The Best Homemade Cinnamon Rolls (2024)

The ultimate easy cinnamon roll recipe, your go-to for the Best Homemade Cinnamon Rolls! These rolls are pure magic, thanks to a simple and quick dough that creates fluffy and mouthwatering perfection. Brace yourself for the heavenly taste of the sweet cinnamon filling generously swirling inside each roll. These rolls freeze beautifully, allowing for convenient make-ahead preparations. Whether you're looking for a holiday treat or a satisfying breakfast snack, these are the best cinnamon rolls you'll ever encounter. Gluten-Free +Vegan option.

Why Homemade Cinnamon Rolls?

Ingredients for Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

Here's what you need for the fluffy brioche-style dough:

• All-purpose flour. I use organic flour from Bob's Red Mill.
• Bread flour. You can find this from King Author or Bob's Red Mill.
• Brown sugar. You could also use coconut sugar.
• Instant yeast. Also called Rapid Rise Yeast.
• Spices. Cinnamon and allspice for cinnamon rolls, of course!
• Eggs. These should be at room temperature for easy blending.
• Almond milk. You can use regular milk, or any dairy-free milk you like.
• Butter. Use warm, unsalted melted butter.
• Vanilla extract. The pure vanilla is the best flavor.

Cinnamon Roll Filling

Here's what you need to make the spiced filling for your cinnamon rolls:

• Brown sugar
• Butter. Again, unsalted butter. Soften the butter to room temperature.
• Spices. The filling is flavored with cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and allspice.

Cinnamon Roll Glaze

Top your pastries with a white glaze made with:

• Cream cheese. Soften this to room temperature for a fluffy texture.
• Powdered sugar. If you use granulated sugar, your frosting will have a gritty texture, so I highly recommend powdered sugar.
• Vanilla
• Heavy cream. You could substitute this with vegan milk if you prefer dairy-free.
• Cinnamon. For a bit more spiced flavor.

Sweet Rolls or Cinnamon Buns?

No matter what you prefer to call them—cinnamon buns, cinnamon rolls, sweet rolls, or sticky buns—these irresistible treats have a special place in everyone's heart. It's hard to find someone who doesn't adore them! A cinnamon bun or sweet roll is a soft and sweet bread dough, often filled with a delightful cinnamon-based mixture. These delectable delights are commonly enjoyed during the holiday season. When baked, the filling creates a tantalizing swirl of pure deliciousness. If you're looking for an easy cinnamon roll recipe, you've come to the right place!

How to Make Easy Homemade Classic Cinnamon Rolls

Start by making the dough:

• Start by combining the yeast and 1 tablespoon brown sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Then slowly pour in the warm water, stirring constantly. Allow the mixture to rest for 10 minutes. This allows the yeast to activate (it'll become foamy when done right!).

• Meanwhile, melt the butter and milk together over the stovetop on low to medium heat, stirring frequently until the butter has fully melted.

NOTE: You don't want the mixture to get too hot or boil! Set aside and let it cool until WARM.

• Add the lukewarm butter-milk mixture to yeast and mix until well combined. Add eggs, one at a time, and continue mixing at low speed until well combined.

• Next, combine the all-purpose flour, bread flour, brown sugar, sea salt, and cinnamon to the wet ingredients and mix at low speed until well combined.

• Change "mixer head" to kneading accessory and knead the dough for 5-10 minutes on medium-high speed until dough ball becomes smooth and elastic and dough springs back when lightly pressed with 2 fingers.

NOTE: If the dough is too sticky, add 1 tablespoon of flour at a time until texture is achieved!

• Once the dough ball is perfectly kneaded, add it to a lightly greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let it sit and rise for 1 hour to an hour + 15 minutes. In the meantime, you can work on the filling!

For the Filling:

• Add the softened butter (best if done at room temp. so that it's more "paste-like" in texture once smeared) in a bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl, combine the cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, and brown sugar, mixing them together. Set aside.

• Once the hour has gone by and your dough has risen (about double its original size), preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Next, flour a flat surface and place the dough on it, and using a rolling pin, roll it out to a rectangle (approximately 9x14), trimming the edges if needed.

NOTE: Try not to make the dough too thin or else rolling it up will be hard to do!

• Then, generously add ¾ of the softened butter atop dough (spreading it our evenly with a spoon or knife), followed by the brown sugar-spice mixture, ensuring that the top is coated evenly. NOTE: I also use a 'pastry brush' to sweep sugar mixture evenly across the dough to ensure that every bite is sweet!

• Tightly roll dough (long-ways) and using a pastry cutter, cut dough into 1.5-inch rolls, placing each roll into a large baking dish (lined with parchment paper).

• Then place plastic wrap over the baking dish with rolls and let them rise again for another 20 minutes.

• Once the rolls have doubled in size (once again!) or have gotten significantly larger, smear the tops of the rolls with a little more softened butter and then bake them for approximately 25 minutes in a preheated oven. Look at how gorgeous they are as they come out of the oven! Drool-worthy.

Why You'll Love These Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

OK, so if you’re still not entirely sold on these homemade cinnamon rolls, then let me tell you what’s so great about them.

• They areSOFT, FLUFFY, + BRIOCHE-LIKEin texture
• Aphenomenalmake-ahead breakfast
• Fun to eat! Pillow-y spirals of buttery dough filled with hypnotic swirls!
• Mouthwatering, fluffy cinnamon goodness.
• Freezes beautifully for convenience.
• Perfect kid-friendly + lunchbox-friendly treat!
• Warm, gooey, and utterly delightful.

Tips For Making The Perfect Cinnamon Rolls

Due to many delicious attempts at perfecting this recipe, I have come across some very helpful tips that will ensure a perfectly baked cinnamon roll.

Never Overheat The Milk!

It is so important that your milk is warm but NOT hot! It should be warm to the touch. If you find that your milk has overheated, allow it to cool before adding the yeast. Milk that is too hot will kill the yeast, and you won't get the big, fluffy rise in the dough. We want these rolls super fluffy, and that's only possible when the yeast is bloomed properly.

Use very soft butter at room temperature

Like in most baking, room temperature ingredients mix better than cold ingredients. Beat in your butter while it is completely room temperature for a seamless, tender texture.

Do not worry about over-mixing

I know it sounds weird, but hear me out. With cakes and cookies, you never want to overwork a dough because working develops the gluten in the flour. Gluten development leads to a chewy, unpleasant texture in cakes and cookies, making them dense and heavy. Because cinnamon rolls use a yeast dough, it is required to develop the gluten in the dough. The yeast brings elasticity that lightens and fluffs the dough, much like bread dough. When making these rolls, keep on mixing even after you think you've mixed enough!

Rise the dough overnight

While I developed this recipe as a quick-bake cinnamon roll, more flavor develops in the dough if you allow it to rise overnight. The dough has more time to rise, leading to a more developed, yeast-bread flavor. This yeast flavor is a perfect pairing with the sweet filling and frosting.

Use a bread flour mix

After much trial and tribulation, I have found that a mix of bread flour and all-purpose flour is the perfect combination for cinnamon rolls. The bread flour gives a tender, thick, brioche-like texture that I think is perfect for this dish.

Roll them up tight!

A loose roll will fall apart upon slicing and bake unevenly. Instead, begin with a very tight roll and keep that momentum throughout the roll. The dough is sturdy and can handle being rolled tightly due to its elasticity.

What Is The Best Way To Cut Cinnamon Rolls?

How to Make Cinnamon Rolls Overnight?

If you don’t want to make your Cinnamon Rolls on the same day, you can simply follow all steps (including the initial 1+ hour rise) and after cutting rolls and placing them into your baking pan, just cover them tightly (using foil paper of plastic wrap) and refrigerate them overnight or for 8-12 hours instead. The following day, remove from refrigerator and keeping them covered, let cinnamon rolls rise at room temp 1 to 1 ½ hours.

Can I Make These Easy Cinnamon Rolls Without a Long Rise?

Absolutely! When it comes to these cinnamon rolls or any for that matter, you always have the option of making them the traditional way which requires a 1-2 hours initial rise and then another 20-25 minute rise before baking OR an overnight option.

However, if you're in a rush to make these or don't want to deal with a long rise time, you can simply create your dough and do a quick rise (20-25 minutes) and place them straight in the oven to bake. Either way, cinnamon rolls are AMAZING and worth whatever wait time you choose!

Homemade Cinnamon Rolls Trouble Shooting

Why Are My Cinnamon Rolls Not Fluffy?

The consistency of the dough is affected by a variety of factors, including the weather and humidity. The most common reason cinnamon rolls don't turn out fluffy is that the dough didn't have enough time to rise. You want a pan of puffy-looking buns even before baking.

Why Are My Cinnamon Rolls Rising Unevenly When I Bake Them?

During baking, the centers of the cinnamon rolls may appear whack-a-mole-style. This can happen if you roll them too tightly or if the pan is too small/crowded. It's happened to me several times don't worry it's fixable. Remove the pan from the oven and gently push the highly raised areas down with the back of a spoon it is an easy fix!

Why Are My Cinnamon Rolls Hard?

Unfortunately, when cinnamon rolls come out too hard and/or dense, it means that the yeast wasn't activated properly, and the dough didn't rise like it should have. If the dough doesn't double in size before being rolled out, then this is an indication that the dough didn't rise adequately.

Topping + Flavor Ideas

Elevate your homemade cinnamon rolls with these tantalizing topping and flavor ideas:

Nutty Crunch - Sprinkle chopped nuts, such as pecans or walnuts, on top of your cinnamon rolls before baking. They add a delightful crunch and a hint of earthy flavor.

Chocolate Swirl - Introduce a dose of chocolatey goodness by swirling melted chocolate or Nutella into the cinnamon filling. It creates a delightful flavor combination that chocolate lovers will adore.

Citrus Zest - Brighten up your cinnamon rolls by adding a sprinkle of citrus zest, such as orange or lemon. It adds a refreshing and tangy twist to the sweet rolls.

Decadent Drizzles - Drizzle your cinnamon rolls with indulgent sauces like salted caramel, chocolate ganache or honey for a heavenly and gooey experience.

Best Homemade Cinnamon Rolls Q+A's

More Breakfast & Brunch Recipes

• Veggie Breakfast Strata
• Warm Vegan Apple Cinnamon Pancakes
• Sweet Potato Berry Breakfast Boats
• Vegan Breakfast Eggs + Potatoes
• Maple Cinnamon Oatmeal + Roasted Oranges

MADE OUR RECIPE(S)?

If you make theseBest Homemade Cinnamon Rolls or any other recipe from us? be sure to tag us on Instagram at#Orchidsandsweetteaso that we can share the love!

Delicious Homemade Classic Cinnamon Rolls.