Description
Make soft, fluffy, and irresistible homemade Cinnamon Rolls with this easy-to-follow recipe. Perfect for breakfast or a special holiday brunch, these rolls feature a rich cinnamon-sugar filling and a luscious cream cheese frosting.
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 package yeast (2 ¼ teaspoons)
- 1 cup milk
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus up to ½ cup more as needed
- 6 tablespoons butter, diced and softened
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
Filling
- 1 stick butter, softened
- ½ cup brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup white sugar
- 3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
Easy Cream Cheese Frosting
- ¾ cup cream cheese
- 1 cup icing sugar (powdered sugar), or more to taste
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Make the dough: Warm milk to about 100°F (30-45 seconds in the microwave). Avoid overheating above 105°F to protect the yeast. In a small bowl, combine yeast, 1 tablespoon warm milk, and 1 teaspoon sugar. Stir and let sit for 5 minutes until bubbles form.
- Mix dough ingredients: In a stand mixer bowl, combine flour, butter, salt, eggs, yeast mixture, remaining milk, and sugar. Stir briefly to combine.
- Knead the dough: Attach the dough hook and knead on medium speed until a smooth ball forms, about 10-12 minutes. If dough is sticky and not forming a ball, add extra flour a tablespoon at a time until it pulls together but is still soft.
- First rise: Transfer dough to a greased bowl, shape into a ball, pinch the bottom to smooth, place seam side down, cover with a tea towel, and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
- Shape the cinnamon rolls: Dust a work surface with flour. Punch down the dough and roll it out into a rectangle approximately 18 by 12 inches, about ¼ inch thick.
- Add the filling: Spread softened butter over the dough evenly. In a small bowl, mix brown sugar, white sugar, and cinnamon. Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the buttered dough.
- Roll and slice: Roll the dough tightly from the longer side into a log. Pinch the seam to seal. Place the log seam side down and slice into 12 equal rolls using dental floss or sewing thread for clean cuts.
- Second rise: Arrange the rolls in a greased 9×13 inch pan. Cover with a tea towel and let rise for about 30 minutes until puffy and nearly doubled.
- Bake the rolls: Preheat oven to 350°F while rolls rise. Bake rolls for about 18 minutes until lightly golden. If centers are undercooked after 20 minutes, tent with foil and bake up to 15-20 more minutes.
- Prepare frosting: In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese, icing sugar, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt with a hand mixer until smooth.
- Frost and serve: Remove rolls from oven and cool on wire rack for 5 minutes. Spread frosting over warm rolls. Allow to cool enough to handle, then serve warm for best flavor and texture.
Notes
- Milk temperature is crucial; do not exceed 105°F to avoid killing the yeast.
- Don’t add too much flour; dough should remain soft to get fluffy rolls.
- Using dental floss or thin thread to slice rolls helps keep their shape neat.
- If your room is cool, baking time may be longer; cover rolls with foil if browning too quickly but not baked through.
- Serve cinnamon rolls warm for best taste and texture.
