Best Cinnamon Rolls Recipe
These cinnamon rolls are soft, gooey, and packed with buttery cinnamon goodness. That cream cheese glaze on top? Total game changer. Once you make these, the store-bought ones just won’t cut it anymore.
Servings 9
Equipment
Ingredients
Dough
- 2¾ Cups Flour all-purpose
- ¼ Cup Sugar
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 2 Tablespoons Instant Yeast
- ¼ Cup Water warm (for activating yeast)
- ½ Cup Milk
- 3 Tablespoons Butter unsalted, softened
- 1 Egg large
Filling
- ½ Cup Butter unsalted, melted
- ¾ Cup Brown Sugar
- 2 Tablespoons Cinnamon
Glaze
- 1 Cup Powdered Sugar
- 8 Ounces Cream Cheese
- ½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, mix the milk, warm water, yeast, and granulated sugar. Heat until warm but not boiling. Remove from heat and let it sit for a minute to activate the yeast.
- Combine the flour, salt, and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Mix well. Add the egg and pour in the warm milk and yeast mixture. Stir until a soft dough forms.
- Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for about 5 minutes, until the dough becomes smooth and elastic.
- Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel. Allow it to rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, or until it doubles in size.
- While the dough is rising, make the filling. Mix the melted butter, brown sugar, and ground cinnamon in a small bowl until well combined.
- Once the dough has risen, punch it down to release any air bubbles. Roll it out into a rectangle shape, about ¼ inch thick.
- Spread the filling evenly over the dough, leaving a small border around the edges.
- Starting from one of the longer sides, tightly roll the dough into a log shape. Pinch the seam to seal.
- Cut the log into 9 equal-sized pieces using a sharp knife.
- Place the cinnamon rolls in a greased 8x8-inch baking dish, leaving a little space between each roll. Cover with a kitchen towel and let them rise for another 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Bake the cinnamon rolls for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown.
- While the cinnamon rolls are baking, prepare the glaze. In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, softened cream cheese, and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Once the cinnamon rolls are done baking, remove them from the oven and let them cool for a few minutes.
- Drizzle the glaze over the warm cinnamon rolls.
Notes
Use room temperature ingredients. If your butter, milk, or egg is too cold, the dough won’t come together as easily and might rise more slowly. Let everything sit out for a bit before you start.
Don’t over-flour your dough. The dough should be slightly tacky but not sticky. Adding too much flour can make the rolls dry and dense, so only use what you need to keep it from sticking to the surface.
Let the dough rise somewhere warm. If your kitchen is cold, try placing the dough in an oven that’s turned off with just the light on. The gentle warmth helps the yeast work its magic.
Roll the dough evenly. Try to keep the thickness uniform as you roll it out. This helps the rolls bake evenly and gives you consistent swirls in each one.
Use dental floss to slice the rolls. It sounds weird, but unflavored dental floss makes super clean cuts without squishing the rolls. Just slide it under the log, cross the ends over the top, and pull.
Don’t overbake. Keep an eye on them near the end of the bake time. They should be golden on top and soft in the center. Overbaking dries them out quickly.
Glaze while they’re still warm. Drizzling the glaze on warm rolls lets it melt slightly into all the cracks and layers, making each bite extra gooey.