These cinnamon rolls are so soft and fluffy, and are topped with a rich cream cheese frosting. The only cinnamon roll recipe you will ever need!
Welcome to week 2 of Nina's Bread Month! So far we have made dinner rolls and reviewed how to bake with yeast. Cinnamon rolls are not very difficult to make and I thought this one would be a perfect, delicious recipe to try together.
Best cinnamon rolls
These rolls are the most soft, fluffy, cinnamon-y cinnamon rolls I have ever tried! They have the best caramel-like filling from the brown sugar and cinnamon. So many recipes calls for granulated sugar in the filling, but brown sugar is miles better and creates that caramel-likeness. I also added pecan pieces to the filling on these as requested by my husband, but you could leave them out if you would prefer.
Looking for more brunch recipes? Try Mexcian conchas (sweet buns) or Fudgy lemon brownies.
Tips for the best cinnamon rolls
- Don't add too much flour. The dough should JUST clean the bowl. If it is still sticky, remove the dough to a floured surface and knead by hand for a minute.
- Make sure the dough does not rise to much. Only let the dough rise until doubled in size.
- Use whichever filling you like - Peanut butter, apple and cinnamon, hazelnut chocolate...the list is endless!
- If the cinnamon rolls are browning too quickly in the oven, place some tin foil lightly over the tops of them.
- These cinnamon rolls can by made the day before. Assemble the rolls after their first rise, place them in the baking dish, cover and refrigerate until the morning. Let them come to room temperature and then do it's second rise before you continue to bake them in the oven.
If you try this recipe, please tag me on Instagram #ninakneadstobake. I would love to see your cinnamon rolls!
📋 Recipe
Soft Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
- 1 cup whole milk warm
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter melted
- 4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
Filling
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- 2 ½ tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup butter melted
Topping
- 8 oz cream cheese
- ¼ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
Dough
- Place yeast, sugar and warm milk in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add eggs and melted butter and stir to combine.
- Weigh out the flour into a separate bowl. Add ¾ of the amount of flour into the other ingredients. Add salt and knead the dough with the dough hook attachment, or knead by hand.
- Add in remaining flour, a tablespoon at a time, until the dough just cleans the side of the bowl. If the dough is still sticky, remove it to a floured surface and knead by had for a few minutes.
- Place the dough into a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and place in a warm environment until it doubles in size, about 1 hour.
Filling
- Place risen dough onto a floured surface and using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a large rectangle, about 15x20 inches.
- Brush the dough with the melted butter and then sprinkle with the sugar and cinnamon. Roll the dough starting at the long side of the rectangle. Cut the dough into 12 rolls and place them into a greased 9x13 inch baking dish.
- If you are baking right away, preheat oven to 350°F. Cover the cinnamon rolls with plastic wrap and place in a warm environment until doubled in size, about 30 minutes. Bake the cinnamon rolls for 20 minutes. If the tops of the rolls are browning too quickly, lightly cover them with tin foil. Remove from the oven onto a wire rack and spread the cream cheese topping over the tops of them.
- For overnight cinnamon rolls, cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator until morning. The next day, let the cinnamon rolls come to room temperature and then double in size. This can take a few hours. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°F. Bake the cinnamon rolls for 20 minutes. If the tops are browning too quickly, lightly cover them with tin foil. Remove from the oven onto a wire rack and spread the cream cheese topping over the tops of them.
Topping
- Whisk cream cheese and butter together until smooth. Add In icing sugar and whisk until combined. Spread the topping over the tops of cinnamon rolls right when they come out of the oven.
- Cinnamon rolls are best eaten the day they are made.
Did you try this recipe? Comment below to let me know ☺️