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.
This is not my first cinnamon roll rodeo.
For years I’ve been beaten down by yeast that won’t proof, dough that won’t rise, buns that are dry and–just last month–I was TKO’d leaky filling. Since then I’ve tried every trick in the book to get the rolls right: from soaking the dough overnight in heavy cream to recipes with single rises, browned butter, no yeast and no kneading.
You name the method and I’ve messed it up.
This summer alone, I’ve spent a small fortune on flour and then spent every penny I had left at Cinnabon. If my homemade cinnamon rolls weren’t edible, I had to get my fix somewhere and that somewhere happened to be the mall food court. So yeah, I experienced an existential crisis at a cinnamon bun kiosk. In public. In the middle of a freaking pandemic.
The sad truth is that I would’ve been content single-handedly keeping Cinnabon in business if it weren’t for the fact that I’m a food blogger. Without a soft and fluffy cinnamon bun recipe of my own, this blog is the written equivalent of a four-alarm dumpster fire.
Not wanting to go down in flames that stink of hot garbage, I searched far and wide for a cinnamon bun recipe that was blog worthy. It was like looking for a needle in a haystack. But after rifling though a copious amount of recipes, I finally found one (thanks to @ambitiouskitchen) that was foolproof.
I know, because this fool made it without any issues.
Believe me when I say the only recipe you’ll ever need for soft and fluffy cinnamon buns is right here. These homemade, bakery style cinnamon buns are swirled with cinnamon sugar then slathered with a thick layer of cream cheese frosting. Serve these swoon-worthy cinnamon rolls for breakfast, brunch and every holiday on the calendar. They are comfort food at its soft, fluffy finest.
Before sharing the recipe for Soft and Fluffy Cinnamon Rolls, here are a few tips to help you out:
Ingredient Tips and Tricks
Quick rise yeast is recommended for this recipe since it does not require proofing or dissolving in liquid before use. Active dry yeast can be substituted but will require proofing and longer rise times.
The secret to soft and fluffy cinnamon rolls is using bread flour if you substitute all-purpose flour then you will not get the same results.
The egg and egg yolk need to be at room temperature before making the dough. If you’ve forgotten to take your eggs out of the refrigerator ahead of time then speed up the process by placing them in a bowl of warm water. Don’t use hot water; we want to warm the eggs, not hatch them.
Butter needs to be softened (not melted!) before slathering on the rolled dough. I learned the hard way that melted butter leaks out the bottom of buns taking the cinnamon sugar with it like a landslide.
Take care not to overheat the milk. Liquid hotter than 115 degrees will kill the yeast and your cinnamon rolls will not rise.
Overnight and Make Ahead Tips
The dough for soft and fluffy cinnamon rolls can be made the night before and refrigerated prior to the second rise. Place filled, cut cinnamon rolls in a greased 9-inch baking pan then cover tightly with plastic wrap then refrigerate overnight. In the morning, uncover rolls and let them come to room temperature for 1 hour before baking.
The dough for soft and fluffy cinnamon rolls can be made ahead and frozen before the second rise. Simply place filled, cut cinnamon rolls in a greased 9-inch pan and cover first with plastic wrap then with aluminum foil. Freeze for 2 to 3 months, after that thaw overnight in the refrigerator. In the morning, uncover rolls and let them come to room temperature for 1 hour before baking.
Storage and Freezing Tips for Soft and Fluffy Cinnamon Rolls
Cover frosted cinnamon rolls with plastic wrap then store up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
Freeze baked and frosted cinnamon rolls up to 3 months in an airtight container. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator then warm in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes before serving.
I hope you enjoy this Soft and Fluffy Cinnamon Rolls recipe. Please leave a comment and rating at the bottom of this blog when you try it for yourself. And, while you’re at it, sign up for my weekly Recipe Newsletter so you never miss a tempting recipe.
Finally, if you like homemade cinnamon rolls then you’ll love this recipe for Oreo Cinnamon Rolls. Filled with black cocoa powder and crushed Oreo cookies then slathered with cream cheese frosting, these rolls are the bomb for breakfast or brunch.
Soft and Fluffy Cinnamon Rolls
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
Instructions
Cinnamon Roll Dough
- Heat milk in microwave for 40 seconds or until it's warm to the touch (about 110 degrees).
- Pour milk into the bowl of an electric mixer and sprinkle with yeast.
- Add sugar, egg, egg yolk and melted butter. Whisk until combined.
- Stir in flour and salt with a wooden spoon until dough begins to form.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
- On a lightly floured surface, roll dough with a rolling pin into a 14 x 9 inch rectangle.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- 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.
- Remove from the oven and allow to rolls to cool in the pan while you make the frosting.
Cream Cheese Icing
- Beat cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar and vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth and fluffy. Spread over warm cinnamon rolls and enjoy.
- Cover leftover cinnamon rolls with plastic wrap and store up to 5 days in the refrigerator.