This soft cinnamon rolls recipe makes super fat and fluffy cinnamon rolls that are incredibly moist and SLATHERED in a delicious cream cheese frosting. When I say this makes the best cinnamon rolls you've ever tasted I mean it!
Because we are using instant yeast, this cinnamon roll recipe is actually incredibly easy. Most of the time is spent just letting the dough mix or rise. Just place all the ingredients in the mixer and let it go!
The secret ingredient to making these super soft and moist is adding heavy cream to the cinnamon roll dough right before baking. The cream gets absorbed and results in ultra ooey gooey cinnamon rolls!
You can make these cinnamon rolls in one day or put them in the fridge and bake them the next morning. Just let the rolls rise in a warm place until they double in size and then bake!
What's In This Blog Post
Cinnamon Roll Ingredients
Bread Flour - The secret to a super fluffy and soft cinnamon roll is bread flour. I actually LOVE caputo bread flour. I started using it after a trip to Italy where I noticed the baked goods don't upset my stomach as much. Obviously any type of bread flour will work and if you don't have bread flour, you can use all purpose flour. Your rolls will still be yummy!
Instant Yeast - Honestly I don't know why anyone uses active dry yeast anymore. With instant yeast you just add it to your ingredients and mix! No dissolving in warm milk necessary. If all you have is active dry yeast then just add it to your warm milk first with a Tablespoon of sugar and let it activate until it starts to foam before adding your yeast mixture to your other ingredients.
Corn Syrup - I know corn syrup gets a bad rap but hear me out. Corn syrup is an invert sugar which means it ATTRACTS moisture and keeps baked goods softer for longer. If you don't want to use corn syrup you can also use honey or maple syrup which does that same thing and adds a nice flavor.
Heavy Cream - If you want the best gooey homemade cinnamon rolls, don't skip this step!
Making The Dough
- Add your warm milk, sugar, instant yeast, and half the flour to the bowl of your stand mixer with the dough hook attached.
- Mix until combined.
- Add in the room temperature butter, eggs, salt, and the rest of the flour and mix on low until combined.
- Increase the speed to medium. Continue mixing for 10-20 minutes or until the dough begins to clean the sides of the bowl and forms a smooth ball. This is a very soft dough, so don't be worried if it seems like it is a sticky mess at first.
- Perform the windowpane test to make sure your dough is done mixing. If it's still sticky just keep mixing.
- Place your dough into a lightly greased bowl. Cover it and place it into a warm spot to rise for 90 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size. If your area is cold it will take longer to double. It's more important that you pay attention to the dough and its size than listed rise time. This is called the first rise and allows the yeast to start working as well as gluten structure to develop and is a key part of getting the best homemade cinnamon rolls.
- Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface into a large rectangle with a rolling pin that is roughly 18" wide and 8" tall.
- Mix together the cinnamon, sugar, and melted butter until smooth to make the cinnamon mixture.
- Spread the mixture onto your cinnamon roll dough in an even layer. Leave about 1" without any filling on one side.
- Roll the dough up into a spiral. Seal the edge with a little water so that it doesn't pull away from the roll while baking.
- The easiest way to cut your cinnamon rolls is to use some unflavored dental floss. Cut the rolls into 12 equal pieces. Slide the dental floss under the roll, crossing the floss over itself and then cutting through the dough. Using dental floss avoids your cinnamon rolls from getting squished and mishappen. *I used a ruler to measure my rolls out into equal sized slices of 1.5" each.
- Place your rolls into your pan. Place them into a warm spot for 90 minutes or until they have doubled in size again. If you want to bake your cinnamon buns the next morning then now is the time to put them in the fridge. Just cover them with plastic wrap first so they don't dry out.
- Preheat your oven to 350ºF.
- After your cinnamon rolls have doubled in size, pour the heavy cream into the bottom of the pan.
- Bake your rolls for 25-30 minutes. If you want to be technical about it, the internal temperature of the rolls should be about 195º-200ºF when they are fully baked. Don't just go by looks because the dough could be lightly brown on top and raw in the center.
- One the rolls are done baking, remove them from the oven. Place them onto a cooling rack while you make the cinnamon roll frosting.
How To Make Cinnamon Roll Frosting
This cream cheese frosting is softer than a traditional cream cheese. The frosting and less sweet but you can use the regular cream cheese frosting if you like a sweeter frosting.
- In a medium bowl, cream your room temperature cream cheese until its smooth and lump free. Then add in your softened butter and cream until smooth.
- Add in the sugar, salt, and vanilla and continue mixing until smooth.
- Spread the cream cheese frosting over the warm cinnamon rolls and enjoy!
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FAQ & TIPS
If you don't have the time to let your homemade cinnamon rolls rise or you want to make them ahead of time, cover the rolls tightly with plastic wrap and place them in the fridge. The rolls will continue to rise in the fridge but very slowly.
Take the rolls out of the fridge about 2 hours before you want to bake them, letting them proof until they double in size before baking.
Finish them off with your cream cheese frosting and enjoy your delicious homemade cinnamon rolls!
Cover leftover frosted or unfrosted rolls tightly and store at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days
Yes you can. Just place the yeast into your warm milk with a Tablespoon of sugar and wait for it to start foaming before you add it to the rest of your cinnamon roll dough.
Recipe
Equipment
- One sheet pan (13"x18") or similar sized pan
Ingredients
Cinnamon Roll Dough
- 8 ounces milk 90ºF
- 10 grams dried instant yeast
- 28 ounces bread flour or all purpose flour
- 8 ounces butter softened
- 4 ounces sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1 ounce corn syrup optional
- 8 ounces heavy cream (for soaking the rolls)
Cinnamon Filling
- 8 ounces unsalted butter softened to almost melted
- 8 ounces brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons cinnamon
Cream cheese frosting
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 4 ounces unsalted butter softened
- 4 ounces powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon heavy whipping cream or less if you like a thicker consistency
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Place the warm milk, yeast, and half the flour into the bowl of your stand mixer with the dough hook attached and mix until combined.
- Add in the softened butter, sugar, salt, eggs, corn syrup, and the rest of the flour into the mixer and mix until combined.
- Let the dough mix on medium speed or until the dough forms into a ball and cleans the bowl. This can take from 10-20 minutes of mixing. Don't worry if the mixture is very sticky at first. Just keep mixing.
- Shape the dough into a smooth ball and then place it into a greased bowl. Cover with a tea towel and let rise for 90 minutes in a warm place *see note**
For the cinnamon sugar filling
- Combine together all your ingredients with a mixer until smooth
To make the rolls
- Line a 13"x18" sheet pan with parchment paper (or similar sized pan)
- Once your dough has proofed, roll out the dough 18" wide and about 8" tall.
- Roll up the dough length-wise. Make sure the first roll is very tight so you get a nice spiral, then continue pushing the dough until you reach the edge. Brush a little water or egg wash along the bare edge so it seals the loose edge of the dough.
- Divide the dough into 1.5" pieces with some dental floss.
- Place the cinnamon rolls into your pan lined with parchment paper equally spaced apart.
- Cover loosely with a tea towel and place into a warm place to rise until the rolls have doubled in size. About 90 minutes.
- Before baking, pour your cream over the cinnamon rolls. This will make them extra soft and gooey after baking!
- Bake at 350ºF for 20-25 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 200ºF
For the cream cheese frosting
- Cream the cream cheese with a hand mixer until smooth. Then add in the softened butter and cream until smooth.
- Add in the powdered sugar, salt, vanilla and milk, and cream until smooth.
- Frost your warm cinnamon rolls with the frosting
Video
Notes
- Use a scale to weigh your ingredients (including liquids) unless otherwise instructed (Tablespoons, teaspoons, pinch etc). Metric measurements are available in the recipe card. Scaled ingredients are much more accurate than using cups and help ensure the success of your recipe.
- Metric measurements (grams) are available by clicking the small box under the ingredients in the recipe card labeled “metric”
- Practice Mise en Place (everything in it's place). Measure out your ingredients ahead of time and have them ready before you start mixing to reduce the chances of accidentally leaving something out.
- Try to use the same ingredients as the recipe calls for. If you must make a substitution, be aware that the recipe may not come out the same. I try to list substitutions where possible.
- *(I pre-heat my oven to 170ºF for five minutes then TURN THE OVEN OFF. It should be barely warm inside. Place a bowl of warm water in the back of the oven and your covered bowl of dough into the oven and shut the door)
- Do not be afraid to mix your dough enough. Do the window test to see if your dough is ready.
Lu says
These are the most delicious cinnamon rolls I have ever had. Soft, full of flavor, and a favorite of all those who tried them.