Best Homemade Cinnamon Rolls Recipe (Better than Cinnabon)

This is the Best Homemade Cinnamon Rolls Recipe EVER! These gooey cinnamon rolls are even better than Cinnabon cinnamon rolls, and are topped with a delicious cream cheese frosting! They’re easy to make and can be prepared the day before and left to rise overnight in the refrigerator.

Whenever I need to make a special breakfast, I always turn to this homemade cinnamon roll recipe. Christmas morning, birthdays, you name it, my family requests that we begin our celebrations with these gooey cinnamon rolls.

This particular cinnamon roll recipe is a step above the rest. With a few special (but not difficult) touches (which we’ll discuss below), and an easy-to-follow method, you can make the best cinnamon rolls EVER, in the comfort of your own home!

I can honestly say they are even better than Cinnabon cinnamon rolls, because nothing beats fresh rolls straight from the oven! They are also easy to prepare a day in advance and let them rise overnight in the refrigerator, or they can be prepared a few weeks in advance and frozen!

And we can’t forget one of the best parts, these gooey cinnamon rolls are topped with the best cream cheese frosting ever!  Once you make this cinnamon roll recipe it is sure to become your favorite for years to come! So let’s get baking!

Best Cinnamon Roll Recipe: Ingredients and Substitutions

This recipe took me years to perfect, and as such I do not recommend making any substitutions if you want to make the best cinnamon rolls EVER. These homemade cinnamon rolls contain only a few, common ingredients that most of us always have on hand! Flour, sugar, butter, eggs, salt, cinnamon, etc.

What makes this cinnamon roll recipe stand out among the rest is that there is both vanilla extract and cinnamon in the cinnamon roll dough. These two additions takes these cinnamon rolls from good, to wow those are great! 

• Milk. I recommend using whole milk to make this cinnamon roll recipe, but 2% milk works well too. I do not recommend going lower than 2% because the fat content really matters to making rich, moist, and dense cinnamon rolls!
• All-purpose flour. bread flour may be used in place of all-purpose flour for a little bit lighter texture. I have not tried using any healthier substitutions like whole wheat flour, so I cannot speak to the success in the outcome if you try it.
• Butter. I use salted butter to make this cinnamon rolls recipe, however unsalted butter also works well!
• Brown sugar.  I recommend using light brown sugar in this recipe, however if you love the molasses-y taste of dark brown sugar you can use that in place of some or all of the light brown sugar.
• Ground Cinnamon. The quality of cinnamon used in this recipe really matters. Please choose your cinnamon wisely!
• Cream cheese. Full fat or light cream cheese both work well in this recipe! Obviously, the higher the fat content, the richer the taste.
• Vanilla Extract. I implore you to only ever use pure vanilla extract in your baking! No imitation extracts need apply here!

How to make cinnamon rolls

To help ensure your success in making this Best Cinnamon Rolls Recipe, we are going to walk through every step in the process together, and don’t forget to watch the video! Starting with making the cinnamon roll dough.

Make the homemade cinnamon roll dough 

Just like any yeast dough, start by proofing the yeast until it is foamy. Then add the rest of the wet ingredients stir until they are just combined.

Combine the dry ingredients then add them to the wet ingredients, then stir to combine. 

Using a standing mixer:

I recommend using a standing mixer fitted with the dough hook to make the dough for these best cinnamon rolls. My only recommendation is to add a about 1/3 of the dry ingredients at a time, mixing after each addition, to avoid making a floury mess!

Mixing the dough by hand: 

Mixing the dough by hand is also very easy to do! The only difference will be that mixing the cinnamon roll dough by hand requires more kneading by hand than using the standing mixer.

Knead the homemade cinnamon roll dough

Once a firm but slightly tacky dough ball has formed in the standing mixer (as pictured below), turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface and knead by hand, adding more flour if necessary.

Knead the dough for 2-5 minutes, or until it is smooth and elastic, but still a little sticky.

Let the Cinnamon Roll Dough Rise for the first time

Once the dough is smooth and elastic, place it in a lightly greased bowl to rise. I recommend covering it with a warm, damp towel and putting the bowl in a warm place to rise (for about 1 hour).

HOW DO YOU MAKE DOUGH RISE FASTER?

To help the homemade cinnamon roll dough rise faster simply boil some water and put it in a bowl or measuring dish next to the bread that’s rising.

Cover the bread AND the vessel containing the boiling water with a damp towel and let the magic happen! This creates a warm, moist environment that yeast loves. 

I also recommend putting the dough/boiling water/damp cloth apparatus in your oven with the lights turned on. This creates a warm moist environment that the yeast loves, which speeds up the rising process.

Make the Cinnamon Sugar Filling

While the homemade cinnamon roll dough is rising, make the cinnamon sugar filling. This is very easy to do, however there are two different methods I would like to discuss…

There are two ways to make the cinnamon sugar filling:

1. Combine all ingredients and then spread onto the dough. For this method, add softened butter, brown sugar and cinnamon to a medium-sized bowl and combine with a fork until the mixture in homogenous. Then spread this mixture on the dough with your hands and a greased spatula.
2. Combine dry ingredients, but melt butter and brush it on the dough. For this method, combine the cinnamon and sugar in a bowl and mix well. Then, melt the butter and use a pastry brush to brush it on the rolled out dough. Next, sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture over the melted butter and roll it out.

The second method is easier (in my opinion), because spreading the butter/brown sugar/cinnamon mixture is a touch difficult. However the first method (mixing all the ingredients together) is my preferred method.

I prefer this method because the filling doesn’t leak to the bottom of the pan (and out of the cinnamon rolls) as much it does with method #2. There is virtually no filling leakage when all the ingredients are combined and spread onto the dough, but there is some leakage with the melted butter method.

Form the best cinnamon rolls dough into a rectangle

After the dough has risen, press it down to release the air from it and form it into a rectangle. This step is important because it makes it easier to roll the dough into the desired shape (which is a large rectangle)!

Place the dough rectangle onto a well-floured surface and you are all ready for the next step….

 Roll out the cinnamon roll dough into a large rectangle

Next, roll the cinnamon roll dough rectangle into a 24×12” rectangle that is about 1/4″ thick. This dough is so easy to work with that this step should be very easy!

If you find the dough is sticking to the rolling surface, add a light dusting of flour!

I use this marble rolling pin in every recipe that requires rolling and I absolutely love it. The weight is perfect to get a nice even roll, especially for yeasted dough.

Add the cinnamon sugar filling

Once the dough has been rolled out into the desired shape and size, add the cinnamon sugar filling. As I mentioned above, spreading the filling can be a little tricky, but here are a few tips to make it easier:

• Start by sprinkling most (but not all) of the filling evenly over the dough. It will look like there isn’t enough, but do not worry there definitely is.
• Take a greased spatula and spread the filling evenly over the dough. While this cinnamon roll dough is hearty, you still need to be careful not to tear it while you are spreading the filling.
• Add the rest of the filling where needed, and spread until it’s evenly distributed.

When the filling is evenly spread, it will look like the photo below. Be sure to leave a 1/4″ border around the edges without filling so that it doesn’t leak during baking. 

Roll up the cinnamon roll dough 

It is very important to get a tight roll on the dough. I recommend pulling the dough towards you and gently pressing down as you roll it.

Once you have finished tightly rolling the best cinnamon roll dough, it should look like the photo below. Be sure to pinch together the dough where the end meets the roll, to prevent the filling from leaking.

Cut the Cinnamon roll dough into 12 pieces

Now it’s time to cut these homemade cinnamon rolls into individual pieces. I recommend using a very sharp knife or even a string to cut them, to avoid smushing the rolls and ruining the swirl.

Measure before cutting! 

I highly recommend that you do not eyeball the cutting process. Instead, measure the length of the dough roll (which should be 24″ long) and divide it by 12 to determine how long each cinnamon roll should be.

Then, use your knife to make marks at the places you will cut (in the case of a 24″ roll that would be every 2 inches). After you have marked out all of your cuts, then use either a knife or string to cut the rolls.

Place cut rolls into a 9×13″ Baking Dish

Arrange the cinnamon rolls into four rows of three in a 9×13″ baking dish. They will rise and touch each other, but this is a good thing (as I will discuss later)!

I recommend lining the baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent the cinnabon cinnamon rolls from sticking to the pan.

How to make cinnamon rolls ahead of time: 

I receive many questions about making these in advance. There are many ways to do this, here are my suggestions below. Always tightly cover the rolls so no air can get to the dough and dry it out. 

Refrigerate dough after 1st rise before  making rolls. 

1. Punch down the dough after the first rise.
2. Place the cinnamon roll dough in a large bowl and tightly cover it with plastic wrap and a tea towel or with a lid and refrigerate overnight. 
3. To make the rolls: remove the dough and proceed with the recipe. Keep in mind assembled rolls may take longer to rise if the dough is cold. 

Refrigerate assembled cinnamon rolls to bake the next day (my choice)

1. Tightly wrap the assembled, but not risen, cinnamon rolls with plastic wrap and cover with a damp tea towel or the lid to the baking dish. 
2. Refrigerate overnight. 
3. In the morning, remove the assembled rolls from the refrigerator. Loosen the plastic wrap and let the cinnamon rolls come to room temperature and complete their second rise covered with loose-fitting plastic wrap and a warm, damp tea towel. 
4. Bake risen rolls according to the recipe! 

Freeze assembled cinnamon rolls to bake at a later date. 

1. Tightly wrap the assembled, but not risen, cinnamon rolls with plastic wrap and cover with tin foil or the lid to the baking dish. 
2. Place the cinnamon rolls in the freezer for up to 1 month (but I don’t recommend any longer than 1 month).
3. To bake, remove cinnamon rolls and let them come to room temperature overnight and complete their second rise. 
4. Bake according to recipe instructions. 

Cover the cinnamon rolls and let them rise

Once the homemade cinnamon rolls are arranged in the baking sheet, cover them with a warm damp towel and let them rise until doubled in size. Be very careful not to let the towel touch the tops of the cinnamon rolls.

During this rise, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F so the oven is ready to go once the dough has risen (which takes between 30 and 60 minutes). After they have risen, they should look like the photo below.

FAQS about the cinnamon roll dough at this point in the process: 

Can cinnamon roll dough be left to rise overnight?

YES! I often make this best cinnamon rolls recipe the night before a special holiday or event (like Christmas, my daughter’s birthday, etc.) and let them rise overnight.

However, it is very important that you put the dough in the refrigerator. Do not leave them at room temperature overnight, because you run the risk of them rising too much and becoming a big doughy mess.

How do you store unbaked cinnamon rolls?

To store the unbaked cinnamon rolls in the refrigerator, wrap the pan tightly with plastic wrap and cover it with tin foil or a lid. I often use this glass baking dish with a lid, to ensure that the dough doesn’t dry out overnight.

Can you refrigerate cinnamon roll dough?

Yes! I recommend refrigerating the dough after it has been cut, as discussed above.

Can you freeze cinnamon roll dough. 

YES! I do this all the time to prepare even farther in advance than the night before. To do this, place the cinnamon roll dough in baking sheet and wrap it as mentioned above (wrap the pan tightly with plastic wrap and cover it with tin foil or a lid). Then place it in the freezer for up to 1 month (but I don’t recommend any longer than 1 month).

Bake the risen homemade cinnamon rolls

After the rolls have doubled in size, it’s time to put them in that oven and bake! Something important to note is that this cinnamon rolls recipe will rise more in the oven. So do not be surprised if you see the rolls start to puff up even more as they bake, that is normal and good.

What temperature do you bake cinnamon rolls?

This homemade cinnamon roll recipe bakes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (which is about 177 degrees Celsius). Please do not try to rush the baking process by increasing the temperature. It is important to the final rising process that these rolls bake at 350 degrees F!

How long do you bake homemade cinnamon rolls?

Bake this homemade cinnamon roll recipe for 18-20 minutes. You will know the rolls are done when…

1. they are golden brown on top
2. they sound hollow when gently hit with a wooden spoon.
3. the outside of the rolls feel firm (and not doughy) to the touch.

Below is a great photo showing how the rolls looked after they have finished baking.

Make the cream cheese icing

In my opinion, there is no other way to top a cinnamon roll than with a delicious, homemade cream cheese frosting. I recommend making the frosting while the cinnamon rolls are baking!

This cream cheese frosting recipe is my absolute favorite, and I use it on so many recipes (like this rainbow fruit pizza and this carrot cake and so much more)!

How do you make icing for cinnamon rolls?

Here are a few tips for making the cream cheese icing for this Cinnabon cinnamon roll recipe:

• Use room temperature ingredients. It is critical that the cream cheese and butter have completely reached room temperature and are softened before trying to combine them. Cold ingredients will be much harder to beat together.
• Thoroughly beat the cream cheese and butter before adding other ingredients. Do this to ensure there are no lumps in your cream cheese frosting. You can use a standing mixer or a hand mixer.
• Add vanilla and beat again. After adding vanilla, be sure to beat the mixture again until it’s well combined.

• Carefully add the powdered sugar. I recommend adding half at a time and beating the frosting after each addition. This way you won’t make a big powdered-sugary mess!

• Finally, beat the cream cheese icing until silky smooth. Make sure to fully incorporate the powdered sugar so there are no lumps! Again, you can either use a standing mixer or a hand mixer!
• Keep the cream cheese frosting at room temperature. The frosting incorporates into this cinnamon rolls recipe the best when it is at room temperature. If you are making the rolls right away, do not refrigerate the frosting.
  • if you are making the recipe the night before to bake in the morning, simply remove the cream cheese frosting from the refrigerator and place it on the counter to come to room temperature as the cinnamon rolls rise and bake.

As you can see below, the result is an irresistibly creamy and delicious cream cheese icing that truly makes this the best cinnamon rolls recipe EVER!

Frost the Homemade Cinnamon Rolls 

Frost the cinnamon rolls as soon as you remove them from the oven. I cannot stress this enough! Adding the cream cheese frosting to the warm cinnamon rolls is one of the factors that makes this cinnamon roll recipe SO GREAT.

Frosting the cinnamon rolls when they are warm causes the icing to melt into the cracks of the rolls, making every bite full of gooey, frosted deliciousness.

Serve warm!

Finally, it is time to dig in and enjoy these homemade cinnamon rolls! I recommend letting them cool for 10 or so minutes before serving. But eating them warm is definitely the best way to enjoy them!

Can you freeze baked and frosted cinnamon rolls? 

Yes! I have done this many times. Simply flash-freeze the cinnamon rolls on a pan. Once they are frozen, wrap them tightly with plastic wrap and put them in an airtight container in the freezer.

To reheat, either leave them at room temperature until they are soft and then microwave for 25-30 seconds, or use the defrosting setting in your microwave to thaw the cinnamon rolls. They can also be warmed in an oven set to 300 degrees! Just be sure to watch them so the frosting doesn’t completely melt!

A few more FAQs about making homemade cinnamon rolls

I just want to take a moment and answer a few more questions about this best cinnamon rolls recipe before we wrap it up and talk about the ingredients!

Can you bake cinnamon rolls from frozen? 

I do not recommend baking these directly from frozen for one very important reason: The dough needs to rise.

To bake cinnamon rolls after the dough has been frozen:

1. Remove the frozen cinnamon roll dough from the freezer the night before you would like to bake them.
2. Leave the dough on the counter to come to room temperature and rise until doubled in size.
3. After the dough has risen, bake and frost according to the recipe instructions.

How do you make gooey cinnamon rolls?

This cinnamon roll recipe makes the absolute best, gooiest cinnamon rolls for the follwoing reasons:

1. The rolls touch each other while baking. After the cinnamon rolls rise they will be touching each other on all sides (except for the part pointing to the outside of the pan). This keeps the centers nice and soft and gooey!
2. The filling doesn’t leak out. Using the method where all the ingredients are mixed together and then spread onto the dough keeps the filling inside the homemade cinnamon rolls where it belongs, which makes them nice and gooey.
3. Frosting while warm. Like I explained above, frosting the cinnamon rolls while they are warm makes them extra gooey and delicious!

How do you re-incorporate the filling if it leaks out? 

Sometimes things happen during the baking process and the filling leaks out. To get it back into the rolls simply cover the pan of warm rolls with a lid or another baking sheet and invert the baking sheet.

This will cause the filling to drip back into the cinnamon rolls and become nice and gooey again!

More of our favorite breakfast recipes: 

We take breakfast seriously! Here are some of our most favorite breakfast recipes!

• Who doesn’t love french toast?! Our recipe is the best ever!
• This banana bread recipe is seriously SO good you’ll make it all the time!
• I love a good quiche, like this crustless quiche or this quiche with a hash brown crust!
• If you love baked oatmeal try our pumpkin baked oatmeal, apple cinnamon baked oatmeal, blueberry baked oatmeal, and everyone’s favorite – peanut butter banana baked oatmeal. 
• These cinnamon chip scones are some of my all-time favorites. 

IF YOU MAKE SOMETHING FROM JOYFOODSUNSHINE I WOULD LOVE TO SEE YOUR CREATIONS! DON’T FORGET TO RATE THIS RECIPE AND LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW! ALSO, FOLLOW ALONG WITH ME ON INSTAGRAM, PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, YOUTUBE AND  TWITTER FOR MORE RECIPE INSPIRATION AND A GLIMPSE INTO OUR EVERYDAY LIFE!

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Best Cinnamon Rolls Recipe (Better than Cinnabon)!

This is the Best Homemade Cinnamon Rolls Recipe EVER! These gooey cinnamon rolls are even better than Cinnabon cinnamon rolls, and are topped with the best cream cheese frosting! They're easy to make and can be prepared the day before and left to rise overnight in the refrigerator. 

Course Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword cinnabon cinnamon roll recipe, cinnamon rolls, cinnamon rolls recipe, homemade cinnamon rolls, homemade cinnamon rolls recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Rising time 2 hours

Total Time 2 hours 40 minutes

Servings 12 Cinnamon Rolls

Calories 471kcal

Author Laura

Equipment

• KitchenAid Mixer
• measuring cups
• measuring spoons
• rolling pin
• 9x13" baking dish

Ingredients

Cinnamon Roll Dough:

• 1 cup milk warm (105 degrees F)
• ½ cup + 1 TBS granulated sugar divided
• 1 TBS Active dry yeast
• 2 large eggs room temperature
• 6 TBS butter melted
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 4 to 4 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Cinnamon Sugar Filling:

• 1 cup brown sugar packed
• 2 ½ TBS ground cinnamon
• 6 TBS butter softened

Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 1 8 oz package cream cheese, softened
• ¼ cup butter softened
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/8 tsp salt

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Make the Cinnamon Roll Dough:

• Warm milk in the microwave milk for 45-60 seconds. It should be warm but not hot to the touch (about 105 degrees F).
• Place milk into the bowl of your standing mixer, then add 1 TBS sugar and 1 TBS yeast to the warm milk. Stir and let it sit (proof) for five minutes or until it becomes foamy.
• Add the ½ cup sugar, butter, eggs, and vanilla to the mixture in the bowl of your standing mixer. Use a dough hook to stir until combined
• Add 4 cups flour, salt and cinnamon and stir the dough hook, starting on low and increasing to high.
• Knead dough in the standing mixer until a large ball is formed. The dough should be smooth and only slightly tacky to the touch. If the dough seems too sticky and is not forming a ball, add more flour 1 TBS at a time until a smooth ball is formed.
• Transfer dough to a floured surface and knead with your hands until it is smooth and elastic (about 3-5 minutes). Form it into a ball.
• Grease a large bowl and place the dough inside.
• Cover the bowl with a warm, damp towel and put the bowl in a warm place to rise.
• Let the dough rise in a warm place about 1 hour or until dough has doubled in size.

Make the filling:

• While the dough is rising, make the filing. In a small bowl, combine butter, brown sugar and cinnamon until mixture is homogenous (uniform throughout). Set aside.
• Alternately, you can combine the cinnamon and sugar. Then melt the butter and brush it on the rolled dough, then sprinkle the cinnamon sugar on the butter-brushed dough. (I think this way is easier)!
• Assemble Cinnamon Rolls
• Sprinkle a large work surface with flour.
• Gently press the gas out of the dough and form it into a rectangle.
• Roll the dough into a 24x12” rectangle, about 1/4 inch thick.
• Spread the filling all over the dough using greased hands or a greased spatula. This process can seem difficult but it gets easier as you spread it. (Alternately: if you only combined the cinnamon and sugar, then melt the butter and use a pastry brush to spread the melted butter all over the dough. Then sprinkle the dough with cinnamon sugar and pat it down gently to insure it sticks).
• Roll up dough cut into 12 equal sized rolls (feel free to measure and cut each roll to be 2” long).
• Line a 9x13 inch glass baking dish with parchment paper and lightly grease. Then place rolls in 4 rows of three, evenly spaced.
• Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
• Bake Cinnamon Rolls
• Once rolls are doubled in size, bake them in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 18-20 minutes. They will rise more in the oven. (NOTE: Check the center cinnamon rolls and make sure they are baked through. If your oven bakes cool or unevenly you may need to increase the baking time up to 10 minutes longer. If the top starts to brown before the center is baked, tent the baking pan with foil to prevent further browning).

Make the Cream Cheese Frosting

• While rolls are baking, beat together cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract and salt. Do NOT chill the frosting. Keep it at room temperature until the cinnamon rolls are baked.
• Once the cinnamon rolls have bene removed from the oven, spread the cream cheese frosting on them while they are still warm.
• Cool & Serve!
• Let cool and serve warm.

Video

Notes

To make ahead:

• After the cinnamon rolls have been assembled in a baking dish, wrap tightly with plastic wrap and cover with a tea towel or aluminum foil and place them in the refrigerator. 
• In the morning, remove the baking dish from the refrigerator and let them come to room temperature and finish rising (this takes about 30-40 minutes). 
• Then bake according to recipe instructions. 

To Freeze: 

• Assemble the cinnamon rolls in the baking pan. 
• tightly cover with plastic wrap and then with aluminum foil or a lid. 
• freeze for up to 1 month. 
• To bake, remove cinnamon rolls from the freezer the night before you'd like to bake them. 
• Let them come to room temperature and rise overnight, then bake according to the recipe instructions. 

If filling "oozes out"

• If you find some of the cinnamon/sugar filling at the bottom of your baking pan when you pull them out of the oven, immediately place a lid or a baking sheet over the top of the cinnamon rolls and flip them upside down (invert them). This will cause the filling to reincorporate into the rolls! 

 

Nutrition

Serving: 1cinnamon roll | Calories: 471kcal | Carbohydrates: 75.3g | Protein: 6.8g | Fat: 19.9g | Saturated Fat: 12.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5.1g | Cholesterol: 84.3mg | Sodium: 345mg | Potassium: 194.3mg | Fiber: 2.4g | Sugar: 37.4g | Vitamin A: 700IU | Vitamin C: 0.8mg | Calcium: 83mg | Iron: 2.8mg

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