These are the ULTIMATE best Homemade Cinnamon Rolls. Easy to make and so soft, fluffy and perfect ♡ Slather them in your favorite cream cheese frosting for the perfect special brunch.
There’s not many things I love more than homemade cinnamon rolls. I guess homemade soft pretzels are very high up that list, too, but otherwise? The perfect soft and fluffy cinnamon rolls is where it’s at.
I used to make cinnamon rolls a little differently, but some readers were having trouble with the dough. Some said they added eggs to the dough, so I tested it an now make them with eggs all the time – and actually like it better! So here is my new favorite easy cinnamon roll recipe.
Please note: If you have made the old recipe (made without eggs) successfully and are looking for that, please print it here.
Ingredients you’ll need
Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for quantities!
If you want to slather your cinnamon rolls with my 1 minute homemade frosting, you’ll also need these:
Ingredient notes
- Sugar: If you prefer, you can use all white OR all brown sugar for the filling. All brown will yield a more caramel-like taste. All white will make the filling sweeter.
- Milk: I prefer whole milk for a richer dough, but feel free to use any fat percentage you have at home.
- Yeast: Use active dried yeast for best results. You can use instant yeast, the dough will rise faster. The rolls tend to have a slightly “yeastier” taste with instant yeast. Organic yeast will rise much slower, so plan accordingly if you’re planning on using that.
- Butter: I recommend using real butter here. If you have to use margarine for any kind of reason, please use stick margarine for best results.
How to make homemade Cinnamon Rolls
1. Start by activating the yeast: Place it in a small bowl with some milk and sugar. Stir well, then let sit for 5 minutes.
If you see bubbles appearing on the surface, your yeast is good to go! If you don’t see any bubbles within 10 minutes, you need to use a new packet of yeast.
2. Next, add all ingredients for the dough to the bowl of your stand mixer. (If you don’t have a hand mixer, you need to knead by hand – stir the ingredients together in the bowl first, then knead on your counter).
You want to knead the dough on medium speed until it’s completely smooth and pliable. You should be able to pull a piece of dough until it’s see-through thin, without it ripping apart. This can take 10 minutes! So be patient.
3. Now, transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl. I recommend using a ceramic bowl for best results. You an leave it in the metal bowl from your stand mixer if you must, but it never gives me the same results as a ceramic bowl!
You’ll want to shape the dough into a ball, pinching the bottom together to create a smooth surface on top. Place the ball, seam down, in your prepared bowl.
Cover the bowl with a clean tea towel and let it sit at comfortably warm room temperature until doubled in size.
4. Now, roll the dough into a rectangle on a lightly floured surface.
Spread with butter, then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
5. Roll the dough up into a firm log and pinch the seam to seal.
6. Slice the cinnamon roll log into rolls. I like using a piece of sewing thread or dental floss for super neat rolls!
7. Place the rolls in a greased 9×13 inch dish, cover and let sit until puffy.
Now just bake, then frost warm in the pan!
Recipe tips
Timing of rise
The exact timing will depend on many factors, including:
- your room temperature (cooler room = slower rise)
- your bowl (really! ceramic bowls are warmer, so if you want your dough to rise faster, don’t leave it in your mixer’s stainless steel bowl)
- your altitude (higher altitude = faster rise)
- your yeast (instant yeast = fast rise; active yeast = regular rise; organic yeast = slow rise)
Note: This stage can also be done in the fridge overnight! Just make sure to remove the dough from the fridge 15-30 minutes before continuing with the recipe, so it can warm up.
Cutting
Now this is where the real magic happens! Ever rolled a beautiful log of cinnamon rolls, only to then destroy their beautiful round shape by running a knife through them?
It’s actually way easier, neater and prettier to cut them with a piece of sewing thread or some unscented dental floss.
Check out my recipe video up in this post or down in the recipe card to see how it’s done!
Baking
Cinnamon rolls are supposed to be soft and a bit gooey, so don’t overbake them – they’ll be dry.
It’s perfectly fine if they turn a light golden on top, but they shouldn’t turn out crispy and dark brown on top.
Be sure to watch them like a hawk! No shame in hanging out in front of your oven just to get that perfect batch of homemade cinnamon rolls 🙂
Frosting
I like to let my cinnamon rolls cool for about 5 minutes, then I frost them warm straight in the pan.
This will keep the top of your cinnamon rolls extra-soft, but the frosting will also kind of sink in as they cool. If you have leftovers and are a huge fan of the frosting, you might need to spread on some more.
Cinnamon Roll FAQs
Tough cinnamon rolls are usually the result of a tough dough. Make sure you do not add too much flour to the dough, it is a very soft dough – it just shouldn’t be paste-like or overly sticky.
Add any extra flour one tablespoon at a time and mix it in for a minute before adding more.
You can try using a spice blend such as pumpkin pie spice or gingerbread spice.
Cardamom is also really delicious, it goes well with grated orange zest and a touch of ground ginger.
Sometimes, the filling can leak out from the bottom of the rolls.
If you let the rolls sit for a little, they will soak back up some of the filling as they cool.
You can also remove one roll, then tilt the pan (careful if it’s still hot – use an oven glove!) and use a spoon to catch any leaked filling. Spoon it back over the rolls before frosting them.
Make ahead instructions
You can do the first rise in the fridge overnight. Make sure to remove the dough from the fridge about 30 minutes before continuing with the recipe.
I suppose you could try letting the finished rolls do the second rise in the fridge overnight if you know you’ll be short on time in the morning! They may need a few extra minutes to bake, be sure to watch them in the oven.
Freezer instructions
I recommend freezing the baked, unfrosted rolls. I separate them for convenience, that way we can pull out as many as we need.
Flash freeze the separated cinnamon rolls, spaced apart, on a baking sheet for 1-2 hours, until solid. Once frozen, wrap each in foil and place them into a large freezer bag. Label with the name and use-by date (freeze for up to 3 months).
To reheat, leave them at room temperature for 10 minutes, then unwrap. Either defrost at room temperature on a wire rack. OR defrost in the microwave.
Warm them in the microwave for 30 seconds, or in the oven at 300°F until warm. Frost them, if you like, then serve.
Serving suggestions
We love these by themselves, but they do go perfectly with a mug of hot chocolate. If you’re looking for a lighter side, try my winter fruit salad!
More homemade baked goods
PS If you try this recipe, please leave a review in the comment section and add a star rating in the recipe card – I appreciate your feedback! Follow along on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram.
Please note: If you have made the old recipe (made without eggs) successfully and are looking for that, please print it here.
Best Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
Recipe details
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 package yeast 2 ¼ teaspoons
- 1 cup milk
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 4 cups all-purpose flour plus up to ½ cup more as needed
- 6 tablespoons butter diced and softened
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
Filling
- 1 stick butter softened
- ½ cup brown sugar packed
- ½ cup white sugar
- 3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
Easy cream cheese frosting
- ¾ cup cream cheese
- 1 cup icing sugar or more to taste
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch salt
Instructions
Make the dough
- Warm milk to around 100°F. This will take 30-45 seconds in the microwave – do not use milk that is hotter than 105°F, or you will destroy the yeast!
- Place yeast in small bowl with 1 tablespoon warm milk and 1 teaspoon granulated sugar. Stir, then let sit for 5 minutes, until bubbles appear on the surface.
- Place flour, butter, salt, eggs, yeast mixture, remaining milk and sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer. Stir a little to roughly combine.
- Knead dough in the mixer with the dough hook attached on medium speed until dough forms a ball. Dough should be completely smooth. If dough doesn't form a ball: Add more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time with the mixer running on low speed, until dough pulls together (do not add too much flour, or dough will have a biscuit-like texture). Kneading can take around 10-12 minutes, so be patient.
- Turn dough out into a greased bowl. Shape into a ball, pinching the bottom to form a smooth surface. Place it seam down, then cover with a clean tea towel. Let the dough rise in a warm place for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
Shape the cinnamon rolls
- Dust work surface with flour. Turn out dough on floured surface, punch down and shape into a rectangle.
- Roll dough into rectangle, about 18×12 inches. Dough should be around ¼ inch thick.
- Spread 1 stick softened butter over dough. Combine both sugars and the cinnamon for the filling in a small bowl. Evenly sprinkle over butter.
- Roll up into a log from the longer side and pinch the seam to seal. Place log seam-side down. Slice into 12 rolls (I use a piece of sewing thread or dental floss for neat rolls).
- Place rolls in greased 9×13 inch pan. Cover with the tea towel and let sit until puffy and almost doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
Bake cinnamon rolls
- As rolls rise, heat oven to 350°F.
- Bake risen rolls in the hot oven until lightly golden brown. This takes around 18 minutes. Be sure to check the rolls often. If center rolls aren't baked after 20 minutes, tent pan with aluminum foil and continue baking for up to 15-20 extra minutes (this can happen if your room was cool and the dough is colder due to it).
Frost rolls
- Place ingredients for the frosting in a medium mixing bowl. Beat with a hand mixer until smooth.
- Once cinnamon rolls are done, remove pan form oven and place on a wire rack. Let sit for 5 minutes, then frost rolls while warm.
- Let cinnamon rolls cool until they can be touched, then serve warm.
Notes
Ingredient notes
- Sugar: If you prefer, you can use all white OR all brown sugar for the filling. All brown will yield a more caramel-like taste. All white will make the filling sweeter.
- Milk: I prefer whole milk for a richer dough, but feel free to use any fat percentage you have at home.
- Yeast: Use active dried yeast for best results. You can use instant yeast, the dough will rise faster. The rolls tend to have a slightly “yeastier” taste with instant yeast. Organic yeast will rise much slower, so plan accordingly if you’re planning on using that.
- Butter: I recommend using real butter here. If you have to use margarine for any kind of reason, please use stick margarine for best results.
Timing of rise
The exact timing will depend on many factors, including:- your room temperature (cooler room = slower rise)
- your bowl (really! ceramic bowls are warmer, so if you want your dough to rise faster, don’t leave it in your mixer’s stainless steel bowl)
- your altitude (higher altitude = faster rise)
- your yeast (instant yeast = fast rise; active yeast = regular rise; organic yeast = slow rise)
Elda says
Seems it’s taking longer than one hour to rise, is that normal?
Nora says
Elda, did you read the notes on the rising time? The type of yeast you’re using, your altitude, the temperature of your home, the type of bowl you use… They can all have a huge impact on the rising time. For example, high altitude makes yeast dough rise much, much faster. Conversely, organic yeast for example or a cooler room temperature can make a yeast dough rise much more slowly.
It’s also possible your yeast was not active anymore, which is why I always recommend to activate it with a little milk and sugar. If you did this and your yeast was bubbling before you added it to the remaining ingredients, you would just have to wait for the dough to rise a little longer. If you skipped activating the yeast, or used it despite not seeing any bubbles/activity, then it’s possible your yeast wasn’t good anymore and your dough would not rise no matter how long you wait.
Writing recipes for baking with yeast can be tricky, because so many factors can alter the process and the outcome. I never want anyone to be disappointed, and I can honestly say my family makes this recipe very often, year round, and it does work beautifully as written. But still, your ingredients and environment are naturally different from mine, so your baking process may look a little different. Maybe you need to try a different brand of yeast next time, or just make sure to start the process earlier to give your dough more time. Maybe you measured out too much flour, which would make the dough stiff and difficult to rise (measuring out too much flour when using cups happens to many, many home bakers! I’m not saying this is what happened, but it is possible to impact yeast this way so I wanted to mention it).
Finally I do want to add, I have also experienced before that a dough would just rise very little, I would get impatient and bake it anyway – only to have it rise beautifully in the oven. Even the current weather, humidity etc. can change how your yeast behaves.
The most important thing in my humble opinion is to just bake a lot, and to get the “feel” for working with yeast, if you want to be able to bake under any and all circumstances. My grandma makes yeast dough without measuring any ingredients, goes out to feed the cattle in between kneading and her bread always comes out perfectly… It’s the decades of experience nothing can ever come close to!
Connie says
I made these for Christmas breakfast and they were amazing! Thank you!
Nora says
I’m so glad, Connie!
Tom motschman says
Wonderful rolls, MAKE THEM A LOT.
Nora says
I’m so glad, Tom! They are one of my family’s favorite recipes.
Arlyn says
My first time making homemade cinnamon rolls and this recipe was amazing! Definitely keeping this one for the future! Yum😋
Nora says
I’m so glad, Arlyn!
Paula says
First attempt at homemade cinnamon rolls. Tried another recipe first and had to toss the dough. Found your recipe with more detail and it worked much better. Dough did take much longer to rise the dirst round than I’m used to and was afraid I’d messed up again, but after about 2 hours it was good to go. 2nd rise went much quicker. Very good and hubby loved them. Will make again but will try halving the recipe as it’s only the two of us and stuff gets lost in our freezer. 😉. Thanks for all the details and notes. Very helpful!
Angela says
I literally have never left a recipe review. This is THE best recipe for cinnamon rolls I have ever used. I made three batches in one day for a breakfast for my huge extended family. They were a huge hit and I’ll never be able to buy pillsbury again! This recipe is absolutely perfect with no substitutions used. PERFECT! Thank you for sharing!
Nora says
I’m so glad, Angela!
B. Morgan says
I was super confused this morning when I pulled up this recipe and saw all the changes. I went back to reread and saw the link to the old recipe, much to my relief! I’ve never ever had a problem with the old recipe without eggs and I’ve made this several times. Thank you for keeping the old recipe around! I may try the new recipe eventually, but for now I’m sticking with tried and true lol
Michele says
Let me preface this by saying, I’m very much a fan of “dump and go” recipes. That being said, I LOVED this recipe. This was my first time making cinnamon rolls from scratch and I have to say…I impressed myself! My friend has tweaked her own recipe to give her cinnamon rolls a gooey bottom layer. I’m going to try that bottom layer with this recipe the next time I make them. Thank you very much for sharing this recipe!
Nora says
Michele, I’m so glad to hear this. And now I need to know this trick with the gooey bottom layer 🙂
Cindy says
I was somewhat worried as they did not seem to rise as much as I thought they would, but they turned out fabulous. Not quite as big or puffy as I have made in the past, but here in SC the humidity changes everything when it comes to yeast and rising!!! Thank you so much!!
Sherry says
Made these this morning for my anniversary breakfast. It was my first time making cinnamon rolls ever! And these did NOT disappoint. So so so good!!! I followed your recipe to the T and wouldn’t change a thing. Thank you! 🙂
Sue says
This is by far the best cinnamon role recipe I have ever made. It is very “Cinnabon” in taste and texture!!
The only adjustment that I felt I had to make was reduce the butter. I used half a stick of butter in each of the dough and the filling. The rolls were amazing!!
Christina says
Recipe is missing an egg, dough was tough even after allowing it to rise for over 1 1/2 hours.
Nora Rusev says
I’m very sorry to contradict, Christina, but the recipe is definitely accurate as-written – it’s not missing an egg. The melted butter plus milk yield more liquid than an average bread dough uses for this amount of flour, so it should be a rather slack dough already. I’m sorry the recipe didn’t work out for you. Please make sure to always spoon and level flour for baking recipes, never scoop it out with the measuring cup. Scooping the flour with the measuring cup almost always results in too much flour being used, yielding a tough dough.
Gayla Snowdon says
I’m finding the same results. I’ve been making yeasted products for years, and this dough is so tough. Slow to rise. Think I will go back to my old recipe where the butter is incorporated after the first rise. Making bread at the same time and looks beautiful, so not ingredients.
Victoria says
I found the same. I even read comments first and made sure to measure my flower accurately. Not sure where I went wrong but my dough was very tough
Nora Rusev says
My husband makes this recipe once a week from September through to February with our kids, so I can assure you that it works well for us. Baking with yeast can depend on so many factors, but please know that I truly am very sorry the recipe didn’t come out as you expected.
We bake all of our own bread etc, so I have a few ideas why it might be tricky for some people and very successful for others (there are many successful photos of this recipe on Pinterest and Instagram):
– if your milk/butter mixture is too hot, it will instantly kill the yeast and the dough will stay tough. Make sure it’s no hotter than 105°F before adding it to the mixer. If you heated your milk in addition to the butter, that’s a big no-no for this recipe. I’m sure you know this, but I thought I’d mention it anyways for others who might not be experienced bakers.
– if you’re using butter with a lower fat content, the dough may not come out as smooth as it should be. In this case, a few extra tablespoons milk will help.
– your humidity and altitude play a huge role in baking with yeast. They affect everything from liquid required to rising time. Unfortunately, it’s hard to make recommendations for these as they’re so individual.
– Cinnamon roll dough generally does take a much longer time to rise than plain bread dough – the sheer load of butter in the dough makes the yeast grow slower, so patience is an absolute must. Sure, you could just add more yeast to make it grow faster – but the taste will be negatively affected. I prefer to wait it out a bit longer for a better tasting baked good.
In any case, I have updated the recipe with a few suggestions related to the issues I outlined above. Again, I’m very sorry the recipe gave you trouble.
Judy says
Hello
I tried your recipe this afternoon and enjoyed the cinnamon rolls with my best friend 😉
It was my first batch ever; the rolls looked savory and tasted delicious!
Thank you,
Judy
Nora Rusev says
Judy, I’m so glad! Thank YOU for making my recipe, and for combing back to leave a review. I appreciate it!
Lindi says
I haven’t made yet only just now found your recipe…. I’m now doing cartwheels and grandstands in my big comfortable lounge chair and hopefully my very long search for the ultimate cinnamon roll has finally come to an end…. lol Every recipe well 80% of them use America’s crescent roll as a base and you can’t buy it here in Australia, I have tried your (US) biscuits recipe and our (AUS) scones dough but are a bit heavy and doggie. I love everyone describes their Cinnamon Srolls as the best ever, but I haven’t thought so. I also had a look at your pumpkin scrolls and the to sound Devine. I love Butternut pumpkin, not sure if you have them up in the States, it’s a sweeterone and so very versitle fantastic for steaming, mash, oven roasted, pan roasted and baking… once I have made I will post a photo… Happy Thanksgiving to you…
Charlene says
How many days do the rolls last after they are made?
Nora says
I honestly don’t know, Charlene… Never more than a day around here 😉
Claire says
Thanks for all the details. Tried it, turned out amazing so I’m making it again!
Quick question since I’m planning to make the dough a couple days in advance, how long does the dough last in the fridge?
Nora says
Hi Claire, happy to hear the cinnamon rolls turned out well for you! It’s one of my favorite recipes this time of the year.
You can absolutely make the dough a few days in advance, but you have to freeze it BEFORE the 45 minute rise in step 5 of “making the dough”.
When defrosting, you have to account for the time it takes for the dough to thaw and rise until doubled in size. It still needs to be chilled after the rise, too.
I have tried pretty much every other way of chilling or freezing the dough, and this is by far the best method with the best baking results. Anything else turned out flat and/or soggy. Hope that helps!
Rosa says
I loved every single detail in the recipe.
thank you so much.
Nora says
I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe, Rosa! Thank you so much for coming back to leave a review – I appreciate it.