There isn’t anything quite like homemade cinnamon rolls with cream cheese icing. You will love how simple this recipe is. Anyone can make a batch of these for a great brunch!
The smell of cinnamon rolls baking in the oven is amazing! Your entire house will smell wonderful as the homemade cinnamon rolls bake into soft and fluffy rolls. It’s one of our favorite brunch recipes, and it’s so easy and delicious!
If you love salty and sweet, try Bacon Cinnamon Rolls for another great cinnamon roll recipe.
Table of Contents
Why we love this recipe
Each one gets topped with a rich and decadent cream cheese icing for a real treat. I could eat this icing by the spoonful. It is so good but really simple to make.
If you have been putting off making cinnamon rolls from scratch, don’t delay. I break everything down into really simple step by step instructions. Anyone can make these easy cinnamon rolls.
Ingredients
Dough
- Warm Water
- active dry yeast
- milk
- Melted unsalted Butter -melted but not hot.
- Brown Sugar
- Granulated Sugar
- All purpose flour
Filling
- Butter- melted
- Brown Sugar
- Ground Cinnamon
Frosting
- Cream Cheese- softened
- Butter, softened
- Powdered Sugar
- Vanilla Extract
- Milk
How to make cinnamon rolls from scratch
Step 1. First, mix together the warm water and yeast. Allow this to sit for about 10 minutes.
Step 2. As the yeast activates, you will see tiny bubbles start to form and the liquid will thicken slightly.
Step 3. Use your stand mixer with a paddle attachment and combine the yeast mixture with the remaining dough ingredients.
Step 4. Keep doing this until a soft dough has formed. Then put the dough in a lightly greased bowl. Cover the large bowl with plastic wrap.
Step 5. The dough needs to double in size. This usually takes about an hour to an hour and a half.
Step 6. Once the dough has doubled, take it out of the bowl and knead it. Now, roll the dough into a large rectangle using a rolling pin.
Step 7. Make the cinnamon sugar filling. It is very simple. Just mix together the melted butter and other filling ingredients. You can melt the butter in the microwave. I used light brown sugar but you can use what you prefer.
Step 8. Then sprinkle the cinnamon filling over the top of the rectangle that you just rolled out.
Step 9. Once the filling has been spread, roll up the dough seam side down. Finally, slice your long roll into individual cinnamon rolls. You can use a sharp knife or dental floss thread to pinch the dough into slices.
Step 10. Keep repeating until you have about 12 to 15 cinnamon buns. Put the rolls in a glass 9X13 pan. Make sure to spray it with cooking spray first.
Step 11. Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap or kitchen towel and allow to rise until the rolls have almost doubled in size. Bake cinnamon rolls for about 20 to 25 minutes or until the centers of the rolls are cooked through.
Step 12. Just stir together all of the icing glaze ingredients. Then spread on top of the cinnamon rolls. We like to serve the homemade cinnamon rolls warm and the texture is perfect.
Pro Tips
- Use dental floss to cut the rolls. Dental floss is excellent to cut the rolls. Just cut a long piece of dental floss and place it under your roll. Cross the floss on top of your roll and pull in opposite directions. You will get nice clean cut slices every time.
- Don’t forget that oven temps vary. Ovens can vary and cooking times may not all be the same. If you find that the tops of your rolls are golden brown but the center is not done yet, just put foil on top of the rolls so that they do not get too browned.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! You can make these the night before to make these more feasible on busy mornings.
Just prepare the night before as the recipe instructs. You will need to prep everything right up to the 2nd rise.
Then cover the rolls and refrigerate over night. The next morning when you are ready to bake them, allow the rolls to sit at room temperature for 30 to 60 minutes.
They need to come to room temperature. The last step is to just bake.
Yes, this recipe is simple to make ahead. I often make the dough in advance and the rolls. Take out of the refrigerator and bake the next morning when ready to enjoy.
The cinnamon rolls can also be placed in the freezer. Allow to thaw when ready to bake. If you freeze the rolls, adjust the cooking time.
More easy Cinnamon Roll recipe
- Chocolate Chip Cinnamon Rolls
- Cinnamon Roll Bread
- Easy Cinnamon Roll Apple Pie Cups
- Cinnamon Roll Pie Recipe
- Cinnamon Roll Cheesecake
Go ahead and make this yummy recipe for fluffy cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting. Please come back and leave a star recipe rating once you do.
Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
For the Dough:
- 1/4 cup Warm Water
- 1 package active dry yeast
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1/3 cup Melted Butter melted but not hot
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg
- 3 1/2 cup flour
For the Filling:
- 1/2 cup butter melted
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 T cinnamon
For the Frosting:
- 6 oz cream cheese softened
- 1/4 cup butter softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 1/2 teaspoon milk
Instructions
- Mix together the warm water and yeast. Let sit for about 10 minutes. You will see the yeast activate – tiny bubbles will form at the surface and the liquid will thicken slightly.
- In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, slowly combine yeast mixture with the remaining dough ingredients, milk through flour. Gradually add the flour 1 cup at a time until a soft dough is formed.
- Place the dough in a well greased bowl and turn to coat. Cover tightly with plastic wrap. Allow to rise until about double in size – about an hour to an hour and a half.
- Remove dough from bowl and knead for 1-2 minutes, adding flour so it doesn't stick to your hands or the countertop. Roll out into large rectangle. The rectangle should be around 24”X15” but does not need to be exact.Mix together filling ingredients.
- Spread the cinnamon filling over the top of your rolled out rectangle. Roll up the dough, starting at the short end.Slice your long roll into individual cinnamon rolls. Cut a long piece of dental floss and place it under your roll. Cross the floss on top of your roll and pull in opposite directions. You will get nice clean cut slices every time.
- Repeat slicing until you have about 12-15 pieces. Place sliced rolls in a glass 9X13 casserole dish (sprayed with cooking spray).
- Make sure they are nice and snug. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for another 30-60 minutes, or until almost doubled in size.
- Bake in 375 F oven for 20-25 minutes or until the centers of the rolls are cooked through and the rolls are golden brown.
I love your recipes. Haven’t made these yet but, I have a questionre . You roll out the dough to about 24X15. You said starting at the short end roll into a log. Cut 15 to 18 rolls. Put in a 9×13 baking dish. Question, your picture shows 12 rolls in that 9X13 dish. What do you do with the left over rolls? Why can’t
you roll from the long 24 inch and put in 2 9X13 dishes?
Sorry about the confusion Nanci – this is a typo and should be cut into 12-15 rolls. I don’t put them into 2 pans as the cinnamon rolls will be too thin and not as savory. I love the thicker and delicious cinnamon rolls. If you try out this recipe please let me know what you think!