Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

Completed and iced cinnamon rolls in a baking pan.

4 from 1 vote

Homemade cinnamon rolls taste so much better than store-bought and are easy to make! Simply make the dough, bake, and top with cream cheese frosting for an indulgent breakfast treat.

Prep Time1 30

Cook Time25

Cooling Time10

Total Time2 5

Course: Breakfast Ideas, Christmas Recipes, Desserts, Thanksgiving Recipes

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 400kcal

Author: Samantha Erb

Equipment

Ingredients

Dough

3 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 packet rapid rise yeast 1/4 ounce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup warm water
1 large egg room temperature
3 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature

Filling

1/4 cup butter at room temperature
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Icing

4 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
2 tablespoon unsalted butter melted
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl combine 3 cups of flour, yeast, salt, and sugar. Crack the egg into the flour mixture.
In the microwave safe bowl, warm up the water and butter, until it is mostly melted, about 45 seconds. The water should be comfortable to touch, if it is too hot it will kill the yeast. If you are unsure, use a thermometer and it needs to be less than 139 degrees F for it to not kill the yeast.
Slowly pour the warm water and butter into the flour mixture a little at a time, using a wooden spoon to incorporate it into the flour. Once you have poured all the water in the flour, it will be slightly sticky. When it is difficult to stir, use your hands to knead the dough adding up to ¼ cup of flour if it is still too sticky. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes. With a clean finger you should be able to press into the dough and it does not stick. Shape it into a ball and set it aside for 5-10 minutes. The dough will puff up a little bit.
While it is set aside, mix the brown sugar and cinnamon for the filling. Make sure the butter is spreadable.
Prepare to roll out your dough. On a floured surface place your ball of dough. Use a rolling pin to roll it out to a rectangle that covers a 10x15 mat.
Spread the butter over the rolled out dough and leave a ½ inch border around the edges.
Sprinkle the cinnamon and brown sugar over the butter, pressing it down.
From the long end of the rectangle roll the dough into a long log. It will be about 15 inches long.
Cut the ends of the dough off. This left about 14 inches of the log.
Cut the log into 9 slices. These were about 1.5 inches thick.
In a buttered 9x9 square baking pan, place the rolls in rows of 3.
Cover the rolls and allow them to rise for 1 hour. They will double in size.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake the cinnamon rolls for 20-25 minutes until they are golden on top.
Allow them to cool for 10 minutes. While they are cooling, make the icing. Using a hand mixer, combine the cream cheese, butter, confectioners sugar, and vanilla until it is smooth.
Spread the cream cheese over the warm rolls.

Notes

The butter and egg must be at room temperature — the butter will melt and spread much more easily and the egg needs to also be at room temp so it doesn’t cool the yeast.
I usually let the assembled rolls rise in a low-temperature oven. I set it to 220 degrees F and let it preheat, then I turn it off and place the rolls inside. Just remove them before you preheat the oven again!
This recipe can make up to 12 rolls! Just slice them slightly thinner (a bit bigger than 1 inch rather than 1.5) and cook them in a 9x13-inch pan instead.
Dental floss makes slicing evenly without squishing the dough a lot easier. A very sharp knife would also work!
You can make these the night before by preparing the rolls up until the shaping step, then cover and refrigerate them overnight instead of letting them rise at room temp. In the morning, remove them from the fridge about an hour before baking so they come back to temperature. Then, bake as directed!
Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. These reheat well in the microwave in 15-20 second bursts until warmed through. They will also keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Nutrition