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.
Jump to:
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:
- 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
- Make sure your yeast isn't expired. Yeast can expire easily, especially if left open at room temperature
- 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
- Knead properly and thoroughly, and avoid adding more flour (see section above for more details on kneading)
- 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
- 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
- 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:
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id="RnFpyq5W" upload-date="2024-08-26T05:44:59+00:00" name="Best Cinnamon Rolls EVER" description="How to make the best cinnamon rolls" player-type="default" override-embed="default"]
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:
Yes, you can use either instant yeast or active dry yeast in this recipe. If using instant yeast, you don't need to let the milk and yeast mixture rest for 10 minutes.
Yes, you can replace the 2 eggs with ½ cup (120g) full fat yogurt in this recipe.
Yes, you can easily double or halve all quantities for a bigger or smaller batch. For a double batch, you will need two 9x13" pans. For a half batch, you can use a 9x7" pan (eighth sheet pan).
For best results, I recommend making the rolls in the same day and letting them rise both times at room temperature. However, if you want to split the work between two days, you can knead the dough, cover it, and let it rise in the fridge for the first rise. But make sure the second rise after shaping the rolls happens at room temperature for around 1 hour!
Yes, you can prepare these cinnamon rolls in advance. Keep them covered at room temperature or in the fridge and reheat before serving. The best way to do this is in the microwave for 20-30 seconds.
It is possible your yeast is expired, so first make sure that's not the cause. Secondly, make sure the milk is not hot (it should be warm to touch) as hot milk can kill the yeast. Thirdly, just give the dough enough time to rise! It can take longer or shorter depending on the temperature and humidity of your kitchen.
This can happen if you add too much flour (so make sure to use a weighing scale), don't knead long enough (read the section above on kneading), or don't let the dough rise long enough. It is critical to get all these steps right for the best results.
This is likely due to the temperature of the kitchen being too hot, which can cause the butter in the filling to melt and leak out. Make sure the room is not hotter than 80F!
RELATED RECIPES
Here are some more bread recipes you will love:
THE BEST CINNAMON ROLLS EVER RECIPE
- Total Time: 3+ hours with proofing
- Yield: 12 rolls
Description
The best easy cinnamon rolls made with pillowy soft bread, the perfect amount of cinnamon sugar filling, and a luscious cream cheese frosting
Ingredients
Dough:
- 1 ⅓ cup whole milk (320g)
- 4 teaspoons active dry yeast (or instant yeast)
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100g)
- 5 cups all purpose flour (650g)
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature (113g)
Filling:
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened (113g)
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed (200g)
- 2 tbsp cinnamon powder
- ¾ tsp salt
Assembly & baking:
- ½ cup heavy cream (120g), room temp
Cream Cheese Icing:
- 4 oz cream cheese, room temperature (113g)
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, room temperature (56g)
- ¼ cup heavy cream (60g)
- 1 cup icing sugar (100g)
Instructions
Dough:
- Microwave milk for 20-30 seconds until it is warm to touch (~100-110F). Add it to a bowl with the yeast, whisk, and rest for 10 minutes or until the mixture looks foamy
- Add the rest of the dough ingredients (sugar, flour, eggs, salt, and room temperature butter) to the same bowl
- Kneading by hand: Use a large wooden spoon to mix everything and bring it into a shaggy dough. Tip out onto a clean work surface, then use clean hands to knead the dough with a push-pull motion for 15 minutes. The dough will be sticky to begin with, but don't add more flour and keep kneading until it becomes soft, smooth and very stretchy. After 5 minutes, clean your hands to remove sticky dough bits from them. If the dough still feels sticky, add just 1-2 tablespoon flour and keep kneading. Eventually the dough will not be sticky, and should pass the window-pane test
- Kneading with a stand mixer: Transfer the dough ingredients to the bowl of your stand mixer and knead using the dough hook attachment on medium high speed for 7-10 minutes, until the dough becomes smooth, pulls away from the edges of the bowl, and becomes stretchy enough to pass the window-pane test
- Transfer to a clean bowl sprayed with some oil, cover with cling wrap and rest in a warm place for 60-90 minutes until the dough has at least doubled in size, and springs back partly when gently poked with a finger
Filling:
- While the dough is rising, prepare the filling by mixing softened butter with cinnamon, sugar and salt. If it feels hard to mix, microwave for a few seconds and mix again. It should be a spreadable consistency
Assembly & baking:
- Line a 9x13" baking pan with parchment paper
- Once the dough has risen, punch it down and transfer it to a clean surface dusted lightly with flour. Using your hands and a rolling pin, roll it into a 12x18" rectangle. The dough will be really soft so won't need much pressure
- Use a spatula to spread the filling evenly across the rectangle
- With the 12" side towards you, divide the dough into 12 strips (each strip will be 1" wide and 18" long). This is easiest done if you use a long acrylic ruler and a pizza cutter
- Roll each strip tightly into a cinnamon roll, and transfer to the baking tray. You will arrange the rolls in a 4x3 formation
- Once all rolls are shaped, let them rest in a warm spot for another ~30-45 minutes until they look a puffed up and spring back partly when gently poked
- In the last 20 minutes of the second rise, preheat your oven to 350F (conventional / no fan)
- Right before putting the rolls in the oven, pour the ½ cup heavy cream over them carefully. It will get soaked up as the rolls bake
- Transfer to the oven and bake for 22-25 minutes until the rolls develop a light golden color and feel firm to touch. If in doubt, I think it's better to slightly underbake for a gooey texture, vs overbaking and having dry rolls
- Remove from oven and let the rolls rest for 10 minutes
Cream Cheese Icing:
- Whisk together the cream cheese, butter, cream and icing sugar until creamy to make the cream cheese icing
- Spread generously onto warm rolls
- Serve & enjoy!
Video Tutorial:
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id="RnFpyq5W" upload-date="2024-08-26T05:44:59+00:00" name="Best Cinnamon Rolls EVER" description="How to make the best cinnamon rolls" player-type="default" override-embed="default"]
Notes
- Please read blog post above for images, FAQs, and detailed tips on kneading and rising the dough for the best results
- Prep Time: 45 min
- Cook Time: 20 min
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Summer says
This looks amazing but the 2 tspsalt seems a bit excessive? Most recipes call for half of this amount. Curious if anyone else feels this way.
Thank you btw - i have made at least 10-15 of your recipes and they are all amazing!!!
Zoha says
Hi Summer! They're not salty at all! Note that I am also using unsalted butter 🙂 But if you're doubtful, please feel free to reduce the salt to be on the safe side.
Madi says
Hi Summer, just made these for thanksgiving and they are amazing. The only thing different I did was add vanilla to the frosting! I even rolled them and fridge them overnight 🙂
Sumaiya says
Hi, could you please share the speed setting for Kitchen aid? I see that you mentioned medium-high speed but my manual mentions to use only speed 2 for kneading doughs. Would that work for this recipe?
Zoha says
On my KitchenAid I usually use speed 6-7 (slower initially until all the flour is incorporated)
Betty says
Amazing for fall !! I loved them so much
Zoha says
SO happy to hear that!!!
N. says
Cinnamon rolls were great overall! Dough: I used a stand mixer, combining the ingredients on speed 1 until well combined, and knead at speed 2. Dough came together nicely, but was quite tough (e.g. couldn't do a window test). Once it was risen, it was easy to roll. Dough was alot for just 12 cinnamon rolls! I was able to make double the amount. I did decrease the amount of salt in the dough, and the amount of yeast and flour seemed excessive as well, hence made double the quantity of rolls.
Zoha says
Hi N! Thanks for sharing your experience. I am surprised to hear that the dough was tough as it should be very soft. I wonder if you may have added too much flour? Do you measure with cups or a scale?
N says
Thank you for responding! I did use a cup measure. Definitely can try with a scale next time 🙂
Zoha says
It makes a big difference!
Stephen says
Thanks so much Zoha. This bake was so so good!! Absolutely delish!
We covered the rolls with tin foil for an extra 5 mins as some of the dough was still raw after the given time. Also we added a touch more icing sugar to the frosting to sweeten it a little more. Only other thing to mention is that it is a VERY wet dough but stick at it and it will come good! Thanks again!
Zoha says
Stephen - thank you for trying this recipe and really glad you liked it! You are right that it's a sticky dough, but I am really happy you stuck it out as it is worth it for the soft rolls. And the baking time can definitely vary depending on many different factors, so I am glad you tested for doneness and gave more time 🙂
Herum says
When she says better than Cinnabon, she isn’t the slightest bit wrong. Made these for the first time and they turned out flawless. Just devoured a whole cinnamon roll as if eating a cloud!
Zoha says
YAYYYYYY YOU MADE MY DAY!
Zee says
Zoha - these cinnamon rolls are actual MAGIC. True perfection. So soft I could hardly believe it. And you have put in tremendous effort in this recipe, the tips, details, photos all are incredibly helpful. Thank you so much. This one is a keeper!!!!
C. T. says
No words!!! This is by far the best recipe and trust me i tried many.
Absolutely delicious! The dough was a pleasure to work with, and flavours are spot on, i followed the recipe to a tee. My family asked: “new recipe?” and my answer was: “same lady whose cheesecake recipe i followed last time” that put a huge smile on everyone’s face!!
Thank you so much Zoha!
Zoha says
AHHHHHHHHHHHH I am literally crying happy tears right now!! Thank you so so so much for the kind words, you have absolutely no idea how much this means to me :')
Abeer Noman says
The cinnamon rolls turned out to be absolutely amazing, boasting a pillowy soft center, just the right amount of sweetness, and pure decadence when paired with cream cheese frosting . Indulging in them was an absolute delight.
Hajra says
I tried them and they were superrrr nice. Everyone loved it♡♡♡♡
Hifza says
These turned out better than I could imagine! Thank you Zoha for sharing your wonderful recipes… I am fan!
Lua says
Absolutely amazing, I've tried other recipes and the dough would turn out hard and just okay at best. This recipe was the only one that left me with soft and ginormous cinnamon rolls. 10/10 recommend.
Jan says
Could I use bread flour instead of all purpose flour?
Jan says
Could I use bread flour instead?
Zoha says
Yup!
ND says
Absolutely delicious
Recipe is easy to follow and the cinnamon rolls came out perfectly soft and delicious . I 100% recommend
Zoha says
Thank you SO much!!
Sonakshi Gogia says
If you are looking for perfect cinnabon rolls this is the best recipe. After a week of researching for recipe, I confided in this one. That was the best decision ever. It was a hit among my family and friends. The measurements were so precise and so were the instructions. Loved it!
Zoha says
WUHUUUUU made my day!
Asma Amer says
Had one last night. Hands down, the best cinnamon rolls ever. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Zoha says
Thank you!!
Alifiya Mo says
Hey Zoha! Congratulations for your little bun! Super excited for you <3
I've tried the Cinnamon rolls recipe twice and both times its been a hit! Love all your recipes cause firstly you explain them so well and secondly they are full proof! Sending lots of love and wishes your way.
Amber says
I used this recipe but subbed for fresh milled flour, mostly hard white with a little soft white. Shut up, Cinnabon out of business.
Nabeela Saeed says
The recipe is fool proof and easy to follow. Loved making these cinnamon rolls. 💯
Jahanara says
I'm really struggling with the dough. it's too sticky. it's been in my stand mixer since the past 20 mins.
Cheryl A says
The best cinnamon roll recipe I’ve tried yet! I actually didn’t even add the heavy cream and they were so Devine. My company loved them too! Will make these from here on out. Soooo good!!!
Shanell Dixon says
This is the 1st time I have tried one of your recipes. They turned out amazing! 😍 It is a cold, rainy, fall night here and this recipe is a perfect way to warm up hearts with a super light yummy treat. (I think the salt & everything was perfect) I just made a big double batch of these to take my husband and the guys on his night shift crew in a coal mine. They all loved them and it made a cold long 12 night shift better for them.Your recipe made them all happy! and me too...thank you!!!
Georgina says
By far my most complimented cook ever!!! It is the most delicious cinnamon scroll recipe I have ever used and tastes delicious even when you re-heat it in the microwave days later! Would most definitely recommend this for anyone that wants to bake as it is pretty simple and the outcome is worth the wait!
Amel says
It was soooooo good !
Quick question (Hope i didn’t miss it in the article): how do you store them ? In the fridge ?
Aisha says
Which cream I'm Uk double cream?
Amanda says
Just got done making these this morning Zoha and they were sooooo good. My husband and boys loved them. This is my third recipe of yours that I've made(have done your NY Cheesecake and Tres leches cake) and this was another hit 😋. I always brag that it was another one of your recipes. Thanks so much for posting these ❤️.
deeba says
Omg probably one of the nicest cinnamon buns I’ve made and had. I’ve attempted these in the passed but they
Were on the dry side and didn’t taste anything like the bakery ones. All that changed today. Just make sure your milk is around 100-110 in temperature and the yeast will activate properly (it failed first time round so had to go online to find out why). This will definitely be in my recipe book. Had soo many compliment. Thank you Zoha xxx
Arwa says
This is hands down the best cinnamon roll recipe I’ve ever tried! The rolls turned out so soft, fluffy, and perfectly sweet. Everyone loved them, and they disappeared within minutes. Definitely a keeper!
THANK YOU!
Jennifer Hall says
I made these by following he instructions perfectly and weighing out all ingredients and if you do that, they’re AMAZING! I used a kitchen aid mixer for the kneading which is recommend. These were so delicious my friends and boyfriend loved them.
Tamora says
Do they need to be stored in fridge or is on the counter ok!? Wasn’t sure due to cream and cream cheese?!? They came out great. Best cinnamon rolls I’ve ever made!!!
Liz says
This was my first time making cinnamon rolls and the recipe was so easy to follow! The rolls came out so fluffy and delicious, my fiance is obsessed!
Rachel F. says
These were absolutely fabulous!!!! I made two pans of rolls. Wanted to try a stacking and twisting method I'd seen. Did that in a 9" springform pan with half the dough, and made 9 or 10 more traditional rolls in a regular 9" cake pan. The dough was SO soft and stretchy. I cheated on the icing and used canned cream cheese frosting, thinned down with a little heavy whipping cream and a dash of vanilla. SO SO SO good! Ready for another batch on Christmas morning. Thank you for sharing your recipe!
Heather says
Can these be made then refrigerated overnight?
If so do I take them out and let them get to room temperature or anything before baking?
Nida says
I’ve made them and I was able to refrigerate them for 5 days now and I still have some in there.
I think they taste better heated up though.
Susan says
We had a winter storm and were shut in. I decided to make cinnamon rolls and am so glad I found this recipe. These REALLY are the best cinnamon rolls ever! No changes needed. I wish I had taken a photo, but they disappeared so quickly. Thank you!
Maryam Waqas says
I have been trying many cinnamon rolls recipes since ages and was never ok with the dough tbh. And yesterday i tried your recipe Zoha and simply blown away !
What a soft dough and the filling when you mix everything with butter is such a simple solution of the filling spill..the 1 inch cutting method and what not… LOVED THEM! So so good
I had 3 in one go and it still wasnt enough ! ❤️