Homemade Soft & Fluffy Cinnamon Rolls
These cinnamon rolls are soft, fluffy, and perfectly gooey, with a delicious cream cheese frosting on top! These cinnamon rolls will be the best you’ve ever tasted!
Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
There’s nothing quite like the aroma of freshly baked cinnamon rolls wafting through the kitchen. While store-bought cinnamon rolls can be convenient and delicious, there’s something truly special about making them from scratch. Not only do homemade cinnamon rolls taste better, but the process of making them can also be a therapeutic and rewarding experience. These irresistible homemade cinnamon rolls will have your family and friends begging for more.
Cinnamon Roll Ingredients:
You may think homemade cinnamon rolls sound daunting and grabbing a can from the store is easier, but you most likely already have the ingredients in your kitchen! They may take a little longer than store bought, but I promise it will be worth it! Here is your list of ingredients:
- All-Purpose Flour
- Granulated Sugar
- Yeast
- Unsalted Butter
- Milk
- Eggs
- Brown Sugar
- Cream Cheese
- Vanilla
- Powdered Sugar
- Cinnamon
- Salt
Kneading Your Dough:
Kneading your dough is a very important part to get right! You don’t want to over knead it, but you also need to make sure you knead it enough! The key is to knead the dough until it doesn’t break apart. The way you can test this is to pull a small part off and stretch it between your fingers. If it stretches and doesn’t break, it’s good to go! If it breaks, keep kneading and check every 2 minutes until the test works! Once it is ready, cover it and let it rise until it doubles in size.
Tips & Variations for Perfect Cinnamon Rolls:
While the classic cinnamon roll recipe is undeniably delicious, there are endless possibilities for adding creative twists to this beloved treat. Here are a few tips and variations to take your cinnamon roll game to the next level:
- Add nuts or raisins: For an extra crunch or burst of sweetness, sprinkle chopped nuts or raisins over the filling before rolling the dough.
- Make sure you’re yeast is fresh! If it’s bad your rolls won’t rise!
- Drizzle with flavored icing: Instead of the classic vanilla icing, try adding different flavors to your icing, such as maple, coffee, or even citrus zest, to complement the flavors of your cinnamon rolls.
- Don’t overbake! We don’t want dry and hard cinnamon rolls. You can even take them out a few minutes early if you want a gooey center!
Gather your ingredients and get ready to indulge in the warm, gooey, and utterly delicious world of homemade cinnamon rolls.
Happy baking!
Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
Equipment
- 9×9 Round Pan or 9×13 Dish
- Parchment Paper
- Stand Mixer
Ingredients
Dough
- 4 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 2.25 tsp Instant Yeast
- 1/3 cup Sugar
- 1.5 cups Buttermilk
- 6 tbsp Unsalted Butter
- 1 Egg
- 1 tsp Salt
Cinnamon Sugar Filling
- 1/4 cup Unsalted Butter soft
- 2/3 cups Brown Sugar
- 1.5 tbsp Cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 oz Cream Cheese soft
- 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter soft
- 2.5 cups Powdered Sugar
- 2-3 tbsp Milk
- 1 tsp Vanilla
- Pinch Salt
Instructions
- In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment mix together sugar, yeast, salt, and half (2 cups) of the flour.
- Add the milk and butter in a separate microwave safe bowl and heat about 30 seconds, until butter is mostly melted. It should just be warm not hot so that it doesn't kill the yeast. If too hot let it cool and then add to the dry mixture.
- Add the egg and beat on low gradually increasing the speed until the ingredients are combined.
- Switch the paddle for the hook attachment and add a cup of flour, mixing until it is combined. Once it's combined, add the last cup of flour, mixing until the dough forms a ball.
- Knead the dough out on a floured surface for about 10 minutes, or until the dough stretches between your fingers and doesn't break.
- Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl and cover with a tea towel. Put it in a warm place and let it rise for an hour, or until the dough has doubled in size.
- While the dough rises, start on the filling. Combine the brown sugar and cinnamon, and nutmeg and set aside.
- Once the dough has risen, roll it out on a floured surface into a rectangle that's about 12 x 18 inches.
- Spread the butter until it reaches all edges of the dough and sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture on top. Lightly press it down so that it sticks to the butter.
- Starting on the long end, roll the dough into a tight roll, sealing the bottom edge by pinching the dough together.
- Use thread (or floss) or a really sharp knife to cut the dough into even rolls. Place them in a parchment lined baking dish, cover with a tea towel, and let them rise for an hour.
- Once they have puffed up, cook for about 30 minutes or until they're golden brown at 350℉.
- While the cinnamon rolls cool, make the frosting. Using a mixer (stand or handheld), combine the cream cheese, milk, powdered sugar, butter, vanilla extract, and salt. Start with less powdered sugar and gradually add depending on how sweet you want it! Once there are no clumps, spread on cinnamon rolls and enjoy!