roll the dough into a large rectangle, (horizontal in relation to your body) about 18×12 inches. Spread softened butter over the dough.
Stir together the brown sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over the dough. Pat it in slightly with the palms of your hands.
Starting with a long end, roll up the dough as tightly as possible, pinching the seam lightly to seal.
Using a serrated knife, cut a shallow slit in the roll at the half point, then cut a slit in the center of each half so you’ve got 4 equal portions, and cut slits for 3 cinnamon rolls in each of those portions, until you’ve got 12 cinnamon rolls. I like to do shallow slits to make sure they’re even before I cut all the way through. Cut with a gentle sawing motion.
Place the rolls evenly spaced on a large, parchment-lined, rimmed baking sheet or 9x13-inch baking pan. Cover and let rise until double.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake the cinnamon rolls for 18-22 minutes until light golden brown. Allow rolls to cool for about 10 minutes before frosting.
For the frosting, in a large bowl, whip together the cream cheese and butter. Add the vanilla, maple syrup and salt and mix until combined.
Gradually add the powdered sugar, and mix until thick and creamy. Add cream or milk a tablespoon at a time until the frosting is smooth and spreadable to your liking. Spread the cinnamon rolls with frosting and enjoy.

Notes

To make in advance:
After rolling and placing onto pan, cover and store overnight in the fridge. When you are ready to bake, let the cinnamon rolls come to room temperature for about 45 minutes to 1 hour for the second rise, then bake as instructed.

*More tips and tricks can be found in the blog post above!

Nutrition