Easy Cinnamon Rolls
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Posted: 11/28/22
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You’ll never believe that these soft, gooey easy Cinnamon Rolls are made in just one hour! They are perfect for the holidays, but great all year long as a sweet breakfast or brunch treats. Tender, light and flakey cinnamon rolls with a delicious cream cheese frosting on top.
Pair them with a breakfast casserole and coffee for an amazing breakfast no one will forget!
You Will Love These EASY Cinnamon Rolls
These soft cinnamon rolls are made from scratch and I promise they’re so easy!
- You don’t need a fancy stand mixer and you don’t have to spend a ton of time kneading the dough. They don’t even take that long to make – just over an hour!
- They have the best soft texture with the perfect amount of cinnamon filling.
- Top them off with my simple cream cheese frosting for the finishing touch.
- I’m sharing all the tips and tricks so you can make the perfect batch. Trust me, you’ll get rave reviews when you make them! The aroma alone while they’re baking is enough to get everyone to the table – after the first bite, they’ll request a batch every weekend.
What You’ll Need to Make Cinnamon Roll Dough
- Whole milk – The fat in whole milk adds richness and flavor to the dough.
- Active dry yeast – You will need one packet. Make sure it’s dry active yeast and not instant yeast, which is not the same thing.
- Granulated sugar
- Melted butter – After you melt it, allow it to cool a bit before you use it in the recipe.
- Large egg – Using one that is at room temperature is easier to mix than a cold egg from the fridge. So, leave it out for 20 to 30 minutes before making the dough.
- Vanilla extract
- Kosher salt
- All-purpose flour
Cinnamon Roll Filling Ingredients
- Softened unsalted butter – The softer the butter, the better so leave it out at room temperature before you make the filling. You can also soften butter in the microwave if you forget to soften it ahead of time.
- Brown sugar – When you measure it, be sure to pack it in the measuring cup.
- Granulated sugar
- Ground cinnamon
- Vanilla extract
- Room temperature heavy cream – This is poured over the rolls before you bake them.
Ingredients for Cinnamon Roll Cream Cheese Frosting
- Unsalted butter – Room temperature, if you use salted butter, reduce salt in frosting.
- Cream cheese – Room temperature for easy mixing.
- Powdered sugar – if your powdered sugar has a lot of lumps, you might want to sift it before you use it.
- Vanilla extract – Grab pure vanilla extract for best flavor. Clear vanilla will give you that true white frosting color.
- Kosher salt – Evens out the sweetness in the frosting.
Products Needed
How to Make Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
Prepare the yeast: Heat the milk in the microwave until it’s lukewarm (between 98 and 105°F). Whisk in the yeast and sugar and then let it proof for 10 minutes.
Make the cinnamon roll filling: Mix the softened butter, brown sugar, white sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla in a bowl. Set the mixture aside while you make the dough.
How to make the cinnamon roll dough:
- Whisk melted butter, egg, and vanilla into the yeast mixture. Mix in the salt.
- Add the flour one cup at a time and then knead the dough a few times in the bowl and form it into a ball.
- Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 10 minutes.
Assemble the rolls: Roll the dough out on a floured work surface and spread the cinnamon filling over the top. Start at a short end and roll the dough up into itself like a jelly roll. Slice the roll into 12 equal-sized rolls.
Rising time: Place the rolls in the prepared pan and cover it with a dish towel. Let the rolls rise for 50 minutes at room temperature.
Bake! Drizzle the tops of the rolls with heavy cream and bake them at 350°F until they tops are lightly golden brown.
Make the Cinnamon Roll Frosting: While the rolls bake, make the frosting. Mix cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt in a bowl until creamy and smooth.
Frost the cinnamon rolls: Allow the rolls to cool for a few minutes and then spread the frosting over the top.
Do cinnamon rolls need to rise overnight?
It depends on the recipe! You don’t have to do that with this easy cinnamon rolls recipe. After the dough has risen for 50 minutes, the rolls are ready to bake!
How should you reheat cinnamon rolls?
The easiest way is in the microwave. Just place the frosted cinnamon roll on a plate and warm it for about 30 seconds.
How to Store Cinnamon Rolls
- Store unfrosted cinnamon rolls in an air-tight container, at room temperature, for two days or in the refrigerator for up to a week.
- Store frosted cinnamon rolls in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
- You can also freeze unfrosted cinnamon rolls! Allow them to cool completely and then wrap them in plastic wrap. Store them in a freezer bag or container for up to three months. Let them thaw at room temperature before heating them and adding the frosting.
Are you excited to give these easy cinnamon rolls a try this weekend? You will love every last bite of these soft rolls with that amazing cream cheese frosting!
More Special Breakfast Recipes
- Boston Cream Donuts are a fun breakfast treat! They taste like they came from a fancy donut shop but are actually easy to make.
- Skip the restaurant brunch and make Eggs Benedict at home! The creamy hollandaise sauce with the eggs, ham, and English muffin is so good.
- Everyone will love Homemade Waffles for a delicious weekend brunch!
- Biscuits and Gravy are always a classic and stick-to-your-ribs delicious!
- 3 Ingredient Cinnamon Rolls
- Light, fluffy Cinnamon Roll Pancakes are the perfect sweet treat for a special breakfast!
Did you make this? If you snap a photo, please be sure tag me on Instagram at @julieseatsandtreats or #julieseatsandtreats so I can see your yummy treat!
Easy Cinnamon Rolls
Soft, flake easy cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting that are ready in a hour!
Video
rolls
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 ¼ teaspoon active dry yeast or 1 packet
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
Filling
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened (*see note)
- ½ cup brown sugar packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 Tablespoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ – ½ cup heavy cream room temperature (for pouring over rolls after rising, but before baking)
Cream Cheese Frosting
- ¼ cup unsalted butter softened
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch of kosher salt
Instructions
- Line a 9”x13” baking dish with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large microwave-safe bowl, heat milk for 30-40 seconds, until the milk is lukewarm. Add in yeast and sugar and stir with a whisk until dissolved. Cover with a clean dishtowel and let the yeast proof for 10 minutes.
- While your yeast is proofing, combine softened butter, sugars, cinnamon, and vanilla in a medium mixing bowl. Set aside.
- After the yeast has proofed, whisk in melted butter, egg, and vanilla, until fully combined.
- Add in salt and flour, 1 cup at a time. Knead it slightly until the dough forms a ball. Cover the bowl with a clean towel or plastic wrap. Rest the dough for 10 minutes.
- Lightly flour a surface and a rolling pin. Roll the dough out until it is approximately a 14” × 18” rectangle that is 1/4” thick.
- Spread filling over the entire surface of the dough.
- Beginning at the short side, roll the dough up.
- Use a serrated knife cut the dough into 12 rolls.
- Place cinnamon rolls in the pan, cut-side down. Cover with a clean dish towel and let rise for about 50 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Drizzle the tops of the rolls with heavy cream. Bake for 24-26 minutes until the tops are slightly golden brown.
- For the frosting, add softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt to a medium-sized bowl. Mix with a hand mixer until combined and smooth. Frost cinnamon rolls and serve warm!
Tips
- No overnight rise is required! These rolls are fluffy and tender and have a gooey filling that is divine!
- Lukewarm is between 98℉ and 105℉. If your milk is too warm, it will kill the yeast and prevent the rolls from rising. I used a thermometer to check to temperature.
- For very easy rolling, I love to use a Silpat or non-stick baking mat because it grips the counter and when rolling out the dough, it doesn’t move. The reader may also use a piece of parchment paper.
- For the filling, the butter can be slightly warmer than at room temperature. The softer the butter is, the easier it will be to combine the filling. You don’t want it melted, but it can be very soft. In order to achieve this, I heated the stick of butter in the microwave for 20-25 seconds, stopping every 5 seconds to flip the stick, end to end.
- To cut the dough into 12 rolls of similar thickness, I use the serrated knife and lightly press it into the dough creating a “guide” for cutting. First in the very middle, to divide the dough in half. Then I place a mark dividing each half into half and then each half into 3 equal parts. The rolls will be about 1 inch thick.
- What is the purpose of the heavy cream? Drizzling the cinnamon rolls with heavy cream creates a gooey cinnamon roll. I use cream that is room temperature by taking it out of the fridge when I start the recipe. As long as it is out no more than 2 hours, it is safe to consume.
Nutrition Information
Serving: 1roll, Calories: 491kcal (25%), Carbohydrates: 68g (23%), Protein: 7g (14%), Fat: 22g (34%), Saturated Fat: 13g (81%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 72mg (24%), Sodium: 148mg (6%), Potassium: 138mg (4%), Fiber: 2g (8%), Sugar: 38g (42%), Vitamin A: 729IU (15%), Vitamin C: 0.1mg, Calcium: 72mg (7%), Iron: 2mg (11%)
Evelyn Eains says
easy recipe and delicious.
Julie Evink says
I’m happy to hear you enjoyed Evelyn!
Teresa C says
Julie – Your Stupid Easy Carmel rolls have graced our Thanksgiving table for 2 years!! This recipe appears more in line with my grandmother’s cinnamon rolls and I’m tempted to test success!! Only reviews are ratings. In your opinion, how do these compare? Should I give it a go or stick with tried and true?
Julie Evink says
If you like the caramel rolls, what I would do is use the filling and frosting recipe from the cinnamon rolls and then follow the dough recipe from the caramel rolls!