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This is the ultimate Homemade Cinnamon Rolls recipe! They’re soft, plush, and bakery-style fluffy! Every swirl is packed with sweet cinnamon sugar and finished with a rich cream cheese glaze that sinks right into the warm rolls. They’re the kind of cozy, indulgent treat that makes any morning feel special. With a few tips and trick, I’ll show you how to make the perfect cinnamon rolls right in your own home!
For more cinnamon roll recipes, check out my strawberry cinnamon rolls and pumpkin cinnamon rolls!
These homemade cinnamon rolls are the kind that make your whole house smell like a bakery. Honestly, I’ve been working on this recipe for 3 years now, and it’s truly my best work yet. I developed this recipe while working on my cookbook and have decided to finally release it for everyone to enjoy just in time for cozy season.
There’s A LOT of food science that went into this recipe and even more research behind every step. This is not your average homemade cinnamon roll recipe. It takes time but the end result is so worth it.
The rolls themselves are the perfect balance of gooey and fluffy and have an insanely buttery texture. I used a brioche style dough that bakes up plush and fluffy, with soft, buttery layers that practically melt in your mouth.
A generous swipe of cream cheese glaze melts into the warm rolls, giving you that gooey, glossy finish.
They’re rich and decadent, but still light enough to keep you coming back for more. These rolls are the ultimate comfort bake, perfect for weekend mornings, holidays, or anytime you want to spoil yourself a little.
Table of Contents
Key Ingredients
(full list of ingredients can be found in the recipe card)
- A mix of bread flour and cake flour of high protein and low protein flour. Together, they give the rolls structure and chew so they hold their shape when risen and baked while staying soft and pillowy instead of tough.
- Buttermilk is used to autolyse the dough. It adds moisture and acidity, which allows for the rolls to rise taller while baking while still maintaining their tender, soft texture.
- Whole Milk is used to bloom the yeast but also enriches flavor with extra fat and lactose for browning.
- Active dry yeast creates gas bubbles that make the dough airy and fluffy. It’s one of the most important ingredients in this recipe and is responsible for tall fluffy rolls.
- Large Eggs and Egg yolk add richness and structure. The yolks bring fat for tenderness, while the whites add protein to support structure.
- Salted Butter and Vegetable Oil keeps the dough soft and extends shelf life. They provide richness, tenderness, and buttery flavor, keeping the rolls nice and plush. This makes for gooey homemade cinnamon rolls.
- Milk powder super bakery secret! It intensifies the dairy flavor, improves browning (thanks to extra lactose), and boosts tenderness in the crumb.
Substitutions and Variations
- For a dairy free option, use warm water in place of the whole milk. Also, use dairy free butter instead of butter for the dough and filling. Also, for the cream cheese frosting, use vegan cream cheese and butter there too.
- Milk powder: they sell this at most grocery stores, but if you can’t find it or don’t have any, add in 1/4 cup of cake flour instead.
- Active dry yeast: Use the same amount of instant yeast (skip blooming step).
- Buttermilk: to make your own buttermilk, combine 1 cup of whole milk with 1 tbsp of lemon juice or vinegar.
- For some fun mix-ins, add toasted pecans, walnuts, or hazelnuts to the filling.
How To Make The Best Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
Step 1: Autolyse the Dough (this simply means to combine flour and a liquid). Combine flours in a large mixing bowl and whisk together. Scoop out 3 cups (316g) of the flour and add to the bowl of a stand mixer.
Step 2: Pour in 1 cup of buttermilk. Mix together until a shaggy dough forms. If there’s still a lot of scraggly pieces, add the remaining 1-2 tbsp of buttermilk and mix until the dough sticks together. (it won’t be smooth but should be cohesive) Cover with plastic wrap and set aside for 30 minutes.
Make the Cinnamon Roll Dough
Step 3: In the mixing bowl with the remaining flour, add sugar, nutmeg, and kosher salt. Whisk together and set aside.
Step 4: After the 30 minutes is up, combine warm milk, active dry yeast, and 1 tbsp of sugar in a medium bowl. Whisk together and allow the yeast to bloom and become bubbly and foamy, about 5-10 minutes. Once the yeast is foamy, add eggs and egg yolk, oil, and vanilla bean paste and whisk together. Pour the yeast mixture into the mixing bowl with the flour/sugar mixture and mix until a shaggy dough forms and is just combined.
Step 5: Remove the plastic wrap from the rested dough and add in the shaggy dough. Place bowl onto the stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment. Mix on medium speed until the dough starts to come together, this should take about 2-3 minutes. (If the dough pools at the bottom of the bowl, it’s ok! It’ll all come together – keep going!) Once the dough comes together, slowly begin to add the butter, 2 tbsps at a time. Ensuring the butter is fully incorporated prior to adding more (about 45 seconds in between each addition).
Step 6: Once all of the butter is added, add in milk powder and mix on high speed for 8-12 minutes. Mix until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and is a soft, shiny ball of dough. At the 8 minute mark, grab a piece of the dough and stretch it until you’re able to see through it (windowpane test). If the dough breaks, mix for another 2-4 minutes, and try it again. If the dough does not break, place the dough into a lightly oiled large mixing bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and place in a warm place. Let the dough rise for about 1 1/2 hours, until it’s doubled in size.
Make the Filling, Pan Sauce, and Cream Cheese Frosting
Step 7: While the dough Is rising, make the caramel pan sauce, cinnamon filling, and the icing. For caramel pan sauce, mix together all of the ingredients in a medium bowl – butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, honey, and heavy cream.
Step 8: Smear this on the bottom and sides of a 9×13 baking pan. Set aside.
Step 9: To make the filling, combine all of the filling ingredients in a small bowl and mix together until smooth. Set aside.
Step 10: To make the icing, combine cream cheese and butter in a large bowl. Use a hand mixer to cream together for 1-2 minutes, until fully combined, add powdered sugar and 3 tbsp heavy cream (add more for a thinner consistency) and mix until combined and smooth. Then add vanilla bean paste and a pinch of salt and mix thoroughly.
Assemble The Rolls and Bake
Step 11: Once the dough is risen, gently remove dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Gently stretch the dough into a 13×18 rectangle. Use a rolling pin if needed. This is a soft dough so you should be able to gently stretch it into the desired shape. Smooth the filling mixture on top of the dough and cut into 12 equal sized strips using a knife or pizza cutter. (Pro tip: if you’re having difficulty spreading the filling, pop the bowl into the microwave for 10-15 seconds and it helps it spread easily) You can also roll into a log and cut into 12 rolls – whichever method you find easiest! Roll each strip into a spiral and place into the prepared baking pan.
Step 12: Place the rolls onto the prepared pan with the sauce spread around it. Allow the rolls to rise again and become fluffy – about 25-40 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 13: Once puffy, drizzle the heavy cream around and on top of the rolls (they don’t need to be drowned in cream, just lightly touched). I like to place the baking dish onto a baking sheet just in case any juices leak out of the pan – this prevent it from leaking onto the bottom of the oven and burning) Bake for 30-40 minutes, until the tops of the rolls are browned.
Step 14: If the icing has solidified, pop into the microwave for 10-15 seconds and pour on top of the rolls. Putting the icing onto the warm rolls will slightly melt the icing and turn it into a glaze-like texture. If you prefer more of a frosting-like consistency (like that of frosting on a cake), allow the rolls to cool for at least 30-45 minutes prior to adding the icing.
Tips for the BEST Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
- Read the full recipe before baking! I am fully aware that this recipe is a bit fussy at first, but once the dough is assembled, it’s smooth sailing from there. Please read the ENTIRE recipe first to prevent any mishaps or mistakes along the way!
- Measure your ingredients with a kitchen scale: This will provide the BEST results with the most accurate measurements. Too much flour = dry rolls, too little = gummy centers. Always spoon and level, or better yet, weigh your flour for accuracy.
- Proof the dough properly: If your house is cold, place the dough into the oven with the oven light on to provide a warm spot for the dough to rise. Keep in mind, rise times can vary so you’ll want to ensure that the dough has actually doubled in size as opposed to following the clock. I wouldn’t let it go any more than 2 hours.
- Pro Tip: When you roll the dough out to add the cinnamon roll filling, I sprinkle a little flour onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet and use a rolling pin to roll the dough into the exact shape as the baking sheet. This ensures that the shape is correct and allows you to get the dough into one even layer.
- Don’t skip the second rise! This allows the rolls to become nice and fluffy while baking in the oven by incorporating air into the dough – aka the perfect cinnamon rolls.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! Instant yeast can be swapped in 1:1 for active dry. Just mix it directly into the flour instead of blooming it in warm milk.
You can use all bread flour for chewier rolls or all-purpose flour for a softer crumb, but the mix of bread + cake flour gives the best balance of structure and tenderness.
Start over. If the yeast doesn’t become foamy, it means it’s stale. This will make it so that your dough won’t rise properly. The liquid may have been too hot or the yeast expired.
This short rest (autolyse) hydrates the flour, relaxes gluten, and makes kneading easier, which leads to a softer dough.
This is brioche style dough. Adding butter gradually allows it to fully incorporate without breaking the dough. Dumping it in at once makes it greasy and hard to mix.
The windowpane test checks gluten development – if you can stretch the dough thin enough to see light through it without tearing, it’s kneaded enough for structure.
Yes, you can! Omit the milk powder and add in an additional 1/4 cup of cake flour instead.
They should be golden brown on top and if you gently press the center of one of the rolls, it shouldn’t be squishy. If using an instant read thermometer, the internal temperature should be around 190–195°F in the center.
More Cinnamon Rolls Recipes
Breakfast
Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls
Breakfast
Banana Bread Cinnamon Rolls
Breakfast
Maple Bacon Cinnamon Rolls
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If you make this recipe, please leave a star rating on the recipe card and comment below! You can also tag @BritneyBreaksBread on Instagram and hashtag #britneybreaksbread so I can celebrate your beautiful creations!
Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
- 4 cups (508 g) Bread Flour
- 2 cups (250 g) Cake Flour
- 1 cup + 2 tbsp (270 g) Buttermilk
- 1/2 cup (100 g) Sugar, (+1 tbsp for the yeast mixture)
- 1 tsp Nutmeg
- 2 tsp (1 tsp) Kosher Salt
- 1/2 cup (120 g) Whole Milk
- 1 tbsp Active Dry Yeast
- 2 large (100 g) Eggs, (room temperature)
- 1 large (18 g) Egg Yolk
- 2 tsp (1 tbsp) Vanilla Bean Paste
- 1/4 cup (56 g) Vegetable Oil
- 3/4 cup (170 g) Salted Butter, (room temperature)
- 4 tbsp (40 g) Milk Powder
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) Heavy Cream, (for pouring on top of the cinnamon rolls, don't add to the dough)
Cinnamon Caramel Pan Sauce
- 1/2 cup (114 g) Salted Butter, (room temperature)
- 1 cup (220 g) Brown Sugar
- 1 tbsp Cinnamon
- 2 tbsp (42 g) Honey
- 3 tbsp (45 g) Heavy Cream
Cinnamon Roll Filling
- 1/2 cup (113 g) Salted Butter, (room temperature)
- 1 cup (220 g) Brown sugar
- 2 1/2 tbsp (2 tbsp) Cinnamon
- 2 tbsp (30 g) Heavy Cream
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 6 oz (170 g) Cream Cheese, (room temperature)
- 4 tbsp (56 g) Salted Butter, (room temperature)
- 2 cups (250 g) Powdered Sugar
- 3-6 tbsp Heavy Cream, (depending on the consistency you prefer)
- 2 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste
Instructions
- Combine flours in a large mixing bowl and whisk together. Scoop out 3 cups (379g) of the flour and add to the bowl of a stand mixer, then pour in 1 cup of buttermilk. Mix together until a shaggy dough forms. If there's still a lot of scraggly pieces, add the remaining 1-2 tbsp of buttermilk and mix until the dough sticks together. (it won't be smooth but should be cohesive) Cover with plastic wrap and set aside for 30 minutes.
- In the mixing bowl with the remaining flour, add sugar, nutmeg, and kosher salt. Whisk together and set aside.
- After the 30 minutes is up, combine warm milk, yeast, and 1 tbsp of sugar in a medium bowl. Whisk together and allow the yeast to bloom and become bubbly and foamy, about 5-10 minutes. Once the yeast is foamy, add eggs and egg yolk, oil, and vanilla bean paste and whisk together. Pour into the mixing bowl with the flour/sugar mixture and mix until a shaggy dough forms and is just combined.
- Remove the plastic wrap from the rested dough and add in the shaggy dough. Place bowl onto the stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment. Mix on medium speed until the dough starts to come together, this should take about 2-3 minutes. (If the dough begins to collect at the bottom of the bowl – this is ok, it’ll all come together – keep going!)
- Once the dough comes together, slowly begin to add the butter, 2 tbsps at a time, ensuring the butter is fully incorporated prior to adding more (about 45 seconds in between each addition).
- Once all of the butter is added, add in milk powder and mix on high speed for 8-12 minutes, until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and is a soft, shiny ball of dough. At the 8 minute mark, grab a piece of the dough and stretch it until you’re able to see through it (windowpane test). If the dough breaks, mix for another 2-4 minutes, and try it again. If the dough does not break, place the dough into a lightly oiled large mixing bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and place in a warm place to rise, about 1 1/2 hours, until it’s doubled in size.
- While the dough Is rising, make the caramel pan sauce, cinnamon filling, and the icing. For caramel pan sauce, mix together all of the ingredients in a medium bowl – butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, honey, and heavy cream. Smear this on the bottom and sides of a 9×13 baking pan. Set aside.
- To make the filling, combine all of the filling ingredients in a small bowl and mix together until smooth. Set aside.
- To make the icing, combine cream cheese and butter in a medium mixing bowl. Use a hand mixer to cream together for 1-2 minutes, until fully combined, add powdered sugar and 3 tbsp heavy cream (add more for a thinner consistency) and mix until combined and smooth. Then add vanilla bean paste and a pinch of salt and mix thoroughly.
- Once the dough is risen, gently remove dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Gently stretch the dough into a 12×18 rectangle. Try to avoid using a rolling pin as you want to keep as much of the air in the rolls as possible to make sure they’re nice and fluffy! The dough is soft enough that you should be able to gently use your hands and stretch into the rectangle. (You can use a rolling pin if needed)
- Smooth the filling mixture on top of the dough and cut into 12 equal sized strips using a knife or pizza cutter. (Pro tip: if you're having difficulty spreading the filling, pop the bowl into the microwave for 10-15 seconds and it helps it spread easily) You can also roll into a log and cut into 12 rolls – whichever method you find easiest! Roll each strip into a spiral and place into the prepared baking pan.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the rolls onto the prepared pan with the sauce spread around it. Allow the rolls to rise again and become fluffy – about 25-40 minutes. Once puffy, drizzle 1/3 cup of heavy cream around and on top of the rolls (they don’t need to be drowned in cream, just lightly touched).
- I like to place the baking dish onto a baking sheet just in case any juices leak out of the pan – this prevent it from leaking onto the bottom of the oven and burning) Bake for 35-45 minutes on the middle rack of the oven, until the tops of the rolls are browned.
- If the icing has solidified, pop into the microwave for 10-15 seconds and pour on top of the rolls. Putting the icing on while the rolls are hot will slightly melt the icing and turn it into a glaze-like texture. If you prefer more of a frosting-like consistency (like that of frosting on a cake), allow the rolls to cool for at least 30-45 minutes prior to adding the icing.
Notes
- Read the full recipe before baking! I am fully aware that this recipe is a bit fussy at first, but once the dough is assembled, it’s smooth sailing from there. Please read the ENTIRE recipe first to prevent any mishaps or mistakes along the way!
- Measure your ingredients with a kitchen scale: This will provide the BEST results with the most accurate measurements. Too much flour = dry rolls, too little = gummy centers. Always spoon and level, or better yet, weigh your flour for accuracy.
- Proof the dough properly: If your house is cold, place the dough into the oven with the oven light on to provide a warm spot for the dough to rise. Keep in mind, rise times can vary so you’ll want to ensure that the dough has actually doubled in size as opposed to following the clock. I wouldn’t let it go any more than 2 hours.
- Pro Tip: When you roll the dough out to add the cinnamon roll filling, I sprinkle a little flour onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet and use a rolling pin to roll the dough into the exact shape as the baking sheet. This ensures that the shape is correct and allows you to get the dough into one even layer.
- Don’t skip the second rise! This allows the rolls to become nice and fluffy while baking in the oven by incorporating air into the dough – aka the perfect cinnamon rolls.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
These where great!!
Thank you!
Hi. Can you substitute coconut oil for the vegetable oil?
Sure just make sure it’s melted and slightly cooled
What is the oven temperature for this recipe?
350 degrees f
I could not find it anywhere on your page, so thank you for the reply! I look forward to making this!