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soft and fluffy cinnamon rolls with cream cheese icing. top down, zoomed in view of rolls baked in a circular pan.
Heather Wolf

Soft and Fluffy Cinnamon Rolls

The only recipe you'll ever need for soft and fluffy cinnamon rolls is here. Homemade, bakery-style rolls swirled with cinnamon sugar and slathered with cream cheese icing are so good they'll make you swoon.
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Prep Time 2 hours
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 10
Course: Breads and Rolls
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

Cinnamon Roll Dough
  • 3/4 cup whole milk warmed to 110 degrees F
  • 2 1/4 tsp quick rise yeast (1 packet)
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg room temperature
  • 1 egg yolk room temperature
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter melted
  • 3 cups bread flour
  • 3/4 tsp sea salt fine
Cinnamon Roll Filling
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter room temperature
  • 1/2 cup dark brown sugar packed
  • 1 Tbsp cinnamon
Cream Cheese Icing
  • 4 ounces cream cheese softened
  • 3 Tbsp unsalted butter room temperature
  • 3/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla pure

Method
 

Cinnamon Roll Dough
  1. Heat milk in microwave for 40 seconds or until it's warm to the touch (about 110 degrees).
  2. Pour milk into the bowl of an electric mixer and sprinkle with yeast.
  3. Add sugar, egg, egg yolk and melted butter. Whisk until combined.
  4. Stir in flour and salt with a wooden spoon until dough begins to form.
  5. Knead dough by hand on a floured surface for 10 minutes or use an electric mixer with a dough hook attachment on medium speed for 8 minutes.
  6. If dough sticks to the counter/bottom of the bowl add an additional 2 Tbsp of bread flour and continue kneading until a soft, slightly sticky ball forms.
  7. Place dough in an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and a dry, warmed towel and let it rise for 1 hour to 1.5 hours or until doubled in size.
Cinnamon Roll Filling
  1. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough with a rolling pin into a 14 x 9 inch rectangle.
  2. Spread softened (not melted!) butter over the surface of dough. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over buttered dough then press cinnamon sugar mixture into the butter with your hands.
  3. Tightly roll the dough into the shape of a log starting with the short side. Trim and discard uneven ends then cut dough into ten 1-inch rolls with a serrated knife or non-minty floss. Fishing line also works great.
  4. Grease a round 9-inch baking pan then line with parchment paper. Arrange cinnamon rolls in the pan, swirl-side-up, then cover with plastic wrap and a dry, warm towel. Allow to rise for 30 to 45 minutes.
Bake
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Remove towel and plastic wrap from pan and bake cinnamon rolls for 20 to 25 minutes or until the edges are slightly golden brown.
    Avoid overbaking or cinnamon rolls will be dry.
  3. Remove from the oven and allow to rolls to cool in the pan while you make the frosting.
Cream Cheese Icing
  1. Beat cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar and vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth and fluffy. Spread over warm cinnamon rolls and enjoy.
  2. Cover leftover cinnamon rolls with plastic wrap and store up to 5 days in the refrigerator.