Description
These homemade cinnamon rolls are soft, fluffy, and rich, filled with a buttery cinnamon-sugar swirl and topped with creamy cream cheese frosting. They feel bakery-worthy, yet they’re made entirely from scratch without needing a stand mixer.
Ingredients
- For the dough:
- 1 ⅓ cups whole milk
- 4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 5 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- For the filling:
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons cinnamon powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- For assembly and baking:
- ½ cup heavy cream
- For the cream cheese icing:
- 4 oz cream cheese
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 1 cup icing sugar
Instructions
- Warm the milk until just warm to the touch. Whisk in the yeast and let sit for 5–10 minutes until foamy.
- In a large bowl, mix the sugar, flour, eggs, salt, and softened butter. Add the yeast mixture and stir until a shaggy dough forms.
- Knead the dough on a floured surface or in the bowl until smooth and stretchy. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size (about 1 hour).
- In a separate bowl, mix filling ingredients: softened butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt.
- Roll out the dough into a large rectangle. Spread the filling evenly across the surface.
- Cut dough into strips, roll each into a swirl, and place into a lined or greased 9×13 baking pan.
- Cover and let rise again until puffy (30–45 minutes). Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Pour heavy cream evenly over the rolls before baking.
- Bake for 22–25 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.
- Mix icing ingredients until smooth. Spread over warm rolls before serving.
Notes
- Add chopped nuts or orange zest to the filling for variation.
- Use dark brown sugar for a deeper flavor.
- A pinch of cardamom in the filling adds warmth.
- Reheat rolls gently to maintain softness.
- Freeze cooled rolls and thaw overnight before reheating.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Breakfast, Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cinnamon roll
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 24g
- Sodium: 330mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 12g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 55g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 7g
- Cholesterol: 70mg
