Description
This recipe for Cinnamon Rolls delivers soft, sweet, and delightfully decadent homemade rolls topped with creamy cream cheese frosting. Perfect for breakfast or dessert, these classic American cinnamon buns feature a tender dough, a cinnamon-sugar filling, and a luscious frosting that melts into the warm rolls.
Ingredients
Scale
Dough
- 1 cup warm milk (110°F)
- 2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs (room temperature)
- â…“ cup unsalted butter (melted)
- 4½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
Filling
- ½ cup unsalted butter (softened)
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 2½ tablespoons ground cinnamon
Frosting
- 4 ounces cream cheese (softened)
- ¼ cup unsalted butter (softened)
- 1½ cups powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1–2 tablespoons milk (as needed for frosting consistency)
Instructions
- Activate Yeast: In a large bowl, combine warm milk and active dry yeast. Let sit for 5–10 minutes until the mixture becomes foamy, indicating the yeast is active and ready.
- Make Dough: Add granulated sugar, eggs, melted butter, flour, and salt to the yeast mixture. Mix until a soft dough forms. Knead the dough for 6–8 minutes until smooth and elastic, which builds gluten structure.
- First Rise: Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover it. Let it rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, or until it has doubled in size, allowing the dough to develop flavor and volume.
- Prepare Filling and Roll Dough: Roll out the dough on a floured surface into a 16×12 inch rectangle. Spread the softened butter evenly over the dough surface. Sprinkle the brown sugar and ground cinnamon mixture evenly on top of the butter.
- Shape Rolls: Starting from the long edge, tightly roll the dough into a log. Cut the roll into 12 equal slices to form individual cinnamon rolls.
- Second Rise: Place the rolls in a greased 9×13 inch baking dish. Cover and let them rise for 30–45 minutes until they become puffy, which ensures a light texture after baking.
- Bake: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake the rolls for 20–25 minutes, until they are golden brown on top and cooked through.
- Make Frosting: While the rolls bake, beat together softened cream cheese, softened butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and milk until the frosting is smooth and creamy.
- Frost and Serve: Spread the cream cheese frosting over the warm cinnamon rolls before serving to maximize gooey, sweet flavor.
Notes
- For an overnight option, assemble the cinnamon rolls and refrigerate after the second rise. Bring them to room temperature before baking the next day.
- Add chopped pecans or raisins to the cinnamon-sugar filling for additional texture and flavor variations.
