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Who needs buns of steel when you could have buns of cinnamon? These are the World’s Best Homemade Cinnamon Rolls and once you try them you’ll never go back.
This post is going to be full of pictures, and not much else because who needs stories about Mom bribing us with cinnamon rolls to get us to eat the potato soup which later turned into a tradition? No one, because everyone really just wants the recipe so let’s get on with the world’s best cinnamon rolls. Boom!
Table of Contents
- Ingredients for Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
- Tips for the Best Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
- How to Make Cinnamon Roll Filling Gooey
- How to Make Soft Cinnamon Rolls
- How to Cut Cinnamon Rolls
- What Can You Substitute For Buttermilk?
- How Many Times Do Cinnamon Rolls Need to Rise?
- How Long Will Cinnamon Rolls Keep?
- Can You Freeze Frosted Cinnamon Rolls?
- More Sweet Breakfast Options:
- World’s Best Homemade Cinnamon Rolls Recipe
Ingredients for Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
This ingredients list might look long at first glance, but several of the items overlap between the three different components and most of the items will be things you already have at home. Here is what you will need:
For the Dough
- Warm Water: helps activate the yeast, should be between 105° and 115°F
- Heavy Cream: adds to the squishiness of the rolls, whole can be substituted
- Instant Yeast: I prefer instant yeast over active dry yeast and would recommend not substituting it.
- Sugar: feeds the yeast to active it
- Buttermilk: adds to the fluffiness of the rolls
- Sea Salt: enhances all the flavors in the cinnamon rolls
- Eggs: provides structure to the rolls and helps binds all the ingredients
- Canola Oil: adds a little more fat while helping the cinnamon rolls stay tender
- Butter: adds richness to the dough
- All Purpose Flour: provides the structure for rolls
- Soy Lecithin: and emulsifying agent that helps fat and water stay together that helps create the most perfect rolls, can be omitted if needed but it really makes a difference!
For the Filling
- Unsalted Butter: don’t melt it, leave it at room temperature
- Brown Sugar: adds richness and pairs well with cinnamon
- White Sugar: adds additional sweetness
- Cinnamon: adds that signature warm flavor to cinnamon rolls
- Cornstarch: helps keep the filling thick and extra gooey
For the Frosting
- Cream Cheese: adds a delicious tang to the frosting
- Unsalted Butter: adds richness to the cream cheese icing
- Vanilla Extract: adds flavor
- Corn Syrup: helps the frosting looks glossy
- Powdered Sugar: adds the sweetness and structure to the frosting
The measurements for each ingredient can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post.
Tips for the Best Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
Alright, first a few tips. Make sure you know and understand what is the difference between instant yeast and dry active yeast.
Number 1: Instant yeast (or bread machine yeast) is best. Don’t substitute. And let it “proof”. That means let it get all foamy. You see, instant yeast works faster, but I’ll let you click our link above to read more about the difference.
Number 2: These babies want to give you fat pants, and that’s ok, so let’s go ahead and add a little heavy cream into the rolls. It will make them squishy, just like our thighs after eating these. You can use whole milk as a substitute if you need to.
Number 3: Soy Lecithin can be skipped if you must but I promise it creates the perfect roll.
And yes, the soy lecithin is like honey but totally gets added straight to the flour. I don’t know why, and I don’t really care as long as these keep turning out bomb.com.
How to Make Cinnamon Roll Filling Gooey
Number 4: I don’t melt the butter. My mom didn’t, so I don’t. I actually think it makes for a better filling too. When it’s at room temperature, you can smear it by hand or spatula all over the rolled dough. Press the cinnamon sugar filling into the dough as much as possible which is best done by working fast with the softened butter, even using a spatula if needed to ensure all the butter goes on the dough and isn’t stuck between your fingers.
Number 5: Yes, I do use brown sugar and white sugar, Maeser taught me and he is king of the cinnamon rolls so just do it all Nike style. We have tested recipes for a little over 6 years and while there are some I just plain don’t like, there are others that I think are fantastic. I add cornstarch. It really does make a difference.
How to Make Soft Cinnamon Rolls
Number 6: One thing I’ve learned is to not go tooooo thin when rolling out the dough because the layers end up too weak to hold in the filling and you end up not sinking your teeth into a big ol’ soft bite. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out to about 1/4″ thick. I wouldn’t go any thinner than that.
Number 7: Now, this next part is totally up to you. I like our rolls soft, so while you have to be careful not to under bake I prefer to put them close together in a baking pan versus way spread apart so that the sides stay soft. Then I gently press the outer layers down a little so I create a more rounded top and can see all of the cinnamon goodness.
Which makes them turn out like this! Aren’t they beautiful? They really are The World’s Best Cinnamon Rolls!
Number 8: In testing I learned that all brown sugar recipes didn’t get that gooey cinnamon thing going on as well even when flour or cornstarch was added. When we pulled them out of the pan there was never any gooeyness left behind which became a sign to us that the recipe wasn’t just right. These rolls leave a little something in the pan, aka awesomeness.
See how beautiful and soft they turn out? And really, if the saying is true that you are what you eat then you will be beautiful for eating these. #Fatpants and all. 😉
How to Cut Cinnamon Rolls
My preferred method is to use dental floss or thread to cut cinnamon rolls. If you use dental floss, make sure that you use flavorless floss. You don’t want a little lingering minty flavor on your rolls!
Slide the floss carefully under the rolled up dough about 1-1.5 inches from the end of the roll, bring both ends of the floss up, cross them in an X over the top of the roll, switch both ends of the floss to the other hand and cross the floss through the dough roll. Using floss helps the cinnamon rolls stay round and not smashed.
If you don’t want to use floss, a sharp knife can also be used to cut the cinnamon rolls. Be very gentle when slicing through the dough, you don’t want to smash it!
What Can You Substitute For Buttermilk?
For each cup of buttermilk, use 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar and add enough milk to make 1 cup.
How Many Times Do Cinnamon Rolls Need to Rise?
Cinnamon roll dough will need to rise twice. Once the dough is made, it will rise for 1-2 hours. Then you form the cinnamon rolls and they will need to rise for another 1-2 hours. Each dough rise is critical to get the fluffiest cinnamon rolls.
How Long Will Cinnamon Rolls Keep?
Cinnamon rolls will keep for 2 days at room temperature.
They should be wrapped in plastic or foil so they don’t dry out.
Cinnamon rolls will keep for an additional week in the refrigerator.
Can You Freeze Frosted Cinnamon Rolls?
You can freeze cinnamon rolls unfrosted, thaw them and warm them and add frosting before eating. Or, you can freeze cinnamon rolls already iced.
Just freeze them and then wrap tightly in foil or plastic wrap and keep frozen till ready to eat. Uncover and thaw before serving.
Homemade cinnamon rolls are what dreams are made of and what fill my fat pants! Good gracious this is the best cinnamon roll recipe in the whole world and that cream cheese frosting is perfection!
More Sweet Breakfast Options:
- Buttermilk Pancakes
- Apple Pie Slow Cooker Oatmeal
- Dutch Baby Pancakes
- Orange Sweet Rolls
- Classic French Toast
- Waffles
- Cinnamon Rolls
- Blueberry French Toast Bake
- Homemade Yogurt
- Cinnamon Roll Pigs in a Blanket
- Peach Coffee Cake
- Liege Waffles
- Slow Cooker Overnight Steel Cut Oats
- All our BREAKFAST RECIPES!
World’s Best Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Warm Water
- 1/2 Cup Heavy Cream, *may substitute whole milk
- 4 1/2 teaspoons Instant Yeast
- 1 Cup Sugar, divided, plus 2 teaspoons
- 1/2 Cup Buttermilk, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons Sea Salt, fine grain
- 1/3 Cup Canola Oil
- 1/3 Cup Butter, melted, we like Land O Lakes
- 2 Large Eggs, lightly whisked
- 7-8 Cups All Purpose Flour, We use Lehi Roller Mills or Gold Medal
- 2 Dime Sized Circles Soy Lecithin, see note
For the Filling
- 10 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, softened
- 1 1/2 Cups Light Brown Sugar, packed, plus 2 Tablespoons
- 1/3 Cup White Sugar
- 4 1/2 Tablespoons Ground Cinnamon
- 3 1/2 Tablespoons Cornstarch
For the Frosting
- 6 Ounces Cream Cheese, at room temperature
- 4 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, softened
- 1 1/2 Tablespoon Corn Syrup, light karo syrup
- 1 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 2- 2 1/2 Cups Powdered Sugar
Instructions
- In a glass measuring cup, add the water and cream.1 Cup Warm Water, 1/2 Cup Heavy Cream
- Heat in the microwave until warm, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- Make sure it’s warm and not hot.
- Add the yeast and 2 teaspoons of sugar.4 1/2 teaspoons Instant Yeast, 1 Cup Sugar
- Allow to foam for 5-10 minutes.
- In another measuring cup, add the buttermilk and warm as well. Making sure it’s luke warm, add it to the yeast mixture.1/2 Cup Buttermilk
- In the bowl of a standing mixer, add the remaining sugar, salt, oil, butter and eggs, whisking to combine.2 teaspoons Sea Salt, 1/3 Cup Canola Oil, 1/3 Cup Butter, 2 Large Eggs, 1 Cup Sugar
- Add to the yeast mixture in a standing mixer.
- Stir with a dough hook to combine.
- Add the flour over the top and the soy lecithin.7-8 Cups All Purpose Flour, 2 Dime Sized Circles Soy Lecithin
- Mix until the dough begins to form a ball then mix for 3 minutes, adding an additional 1/4 cup flour if you were too light handed with the first measurement and it needs more. I never do, but everyone measures differently.
- Remove the dough hook and place a towel over the bowl to rise for 1-2 hours in a warm spot.
- Very lightly flour the counter and roll the dough into a large, even rectangle.
- Spread the soft butter all the way to the edges.10 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
- In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar, sugar and cinnamon with the corn starch.1 1/2 Cups Light Brown Sugar, 1/3 Cup White Sugar, 4 1/2 Tablespoons Ground Cinnamon, 3 1/2 Tablespoons Cornstarch
- Sprinkle liberally over the butter, all the way to the edges.
- Roll into a tight log and using floss, slice the rolls by sliding it under the dough, bring it up and make an “x”, pull it tight to cut through and set it in the lightly greased cookie sheet.
- Repeat until all of the rolls are in the pan and then drape with a towel to rise for 1-2 hours.
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees and bake for 20-22 minutes, watching the tops because as soon as they are golden the rolls are done and you DO NOT want to over bake.
- Remove from the oven, cool for 2 minutes and top with frosting while hot.
- Sneak into another room to enjoy one all alone before the husband and kids find you.
For the Frosting
- In a bowl, with a handheld mixer, whip the cream cheese and butter together until softened.6 Ounces Cream Cheese, 4 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
- Add the corn syrup (karo syrup) and vanilla a beat again.1 1/2 Tablespoon Corn Syrup, 1 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- Finally, slowly beat in the powdered sugar until desired consistency.2- 2 1/2 Cups Powdered Sugar
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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These are seriously the BEST cinnamon rolls I have ever had/made. I make them every year for Christmas morning breakfast and my family loves them! The middles are so super soft and the frosting is DELISH. I alway make a double batch of frosting so that my rolls are covered completely. 🙂 I also have never gotten the soy lecithin, and they come out just perfectly. And such a large batch…we enjoy for days!
Really love this recipe!
Thank you so much Ali! I love knowing that one of our recipes has become part of your Christmas traditions! Happy holidays!
Can you use powdered soy lecithin…or does it have to be liquid…
Hi Coleen! It has to be the liquid. I tried the powdered and didn’t like it at all!
How mich flour you put 7 or 8 cups?
Hello! It honestly depends on the day! It depends on how humid it is. Start with 7 and if it seems too sticky then add a half cup more. And repeat until it’s not sticky.
I just wanted to tell you that I’ve been making your recipe every Christmas for over 5 years and my family RAVES over them! I’ve been making cinnamon rolls since I was in high school, and this recipe blows every recipe I’ve ever tried out of the water!! So thank you and Merry Christmas! 😊
CARRIE!! You are my favorite person! Thank you so much and I love knowing that this recipe is a Christmas tradition for your family! Merry Christmas!
I made a batch of these and put them in the freezer. What is the best way to thaw and proof for the second time? I’ve read that I could place them in a pan the night before, cover and place on the counter over night and I have also read that I can refrigerate overnight and pull out in the morning to proof on the counter.
Hi Elizabeth! Either way will work. You can thaw them on the counter or the fridge. You just need to make sure they have time to thaw and get a good rise. Enjoy!
It says to put on a baking sheet but your’s show in a cake pan. Which do you prefer?
Hi Jill! Great question! I just thought they would photograph better in a cake pan, but you can honestly do either. It will make 20-24 rolls, so you would have to do two cake pans.
Will the recipe still work if making these with GF flour?
Hi Megan! I’ve never tried them with GF flour but I don’t see why they wouldn’t work. They might not be as fluffy.
After my family saw a commercial for fast food cinnamon rolls delivered I KNEW we could do better. After researching and finding your site and recipe — and even though I’ve never made cinnamon rolls before — I rolled up my sleeves and made what turned out to be the BEST cinnamon rolls in the world!!! Seriously, they turned out beautifully. Sometimes you just gotta laugh your way through, have fun and take that leap of faith in the kitchen, right??? A second batch has already been requested. I can’t thank you enough for your dedication to home cooking and time shared in the kitchen with family.
Wow! Thank you so much Char! This just makes my day! So glad you enjoyed these cinnamon rolls and I love your enthusiasm and outlook on cooking!
How far in advance can I make the frosting?
Hi Elizabeth! You can make it up to 3-4 days ahead of time. Just keep it in an airtight container in the fridge and then let it sit out for about a half hour before frosting the cinnamon rolls. Enjoy!!
A fine recipe, but so very poorly written.
In the body of the post, under the heading “How to Make Cinnamon Roll Filling Gooey,” the author states: “I add cornstarch and a little buttermilk.” So, like another reader who commented below, I was confused – was there buttermilk in the dough AND the filling? How much? Do you mix it with the butter before spreading on the dough? Upon reading the comments, I discovered that there is not in fact any buttermilk in the filling, but the post is misleading.
“In another measuring cup, add the remaining sugar, salt, oil, butter and eggs, whisking to combine.
Add to the yeast mixture in a standing mixer.” No instructions were given for putting the yeast in the stand mixer prior to this point. I had to read these steps a few times to realize that the sugar/butter/egg should go into the stand mixture with the yeast mixture. If that’s the case, why not just mix the sugar/butter/egg mixture IN the bowl of the stand mixer instead of dirtying another measuring cup?
“Mix until the dough begins to form a ball then mix for 3 minutes, adding an additional 1/4 cup flour if you were too light handed with the first measurement and it needs more.” How would I know? What should the texture of the dough be like? Smooth and elastic? Is it sticky at all?
“[R]oll the dough into a large, even rectangle.” Ok. What size rectangle? How thick should it be?
“Roll into a tight log and using floss, slice the rolls by sliding it under the dough, bring it up and make an “x”, pull it tight to cut through and set it in the lightly greased cookie sheet.” How thick should they be? I realize that there’s some element of preference here, but give me a guideline. How thick were the ones that you cut when you made this recipe and photographed it for your post?
I guess I have the benefit/drawback of having worked in professional kitchens, where reproducability is key and recipes are written to produce consistent results every time, so that’s what I expect from a recipe. This is why I don’t usually make recipes from food blogs. If I were a benevolent dictator, I would make every food blogger take a recipe writing class before, you know, trying to make their living writing recipes.
The end result was good, but I wouldn’t make it again simply because the recipe was so maddeningly unclear.
Thank you for the feedback Libby and I apologize for the confusion!
Hi! I am wondering about the answers to these questions before I make these today. What is the determination for if we need to add more flour to the dough – are we aiming for smooth dough or should it be sticky?
What is the rectangle size and do you roll it on the long edge or short? How thick do you recommend cutting them?
Thank you!! I can’t wait for these to get in my belly 😊
Hi Caitie! The dough should be smooth. The rectangle size is totally up to you. If you want more rolls that are smaller, roll it wider. If you want less rolls that are bigger, roll it less wide. Roll from the long edge. I usually cut them about 1-1.5 inches thick. Enjoy!! Now you have me craving a cinnamon roll!