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These soft homemade Cinnamon Rolls are bakery-level tender, with buttery, flaky layers, a gooey cinnamon-sugar swirl, and a thick blanket of cream cheese frosting. I make a batch on a lazy weekend morning and the whole family hovers by the oven waiting. If you want a faster shortcut, our quick and easy cinnamon rolls come together in a flash.
A laminated, buttery dough and tangy cream cheese icing make these the softest, fluffiest rolls you will ever bake.
Cinnamon Rolls Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 1 hour
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 30 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 10 hours
- 🍽️ Serving: 12 rolls
- ⚡ Calories: 656kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Sweet, buttery, cinnamon-spiced, and tangy
- ✋ Difficulty: Worth the effort, easier than it looks, like our lemon blueberry coffee cake
Quick Answer
To make cinnamon rolls from scratch, bloom active dry yeast in warm milk, then mix it with flour, sugar, salt, an egg, vanilla, and melted butter and knead into a smooth dough. Laminate the chilled dough with a few butter trifolds for extra flaky layers, then rest it overnight. Roll the dough into a large rectangle, spread it with softened butter, and sprinkle on a cinnamon-sugar filling. Roll it into a tight log, cut twelve rolls, let them proof until doubled, and bake at 350 degrees until golden. Frost the warm rolls with cream cheese icing.
Jump to:
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Laminated for flaky layers. A few simple butter trifolds give these rolls light, bakery-style layers you do not get from a standard dough.
- Soft and tender crumb. Whole milk, butter, and an egg make a rich, enriched dough that bakes up pillowy soft.
- Gooey cinnamon-sugar filling. A generous mix of brown sugar, granulated sugar, and cinnamon melts into a sweet, gooey swirl.
- Tangy cream cheese frosting. Cream cheese balances all that sweetness with a tangy, creamy icing that melts into the warm rolls.
- Make-ahead friendly. The dough rests overnight, so most of the work happens the day before you bake.
- Worth every minute. These taste like they came from a bakery, and watching the family devour them is half the fun.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- A buttery, laminated dough bakes up into the softest, flakiest rolls with a gooey cinnamon swirl.
- Tangy cream cheese frosting melts into every warm roll for the perfect sweet finish.
- They are a weekend breakfast showstopper, like our overnight breakfast casserole.
Key Ingredients
Simple pantry staples come together for these soft, bakery-style sweet rolls.
- Active dry yeast: Bloomed in warm milk, it gives the dough its rise and that signature soft, fluffy texture.
- Whole milk and butter: They enrich the dough so the rolls bake up tender, rich, and flaky.
- Flour, sugar, egg, and vanilla: The base of a soft enriched dough with just the right sweetness.
- Brown sugar and cinnamon: Mixed with granulated sugar and butter for the gooey, sweet filling swirl.
- Cream cheese and powdered sugar: Whipped with butter and vanilla into the tangy frosting on top.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
Make these sweet rolls your own with a few easy twists.
- Add nuts: Sprinkle chopped pecans or walnuts over the filling before rolling for crunch.
- Try pumpkin: For a fall twist, make our pumpkin cinnamon rolls instead.
- Add raisins: Scatter raisins or dried cranberries over the cinnamon-sugar layer.
- Use a glaze: Swap the cream cheese frosting for a simple powdered sugar and milk glaze.
- Make them quicker: Short on time? Our quick and easy cinnamon rolls skip the lamination.
How to Make Cinnamon Rolls
- Bloom the yeast in warm milk, then mix it with the flour, sugar, salt, egg, vanilla, and melted butter and knead into a smooth dough, then pat it out and chill for 1 hour.
- Roll the dough into a rectangle, spread it with softened butter, and do a trifold, repeating the roll-and-fold with 30-minute chills several times, then rest the dough overnight.
- Roll the dough into a large 20×12 inch rectangle, spread it with the filling butter, and sprinkle the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and cinnamon evenly over the top.
- Starting at the long edge, roll the dough into a tight log and cut it into 12 even rolls with a serrated knife.
- Arrange the rolls cut side up in a greased 9×13 dish, cover, and let them proof until doubled, then bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes until golden.
- Whip the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla into a smooth icing and frost the rolls while still warm.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Check your yeast, since the milk must be around 110 degrees and the yeast should bloom and foam within 5 minutes or it is not active.
- Do not skip the lamination, because those butter trifolds are what give these rolls their signature flaky layers.
- Chill between folds so the butter stays cold and creates distinct layers instead of melting into the dough.
- Rest the dough overnight for the best flavor and the easiest rolling the next day.
- Use a serrated knife or floss to cut clean rolls without squishing the spiral.
- Frost while warm so the icing melts slightly into the rolls, the same trick we use on our cream cheese frosting.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
These warm rolls are a weekend breakfast or brunch dream, perfect with a hot cup of coffee or a cold glass of milk. Serve them fresh from the oven alongside savory favorites like our overnight breakfast casserole for a full holiday spread.
They are the ultimate treat for Christmas morning, Easter brunch, or any slow weekend. Set out the pan with extra frosting on the side and let everyone help themselves while the rolls are still warm and gooey.
Store leftovers covered at room temperature for 2 days or in the fridge for up to 5, and warm them briefly before serving. For more sweet breakfast bakes, try our lemon blueberry coffee cake or baked cake donuts next.
Cinnamon Rolls FAQs
Laminating the dough with a few butter trifolds creates thin layers of butter and dough, similar to how croissants are made. As the rolls bake, those butter layers create steam and lift, giving you light, flaky, bakery-style layers instead of a dense roll. It takes a little extra time, but it is the secret to the soft, tender texture that sets these rolls apart.
Yes, these rolls are made for prepping ahead. The dough rests in the fridge overnight as part of the recipe, so most of the work happens the day before. You can also assemble the cut rolls in the pan, cover them, and refrigerate overnight, then let them come to room temperature and proof before baking in the morning for fresh, warm rolls.
The most common reason is inactive yeast or milk that was too hot or too cold. Your milk should be around 110 degrees, warm but not scalding, and the yeast should foam and bloom within about 5 minutes. If it does not bloom, the yeast is dead and you need to start with fresh yeast. A cold kitchen can also slow the proof, so let the rolls rise in a warm, draft-free spot.
Absolutely. You can freeze the baked, unfrosted rolls for up to 2 months, then thaw, warm, and frost before serving. You can also freeze the assembled unbaked rolls in the pan, then thaw overnight in the fridge and let them proof before baking. Frosted rolls freeze well too, just thaw them at room temperature and warm gently.
A 9×13 inch baking dish is perfect for a standard batch of 12 rolls, giving them room to proof and bake up soft on the sides. A metal pan will give slightly crispier edges, while a glass or ceramic dish keeps the sides softer. Whatever you use, grease it well so the gooey filling does not stick.
Store leftover frosted rolls in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Warm individual rolls in the microwave for about 15 seconds to bring back that fresh-baked, gooey texture. For longer storage, freeze them and thaw as needed so you always have a soft, sweet treat on hand.
Craving more cozy bakes? Try our pumpkin cinnamon rolls next for a fall twist on this weekend favorite.
Craving the classic? Our soft cinnamon rolls are pillowy and from scratch.
Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 ¼ teaspoon active dry yeast
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened, divided
- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the filling:
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar packed
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
For the icing:
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Place milk in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 15-second intervals until it reaches 110°F. Whisk in the yeast and let it sit for 5 minutes until it blooms. If your yeast hasn’t bloomed in 5 minutes, it is not active, and you need new yeast.
- Place 1 & ½ tablespoons of the butter into a small bowl and melt in the microwave, set aside.
- In the body of a stand mixer with the hook attachment, stir together the flour, sugar, and salt.
- Add the milk mixture and begin mixing it in. Add the egg and vanilla, slowly mix it in. Add the melted butter. Mix until it starts to form a dough.
- Using your hands, knead it in the bowl until it forms a smooth dough. Lightly flour a sheet tray. Place the dough onto the sheet tray and pat it out into a rough rectangle shape. Lightly flour the surface of the dough. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 1 hour.
- Lightly flour a clean work surface. Roll out the dough into a rough 10×17 inch rectangle. Have the 10-inch side facing you.
- Spread the remaining softened butter over the bottom ⅔ of the dough, leaving a half-inch border.
- Fold the top ⅓ of the dough over the butter. Take the bottom ⅓ of the dough and fold it over the top. Pinch the seams together.
- Turn the dough so the short end is facing you again. Roll it out again to a 10×17 rectangle. Do the trifold again. Place the dough back on the floured sheet tray. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, take the dough out and again do the trifold; refrigerate another 30 minutes. Repeat three more times, placing it in the fridge for 30 minutes in between each folding.
- After the last fold, place the dough in the fridge, covered well for at least 5 hours, but it is best if you can let it sit overnight.
- When you are ready to assemble the rolls, spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray, set aside.
- Roll out the dough into a 20×12 inch rectangle. Have the longer side facing you. Spread the softened butter for the filling over the dough, leaving a ½-inch border.
- In a small bowl mix together the sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon.
- Sprinkle this evenly over the butter, use it all.
- Starting at the bottom, tightly roll the dough into a log. Cut into 12 even pieces with a serrated knife.
- Place the rolls, evenly spaced, cut side up into the prepared baking dish.
- Cover with plastic wrap and allow the rolls to double in size at room temperature, about 90 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake until golden brown on top, 25-30 minutes. Allow to cool in the pan.
- While the rolls are cooling, make the icing. In a large bowl with an electric hand mixer, whip the cream cheese with the butter until smooth. Add the powdered sugar a little at a time until fully combined. Stir in the vanilla. Whip for one minute.
- You can frost the entire pan of rolls or individually, serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- Do not be intimidated by this, the “hard work” isn’t really hard it is just folding and rolling.
- Make sure that you refrigerate when it says to refrigerate, this is essential.
- Active dry yeast needs to be used, do not use instant.
- This is a great make ahead breakfast.
- They can be frozen, see my tips above.
- Want a more festive flavor, add some spices, see above for some ideas.
- You can use other glazes if you’d like, a powdered sugar one is great or even egg nog to be festive for the holidays.
Nutrition
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