Description
These Best Homemade Cinnamon Rolls are soft, fluffy, and filled with a rich cinnamon-sugar filling, topped with a creamy cream cheese frosting. Perfect for a cozy breakfast or sweet treat, these cinnamon rolls are made from scratch with a tender yeast dough, rolled, baked, and generously frosted for irresistible flavor and texture.
Ingredients
Scale
Dough
- 1 package yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 4 cups all-purpose flour (plus up to 1/2 cup more as needed)
- 6 tablespoons butter (diced and softened)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
Filling
- 1 stick butter (softened)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar (packed)
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
Frosting
- 3/4 cup cream cheese
- 1 cup icing sugar (or more to taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch salt
Instructions
- Make the dough: Warm the milk to around 100°F (30-45 seconds in microwave) ensuring it does not exceed 105°F to preserve yeast activity.
- Activate yeast: In a small bowl, mix the yeast with 1 tablespoon warm milk and 1 teaspoon granulated sugar. Let stand 5 minutes until bubbles form.
- Combine ingredients: In the stand mixer bowl, add flour, diced butter, salt, eggs, remaining milk, sugar, and yeast mixture. Stir slightly to combine.
- Knead dough: Attach dough hook and knead on medium speed for 10-12 minutes until a smooth dough ball forms. Add flour 1 tablespoon at a time if dough is too sticky, avoiding excess flour for tender rolls.
- First rise: Transfer dough to greased bowl, shape into a ball with smooth surface, place seam side down, cover with tea towel, and let rise in warm place for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
- Prepare dough for filling: Dust work surface with flour, punch down dough and roll it into an 18×12 inch rectangle about 1/4 inch thick.
- Add filling: Spread softened butter over dough surface. Mix brown sugar, white sugar, and cinnamon in a bowl, then evenly sprinkle over the butter layer.
- Roll and cut: Roll dough into a log from the longer side and pinch seam to seal. Place seam-side down and slice into 12 equal rolls using sewing thread or dental floss for clean cuts.
- Second rise: Arrange rolls in greased 9×13 inch pan, cover with tea towel, and let rise until puffy and nearly doubled, about 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven: Heat oven to 350°F (177°C) while rolls rise.
- Bake: Bake rolls 18 minutes until lightly golden. If centers remain undercooked after 20 minutes, tent with foil and bake up to 15-20 minutes longer.
- Prepare frosting: Beat cream cheese, icing sugar, vanilla extract, and pinch of salt in a medium bowl until smooth and creamy.
- Frost rolls: Remove rolls from oven and cool 5 minutes on wire rack, then spread frosting evenly while rolls are warm.
- Serve: Allow rolls to cool until warm enough to handle and serve immediately for best taste and texture.
Notes
- Warm milk should not exceed 105°F to prevent killing the yeast.
- Use a stand mixer with dough hook for easier kneading or knead by hand for about 15 minutes.
- If dough is sticky, add flour sparingly to avoid tough rolls.
- Rolling with sewing thread or dental floss helps cut clean, intact rolls.
- If oven baking time is extended, cover rolls loosely with foil to prevent over-browning.
- Best served warm the day they are baked; reheating gently maintains softness.
