The Best Cinnamon Rolls EVER

These are the Best Cinnamon Rolls Ever, and I mean that with every fiber of my being. They are everything cinnamon rolls should be: pillowy soft, melt-in-your-mouth tender, filled with the perfect amount of cinnamon sugar, and topped off with a luscious cream cheese frosting. And the best part? They're very easy to make and don't require a mixer!

Read the full blog post below for detailed notes, tips, tricks, photos and videos.

Note: This post contains affiliate links.

WHAT MAKES THESE THE BEST CINNAMON ROLLS?

I know what you're thinking: the internet is full with with cinnamon roll recipes, so what makes this one special? Well, firstly, just look at them:

Now, let's talk about what makes them so great. This is a recipe I've been developing and perfecting for years, and I hold myself to a (painfully) high standard. These cinnamon rolls have it all:

• Unbelievable texture. In my mind, this is the most important thing. These cinnamon rolls are so soft and pillowy they pretty much melt in your mouth. They are not dry or chewy or tough or crumbly
• Delectable flavor. The bread itself is just slightly sweet and is swirled with the perfect buttery cinnamon sugar filling. You get the perfect kick of cinnamon and sweetness in every bite, and everything is in harmony
• Luscious frosting. The cream cheese frosting on these rolls is just *chef's kiss*. It is not overly sweet, coats the rolls while still letting the swirl show through, and is not too thick (which is a personal pet peeved)
• The perfect swirl. Let's be honest, looks matter when it comes to cinnamon rolls! I find that these rolls have the most perfect amount of swirl that gives the wow factor while still being easy for everyone to roll
• An easy, fuss free recipe. No complicated overnight rises, no fancy ingredients, and simple enough to make without a stand mixer

And if you need more convincing, I've shared cinnamon roll recipes before (easy small-batch cinnamon rolls, chocolate espresso cinnamon rolls, sticky pecan cinnamon buns) and they're all very highly rated, with hundreds of people having told me how easy and delicious they are!

HOW TO PERFECTLY KNEAD THE DOUGH FOR CINNAMON ROLLS

Kneading the dough properly is crucial to achieving the perfect texture of cinnamon rolls, so let's talk about it in detail. You can either knead the dough by hand, or use a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment (KitchenAid is my favorite!).

Why is kneading so important?

Kneading a dough activates and strengthens the gluten in it, and the gluten is what makes bread stretchy, soft and flexible. Gluten strands, which are like little elastic bands, create the structure or scaffolding in bread and allow it to hold on to air bubbles and rise properly. If you don't knead the dough enough, the gluten won't be adequately strengthened, and the rolls will not rise properly. The result will be denser, tougher rolls.

A properly kneaded dough should be smooth, soft and stretchy, and should pass the window-pane test.

Kneading by hand

If kneading the dough by hand, first you will bring together the ingredients in a bowl using a large spoon until they form a shaggy, loose dough. Then knock it out onto a clean surface, like your kitchen counter, and get kneading. Here's how this will go:

• The dough will be very sticky and quite wet to begin with, but you should NOT add more flour! It is totally normal for it to be sticky. Just be prepared to get your hands dirty and find the fun in it
• You will knead for at least 15 minutes, using a push-pull motion with the palms of your hand(s). I like to lock my elbow and pivot on my hips to make this easier. Play music or TV or a podcast to pass the time
• The longer you knead, the less sticky the dough will get. After about 5 minutes of kneading, you will notice the dough will be much less sticky (you may have to wash your hands to remove the sticky bits from them). This happens as the flour absorbs more of the liquid with kneading. If the dough feels too sticky even after 5 minutes and with clean hands, add just 1-2 tablespoon of flour and continue
• Knead until the dough passes the window-pane test. The more you knead, the smoother and stretchier the dough will become, and the easier it will be to knead it. After about 15 minutes, do the window-pane test: hold a small section of the dough between your thumbs and forefingers and slowly stretch it into a thin sheet. You should be able to stretch it to the point where you can see light shining through without the dough ripping

Kneading with a stand mixer

Kneading with a stand mixer is a lot easier! Simply use the dough hook attachment and knead on medium-high speed for about 10 minutes. The dough will be sticky and wet at first, but will become less sticky, pull away from the edges of the bowl and come together as one smooth mass as the minutes pass. By the end of the 10 minutes, it should be very smooth and stretchy, and should pass the window-pane test

HOW TO GET THE PERFECT CINNAMON ROLL SWIRL

Since the swirl is so important in a cinnamon roll, let's quickly talk about how to get it just right! Older recipes will tell you to roll the rectangle of dough covered in the cinnamon sugar filling into a log, and then cut it with a sharp knife into rolls. Many newer recipes will tell you to use floss instead of a knife for a cleaner cut that still maintains the circular shape of the rolls.

But I don't like either of those methods! It is hard to roll up the whole rectangle evenly, especially with a soft dough. Additionally, cutting the long log into rolls becomes quite messy, even if you use floss.

So what do I recommend? After you've spread the filling onto the dough rectangle,

• Divide the rectangle into equal long strips using a sharp knife or pizza cutter (I prefer the latter). Using a long clear ruler will make this easier
• Roll the strips into rolls individually, maintaining even pressure as you do this

This method is great because 1) it's easier to roll thin strips vs a big rectangle, 2) the rolls always come out perfectly tight and round as you have much more control vs cutting a log with a knife or floss, and 3) it is much less messy.

TIPS TO MAKE THE BEST CINNAMON ROLLS

A few important tips to get this recipe just right:

1. Weigh out the ingredients with a scale instead of using measuring cups, especially the flour. It's common to stuff too much flour into a measuring cup, which will make the rolls dry. If you must use a measuring cup, fluff up the flour and transfer it into the cup one spoon at a time, and don't pack it tightly
2. Make sure your yeast isn't expired. Yeast can expire easily, especially if left open at room temperature
3. Make sure the milk is warm but not hot (around 110F). If the milk is too hot, you risk killing the yeast right at the beginning
4. Knead properly and thoroughly, and avoid adding more flour (see section above for more details on kneading)
5. Let the dough properly rise. The first rise should get the dough to more than double in size, and it should spring back partway when lightly poked with a finger. The second rise happens after shaping the rolls and should get the rolls quite puffy looking
6. Be wary of room temperature. If it is colder, the dough will need longer to rise. If it is hot, it will rise quickly and the filling might leak out. A warm 75-80F temperature is ideal
7. Don't overbake. A light golden color on the rolls is what you need, and the rolls should spring back if gently poked. Overbaking can cause them to dry out

VIDEO TUTORIAL

Here's a quick video tutorial for this recipe I recommend watching:

PROCESS WITH PHOTOS

The detailed recipe is in the recipe card below, but let's go over the steps with photos to help you visualize everything!

First stir together warm milk and yeast and let them rest for 10 minutes until frothy:

Add all the other ingredients, and use a large spoon to mix them together into a loose, shaggy dough:

Knead the dough with clean hands for at least 15 minutes until it is smooth, soft, very stretchy, and passes the window-pane test:

Transfer to a clean bowl, cover, and let rise until it at least doubles in size:

Make the filling by combining all the ingredients:

Roll the dough out into a rectangle and spread the filling evenly:

Cut the rectangle into 12 strips, and carefully roll each strip into a cinnamon roll:

Place the rolls in a pan and let them rise again. Drizzle over heavy cream when done, and bake:

Make the cream cheese frosting by whisking together all ingredients:

Once baked, wait 10 minutes then cover the rolls generously with the frosting. Serve & enjoy!

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

The blog post above covers kneading, achieving the perfectly shaped rolls and additional tips for this recipe. Below are some more frequently asked questions:

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