Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls Recipe is an easy copycat recipe for the best homemade cinnamon rolls. This rich and gooey treat is topped with decadent cream cheese frosting.
Do you love ordering one of those famous Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls? They smell heavenly and taste even better. We have perfected the recipe and now you can make these cinnamon rolls at home. If you enjoy this flavor, also try Cinnamon Roll Poke Cake and Chocolate Chip Cinnamon Rolls.
The brown sugar and cinnamon filling make each bite sweet and delicious. The decadent frosting is creamy and amazing. Each bite is wonderful and it’s so simple to make.
Table of contents
Why We Love This Recipe
I think you will be pleasantly surprised just how easy it is to make cinnamon rolls. Don’t let the idea of making these from scratch intimidate you. It is actually very simple to make.
We have easy to follow step by step instructions. Anyone can make these delicious cinnamon buns. They are special enough for Christmas morning but easy enough for year round.
Ingredients
Dough
- Warm Milk. The milk should be warm but not scalding.
- Active Dry Yeast. Make sure the instant yeast is not expired.
- Unsalted Butter. Use real butter.
- Large Eggs. Room temperature eggs.
- All Purpose Flour. Spoon the flour into the cup and don’t scoop it.
Filling
- Brown Sugar. Pack the brown sugar into the cup. You can use light brown sugar or dark brown sugar.
- Ground Cinnamon. You can adjust the cinnamon to taste.
- Unsalted Butter. Softened at room temperature.
Frosting
- Cream Cheese. Softened at room temperature.
- Powdered Sugar. Sift the powdered sugar to remove any lumps.
- Vanilla Extract. Pure vanilla extract is best.
Get the complete list of ingredients at the bottom of the page.
Additions
- Raisins. If you like raisins, add some into the filling.
- Nuts. Chopped pecans or walnuts taste great in this recipe.
How to Make Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls
Step 1. Pour the warm milk into a large bowl. Stir in the yeast with a wooden spoon and let it sit for 5 minutes to activate. It will start to froth or bubble.
Step 2. Get out a mixer. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the sugar, butter, eggs, salt and flour until well combined. Then add in the milk/yeast mixture and combine the wet ingredients and dry ingredients using the dough hook. Mix until the dough comes clean from the side of the bowl.
Step 3. Then transfer the dough to an oiled bowl. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise until it has doubled in size. This usually takes about an hour. While it rises, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon for the filling in a small bowl.
Step 4. Flour the surface and roll the dough for the best cinnamon rolls.
Step 5. Then spread the softened butter on top of the rolled dough. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture evenly on top.
Step 6. Roll the dough tightly starting at the long end. Then cut the cinnamon roll dough into approximately 12 slices with either a sharp knife or dental floss. I like to use a serrated knife.
Step 7. Place the rolls in the prepared 9X13 baking pan. Cover the pan with a towel and allow to rise until they have doubled in size. Then bake the cinnamon rolls for 18 to 20 minutes. Oven times vary so it’s possible to extend the time to 20-25 minutes.
Step 8. While they bake, make the frosting. Beat together all the frosting ingredients including teaspoons vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl with either a hand mixer or stand mixer. Make sure the ¼ cup butter is softened.
Step 9. When you remove the rolls from the oven, top the rolls with half of the frosting while the rolls are warm. The frosting will melt down into the rolls.
Step 10. Then allow the rolls to cool for 10-15 minutes and top with the remaining frosting. Serve and enjoy.
Store
Cover and refrigerate any leftover cinnamon rolls in an airtight container. Microwave them for 20-30 seconds when enjoying the leftovers.
They should last for up to 1 week in the fridge if stored correctly. They are easy to reheat and my kids love the leftovers. However, they don’t last long because everyone really loves these.
Pro Tips
- Yeast. Make sure that your yeast has not expired. Yeast is a living organism and over time it will lose its activity.
- Warm Milk. The milk should be warm but not hot (around 110 degrees F). If the milk is too hot, it will kill your yeast.
- Frosting. We prefer to apply the frosting in 2 steps. Add half of the frosting while they are warm as this allows it to soak into the layers. Then allow to cool and apply the rest. This will give the rolls a nice, finished look.
- Mixing the dough. The dough is easiest to mix using a stand mixer with a dough hook. Another option is to use a bread machine on the dough cycle. Lastly, you can knead the dough by hand.
- Don’t add too much flour. The dough should be tacky but easy to work with. Adding too much flour will make it dry.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, this recipe can be broken down into steps to save time. Prepare the cinnamon rolls up to the point of the second rise.
Allow to rise overnight and bake the next morning as normal. This will help to cut down on preparation if you are trying to serve the rolls for breakfast.
I do this often for busy mornings or weekends when I just want to save time. It makes it easier to enjoy homemade cinnamon rolls even during hectic mornings.
This method is also perfect for holidays or when hosting guests. It is a practical way to work ahead and reduce the preparation time.
Yes, this is easy to do and a great way to enjoy cinnamon rolls anytime you want without the work. One method is to freeze them before baking. Simply, roll the dough out and cut into individual rolls.
Wrap the unbaked rolls with plastic wrap in a pan and freeze. When ready to enjoy, remove from the freezer and allow to thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Let the rolls sit at room temperature and rise in warm place until doubled in size. Then bake as normal.
Another option is to bake the cinnamon rolls and prepare as normal. Allow to cool and wrap in plastic wrap. Freeze and reheat when ready to enjoy.
After the dough has risen, it is time to roll it out. It is important that you flour the surface prior to placing the dough. This will prevent it from sticking and make it more manageable.
Be careful that you do not add too much flour. You only what enough to make the dough easy to work with.
Once the dough has been rolled out, top with the butter and cinnamon mixture. Then roll up the dough similar to how you would a jellyroll cake.
Once rolled into a jellyroll, slice into individual cinnamon rolls. You can use a knife or dental floss to do this.
Many people prefer dental floss because it does not push down on the rolls. You simply wrap it around the dough, and it slices it without smashing it. If you do use dental floss, make sure it is unflavored plain floss.
More Cinnamon Roll Recipes
- Caramel Pecan Cinnamon Rolls
- Cinnamon Roll Apple Pie
- Chocolate Chip Cinnamon Rolls
- Easy Cinnamon Roll Poke Cake Recipe
- Homemade cinnamon rolls
- Bacon Cinnamon Rolls
Save yourself a trip to Cinnabon and make these instead. It is the best cinnamon roll recipe to make at home any day of the week.
Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls Recipe
Ingredients
FOR THE DOUGH:
- 1 cup Warm Milk
- 1 page Active Dry Yeast ¼ oz
- 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
- 1/3 cup Unsalted Butter softened
- 2 Large Eggs room temperature
- 1 tsp Salt
- 4 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour
FOR THE FILLING:
- 1 cup Brown Sugar packed
- 3 Tbsp Ground Cinnamon
- 1/3 cup Unsalted Butter softened
FOR THE FROSTING:
- 4 oz Cream Cheese softened
- 1/4 cup Unsalted Butter softened
- 1 cup Powdered Sugar
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1/8 tsp Salt
Instructions
- Pour the warm milk in a large bowl. Stir in the yeast and let it sit for 5 minutes to allow the yeast to activate (it will start to froth or bubble).
- In the bowl of a stand up mixer, beat together the sugar, butter, eggs, salt and flour until well combined.
- Then add in the milk/yeast mixture and combine using the dough hook. Mix until the dough comes clean from the side of the bowl.
- Then transfer the dough to an oil bowl. Cover and let the dough rise until it has doubled in size (will likely take approximately 1 hour).
- Then spray a 9X13 baking dish with a non-stick cooking spray.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the brown sugar and ground cinnamon for the filling.
- Roll the dough out onto a lightly floured surface into a rectangle that is approximately 16X21 inches and is approximately ¼ inch thick. Then spread the filling softened butter on top of the rolled out dough and sprinkle the cinnamon and sugar mixture evenly on top.
- Then roll the dough tightly starting at the long end. Then cut into approximately 12 slices with either a knife or dental floss and place the rolls in the prepared 9X13 baking pan. Cover the pan with a towel and allow the rolls to rise until the rolls have doubled in size (for at least 30 minutes but you can allow them to rise overnight as well).
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes until the top of the rolls are golden brown and they are cooked through.
- While the rolls are baking, prepare the cream cheese frosting. Beat together all the frosting ingredients together in a large mixing bowl with either a hand held mixer or stand up mixer.
- When you remove the rolls from the oven, top the rolls with half of the frosting while the rolls are warm and the frosting will melt down into the rolls.
- Then allow the rolls to cool for 10-15 minutes and then top them with the remaining frosting. Then the rolls are ready to serve and enjoy!
This recipe is the best! Truly delicious! Only problem was with the yeast. Yeast had not expired, and I made sure the milk wasn’t too hot. Used a thermometer. However, it didn’t activate in 5 minutes and I let it sit for awhile to give it more time. Finally added a pinch of sugar, but it only had a few bubbles. Is it okay to use fast rise yeast and would that be better? Thanks!