Here’s a classic, soft homemade Cinnamon Roll recipe 🍥 — fluffy, buttery, and topped with creamy icing. Perfect for breakfast or dessert.
Classic Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients:
Dough
- ¾ cup warm milk (110°F / 45°C)
- 2¼ tsp active dry yeast (1 packet)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg + 1 egg yolk, room temperature
- ¼ cup melted butter
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp salt
Filling
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1½ tbsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup softened butter
Cream Cheese Icing
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup butter, softened
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1–2 tbsp milk or cream (as needed)
Instructions:
- Activate yeast:
Mix warm milk, yeast, and sugar. Let sit 5–10 minutes until foamy. - Make dough:
Add egg, egg yolk, melted butter, salt, and flour. Mix until a soft dough forms. Knead 5–7 minutes until smooth and elastic. - First rise:
Place dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise 1–1½ hours until doubled. - Prepare filling:
Mix brown sugar and cinnamon. - Roll & fill:
Roll dough into a 14×9-inch rectangle. Spread softened butter over dough, sprinkle evenly with cinnamon sugar. - Shape rolls:
Roll tightly from the long side. Cut into 9–12 rolls and place in a greased baking dish. - Second rise:
Cover and let rise 30–45 minutes until puffy. - Bake:
Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 22–28 minutes until lightly golden. - Make icing:
Beat cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk until smooth. - Ice & serve:
Spread icing over warm rolls so it melts into the swirls.
⭐ Tips for the BEST cinnamon rolls:
- Don’t overheat milk — it can kill the yeast.
- For extra soft rolls, pour ¼ cup warm cream over rolls before baking.
- Slice with dental floss for clean cuts.
🔄 Variations:
- Overnight cinnamon rolls: Refrigerate after shaping; bake in the morning.
- No-yeast shortcut: Use pizza dough or biscuit dough.
- Sticky buns: Add caramel sauce and pecans to the bottom of the pan.
If you want, I can also give you a super-quick 1-hour cinnamon roll version or a canned-dough hack that tastes homemade.
