Here’s a soft, fluffy homemade cinnamon roll recipe with a rich cream cheese frosting — bakery-style and totally worth it.
🍥 Classic Cinnamon Rolls
🥖 Dough
- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 packet (2 ¼ tsp) active dry yeast
- ½ tsp salt
- ¾ cup warm milk (about 110°F / 43°C)
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 egg
🍯 Filling
- ½ cup brown sugar, packed
- 2 tbsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
🍰 Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- 2 tbsp butter, softened
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1–2 tbsp milk (as needed)
🥣 Instructions
1️⃣ Make the Dough
- In a bowl, mix warm milk and yeast. Let sit 5–10 minutes until foamy.
- Add sugar, melted butter, egg, and salt.
- Gradually mix in flour until a soft dough forms.
- Knead 5–7 minutes until smooth.
- Cover and let rise in a warm place for 1–1.5 hours, until doubled in size.
2️⃣ Add Filling
- Roll dough into a 12×16-inch rectangle.
- Spread softened butter evenly.
- Mix brown sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over butter.
- Roll tightly into a log and slice into 9–12 rolls.
3️⃣ Second Rise
Place rolls in a greased baking dish. Cover and let rise 30–45 minutes.
4️⃣ Bake
Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 20–25 minutes until golden.
5️⃣ Frost
Mix frosting ingredients until smooth. Spread over warm rolls.
💡 Tips
- For extra gooey rolls, pour ¼ cup warm heavy cream over them before baking.
- Make ahead: Refrigerate after shaping and bake in the morning.
- Add chopped pecans or raisins for variation.
If you’d like, I can give you a quick 1-hour cinnamon roll recipe (no long rise time) or a slow cooker cinnamon roll version.
