Ahhh cinnamon rolls 🌀 — soft, fluffy, buttery, and dripping with icing. Let’s do a classic, bakery-style version that’s 100% worth it.
Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients (makes 9–12 rolls)
Dough
- ¾ cup warm milk (110°F / 43°C)
- 2¼ tsp (1 packet) active dry yeast
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ tsp salt
Filling
- ½ cup brown sugar, packed
- 2½ tbsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
Cream Cheese Icing
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1–2 tbsp milk (to thin)
Instructions
- Activate yeast
- Mix warm milk, yeast, and sugar in a bowl.
- Let sit 5–10 minutes until foamy.
- Make dough
- Add egg, egg yolk, melted butter, and salt.
- Mix in flour gradually until a soft dough forms.
- Knead 8–10 minutes (by hand or mixer) until smooth and elastic.
- First rise
- Place dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise 1–1½ hours until doubled.
- Roll & fill
- Roll dough into a 14×9-inch rectangle.
- Spread softened butter over dough.
- Mix brown sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle evenly.
- Roll & cut
- 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
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Bake 22–25 minutes until lightly golden.
- Make icing & finish
- Beat icing ingredients until smooth.
- Spread over warm rolls so it melts into the swirls 😍
✨ Pro Tips
- Pour ¼ cup warm heavy cream over rolls before baking for ultra-gooey centers.
- For extra flavor, add a pinch of nutmeg to the filling.
- Store covered at room temp 1 day or refrigerate up to 4 days.
If you want, I can give you:
- a 30-minute shortcut cinnamon roll
- no-yeast version
- or giant fluffy bakery-style rolls
Just tell me 👀
