This is my all-time FAVORITE recipe for the BEST CINNAMON ROLLS EVER! This recipe yields fluffy, soft rolls absolutely bursting with gooey cinnamon sugar and a cream cheese glaze. A MUST make!
If there is one way to my heart, it is definitely through an ooey, gooey cinnamon roll!
I can barely handle walking past Cinnabon when I go to the mall. The smell is intoxicating, and seeing all those fat, gooey rolls in the window waiting to be eaten just sends me into overdrive.
Making Cinnamon Rolls at home is actually quite simple, if not a little labor intensive. However, most of the “labor” is hands-off rising time, so really, you don’t have to do much of anything except wait patiently. But you’re more than rewarded when they’re done with easily the best cinnamon rolls ever!
Making Cinnamon Rolls
Cinnamon rolls begin with a sweetened yeast dough. This is made with softened butter, an egg, yeast, sugar, salt, milk, and all-purpose flour. You’ll combine this in the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment, then add more flour to the mixture until the dough becomes soft and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
When making bread, it’s important to note that the flour is just a loose estimate. While this recipe calls for approximately 4-4.5 cups of all-purpose flour, depending on your ingredients and kitchen climate, you may need more or less.
Yeast is also an important factor, as there are a couple different types on the market. For this recipe we’re using instant yeast which is readily available and makes these rolls pretty quick to prepare in the grand scheme of things.
Once you have your dough, you’ll let it rise for about an hour, then punch it down, roll it out, and slather it with softened butter and your brown sugar & cinnamon filling. AKA, the best part!
Roll it up, cut it (the easiest way is with unflavored dental floss!) and put the spirals into a greased pan. You’ll then let the spirals proof for a little bit to rise some more, then bake.
Once they’ve baked, you’ll top them with the cream cheese glaze. A necessity!
FAQs for Cinnamon Rolls
Can these be made ahead? YES! You can make these the day before and place them in the fridge overnight. Simply cut the rolls into spirals and place into the greased pan, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Let come to room temperature before baking. They may not be as big and puffy had you baked them straight away from the original proof, but they will be just as delicious!
Can these be frozen? Yes, these rolls can be frozen! Cut the rolls into spirals and place on a baking sheet a couple inches apart. Freeze until firm, then place in a proper freezer-safe container. When ready to bake, arrange into a greased pan and let come to room temperature before baking.
How can I store these rolls? I recommend storing them on the counter, airtight, for up to 3 days… if they last that long!
What temperature should my milk be? The milk should be warm to the touch, approximately between 90-110 degrees F. Any hotter and you could risk killing the yeast. Think warm bath water.
How will I know if the dough feels right? The dough will not feel sticky and should form a ball in the mixer bowl that pulls away from the sides of the bowl. When you press your finger onto the dough ball, no transfer of dough should be on your fingertip. It should be flexible and soft.
What’s the easiest way to cut my cinnamon rolls? My favorite way to cut cinnamon rolls is by using unflavored dental floss. Place your rolled up cinnamon roll log on the counter and slide a long piece of floss underneath it. Lift up the two ends of the floss and cross the sides over one another to sever the roll in half. You can then cut piece off of the roll with the floss.
These Best Ever Cinnamon Rolls are one of my family’s new FAVORITE things! I am in LOVE!
Best Cinnamon Rolls Ever!
These Cinnamon Rolls are literally the BEST ever! Soft, fluffy rolls with the most amazing gooey cinnamon and brown sugar filling and an incredible cream cheese glaze. You’re going to LOVE these!
Servings: 12 rolls
Ingredients
FOR THE DOUGH:
- 2¼ tsp (1 yeast packet) instant dry yeast
- 1 cup warm milk (approx. 100-110℉)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 tsp salt
- 4-4½ cups all-purpose flour
FOR THE FILLING:
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
- 2 Tbsp ground cinnamon
FOR THE CREAM CHEESE GLAZE:
- 4 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1½ tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1½ cups confectioners’ sugar
- 1 Tbsp milk or cream
Instructions
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To your stand mixer bowl, add in the yeast, milk, sugar, egg, salt, butter, and about 3 cups of the flour and mix on low speed until just combined. Add in the remaining flour about 1/2 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition, until the dough is soft, pulls away from the sides of the bowl and when your finger touches the dough, there is no dough transfer on your fingertip. When making bread, the flour is an approximation so this may be around 4 cups, or closer to 5. When the dough reaches this stage, remove it from the mixer bowl and place it in a lightly greased clean bowl. Cover and let rise for about 1 hour.
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On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough into a large rectangle, approximately 12×18″ in size and 1/4″ in thickness. Spread the dough with the softened butter, leaving a 1″ margin along the sides. In a medium bowl, mix together the brown sugar and ground cinnamon until combined. Liberally sprinkle the brown sugar mixture evenly over the plane of dough.
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Starting on the long end closest to you, roll the dough tightly into a log shape away from you and pinch the ends together to seal. Using a sharp serrated knife or unflavored dental floss (my preferred method), cut the log into 12 equal pieces, discarding any ends that may not have been filled or coated. Place the dough spirals into a greased 13×9″ light metal baking pan.
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Cover the baking pan with a clean cloth and let rise about 30-45 minutes or until almost doubled in size. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 350° F.
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Bake the rolls uncovered for about 20 minutes or until the tops are just barely golden brown and the centers are bubbling. Remove from the oven and immediately frost with the cream cheese glaze. Let stand for about 5-10 minutes before serving.
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For the cream cheese glaze: In a large bowl, beat together the butter, cream cheese and vanilla with a handheld electric mixer until combined, about 30 seconds. Add in the confectioners’ sugar and milk and mix on low speed until just blended.
Notes
To freeze cinnamon rolls: Simply prepare the recipe as written just before baking (the rolls have been cut) and place the cut spirals on a baking sheet. Freeze until firm, then place the frozen rolls in a freezer-safe container to freeze longer term (or however long). Bring the rolls to room temperature in a greased pan before baking.
These cinnamon rolls are seriously PERFECTION! My neighbors went NUTS for them!
Have a super sweet day!
xo, Hayley
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