These are the Best Homemade Cinnamon Rolls—light and fluffy, soft and chewy, and made with simple ingredients. Our step-by-step instructions also include a recipe for cream cheese icing to slather over your warm cinnamon rolls.
The Best Homemade Cinnamon Rolls Recipe
If you have ever wondered how to make homemade cinnamon rolls from scratch, then this is the recipe for you. These are my favorite breakfast to make for family birthdays, Easter brunch, or Christmas breakfast.
The video below, along with our step-by-step instructions, will help guide you through the recipe whether you are a seasoned pro or a beginning baker! We believe these cinnamon rolls are best enjoyed warm out of the oven and covered in plenty of ooey gooey cream cheese frosting.
If you want to experiment with different frosting flavors, this Cinnamon Icing is a great way to get even more of that amazing cinnamon flavor we all love. Or, you can try the best Cream Cheese Frosting or a Buttercream frosting—so delicious!
Email This Recipe
Get a link to this recipe emailed so you can save it for later + get all the latest Carefree Kitchen recipes!
By submitting this form you consent to receive emails from The Carefree Kitchen
How to Make Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
Baking with Active Dry Yeast
Yeast is what will make your dough light and airy. It is used in baking as a leavening agent, which converts the food/fermentable sugars in dough into the gas carbon dioxide. This causes the dough to rise and expand as when gas is created and forms air pockets or bubbles.
There are 3 important things to remember when making yeast dough. Here’s what I call the yeast trifecta:
- Yeast: our recipes usually use active dry yeast which needs to be activated.
- Sugars: honey and granulated sugar work great.
- Warm milk or water: the temperature of the milk or water should be about 115 degrees F, or just warm to your wrist. If your water is too cold, it will take the yeast longer to activate. If your water is too hot, it will kill the yeast and your cinnamon rolls won’t rise.
Key Ingredients
- Water – you want this to be lukewarm to help activate the yeast. You can also substitute milk, warming it to no more than 115 degrees F.
- Sugar – we use white granulated sugar for the dough, or you could certainly use the same amount of honey instead.
- Yeast – this recipe calls for active dry yeast which must be activated, or “proofed.” It comes in a few different sized packages – a small envelope, a small jar or a large 1 pound air-sealed package.
- Butter – you want the butter for the dough and for the cinnamon filling to be either melted, or incredibly soft.
- Eggs – any kind of large eggs will do. It helps if they have come to room temperature, but don’t worry if you forget. You can also run them under warm water while they are still in the shells. The eggs help with rising and the fats in the yolk help keep the dough tender and light.
- Flour – we like to use all-purpose flour, but you can also make Cinnamon Rolls with bread flour if you would like.
- Brown Sugar – you can use either dark or light brown sugar for the filling, keeping in mind that dark brown sugar has a more intense molasses flavor.
- Cinnamon – the best cinnamon for cinnamon rolls is any high quality cinnamon variety that you like.
- Cream Cheese – to make the frosting, you’ll also want your cream cheese to be at room temperature!
How to Make Homemade Cinnamon Rolls From Scratch
- Proof the yeast. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the warm water, sugar and yeast and stir well. Let the mixture sit for 5-10 minutes until bubbly.
- Mix the rest of the dough. Add the melted butter, eggs, salt and 3 cups of flour into the yeast mixture, then mix on low using the dough hook for 2 minutes. Add 2.5 cups of flour, then stir on low to combine. Add up to 1 cup more flour slowly until the dough pulls away from the edges of the bowl. Continue to knead on low for 3 minutes more.
- Let the dough rise. Turn off the mixer and cover the bowl with a kitchen towel. Let the dough rest in a warm place for about 30 minutes, or until doubled in size.
- Roll the dough out. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and gently roll the dough into a rectangle that is 1/2″ thick and approximately 24″ x 18.”
- Add the cinnamon sugar filling. Using an offset spatula or knife, carefully spread the butter evenly onto the rolled dough, sprinkle the brown sugar and cinnamon over the top and pat down gently.
- Roll and cut the cinnamon rolls. Starting at either 24″ side, roll the dough up evenly making sure to get a nice tight tube, then cut into 1″ slices using a very sharp knife or floss. Lay the slices 1/2″-1″ apart in a greased 9 x 13″ baking pan and cover loosely with a kitchen towel.
- Let them rise again. Let the cinnamon rolls rise for another 30 minutes, until doubled and touched in the pan.
- Make the cream cheese icing. Beat the room-temperature butter and room-temperature cream cheese until light and fluffy. Turn the mixer down very low and add 3 cups of powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons of milk, and the vanilla. Beat until fluffy, then add more powdered sugar and/or milk until you reach your desired consistency.
- Bake. Bake in a preheated oven for 18-22 minutes, or until the bottom and the top are golden brown.
- Serve. Remove from the oven and spread the cinnamon roll icing over the tops while they are still warm. Let them cool for about 5 minutes, then serve warm. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips and Variations
- Adding plumped raisins to the cinnamon and sugar filling tastes great if that’s your thing. To plump them, soak in enough hot liquid to cover them for about 10-15 minutes, then drain. You can soak in orange juice, pineapple juice, or plain water if you’d like.
- The amount of flour that you end up adding to your dough depends on several factors, including how much humidity is in your kitchen and the altitude you are baking at. Because of this, you only want to add enough flour so that the dough pulls away cleanly from the edges of the bowl. By watching this important step, you will ensure that you don’t add too much flour.
- If you like really thick cinnamon rolls, you can roll your dough out to 2/3” instead. Or, if you like them thinner, roll them closer to 1/3” in thickness.
- When rolling out the dough, it’s helpful to start in the center of the dough and roll outwards. If the dough is a little sticky, pull it up and add a little more flour to your baking surface.
- Trying to keep the dough as symmetrical as possible will help keep the size and thickness of the cinnamon rolls the same.
Frequently Asked Questions
We like to bake the Best Homemade Cinnamon Rolls at 350 degrees F. You don’t want to go much higher because you also want to allow them time to rise a bit further during the baking process. If you bake much lower, they will take too long to cook and the filling has a tendency to drip out from inside.
Yes! Make sure they are completely cool, then wrap well in plastic wrap and store inside freezer bags, or another airtight container, for up to 2 months.
You can add the entire pan of rolls back in the oven on 300 degrees for about 10 minutes or you can place a cinnamon roll in the microwave on a paper plate and heat it for about 20 seconds or until warm. When reheating, adding an extra dollop of frosting to the cinnamon rolls makes them even more delicious!
While it does require a little more elbow grease, it’s totally possible. Your kneading time will be about double what it takes if you use a mixer. So in this case, plan on kneading your dough by hand for about 6 minutes once all of the flour has been added. Just be sure that the dough is smooth and elastic. You’ll know you have added enough flour when the dough no longer sticks to your hands.
Yes! You actually have a few options if you want to make cinnamon rolls ahead of time. First, you could just refrigerate the dough overnight in the fridge. You could also roll, cut, and place them into their baking dish and either refrigerate overnight or freeze.
To bake, just be sure to pull the baking dishes from the fridge while the oven preheats. From there, just bake as directed. If they are frozen, transfer to the fridge overnight to thaw.
Storing and Reheating Instructions
- To Reheat: for a single serving, you can reheat in the microwave until warm. Otherwise, add the entire pan of sweet rolls back into the oven at 300 degrees for about 10-15 minutes, or until warmed through. Adding an extra dollop of frosting when reheating makes them extra delicious!
- Refrigerator: wrap leftover cinnamon rolls in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: wrap leftover cinnamon rolls in plastic wrap and store in the freezer for up to 1 month. To thaw, transfer to the fridge overnight.
More Sweet Roll Recipes You’ll Love
Best Homemade Cinnamon Rolls Recipe
Ingredients
Cinnamon Roll Dough
- 2 cups water, lukewarm
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons active dry yeast
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 5½-6 cups all-purpose flour
Cinnamon Roll Filling
- 6 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons cinnamon
Cinnamon Roll Icing
- 1/4 cup butter, room temperature
- 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 3-4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2-3 tablespoons milk
Instructions
Cinnamon Roll Dough
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the warm water, sugar, and yeast and stir well. Let the mixture sit for 5-10 minutes until it gets bubbly and activates the yeast.
- Once bubbly, add the melted butter, eggs, salt and 3 cups of flour into the yeast mixture, then mix on low using the bread hook for 2 minutes, or until everything is well-mixed.
- Add an additional 2½ cups of flour, then stir on low to combine. Add up to 1 cup more flour slowly, only until the dough pulls away from the edges of the bowl. Once all of the flour has been added, continue to knead on low for 3 minutes more.
- Turn off the mixer and cover the bowl with a kitchen towel. Let the dough rest in a warm place for about 30 minutes, or until doubled in size.
Rolling and Cutting Cinnamon Rolls
- Once the dough has doubled, turn it out onto a floured surface. Form the dough into a small rectangle with your hands. Using a rolling pin, gently roll the dough into a rectangle that is 1/2" thick and approximately 24" x 18."
- Using an offset spatula, or knife, carefully spread the soft or melted butter evenly onto the rolled dough. Evenly sprinkle the brown sugar and cinnamon over the top, then pat down gently.
- Starting at either 24" side, roll the dough up evenly making sure to get a nice tight tube, then cut into 1" slices using a very sharp knife or floss. Lay the slices ½"-1" apart in a greased 9" x 13" baking pan and cover loosely with a kitchen towel. Let the cinnamon rolls rise for another 30 minutes, or until doubled and touching in the pan.
- While your dough is rising, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Once risen, bake in a preheated oven for 18-22 minutes, or until the bottom and the top are golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and spread the cinnamon roll icing over the tops while they are still warm. Let them cool for about 5 minutes, then serve warm. Enjoy!
Cinnamon Roll Icing
- In an electric mixer using the paddle attachment, beat the room temperature butter and room temperature cream cheese until light and fluffy. Turn the mixer down very low and add 3 cups of powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons of milk and the vanilla. Mix on low until all the ingredients are combined, then turn the mixer on high again and beat until fluffy.
- Add more powdered sugar and/or milk until you reach your desired consistency, then spread a thick layer of frosting over the warm cinnamon rolls, paying close attention to evenly coat the edges. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Did you make this?
Don’t forget to leave a rating below and make sure to follow on Pinterest, Instagram and Tiktok for more!
More Cinnamon Roll Recipes to Try
- Einkorn Cinnamon Rolls
- Berry Sweet Rolls
- Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
- Cinnamon Roll Monkey Bread
- Berry Sweet Rolls
- Christmas Tree Cinnamon Rolls
- Whole Wheat Cinnamon Rolls
- More Best Cinnamon Roll Flavors
- More Breakfast Recipes
- Cinnamon Swirl Raisin Bread
These Best Homemade Cinnamon Rolls are made with simple ingredients. They are the lightest and fluffiest, soft and chewy cinnamon rolls. Also included is a recipe for cinnamon roll icing – perfect to slather on your warm cinnamon rolls right out of the oven.
Categories:
Breakfast, Christmas, Easter, Holiday Favorites, Nut-Free, Sweet Rolls, Vegetarian, Videos,
I love your recipes, easy and wonderful each time! We cut in 2” slices and made 12 jumbo rolls. So delicious.
Can you use breadmaker yeast?
I haven’t tried that specific brand but any yeast should be fine!
I’ve made these twice and live them. Would it be ok to double this recipe or would that affect the yeast and rising time?
I double them a lot! It works great!
This is perfect with step by step instructions! Turned out amazing. I too let mine rise a little longer then the 10 minutes.
I noticed on the written recipe it says to let your dough sit for about 10 minutes after mixing all the flour in however, the video shows you putting the dough into a separate bowl and allowing it to rise until double in size which takes much longer than 10 minutes. I have always done the latter and the rolls have turned out great, but curious if these rolls would also turn out with just a 10 minute rest as your written recipe states? Thanks!
Great post, it’d mean a lot if you could check my recent post out too! X
Putting this on our must bake list!