Any time we’re traveling, I always end up at the airport with a fresh Cinnabon cinnamon roll. I just can’t help it.
They are just so soft, full of flavor, smell so good, and taste even more amazing.
We have a few different cinnamon roll recipes on our site (like our Homemade Apple Cinnamon Rolls or Cake Mix Cinnamon Rolls), but I tweaked them to be a bit more cinnabony.
They were a HUGE hit and we will be making them again and again.
Another simple homemade bread recipe: EASY Homemade French Bread (it makes 2 loaves and is fool proof!)
how to make the BEST homemade cinnamon rolls
Step 1: Mix yeast, sugar, eggs, milk, butter and salt together in a large bowl, all at once.
I did this with a wooden spoon, but you could also use a whisk, or a kitchen mixer, with a dough handle attached.
For this step, still recommend just using a spoon or whisk to combine the ingredients.
Step 2: Add 4 cups of all-purpose flour. Mix well with a spoon. Get all the ingredients to evenly combine.
Step 3: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow dough to rise 4-6 hours on counter or overnight in the refrigerator. The cooling in the refrigerator, allows the sugars to take on more fats, leaving your cinnamon rolls, tasting a little sweeter.
Step 4: Remove from the fridge after a few hours. Do not knead the dough, but roll out dough into a long, thin rectangle on a lightly floured surface.
Step 5: Spread on softened butter. I did this with a basting brush, but you could also use a knife.
Step 6: Mix together brown sugar and cinnamon, and spread evenly over the dough.
Step 7: Tightly roll into a jellyroll shape, starting at the long end of the dough.
Step 8: Use a string or floss to cut dough into 1-inch pieces and place into a greased 9×13-inch baking pan (I placed 15 rolls in a 9×13-inch pan so the rolls were touching).
I find that when the rolls touch, the outsides of each roll don’t get as golden or crunchy, so I recommend that you allow the rolls to touch.
Step 9: Cover and let raise an additional 30 minutes.
Step 10: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
Step 11: Prepare the frosting by combining the cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, butter, salt, and milk.
I used a hand mixer to make smooth, but you could also use a whisk.
Step 12: Spread the mixture over the cinnamon rolls.
You can do this when they are warm or cooled. I like to spread mine on when they are warm, because the frosting melts into the roll, making it more flavorful and moist, throughout.
can i use yeast packets instead of a jar?
You most definitely could. We recommend using two packets to get the 1 Tablespoon measured out.
We recommend using active dry yeast.
You can find the yeast on the baking aisle at the grocery store, near the flour and baking soda.
do these freeze well?
These Cinnamon Rolls freeze fairly well. They of course are best served fresh, but you can easily freeze them.
Make and bake them according to recipe’s directions. Then freeze them in an airtight container, or wrapped in multiple layers of saran wrap.
need another breakfast idea?
Did you know we have a Youtube Channel? We have hundreds of simple recipes that your family will love.
looking for more cinnamon roll recipes?
- Apple Cinnamon Roll Pie
- Cake Mix S’mores Cinnamon Rolls
- Cinnamon Roll Twists
- Mini Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll
- French Bread Cinnamon Roll Bake
The BEST Homemade Cinnamon Rolls Recipe
Ingredients
Rolls
- 1 Tablespoon active dry yeast
- ½ cup sugar
- 3 eggs beaten
- 1 cup milk lukewarm
- ½ cup butter melted
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
Filling
- ¼ cup butter softened to room temperature
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons cinnamon
Frosting
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ cup butter melted
- pinch salt
- 2 Tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Mix yeast, sugar, eggs, milk, butter and salt together in a large bowl, all at once.
- Add 4 cups of all-purpose flour. Mix well with a spoon, cover bowl with plastic wrap and allow dough to rise 4-6 hours on counter or overnight in the refrigerator.
- Do not knead the dough.
- Roll out dough into a long, thin rectangle on a lightly floured surface.
- Spread on softened butter.
- Mix together brown sugar and cinnamon, and spread evenly over the dough.
- Tightly roll into a jellyroll shape, starting at the long end of the dough.
- Use a string or floss to cut dough into 1-inch pieces and place into a greased 9x13-inch baking pan (I placed 15 rolls in a 9x13-inch pan so the rolls were touching).
- Cover and let raise an additional 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
- In a bowl, mix together frosting ingredients and spread over baked rolls.
Nutrition
Equipment
- Large Bowl
- Hand or Stand Mixer
- Rolling Pin
- 9x13-inch Baking Pan
Recipe Details
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I have never made Cinnamon Rolls from scratch but THIS recipe makes me WANT TO! I think I will be trying these this weekend! I just need to make sure that I pass them out because I'm pretty sure I could eat them all! LOL Do you think these would freeze well once baked? Just in case I want to keep a few back for...guests! Yes, that's it! guests!!! I have been a fan of you Sisters for a LONG time! Keep up the great work! Merry Christmas to all of you and your families.
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Is this recipe in any of your cookbooks? We made it last weekend and loved it.
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I don't have a jar of yeast at the moment. Would 2 packets work?
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I am going to be making these this weekend. Can I prep the rolls in the pan the night before and bake the next morning to save some time?
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Just a question, why let the dough raise in the fridge for a few hours instead of less time on the counter? Thanks :)
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Slow rise equals better flavor.
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Dont mix the salt with the yeast, milk, sugar, butter mixture at the beginning. The salt will inhibit the yeast from blooming. Awesome recipe! These were amazing! Thank you!!
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Can raisins be added to the batter? If so, would anything need to be adjusted?
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Debbie, I add my raisins in the cinnamon sugar layer.
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My son is gluten free, do you think this will work with gluten free flour?
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Did you ever try to make this GF?
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Do you think instant yeast would work in this recipe?
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I love this recipe. I have made them over and over. This is now my go to breakfast to take to friends when they have a new baby.
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Can you substitute a certain type of Almond milk for regular milk?
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I did, they are on their second rise as we speak. I used 1 packet of instant yeast as well because that is all I could find and it rose perfectly. I did not put in the fridge though. I rose it in a closed oven for 6 hrs.
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I have a question about adding the salt. Crash VanBuren mentions in the comment section not to mix the salt with the yeast, milk, sugar & butter mixture in the beginning - although the recipe states to mix it all together. When would you add the salt or will it turn out okay if it is mixed in the beginning with the yeast? Also, should the temp, of the milk be at room temp. or right out of the fridge (or does it matter)? Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe and I look forward to hearing back from you!
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Is it let raise 4-6 on counter or overnight in fridge...or both ways in fridge? How much will it raise after this time?👆🏼(I threw out a batch because I thought it didn’t raise enough🤷🏼♀️??)
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Always in fridge? Or 4-6 hours on counter?
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Next time, there are a couple of things you can try if it isn’t rising (this from lots of mistakes/experience). Try humidity by putting dough in a container and adding a dish of boiling water to steam. You can also knead more yeast into it. I did both cause mine hadn’t risen after a full day. It worked!
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How thin do you roll the dough?
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Looks yummy!
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Always in fridge? Or 4-6 hours on counter?
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4-6 hours on counter? Or in the fridge?
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Hello! An important question was asked about the yeast. The question was that the recipe asks for 1 tablespoon of yeast which equals 3 teaspoons. You said you can use two packets, but that equals to about 5 teaspoons. So the question is; does that matter that 2 packets is more? I am waiting on the response so I can make these delicious looking cinnamon rolls. Would so appreciate it if you could answer this question. Thank you
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This went... terribly for me :( I took the dough out of the fridge, it has risen beautifully BUT! it was way too sticky. It got stuck to the bowl and I had to tear it to take it out. When I tried to spread the butter, it got stuck on the pallet knife. Then, when it came time to roll it, it got stuck to the counter beyond any hope of fixing it. I liberally floured the counter, the rolling pin, my hands, everything. How do I stop it from sticking to everything?
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If I wanted to Make these into Caramel rolls, do I just add the caramel before I let them rise in the morning?
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How big a rectangle do you roll the dough into? How many inches by how many inches? What's the yield of this recipe?
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It would need to be 15 inches by anything to get 15 1 inch rolls. I made mine until I got a nice 15 inch width with extra on the ends I rolled it up and ended up getting enough to do 3x5 in a 13x9 pan and then 8 extra smaller ones that I placed in a greesed pie plate
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Can I use instant yeast in this recipe? If so, what would I change? I haven't been able to find regular yeast in stores for a couple weeks.
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Yes, I used instant yeast. No problems here Just follow recipe
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Never had any luck making cinnamon rolls always either no rise don't taste or something else. They are intimidating. Thanks to your recipe, it was easy to follow and the video helped. Love visual aids. Thanks for making me a believer in good easy cinnamon rolls
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I followed this step by step and the dough did not rise...ever.
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Thank you!!
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I desperately want to make these for my son that’s visiting tomorrow. Our stores are all out of any kind of yeast!!! I went to 6 different stores 😣 I see on Pinterest I can use lemon juice and baking soda..and tips if I have to do that? Thank you!!
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These were an absolute disaster for me. The dough stuck to everything, I couldn’t roll it, it stuck to itself and kept tearing. I literally sprinkled flour all over everything. They look horrible and were super disappointing. I used enough flour in the recipe too, so I’m not sure how to trouble shoot this? I have friends making this recipe and loving them, so I want to make this work!
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My dough was sticky too. I added more flour slowly until it was not so sticky and didn’t stick to the side of my Bosch mixer. I prob had to add 1/2 cup
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I just finished making these rolls, and although my family thought they were ok, I thought they turned out to be a bit dry-any suggestions?
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Can I use bread flour to make this? I know it's not ideal, but I'm almost out of all-purpose flour and the stores don't have any right now.
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Could I use instant instead of active yeast? If yes, would that change the rise time? Also, could I use almond milk instead of regular milk?
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I made these exactly as recipe stated with a brand new jar of active dry yeast, and they didn't rise. As I went to roll them, they were ridiculously sticky so I wound up with a pan of dough not looking much like cinnamon rolls, I baked them anyway and they rose in the oven and taste fine. I am, however, curious as to why they didn't rise. Also, where is the video link for these?
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Made these yesterday. They turned out good but not very sweet. Next time I might add white sugar to the filling perhaps. I did use almond milk instead of milk so perhaps that made them less sweet, I’m not sure. I also used only one packet of instant yeast and it worked fine.
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Did you pack the brown sugar into the measuring cup? Mine had so much filling I couldn't fit it all on the dough...its was overflowing everywhere.
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I was skeptical when the dough was really sticky when I put it in the fridge. When I pulled it out the next morning it looked like it had not risen at all. But I rolled it out onto a HEAVILY floured countertop. With dough cold and the flour they did not stick. I rubbed the softened butter onto the dough with my hands. There was a LOT of extra sugar filling going all over the place... next time I might go with 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1 T cinnamon. I ended up getting 15 plus 8 extra that I put in a pie plate. I baked them for 20 minutes...the smaller ones in the tin I could have baked 4 minutes less and the others were perfect. Some mentioned they weren't very sweet, but once you add the frosting they are the perfect sweetness. If you are expecting them to double in size, that didnt happen for me, they rose maybe 25% after 30 minutes, and another 25% in the oven.
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Made them today they were amazing. made the dough last night, put it in the fridge and did the rest this morning. Super easy and so good.
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I made these over the weekend and they were amazing!! BUT I thought they didn’t rise, like a few comments I read. I let them raise overnight and when I got them out of the fridge in the morning, I barely saw a difference. Then after a 30 minute rise in the pan they had barely grown! I was freaking out! But luckily when I baked them they turned out perfect! Definitely recommend!
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So did you roll the dough? I’m in the same sitch.
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Hi, I loved these cinnamon rolls and loved how the dough stayed in my fridge overnight. I want to use this amazing dough to make a savoury version. Do you think it would do ok with less of the sugar? I was thinking maybe half the amount or quarter?
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My dough did not rise in the fridge overnight! I’m so sad. Is there any hope? I followed the directions and used new yeast. Please don’t send me the link to why-my-yeast-didn’t-rise. I’m so bummed
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Do you have suggestions for converting to high altitude? We're at 6400 ft. Thanks!
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Made these today..rose really well on top of stove. My daughter said they tasted like they were from a fancy restaurant! Definitely a keeper! Thank you!
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I read the reviews before I made these. I mixed one (active) yeast packet with the other ingredients and had no problems. My dough was sticky, so I added almost 1/2 cup more flour and that did the trick. I greased the bowl before I added my dough and let it rise on the counter for 6 hours. I think the extra flour and buttering helped my dough not stick when I rolled it out on a generously floured cutting board. I rolled a 15X9 rectangle. I used the floss method (genius!) and placed the cut rolls in the 9x13 dish for them rise in the refrigerator overnight. They didn't rise to my liking, so I sat the dish on the counter for an hour and that did it for me. Then I baked them. I added chopped apples to one half. They were nice and soft and not too sweet. I heated the leftovers in the toaster oven the next day. Perfection. I'm adding pecans next time.
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At first glance as I was reading this recipe I was not sure about just mixing things together with a wooden spoon and leaving it alone on the counter for a few hours. No kneading? So I knew I had to try this. I thought I really messed this recipe up badly. I added the flour and realized I forget to add the eggs. So I add the eggs and now the mixture is a really wet mess. I bake in grams now and although I did the math correctly I for some reason did not add the correct amount of flour. I was possibly one cup or more short. I added the flour to the dough and looked a little dry but I was done messing it up. I left the mixture alone for four hours and then continued. My goodness these are really the BEST and easiest Cinnamon Rolls. No stand mixer. No dough hooks. Very forgiving. The dough was soft and had really good flavor. The frosting was just the right amount. Will make these again. Thanks for sharing!
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Can I freeze these before baking?
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This is a fabulous recipe! I've tried others like it and there is no comparison. Thank you for sharing!
