Best Cinnamon Rolls

Total Time

Prep: 40 min. + rising Bake: 20 min.

Makes

16 rolls

Updated: Aug. 10, 2023
When I married him, I discovered that my husband's family has the best cinnamon roll recipe! I asked his mom how to make homemade cinnamon rolls, and I've been making them ever since. Serve them with scrambled eggs, and you have a filling breakfast. As a variation, you can replace the filling with a mixture of raisins and pecans. —Shenai Fisher, Topeka, Kansas

Ingredients

  • 1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
  • 1 cup warm 2% milk (110° to 115°)
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/3 cup butter, melted
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 4 to 4-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • FILLING:
  • 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup butter, melted, divided
  • FROSTING:
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1/4 cup cream cheese, softened
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

Directions

  1. Dissolve yeast in warm milk. In another bowl, combine sugar, butter, eggs, salt, yeast mixture and 2 cups flour; beat on medium speed until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough (dough will be sticky).
  2. Turn dough onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
  3. Mix brown sugar and cinnamon. Punch down dough; divide in half. On a lightly floured surface, roll 1 portion into an 11x8-in. rectangle. Brush with 2 tablespoons butter; sprinkle with half the brown sugar mixture to within 1/2 in. of edges. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a long side; pinch seam to seal. Cut into 8 slices; place in a greased 13x9-in. pan, cut side down. Cover with a kitchen towel. Repeat with remaining dough and filling. Let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350°.
  4. Bake until golden brown, 20-25 minutes. Cool on wire racks.
  5. For frosting, beat butter, cream cheese, vanilla and salt until blended; gradually beat in confectioners’ sugar. Spread over tops. Refrigerate leftovers.

Best Cinnamon Roll Tips

How do you know when dough is kneaded enough?

You want to knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic. Another trick to tell if your dough is done is to press it with your finger. If the indentation stays, the dough still needs more work. If it springs back to its original shape, your dough is ready to rest.

Why didn't my cinnamon rolls rise?

In general, sweet doughs take longer to rise because the liquid that feeds the yeast is absorbed by the sugar. To counteract this, be sure you allow sweet doughs, like cinnamon rolls, plenty of time to rise. Also, when kneading the dough, don't add too much flour. Doing so creates a tough, dry dough, causing the yeast to not work properly.

Can I freeze cinnamon rolls?

Yes, you can freeze cinnamon rolls! To freeze unbaked rolls, cut as directed but don’t allow to rise. Tightly cover and freeze in a single layer for up to 2 weeks. When ready to use, thaw in the fridge overnight. The next morning, bring to room temperature and allow it to rise until doubled in size. Bake as directed. To freeze baked rolls, bake as directed and cool. Tightly cover and freeze. When ready to use, thaw overnight in the fridge. The next morning, cover and bake at 350° for 20 minutes. Let cool and frost.

What other cinnamon roll variations can you make?

There are plenty of cinnamon roll recipes you can make! Try out chocolate chip caramel rolls, pumpkin cinnamon rolls or bacon rolls!

Nutrition Facts

1 roll: 364 calories, 15g fat (9g saturated fat), 66mg cholesterol, 323mg sodium, 53g carbohydrate (28g sugars, 1g fiber), 5g protein.

More from Taste of Home