Cinnamon Roll
intro
Fluffy, gooey cinnamon-swirled yeast rolls slathered in tangy cream cheese glaze, a warm, cozy sweet treat perfect for holiday gatherings and lazy weekends.
Ingredients
Steps
Mix and knead dough
In a large mixing bowl, combine warmed 240ml whole milk (for dough), 7g instant dry yeast, and 1 teaspoon of the granulated sugar; let rest 5 minutes until the surface looks foamy to confirm yeast is active. Add remaining granulated sugar, 57g cooled melted butter, room-temperature large egg, and 1 teaspoon fine salt, stirring to combine. Gradually stir in 480g all-purpose flour, then knead with a stand mixer dough hook on medium-low speed for 8 minutes, or by hand on a lightly floured surface for 12 minutes, until dough is smooth, elastic, and pulls cleanly away from bowl sides.
First dough rise
Coat the mixing bowl interior with 1 teaspoon neutral canola oil, place the kneaded dough ball back in the bowl, and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let dough rise in a warm, draft-free spot (24–27°C / 75–80°F) for 60 minutes, until it doubles in volume and leaves a 1cm (1/2 inch) indent when poked gently with a floured finger.
Add cinnamon filling
Punch the risen dough firmly in the center to release all trapped air, then transfer to a lightly floured work surface. Roll dough into an even 30x40cm (12x16 inch) rectangle, about 6mm (1/4 inch) thick. Spread softened 85g filling butter evenly across the dough surface, leaving a 1cm (1/2 inch) bare border along the top long edge. Mix 150g packed light brown sugar and 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon in a small bowl, then sprinkle evenly over the butter, pressing lightly to help it stick.
Roll and cut rolls
Starting at the long edge opposite the bare butter-free border, roll the dough tightly into a uniform, even log, then pinch the bare dough border against the log to seal the seam. Use unflavored dental floss or a sharp serrated knife to cut the log into 8 equal 5cm (2 inch) thick slices, taking care not to compress the soft swirled dough.
Second pan rise
Grease a 23x23cm (9x9 inch) square metal baking pan with 1 teaspoon softened butter. Arrange cut rolls cut-side up in the pan, leaving 2cm (3/4 inch) gaps between each roll to allow for expansion. Cover the pan loosely with greased plastic wrap, and let rolls rise in the same warm draft-free spot for 30 minutes, until they puff up and press against one another, filling most of the pan.
Bake to golden brown
While rolls complete their second rise, preheat oven to 190°C / 375°F, with an oven rack positioned in the middle. Remove plastic wrap from the pan, then bake rolls for 22–25 minutes, until tops are light golden brown and cinnamon-sugar filling is bubbling around pan edges. Avoid overbaking, as this will result in dry, tough rolls instead of soft, gooey ones.
Glaze and serve rolls
Let baked rolls cool in the pan for 10 minutes after removing from the oven. While they cool, make the cream cheese glaze: beat 113g softened cream cheese in a small bowl until completely smooth with no lumps, then stir in 120g sifted powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 30ml whole milk until glaze is thick but pourable. Drizzle glaze evenly over the warm rolls, and serve immediately.
Tips
2.Unflavored dental floss cuts cleaner, more even roll slices than a knife, which can squish and compress soft rolled dough and disrupt the pretty cinnamon swirls.
3.Wait the full 10 minutes after baking to add glaze; adding it to screaming hot rolls will make the glaze melt completely and run off into the pan bottom instead of clinging to the rolls.
OMG these are SO good! I made them for my kid’s soccer team potluck last weekend and every single parent asked for the recipe. The cream cheese glaze is the perfect balance of tangy and sweet, not cloying at all. The rolls stayed soft even the next day, which I never get with other cinnamon roll recipes! Total game changer for weekend breakfasts.
Really solid cinnamon rolls! Took me a little longer than the listed 2.5 hours because my kitchen was cold and the dough took forever to rise, but the end result was totally worth it. I added a little extra cinnamon to the filling because I’m a fiend for it, and it turned out great. Would make again for Sunday brunch.
I was nervous to make yeast dough as a total beginner, but these turned out perfect first try! I prepped them on Sunday night, kept the cut rolls in the fridge overnight, and baked them Monday morning for my dorm floor. Everyone thought I bought them from a fancy bakery! 10/10 will be adding these to my weekly meal prep rotation.
My whole family went crazy for these! My 7 year old helped me spread the cinnamon sugar filling and drizzle the glaze, and she was so proud of how they turned out. We had them alongside scrambled eggs and bacon for our Saturday family breakfast, and there were zero leftovers. Cannot recommend enough!
Taste was great, but I found the dough a little too sticky to work with even after adding extra flour like the note suggested. Maybe I messed up the yeast measurement? The glaze was incredible though, I’ve been putting it on my morning toast all week, oops.
Just pulled these out of the oven 10 minutes ago and I’ve already eaten two, no regrets. The texture is so pillowy soft, way better than the canned rolls I used to buy. The only swap I made was using a little maple syrup in the glaze instead of vanilla, and it was chef’s kiss. Will be making these for every holiday brunch from now on.
Just made these for my office potluck and I’m already getting texts from coworkers asking when I’m bringing them back. I was worried they’d get dried out during my commute, but they stayed perfectly soft and gooey. The cream cheese glaze sets so nicely without getting crusty, which is a huge win for transport!
Tried making these with a 1:1 gluten free flour blend for my sister who has celiac, and they turned out way better than I expected! They weren’t quite as fluffy as the regular version, but the flavor was spot on and she was so excited to have a homemade cinnamon roll that didn’t upset her stomach. Would recommend the swap for anyone who needs it!
I’ve been terrified to work with yeast for years, but this recipe walked me through every step so clearly! I was convinced I’d kill the yeast or mess up the rise, but these came out so soft and flavorful. My roommate walked in and said the whole apartment smelled like a Cinnabon, which is the highest compliment possible.
Made these for our early morning college football tailgate last Saturday and they were the most popular item on the table, beat out all the savory dips even! I made the glaze a little thicker so it wouldn’t drip all over people’s jerseys, and it worked perfectly. Even the team’s head coach stopped by to grab one and asked for the recipe!
Really great flavor, but I wish the recipe noted how much the rolls expand when baking! I put them too close together on a small baking sheet and they all merged into one giant cinnamon roll blob. Tasted amazing, just wasn’t the prettiest batch I’ve ever made. Still ate the whole pan over two days, no shame.
I don’t have a ton of time for fancy baking during the week, so I did the slow rise in the fridge overnight like the recipe suggested, and it was a total game changer. Woke up, popped them in the oven, and had fresh cinnamon rolls for the kids before school without any early morning chaos. They begged me to make them every Friday now!
Swapped the dairy milk for oat milk and used vegan cream cheese for the glaze to make these for my vegan roommate, and they were insane! No one could tell they were vegan, they were just as soft and gooey as the regular version. I’ll be making this vegan swap permanently now, it’s that good.
Made a double batch of these for our local high school bake sale, and they sold out in 15 minutes! People were coming back to the table asking if we had more hidden somewhere. We ended up raising an extra $120 just from these rolls, which went straight to the school’s art program. Cannot thank you enough for this perfect recipe!
Loved the flavor of these, but I found them a little too sweet for my taste! Next time I make them I’ll cut the brown sugar in the filling by about a quarter, and maybe reduce the powdered sugar in the glaze a bit too. Otherwise the texture is absolutely perfect, the softest rolls I’ve ever made at home.