Homemade Cinnamon Rolls (With Overnight Option)

This recipe yields a pan of buttery soft, gooey cinnamon sweet, and extra fluffy homemade cinnamon rolls topped with tangy cream cheese icing. It’s been a reader favorite recipe for years and I love it so much that I turned this rich dough into apple cinnamon rolls, pecan sticky buns, and maple cinnamon rolls. You can make the cinnamon rolls within a few hours or get started the night before using the overnight preparation option.

 

 

This cinnamon rolls recipe has lived on the site since 2014. After making countless more batches in the past 7 years plus answering readers’ comments and questions, I thought it would be beneficial to update the post with more helpful information and success tips. Cinnamon rolls are a popular breakfast choice, so I want to make sure you have all the resources you need for this classic recipe.

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Tell Me About These Cinnamon Rolls

• Texture: This is one of my richest homemade doughs, so you’re already promised a soft, springy, and fluffy texture. I usually use all-purpose flour in this dough, but if you use the optional bread flour, your rolls will be a little chewier.
• Flavor: The smell alone of warm cinnamon rolls is irresistible and inviting. Once you take that first bite, you’ll enjoy a fresh homemade dough that’s swirled with endless pockets of sweet and gooey cinnamon.
• Ease: Homemade dough and shaped breads require precision and effort. The dough is pretty straightforward and simple to shape, as long as you have enough flour nearby for your hands, work surface, and rolling pin.
• Time: This dough requires 1 long rise, then a slightly shorter 2nd rise. Once you understand the assembly process, the recipe moves pretty quickly. Set aside at least 4-5 hours from start to finish or divide between 2 days with the overnight option. Whichever method you choose, keep in mind most of that time is hands off as the dough rises.

 

Are You a Yeast Beginner? Use My Guide.

A lot of beginner bakers are nervous to bake with yeast. But think of it this way: yeast is simply another ingredient that goes into the dough.

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7 Crucial Ingredients in the Cinnamon Rolls Dough

Feel free to skip right down to the recipe. But if you’re new to making homemade bread, the following notes and explanations are points that I’ve learned over the years and will be massively helpful.

1. Use whole milk: Whole milk is ideal for the richest tasting cinnamon rolls. Buttermilk works just as well without any changes to the recipe. Many readers have successfully substituted nondairy milks. In a pinch, you can use 2% or 1% milk, but do not use nonfat milk.
2. Sugar: You need 2/3 cup of white granulated sugar in the dough. Use 2 Tablespoons in step 1 below (the proofing step), then add the rest– about ½ cup– in step 2.
3. Yeast: You can use active dry or instant yeast. Follow the directions exactly as written regardless of which you choose. You’ll still proof the yeast in warm milk with some sugar even if you use instant yeast. This step ensures that the yeast is active and not expired. Most yeast these days is already active, but it’s a quick 5-10 minute step that prevents you from wasting your time just in case the yeast has expired. If using active dry yeast, the rise times will be a little longer. For the past 10+ years, my go-to brand has been Red Star Yeast. I always recommend Platinum Yeast from Red Star.
4. Butter: This is a rich dough, meaning it has fat to help guarantee softness. Use ½ cup of softened butter and to help it blend easier, cut it into 4 pieces before adding.
5. Eggs: Like butter, eggs promise a softer, richer dough.
6. Salt: Dough is bland without salt.
7. Flour: Flour is the structure of the dough. You can use either all-purpose flour or bread flour. You’ll notice the rolls are a little chewier if you use bread flour. It’s not a huge difference, so don’t worry if you only have all-purpose flour. (That’s what I usually use!)

Note: You’ll notice that I use more yeast in this recipe compared to my easy cinnamon rolls. Why? These are much fluffier and larger– about twice the size.

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Step-By-Step Photos

Here’s what you’re looking for after you let the warm milk, some of the sugar, and yeast sit for about 5-10 minutes. The top will be a little foamy:

 

After the dough comes together, it will be a little soft and sticky– that’s normal. As explained in step 3 below, knead the dough on a floured counter or keep it in the mixer for kneading.

What If I Don’t Have a Stand Mixer? If you do not own a mixer, you can mix the dough together with a large wooden spoon/rubber spatula. It will take a bit of arm muscle. A hand mixer works, but the sticky dough repeatedly gets stuck in the beaters. Mixing by hand with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula is a better choice.

 

Let the dough rise until doubled in size:

 

Punch the risen dough down and roll it out.

Baker’s Tip: If the dough keeps shrinking as you roll it out, stop what you’re doing, cover it lightly, and let it rest for 10 minutes to relax the gluten. When you return to the dough, it should stretch out much easier. 

 

Spread softened butter on top, then sprinkle on a mixture of cinnamon and sugar (brown sugar or white granulated sugar).

 

Roll it up:

 

 

 

Use a very sharp knife to cut the roll into 12 rolls, each about 1.5 inches. Arrange in your greased baking pan, cover, then let the rolls rise until doubled in size and puffy, usually about 1 hour. See the difference in the photo below? The left photo is before rising and the right photo is after rising:

 

Bake the rolls, then make the tangy cream cheese icing to smother on top. If cream cheese isn’t your favorite, you could top the rolls with vanilla icing, the brown sugar icing from these pumpkin donuts, maple icing from maple cinnamon rolls, or even the caramel icing from apple cinnamon rolls. Lots of options!

 

5 Success Tips

1. Use brown sugar or granulated sugar in the filling: I used to use granulated sugar in the cinnamon sugar filling, but recently switched to brown sugar for extra flavor. Brown sugar doesn’t necessarily make the filling more moist– there’s so much butter, so it’s moist and gooey either way. Use whichever sugar you prefer.
2. Best pan to use: I recommend a 9×13 inch glass or metal pan. Avoid ceramic pans if you can. If you must use ceramic, keep in mind that the rolls will likely take longer to bake through.
3. Evenly baked cinnamon rolls: These are extra big and fluffy cinnamon rolls, so to help guarantee the centers AND tops cook evenly, tent a piece of aluminum foil over the rolls after about 15 minutes in the oven. This will protect the tops from browning too quickly before the centers can cook.
4. Don’t have all morning to spend on this dough? Feel free to prep the dough the night before. This is a wonderful way to save time in the morning so you can wake up and eat sooner. See my make-ahead/overnight instructions in the written recipe below.

 

How to Freeze Cinnamon Rolls So They Still Taste Fresh

Let me share a tip I’ve learned after working with this dough for several years. You can prep the rolls and freeze them ahead of time so they still taste fresh.

• Here’s how: Bake the rolls in step 9 (below) for only about 10 minutes. Cool completely, then cover tightly and freeze. To serve, take the rolls out of the freezer and place in the refrigerator overnight to thaw. Once thawed, finish baking them for about 15-20 minutes.

I often use this method when I gift cinnamon rolls to others– just copy/paste or write these freezing instructions down. This method is also helpful if you have company over, want to cut down on time, or are entertaining around the holidays.

 

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