This is the best homemade cinnamon rolls recipe you will ever make! These gooey cinnamon rolls are even better than Cinnabon, and are topped with the most delicious, from-scratch cream cheese frosting. They’re easy to make and can be prepared the day before and left to rise overnight in the refrigerator.

This is the best cinnamon rolls recipe you’ll ever make! These homemade cinnamon rolls are sof and fluffy with a gooey cinnamon-sugar filling, and the most delicious homemade cream cheese frosting.

I’ve been making this cinnamon rolls recipe for over 20 years. I’ve made countless batches for Christmas mornings, birthdays & brunches and I’ve learned exactly what makes them turn out soft and gooey every time. I’ve included all of those tips in this post so your cinnamon rolls turn out perfectly, too.

My secret is to add vanilla and cinnamon into the dough for tons of flavor in every bite. Plus, the rolls can be assembled the night before and refrigerated overnight, or frozen for an easy make-ahead breakfast.

They truly are better than Cinnabon – this cinnamon rolls recipe has over 700 5-star reviews and thousands have made it part of their family traditions, too. See what Megan says:

Why You’ll Love This Cinnamon Rolls Recipe

There are a million reasons to love these homemade cinnamon rolls – here are a few!

• Soft and irresistibly gooey thanks to my frosting method!
• Tried-and-true. With over 700 5-star reviews, you know these are good.
• Better than Cinnabon. From the soft vanilla & cinnamon-infused dough to the rich cream cheese frosting, these homemade cinnamon rolls are even better than other famous cinnamon rolls.
• Make ahead. Assemble the rolls the night before, refrigerate them overnight and bake them fresh in the morning for a stress-free holiday or weekend brunch.
• Freezer-friendly. You can freeze the unbaked cinnamon rolls and bake from frozen!

Cinnamon Rolls Recipe: Ingredients and Substitutions

This recipe took me years to perfect, and as such I do not recommend making any substitutions. This cinnamon rolls recipe contains only a few, common ingredients that most of us always have on hand!

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 take these cinnamon rolls from good, the best you’ve ever had. 

• Milk. I recommend using whole milk, but 2% milk works well too. I do not recommend going lower than 2% because the fat content really matters to making rich, moist cinnamon rolls.
• All-purpose flour. bread flour is a great substitution. Or, use all-purpose gluten-free flour to make these cinnamon rolls gluten-free.
• Butter. both salted and unsalted butter work well.
• Light brown sugar.  If you love a stronger molasses taste, use dark brown sugar.
• Ground Cinnamon. choose a high-quality cinnamon for the best results.
• 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. Use pure vanilla extract.

How to Make Cinnamon Rolls

Let’s walk through how to make cinnamon rolls, and don’t forget to watch the video here, or in the recipe card. Begin by making the dough.

Make the 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. You can do this two ways:

Use a Standing Mixer

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

Mix the Dough By Hand

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

Knead the 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.

First Rise

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 to Speed up Rise Time

To help the dough rise faster, 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. 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, 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 :

Method 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.

Method 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 little bit 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.

Assemble the Cinnamon Rolls

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).

Roll out the Dough

Next, roll the dough into a rectangle that is 24×12” and 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 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 Lengthwise

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 Into 12 Rolls (Measure, Mark & Cut)

Now it’s time to cut these gooey cinnamon rolls into individual pieces. Use a very sharp knife or unflavored dental floss to cut the log into 12 equal rolls without squishing the dough. For perfectly even cinnamon rolls, measure the 24-inch log and make a mark every 2 inches before cutting.

Second Rise

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, because it makes them extra gooey.

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

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.

Bake the 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.

Bake them for 20-25 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.
4. A thermometer inserted inside the middle roll reads 185 degrees Fahrenheit (85 degrees Celsius).

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. Maple glaze and vanilla icing are also delicious choices.

Begin by beating together the butter and cream cheese until smooth. You want to ensure there are no lumps.

Then add the vanilla and beat until combined.

Next, carefully add the powdered sugar. I recommend adding half at a time and beating the frosting after each addition.

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.

When making in advance: if you are making the recipe the night before to bake in the morning, 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.

Frost the Baked 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 causes the icing to melt into the cracks of the rolls, is one of the factors that makes them gooey – just like Cinnabon.

Serve

Finally, it is time to dig in and enjoy these soft and gooey 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.

Serve them alongside your favorite breakfast recipes!

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:

Overnight Cinnamon Rolls

My preferred method: Assemble and cut the cinnamon rolls, place them in the baking dish before the second rise, cover tightly and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, let them come to room temperature and rise until doubled, then bake according to the recipe.

Freeze Assembled Cinnamon Rolls to Bake Later

To freeze cinnamon rolls to bake later, tightly wrap the assembled, unrisen rolls with plastic wrap, then cover the baking dish with aluminum foil or a lid. Freeze for up to 1 month. When you’re ready to bake them, remove the cinnamon rolls from the freezer and let them thaw overnight at room temperature and complete their second rise. Once the rolls have doubled in size, bake according to the recipe instructions.

My Top Tips For The BEST Cinnamon Rolls

• Don’t add too much flour. The dough should form a smooth ball but still be slightly tacky. Adding too much flour is one of the easiest ways to end up with dry cinnamon rolls. Start with 4 cups of flour and slowly add no more than 1/2 cup.
• Let the dough rise until doubled – don’t rely only on the clock. Rise times vary depending on the temperature of your kitchen. Use the appearance of the dough as your guide.
• Let the rolls touch. Arrange all 12 rolls in a 9×13-inch baking dish. As they rise, they’ll touch one another, which helps keep the centers soft and gooey.
• Don’t overbake the cinnamon rolls. Bake until they’re lightly golden and the center roll reaches about 185°F.
• Frost them while they’re warm. Spread the cream cheese frosting on the cinnamon rolls right out of the oven so some of it melts into the warm swirls. That’s one of the secrets to making them extra gooey.

Cinnamon Rolls Recipe FAQS

I want to take a moment and answer many of the questions about this cinnamon roll recipe that I’ve been asked over the years.

If you make and love my recipes, it would mean so much to me if you would leave a comment and rating! And don’t forget to follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, TikTok and Youtube – be sure to tag @joyfoodsunshine and use the hashtag #joyfoodsunshine so I can see your creations!

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