The FLUFFIEST Homemade Cinnamon Rolls of Your Life (Can Make Overnight)
If you guys have never tried making a homemade cinnamon rolls recipe with a simple sweet dough (brioche style) instead of regular bread dough, you are totally missing out. These are the FLUFFIEST homemade cinnamon rolls of your life, I promise! They are very easy, and you can make them overnight!
The other day Truman and I stopped by the grocery store on the way home from kindergarten pick up. He found a toy that he wanted, and I said no, and then the world exploded. 0-to-60 meltdown. At one point he screamed, “But Mom, Christmas is about GIVING!” I just about died laughing at that one, but then he quickly followed it up with, “And besides, I’M HUNGRY!!”
You know what, I have to give serious props to this 5-year-old-kid for being able to identify the root cause of his tantrum. I never realize I’m hangry until after I’ve eaten something.
Speaking of hangry…I have been on a MISSION my friends. A cinnamon roll mission. It’s serious business, finding a cinnamon roll that is so soft and fluffy and absolutely perfect that it will make you want to cry tears of joy.
(First thing I had to google when I decided on the title of this post: fluffiest cinnamon rolls, or most fluffy?? Don’t judge me!! Haha!)
I am a little picky about cinnamon rolls. Okay, a lot picky. I used to accept any and all cinnamon rolls that came my way, but lately I’ve just been a little underwhelmed with the cinnamon rolls in my life. (“I know you can be overwhelmed, and I know you can be underwhelmed, but can you ever just be…whelmed?” “I think you can in Europe!” (Name that movie!)
My main complaint is that most cinnamon rolls are too dry. Does anyone else feel this way? Any cinnamon roll coming hot out of the oven is going to be hard to argue with, but the real test comes when brunch is over and the leftover cinnamon rolls have cooled, and you’re going back for seconds as a late afternoon treat. Even on the day they were baked, many of the cinnamon roll recipes that I’ve tried were just DRY.
I feel like a lot of cinnamon roll recipes solve the problem of not-great-dough by PILING on the brown sugar filling and cream cheese frosting to achieve the gooey factor. Now, I’m no heretic, I love a really thick and gooey filling and a healthy slather of frosting (and today’s recipe does not skimp), but I also just need the actual roll part to be soft and fluffy and not just a medium for frosting. This recipe delivers 100%.
How to make homemade cinnamon rolls
You can take any basic dinner roll recipe and turn it into homemade cinnamon rolls. Instead of shaping into balls, just roll out the dough into a rectangle and slather on some cinnamon sugar. That’s what almost every cinnamon roll recipe that I researched calls for. The amounts of the ingredients are different, of course, but they almost all have warm liquid and yeast, combined with softened butter/shortening, eggs, sugar, and then add flour until the dough is workable.
The ingredients for this recipe are essentially the same, but with WAY less flour than you would normally add. And a lot more butter. (ALLLL THE BUTTER). Like double the amount you see in most roll recipes.
This of course makes a super sticky dough that is impossible to roll out. That’s where the chill step comes in. Instead of leaving the dough in a warm place to rise for an hour like most recipes, we’re sticking our lovely dough straight into the fridge.
Before and after rising. The dough is really easy to work with once it has chilled, I promise.
I learned about this type of sweet dough when my mother-in-law Kris made these Ultimate Sticky Buns from Epicurious. (Which are amazing, btw.) My final recipe is a little different, but it’s the same idea. Proof the yeast, stir together all the ingredients (including the minimal amount of flour), and then add softened butter in increments. I was reminded of this type of sweet dough recently when my friend Erica from Pancake Princess did a Cinnamon Roll Bake off, and the winning recipe uses a sweet dough. Regular bread dough is just never going to measure up when you compare it to this brioche style dough.
cardamommmmmmm yes you want it
There are two other things that make this recipe for homemade cinnamon rolls next level: a bit of cardamom in the filling, and brushing the pan with cream and butter before baking. The cardamom adds just a little bit more interest, it’s not overwhelming. I absolutely love cardamom, but if you’re not into it, you can leave it out no problem.
Now my trick for getting the gooiest homemade cinnamon rolls in all the land: Combine melted butter, cream, and brown sugar and spread it all over the bottom and sides of your pan before baking. I’m obsessed with this idea and will never go back to regular cinnamon rolls! It makes every inch of the cinnamon rolls ultra gooey and moist. I do the same thing with my favorite Bran Muffins: brush the pans with a molasses glaze. YUM.
How to make overnight cinnamon rolls
These rolls would be perfect for Christmas morning, and it’s what I plan on making for the big day this week! Make the dough and chill it on Christmas Eve during the day (or up to 2 days in advance!), roll out the dough and shape the rolls in the evening, and refrigerate overnight. Pick up with the final rise in the morning!
This is my last post before Christmas! Thank you so much for following along with my blog this year, it means so much to me. I love talking about food with all of you. It’s the best! I hope that you have had a chance to try out some of these recipe for the holidays! It really is the most wonderful time of the year. Merry Christmas to all, and to all a soft tender cinnamon roll for brunch!
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Three years ago: Easy Honey Hot Chocolate For One
Four years ago: 18 EASY Appetizer Ideas for New Years Eve
Five years ago: Chocolate Babka
The FLUFFIEST Homemade Cinnamon Rolls of Your Life
15-18 cinnamon rolls adjust servingsIf you guys have never tried making a cinnamon rolls recipe with a simple sweet dough (brioche style) instead of with regular bread dough, you are totally missing out. These are the FLUFFIEST homemade cinnamon rolls of your life, I promise! They are very easy, and you can make them the night before!
Ingredients
For the sweet dough
- 1 cup whole milk, warm
- 1 tablespoons active dry yeast
- 5 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 3 and 1/4 cups all purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, very soft (divided)
For the pan
- 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, barely melted
- 1/4 cup cream
- 5 tablespoons brown sugar
For the filling
- 3/4 cup (1 and 1/2 sticks) butter, very soft
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 or 3/4 teaspoon cardamom, optional
For the cream cheese frosting
- 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Make the sweet dough: In a glass measuring cup, add 1 cup milk. Use whole milk if you have it. Warm the milk in the microwave in 20 second increments until it is nice and warm. Stir it with a small spoon and feel it with your finger. It should be about 105-110 degrees F, or about the temperature of nice bath water. If it feels at all HOT, stick it in the fridge until is cools down.
- Add 1 tablespoon of yeast and 5 tablespoons granulated sugar and stir. Wait 5 minutes and check to make sure your yeast is getting bubbly. If not, you have killed your yeast; dump it and start over. Better to start over now than after hours or rising!
- Once you are certain that your yeast is alive and well, add two eggs to the measuring cup and whisk it all together until smooth.
- Meanwhile, add 3 and 1/4 cups flour to a large bowl or stand mixer. Make sure you spoon and level your flour. Add 1 teaspoon kosher salt.
- Add the wet ingredients to the flour in the bowl. Use the paddle attachment on your mixer (or regular beaters if you're using a hand mixer) and beat until combined, about 1 minute. Make sure to stop and scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- With the mixer running on low or medium low, add 1 tablespoon of very soft butter at a time, until the entire 1/2 cup has been added in. Make sure each tablespoon of butter is fully incorporated before adding more butter. The process of adding in the butter should take a couple minutes at least.
- Once all the butter is incorporated, beat on medium low speed for 5 minutes. The dough should be silky, smooth, and shiny. After 5 minutes, it will not have cleaned the sides of the bowl, but it should be formed together in a loose ball. It is VERY wet and not workable at all.
- Grease a large bowl with butter or oil. Don't be stingy now.
- Use a spatula to scrape the sweet dough into the greased bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or up to 2 days. (Chilling is not optional. You won't be able to work with this dough until it is completely chilled!)
- When you are ready to roll out the dough, prepare the pan and the filling.
- To prepare the pan: In a small bowl, microwave 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter until it is just barely melted. Add 1/4 cup cream and 5 tablespoons brown sugar. Stir together and scrape it into the pan you are using to bake your cinnamon rolls in.
- A note on what pan you use: I like to use an 11x17x1 inch half baking sheet. This will give you rolls that are not quite as tall but have a beautiful round shape. I prefer the ratio of cinnamon filling to dough when the rolls are baked. You can also use a 9x13 inch pan. This will give you taller rolls that will bake into each other in the oven. This recipe will work in either pan you use, but I recommend the 11x17 baking sheet.
- Use a spoon or pastry brush to spread the cream, butter, and brown sugar mixture all over the bottom of the pan you are using, and all the way up the sides as well.
- Prepare the filling for the rolls: Add 3/4 cup (1 and 1/2 sticks) very soft butter to a medium bowl. Add 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 2 tablespoons cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/2 or 3/4 teaspoon cardamom, if you are using it. (you should use it.) Stir it all together and set aside.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil on the stove. Place a 9x13 inch pan on a bottom rack in your oven. Place another rack above it. Turn your oven on to 350 for about 3 minutes, then turn it off. Your rolls are going to rise in the oven with a water bath.
- Roll out the dough: Prepare a work surface with a generous dusting of flour. I love to roll out dough on my pastry cloth, it makes it so easy.
- Scrape the chilled dough onto the flour and knead it together a couple times with your hands. Press it out into a rectangle with your hands, then use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a large rectangle. It should be about 1/4 inch thick if not a little thicker. It should measure about 12 inches by 16-18 inches. It doesn't have to be exact.
- Use a spatula to spread the filling on top of the dough, all the way to the edges. If the filling looks like it's not soft enough to spread easily, put it in the microwave for 5 seconds and stir. You want the filling to go into the oven thick, not melted, so don't put it in the microwave for too long.
- Roll up the dough, starting from the long edge. As you roll, use your hands to smooth out the dough from the center to make the roll even (so that the center of your roll is not way thicker than the edge of your roll.)
- Use your fingers to seal the roll.
- Use a very long and sharp serrated knife to cut the dough into 1 or 1 and 1/2 inch rolls. Use a sawing motion. Dip your knife in flour in between cuts. The dough is pretty sticky on the inside.
- Place each roll in the prepared pan. They should not touch each other.
- Once all the rolls are on the pan, generously spray some plastic wrap with nonstick spray, and cover the rolls. Do NOT forget to spray the plastic wrap. Do NOT use a tea towel. The dough is pretty sticky, and if your cover sticks to them, it will ruin your beautiful rise when you try to take it off. No, I'm not at all bitter that this happened to me on one of my test runs, why do you ask??
- Pour the boiling water that you have on the stove into the 9x13 inch pan that's on the lower rack in your oven. Make sure that you remembered to turn off the oven. It should be nice and warm but NOT HOT. You want the rolls to rise, not cook. If you accidentally left your oven on too long, leave the door open and let it cool down. If the racks are too hot to touch with your fingers, don't put the rolls in the oven. Let them start rising on top of the oven and put the rolls in when the oven has cooled a bit.
- Let the covered rolls rise for about 45 minutes. They should be nice and puffy.
- About 15 minutes before the rolls are finished rising, remove the rolls and the pan of water from the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Once the rolls are quite puffy and have just about doubled in size, bake at 350 for about 15-18 minutes.
- The rolls should be golden on top when fully baked. The best way to know if the rolls are done in the middle is to use a thermometer: the center of the rolls should be 190 degrees F. The bottom of the rolls should also be lightly browned, but lifting the edge of a roll can be tricky.
- Make the cream cheese frosting while the rolls are in the oven. In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat 8 ounces softened cream cheese with 1/2 cup softened butter. Scrape the sides and bottom and beat for a couple minutes until it's nice and fluffy. Add 1 cup powdered sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt, and beat well.
- Let the rolls cool for about 10 minutes, then spread with HALF the cream cheese frosting. If you are serving these to a large group and they will all be eaten right away, frost with the entire amount. Otherwise, save the other half of the frosting to serve with leftover rolls, or to pass at the table for guests to serve themselves. I find that people have such different opinions on the level of frosting they enjoy, that it's better to let guests serve themselves.
Overnight Instructions:
Make the recipe as written through step 23 (except don't boil the water). Once the rolls are shaped and on the pan, cover as directed, then refrigerate overnight. In the morning, prepare the oven by preheating the oven (and then turning it off) and placing a pan of boiling water on a bottom rack. (Remember to turn the oven off, as described in step 24.) Let the rolls rise for the same amount of time and bake as directed.
by The Food Charlatan
More sweet breakfast ideas you are going to love!
One Hour Cinnamon Rolls << these have been my standard rolls for years and years. They are a GREAT one hour option.
Almost One Hour Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting << I think this wins for longest title ever.
One Hour Honey Almond Crunch Rolls << this is like Honey Bunches of Oats…but in cinnamon roll form. SO GOOD.
More cinnamon roll ideas from friends!
Mint Chocolate Chip Cinnamon Rolls from Lemons for Lulu
Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls from Inside Brucrew Life << totally intrigued by this!!
Apple Cider Cinnamon Rolls from Crazy for Crust
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Hi! I am bringing cinnamon rolls to my son’s school and would love to bring homemade. I have to use disposable foil pans instead of glass. How should I adjust the recipe for this?
Hi Hayley! Disposable pans will be totally fine! use a 9×13 inch aluminum pan. Use a thermometer and make sure the center of the rolls read 190 degrees F before taking them out of the oven. Enjoy!
Thank you so much, Karen!
PS – love, love, love your recipes. You are the only site I actually subscribe to and are my go to for everything 🙂
These turned out asking. My grandma used to turn hers over after baking. I never could duplicate all the gooey goodness until I tried your recipe. Ty for giving me my grandma back for a minute. I also kneeded them by hand. The dough was so soft it was super easy.
These cinnamon rolls are true to their name – the lightest, fluffiest ever! I have been baking alot during these lockdowns, my husband is my tester and he and I both agree, these are the best yet! Easy to make (no kneading) and your directions are very easy to follow. I have blown one hand beater and my food processer is making a funny noise so just bought myself a new heavy duty hand mixer. Keep those recipes flowing – delicious!!!
I’m so glad it was a success Karen! I’m so glad you are getting some more baking in during the lockdown, it is such a great way to bring joy! Thank you for taking the time to review, that means so much!
All I can say is WOW! These cinnamon rolls turned out to be beautiful and taste incredible! They were a bit tricky to make, but your directions were so detailed and helpful. I know you logged many, many hours working to create this recipe & post. Thank you from the bottom of my happy, full, cinnamon-y heart!!
Wondering if the sweet dough could simply be made into loaves? If so, how many?
Thanks!
This may be a silly question but do I have to let them rise in the oven? We’re hoping to serve them for dessert after Christmas dinner and the oven may be too hot from cooking to rise in, can I let them rise on top of the stove while we eat and then bake them right before serving?
Hi Clueless! The rolls just need to rise one way or another. They will take at least twice as long to rise I think if you don’t use the water method. So it might be worth it to wait until the oven cools down and then do the regular method? Either way.
BEST Cinnamon Rolls I have ever made! Thank you so much for sharing a step by step recipe, they did not dissappoint!
nice taste but i found the dough to be too wet had to eat it with a fork just too wet
Just made these rolls to practice for Christmas Day. Oh my gosh I think this is the best thing I have ever baked.
They are amazing x 100!!!! And I am usually terrified to bake with yeast. They were so easy and perfect. Thank you so much for sharing.
Thank you so much for sharing your scrumptious recipes throughout the year. Everything is so delicious and I have put a lot of smiles on my families faces, because of you. Your recipes are very easy to follow which makes each food item so successful.
I look forward with excitement to more fun in the kitchen with your ‘out of this world’, new recipes.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!❤️❤️❤️
This was definitely the most labor intensive recipe I’ve ever tried for a cinnamon roll. The amount of butter that went into it boggled my mind. The rolls were very good. I’m thinking I might try some other recipes that aren’t so much time and butter, but these were good, to be sure.
I made these for Thanksgiving , and I have tried multiple recipes over the years but these were hands down the best I have ever had. I am not the type to write reviews or post things on Facebook but I did put this on Facebook telling people they need to try this recipe because I was so impressed. There are lots of steps but she does a great job explaining how to do it for those that aren’t experienced at making yeast breads
Hi Nancy, thank you so much for sharing with you friends and reviewing here! I appreciate that so much. So happy you enjoyed the rolls!
Can you double or triple this recipe
Hi lisa! Yes you can, you will just need a very large bowl to mix it in! I personally wouldn’t try more than doubling it. unless I magically had access to a huge professional kitchen’s stand mixer, haha! Enjoy!
I made 1 1/2 of the receipe as I needed an extra pan of rolls, but didn’t want to take the time to make 2 batches. It worked, barely, in my standard size stand mixer. by the end the dough kept creeping up the paddle and I had to keep stopping to clean it off. I probably won’t try this again, will make 2 batches if I need more. And just for reference with 1 1/2 of the ingredients I got 2 – 9 inch pans of cinnamon rolls, a 9×13 pan of pecan sticky rolls and a couple extra cinnamon rolls that I baked in a mini bread pan.
Went completely wrong 🙁 the dough ride was gorgeous but when I can to roll it out, it was completely unmanageable. I couldn’t roll it because it was too sticky. It was almost liquid. Grrr!!!! Going to bake it anyways coz I don’t waste lol!
Hi Sarah! I’m so sorry to hear it didn’t work out. I’m wondering if it didn’t get chilled long enough? Add more flour if it’s completely chilled and still not rolling out.
Just made and they are absolutely divine! However, they were spilling out of the 9×13 pan and had to separate and put 6 in one and keep 6 in the first dish. I made a mess and had to cook them longer and cover with aluminum since I didn’t want them to burn the tops while the insides finished baking. Anyway, I made a recovery and they are phenomenal.
I’m so glad they turned out in the end Pamela! Thank you so much for taking the time to comment!
Oh my goodness, these really are the most divine, fluffy and tender cinnamon rolls I have ever made. I used fresh yeast as I didn’t have dried (I know, it’s usually the other way round!). I couldn’t believe the dough rose even in the fridge. I am now eating them for breakfast the next day and they are still absolutely gorgeous. I particularly liked the butterscotch-type stuff that is added to the bottom of the pan before you cook the buns. Fabulous recipe, thank you Karen :)
I’m so glad you enjoyed the rolls Carrie! Good to know this recipe works great with fresh yeast, thanks so much for commenting!
Thank you for this wonderful recipe! Best. bake. ever!
Thank you so much Lois, I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Made these yummy rolls yesterday. They were delicious. Just a couple things I wanted to comment on. I used the 9×13 pan and I would definitely use the 11×14 pan next time like you recommended. My rolls were all squeezed in there and looked beautiful but fell in the middle after I took them out. They were still done tho. And the “grease” mixture seems to be a bit thick for the 9×13 pan and ended up being a bit goopy on the bottom. They were also a bit too sweet and am wondering if a little less filling would work to make it less sweet. Not sure about that. The dough itself was beautiful after I took it out of the fridge and rolled quite nicely. I would definitely try them again. One question I had was salted or unsalted butter? I always unsalted. Thx for the recipe.
Hi Kimm, thanks so much for your useful notes! Great info for other readers. I used salted butter, but either one will work!
Hi! I’m excited to try this recipe after reading such great reviews. Just wondering – is it better to use bread flour versus white flour? I e read a few other recipes that say bread flour results in a much fluffier bun..
Hi Adrienne! I always use all purpose flour, but either one would work! Bread flour has more gluten and will produce a chewier bread. Enjoy!
Score! This is a beautiful recipe. I was a professional baker for 15 years and never ran across a cinnamon roll this decadent. Okay, I’ll admit to using extra cream cheese icing! Even though brioche is my favorite bread to make, I never thought of using it for cinnamon rolls. Those stupid Cina#@&! rolls from the national chain taste like pizza dough, probably because it is cheap. Real butter costs real money and is worth every penny. Good job!
Mindy, such high praise! Thank you so much for your kind words. I agree, the ones from the store just can’t compare with a homemade recipe like this, especially with the brioche dough. I’m glad you enjoyed it, thanks again!
I want to make these using the overnight method, was wondering if I can use Instant Yeast instead of dry active. Somewhere I had read that instant yeast shouldn’t be used for overnight proofing…but I am not sure if I read it correctly or where I read it so I can go back to reference.
Hi Tina! Great question. I haven’t tried this with instant yeast. It will be fine. Let it rise in a overly large bowl, you don’t want it to spill over!
Hii! These look awesome. Ill be making these today. Had a quick question. After mixing the yeast in warm water, am I supposed to leave it covered for a few minutes before adding the egg?
Thanks!
Hi Nida! You don’t need to cover it. But yes leave it alone for a few minutes to make sure the yeast is bubbling!
Hello! I had some serious misgivings about the butter/flour ratio but the roll out was beautiful and I have happy buns in the fridge ready for brunch! I didnt have specified pan size on and but what worked out great are the disposable baking pans that come w a plastic cover. Perfect for the overnight fridge route (wont take up space in fridge and not having to worry about plastic wrap stickage) . Thanks for the easy recipe.
I know, the amount of flour sounds crazy at first right Janae?? So glad you tried it out and loved it. Thanks so much for the review and sharing your notes!
Just made this last night. However, the outter layer was kinda dry, a lil crispy. Did I put too much flour while rolling the dough or it needs more butter? Thanks anyway it still taste good!
I’m not sure what went wrong Lady! Is it possible it was over baked?
I have recently gotten into baking bread, and I am talking VERY recent like this was going to be my second time trying to make dough! I was nervous but determined. I made these today and they were AMAZING!!! I must admit that I did not use cardamom. I also unfortunately did not have cream so I used milk, and I just added more brown sugar to help with the consistency. It still turned out delicious!! The whole family loved it and we took some to our neighbors too! What a wonderful treat to help brighten up this quarantine.
Hooray! Cinnamon rolls really do brighten up a quarantine situation, right?? So glad it was a success for you! And thanks for the tip about using milk instead of cream, that is great! Thanks for commenting!
Karen, try adding prepared vanilla pudding to your dough. It makes a world of difference! That’s how I make my cinnamon rolls, which is a copycat Cinnabon recipe. Sooo good!
That’s a fun idea!!
Interesting..how much?
Those who are unfamiliar with cardamom might not realize that this spice comes in several forms. When indicating cardamom in your recipe here, I suggest you specify “ground cardamom”–in contrast to cardamom pods or seeds–if that is what you intended. I always have cardamom in my pantry, but in the pod/seed form for Indian cooking. Ground cardamom would be the most appropriate form in this recipe.
They look great.
I want to try this recipe but I’m from Denmark and in Denmark we mostly use fresh yeast.
Do you have an idea how much I should use.?
I know you’re not using gram and kilo. But it will be lovely if you can find out how much your dry yeast is in yours metric conversion.
I love you blog. I have follow you in the last few years.
Hi Henriette! I looked it up and according to what I could find from Sir Google, you will need about 30 grams of fresh yeast. This is assuming that 10 grams of fresh yeast is equal to 1 teaspoon of dry yeast. I hope this is right, I don’t have a lot of experience with converting to fresh yeast! Good luck, and thank you for reaching out! Let me know how it goes!
The best recipe ever! I have always steered away from attempting cinnamon buns because I feel like they would not hold up to the franchise but these do! Just amazingly good. Great texture and taste. I will absolutely be making these again and again. I am also stealing Cindy’s idea to freeze ahead of time, for myself of course, but also to give away to others if they need a good pick me up snack. Thanks for this recipe!
I’m so glad you loved them Krista! And that’s a great idea to package these up in the freezer for a friend! Love that idea. I’m so glad you’ve found a recipe you love! Thanks for reviewing :)
I have tried many (too many to count) cinnamon roll recipes. I love the texture and taste of these rolls. I froze on cookie sheet immediately after cutting. When I want 1 or 2 leave them out the night before and pop in oven in morning ! Good for giving away this way too. Can give to my daughters and they can have whenever they want.
Thanks for the recipe!!
I love the idea of saving individual cinnamon rolls for when you want just one! That’s genius! So glad you loved the recipe Cindy, thanks for commenting!
Karen, try adding prepared vanilla pudding to your dough. It makes a world of difference! That’s how I make my cinnamon rolls, which is a copycat Cinnabon recipe. Sooo good!
I nailed this recipe! Wow! Best cinnamon roll of my life. Yes, it was that good. The only problem is I ate more than one. It was a wonderful Easter morning treat for the whole family!
Recipe is perfection.
Honestly after all the work of cinnamon rolls I feel like you deserve more than one, Mrs. Luna!! ;) I’m so glad you all enjoyed the recipe! Thanks so much for reviewing!
I almost never post comments but just had to after making these. I’ve been making cinnamon rolls (and sticky pecan rolls) for more than 40 years (I really did start young) and am always working to make them better. I’ve tweaked my yeast dough so that it softer, the flavor is great and people rave over both varieties. But I’m always seeking even better and I think I’ve found it. I made the dough exactly as printed, but had to use 2% milk and did use bread flour as I had some to use up. I put it in the frig overnight (about 15 hours) and was sure that I was going to have a sticky mess to try to roll out – not!! Wow. This rolled so easy.
I made the filling as in the recipe but no cardamon. I prepped on pan for cinnamon rolls – never done that before and for the second pan I did my Carmel for pecan rolls as that is my hubby’s fav. Both varieties turned out amazing. The dough is the lightest and softest I’ve ever made. Because I made 2 different kind of rolls from 1 batch I had to guess on which pans to use and I guessed too small – this dough really rises. That is an easy fix on my part. If making just cinnamon rolls and 11×17 pan is a must. I did use a light powder sugar glaze on the cinnamon rolls, as that is what we like. I can’t wait until I can make these for my sons (one is a pecan roll lover and the other is all about cinnamon rolls) and their wives (who are both equal opportunity sweet roll eaters). I made these for Easter Sunday morning, but of course had to do taste test out of the oven – which was timed with lunch today and my husband agreed that these were even better then my previous best! I am going to try cutting the filling down some as these are extremely rich – even for our taste. Thanks for this amazing recipe and the great instructions. I can make standard kneaded dough in my sleep, so this process (beating in the butter 1 T at a time) was new to me -but very easy.
Your comment about equal opportunity sweet roll eaters had me laughing Mary!! You have smart daughters-in-law, haha. I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe and the different method for making the dough. I really appreciate your thoughtful comments and am sure they will be useful for other readers! I’m so happy you’ve found a new and different recipe to play with, that’s always so much fun right? Thank you Mary!!
Am supposed to let them rise in the oven water bath with the plastic wrap still on?
Hi Meghan! Yes, leave the plastic wrap on! Enjoy!
To cut the rolls use a thread, about 2′ long. Slip it under the rolled up dough, cross the thread & zap! fast, easy, foolproof & leaves the edges in tact.
Thanks for the tip Martha!
What an amazing recipe! Prepared everything yesterday, took them out of the fridge this morning and baked them. These are sooo light and the caramel in the bottom of the pan was sooo decadent! I will make definitely make these again. I have to use more flour on my work surface though, cause this dough is so sticky once it starts heating up, haha!
So happy to hear the rolls were a success Jasmin!! It’s true, the dough is super sticky if not cold. I usually roll it out on parchment paper or a pastry cloth so that I can pick up the whole thing and stick it in the freezer or fridge for a few minutes if it gets too soft before slicing. Thanks so much for reviewing!!
Hi- I’ve been searching for a fantastic cinnamon bun recipe and this looks like it’s just what I’ve been looking for! I had a quick question- my son has a milk allergy and while he’s okay with a lot that’s cooked (the butter for example) he still can’t tolerate cream in any form. Is there something I can sub for that? I know a substitution might not be quite as delicious but I’ve had to learn to get creative to keep him safe. Thanks for your suggestions!
Hi Lauren! I would just omit the butter, cream, and brown sugar called for to coat the pan. The rolls are still super delicious without it! I often make them that way when I’m not feeling over the top. ENjoy!
Good cinnamon rolls with excellent instructions. I would do what she suggests and bake on 11x17x1 inch baking sheet. I put them in a 9×13 baking dish and they overflowed. They were still good but messy and had to cook longer and cover with foil at the end.
Oh no, I’m so sorry they over flowed Leah! That’s a bummer! Thanks for sharing your experience, I’m glad the rolls were still delicious!
I was super excited about making these and the centers of the rolls didn’t rise up nicely and the seemed under cooked in the center :( not sure what went wrong??? Stuck them back in the oven w foil on top so as not to burn. Any recommendations to salvage or what may have gone wrong? Thnx T
Hi Tracy! I’m so sorry they were undercooked, what a bummer. I would recommend doing exactly what you tried, covering with foil if they are in danger of over browning. The best way to know if the centers are done is using a thermometer (190 degrees F) to test for doneness!
Amazing cinnamon rolls. I cut mine thicker, so they did take longer to bake, but other than that this recipe is a keeper! Thanks.
Yay, I’m so glad you liked the recipe Sarah! Thanks for the tip about the cook time!
Question: Can I make the glaze the day before? Will it save in the fridge overnight if I bring to room temp (or warmer?) the day of?
Hi Tracy! Yes you can absolutely make the glaze ahead of time. Store it covered in the fridge! Let sit at room temperature for a few minutes to soften before spreading on the rolls. Enjoy!
The cinnamon rolls tasted great, even without the cardamom. (I didn’t have any.) But, the frosting needed WAY more than 1 cup of powdered sugar. After the first cup, it was still super runny and tasted strongly of butter. I used between 3 and 4 cups of powdered sugar to get a good consistency and flavor.
Hey Bethany! I’m glad you liked the roll recipe! The glaze is not overly sweet, it’s a cream cheese frosting and is meant to be a not overly sweet compliment to the sweet rolls. But I know sweetness preferences are different for everyone!
If Pi were to start and finish this recipe the same day, how long would it take? Just trying to make sure I allot enough time :). Thanks so much! Jay
Hi Jay, the chill takes 2 hours, the second rise takes 45 minutes, and the bake times is less than 20 minutes. The mixing up of the dough and rolling everything out will depend on how fast you are, so you will have to judge that :)
Thank you! Making these for Christmas morning :). Merry Christmas.
Oh My Gosh,
This is my new favorite cinnamon roll recipe.
I followed everything in the recipe.
No tweaking necessary.
Thank you so much.
I’m so happy to hear that Connie! Cinnamon rolls are just the best this time of year. So glad you’ve found a recipe you love! Thanks so much for coming back to comment!
OK…it’s almost time to make these again, using your dough recipe instead of the poser. However, the flour. I’m from the deep south. Buttermilk biscuits are religion down here and we all know you have to use a soft winter wheat to get that tender bite. Are you using bread flour? A soft winter wheat? A hard indian summer wheat? (I made that one up, haha) or just whatever flour is on the shelf?
I do not question people from the deep South about their cooking choices in general for fear of dismemberment, so when you said hard Indian summer wheat, I accepted that it was real NO QUESTION. haha!! ;) :) Honestly I’ve never heard of soft winter wheat either, I’m just a humble California girl who picked up something called “all-purpose flour” at the supermarket. It definitely wasn’t bread flour. I’m sorry I can’t give you more direction than that! Let me know what flour you use and how it goes!!
I was looking for a really good cinnamon roll recipe and this looks like it! I haven’t made them yet but I have a question. Ok two questions. Is it possible to make a half batch of these? Also, rather than using a serrated knife, have you tried unwaxed, unflavored dental floss to cut these?
Thanks!
Hi Trish! Yes you can certainly half the recipe! and no I haven’t tried cutting with dental floss but I’m sure it would work great. Let me know how it goes!!
Did you ever try a traditional Swedish or Finnish recipe with a Pulla type sweet dough? I have never heard of making them with a dinner roll recipe but I have heard of using a Pulla dough which is how they make them in Sweden and Finland where they originated. I like making a huge Pulla dough and making 2 braids plus a couple of pans of rolls if there is enough dough. The dough is very forgiving and easy to handle- actually a pleasure to handle and the freshly ground cardamon baked inside the bread is just heavenly and very fragrant. The only thing I change from the original is the frosting and like you I use a cream cheese frosting.
Hi Kathy! No, I’ve never made a Pulla dough, I’ve never heard of it! If you have a recipe I’d love to have it if you’re willing to share! Karen@thefoodcharlatan.com
I’ve made a lot of cinnamon rolls in my life, ,but this recipe tops them all. The amount of raves received by the friends with which I’ve shared them supports this.
That’s awesome Sharon!! Now you get to be the cinnamon roll queen amongst your friends, never a bad title to have ;) I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe, thank you so much for leaving a review!
I want to THANK YOU sooo much! I know you put a lot of work into creating this recipe and it’s a keeper. I made a big batch of a very popular recipe and honestly, the dough was kinda okay, but the instructions had it cut so short they were too flat, IMO. But the real issue was the filling. The picture you posted of your filling was so gooey and dark and thick. That other recipe, that I won’t name, didn’t have enough cinnamon and there was so much sugary icing, that there was zero cinnamon flavor, even though I used expensive Saigon cinnamon. SO. I had leftover dough, and I recreated YOUR filling and YOUR icing and oh my ever lovin’ good grief, THIS was what I was going for. The cinnamon filling was intense and had that cinnamon BITE. The cream cheese wasn’t too sweet and doesn’t overpower. Thank you so much. Next time, I’ll be doing your dough also. Thank you.
Remind me next time I’m excited about something to say “oh my ever lovin’ good grief” haha! You are awesome. I’m so glad you enjoyed the filling and icing so much! You will have to let me know how it goes with the dough when you try it! Thanks so much for coming back to comment Dana :)
I never write recipe reviews, but I HAD to this time! I made these today…my first time making cinnamon rolls so I wanted to make sure they’d be a bit. And they were! Our friends said they were better than any cinnamon roll from a bakery and took half the pan home! Great recipe. A bit of work but worth the effort :)
Anytime guests take the food home, you know it was a winner! I’m so glad you enjoyed the cinnamon rolls Yael, thanks so much for commenting!
A couple of questions: Dark or Light brown sugar. And, can this be doubled? How would you store the ones that haven’t been eaten, say for the following day? Thank you!
Hi Dana! I used dark brown but either will work fine. Yes you can double it, I would separate the dough before chilling. Store these covered well on the counter! Enjoy!
I never comment on recipe blogs. Midway through making these, I knew I would make an exception. The dough was so sticky, so difficult to work with, and left me so frustrated. I was positive they would never bake right. I haphazardly cut the log and just plopped them in the pan to bake, not one bit concerned about preserving a proper cinnamon roll shape. I almost didn’t even waste the cream cheese making the frosting, so sure was I that they would be a disaster, then I remembered that my sons are coming for breakfast tomorrow; is there anything young men in their 20’s won’t eat?
And OMG. Could I have been more wrong? These rolls are amazing. I could not believe how well they baked up. I wish I’d placed them in the pan with more care but their flavor is not harmed a bit by my sloppiness. This is a great recipe.
I stumbled on your blog looking for a cinnamon roll recipe. I had no idea I was about to find my favorite cinnamon roll recipe. Thank you so much for sharing it with us.
Haha!! Tia your story makes me laugh! Everyone loves a good rags to riches story right?? I’m so glad a presumed failure turned into a great success :) And yes, this dough is a beast to roll out if the dough is not cold. Next time if you are having trouble, put the dough back in the fridge or freezer for 20 minutes and then continue. I’ve even been at the point of have the whole log rolled up ready to slice, but the knife won’t go through because it’s too soft. I just transferred the whole thing to the freezer for a few minutes and then you can slice it just fine. (It helps if you are rolling on a pastry cloth or parchment paper for easy transfer.) Hope this helps. I’m so glad the rolls were delicious!! Thanks for sharing your review!
I just made these and my girls where fighting over who gets the last ones…LOL! My Reverend found out that I was making some and he called me to save him one…Lol! I really enjoyed making them. They were so amazing….I haven’t baked in a long time and I still have some techniques and skills to work out but I’ll get there. Now..I’m waiting for what my Reverend have to say when he eat his..
Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Haha! I love that he called you just to make sure you saved him one. That is awesome, you must be a well known baker in your neck of the woods :) I’m so glad the recipe was a hit Kosha, thanks for sharing a review!
When you say “cream” what do you mean? Is it whipping cream or cool whip cream or heavy cream.
Hi Kosha! You want to get heavy cream or whipping cream. They are the same thing, just with different levels of fat content, kind of like the difference between 1% and 2% milk. Either one works in this recipe. Enjoy!
Okay so this dough is amazing!! I did improvise some so I didn’t have to make a special trip to the grocery. I used evaporated milk at 2%, I didn’t have cardamom so I added a trio of allspice, ginger and clove to give a tiny bit of that warmth. I also added some vanilla and maple flavoring to the frosting. The dough is exactly as you describe, the rise is beautiful and easy to work with. I want to increase the amount of cinnamon swirl some so I may play with this but this is a wonderful rich and splurge worthy recipe!! Thank you so much!
I’m so happy to hear you loved the recipe Melissa! Love the idea of adding ginger and clove, it sounds wonderful. Thanks so much for chiming in with your tips!
I’m so excited to try these!! I have the dough in the fridge now. I was wondering on the rise if I could prepare these and allow a slower rise overnight or up to 6 hours? I was a bit worried about the egg in the dough allowing this. What are your thoughts?
Hey Melissa! Yes you can totally do it, I did it last Christmas Eve. Put the dough in the fridge in a big bowl to allow plenty of rising room and roll out as directed in the morning. Enjoy!!
Hello, I’m wondering if you can use Almond milk instead of the whole milk in the dough recipe? I’m lactose intolerant and buying a container of milk for one recipe would be a waste :/, but if it would change the recipe then I will #ILoveCinnamonRolls lol
Thank you!
Hi Jennifer! It’s possible, but I have no idea if it will work. Your rolls certainly won’t be as rich. I haven’t tried it. Good luck!
Do the rolls stay in the oven for 45 minutes or for 30? I’m confused by the instructions to take them out 15 minutes before
Great question Debra! Let them rise in the oven 30 mins, then take them out and preheat the oven.
can I use white sugar instead of brown for the spread you make for the pan or I can use homemade brown sugar made of molasses and regular white sugar??
Hi Nada! I’ve only tried the recipe as written so I’m not sure. Let me know how it goes!
Oh my word!! This is the ultimate cinnamon roll recipe! Ridiculously Gooey Goodness. Made for father’s day- one very happy father. Thanks for sharing special tips that take this recipe over the edge!
So glad it was a hit for you! Happy father, indeed. I love hearing this. Thanks for the note!
Hello! Before I make attempt these, a few questions. Does this recipe call for unsalted or salted butter? I have not looked through more of your recipes yet, but if not specified which do you usually use?
Also, I’m not sure what you mean by spoon and level flour. I know what level refers to, but does that mean to use a spoon to put the flour in the measuring cup? I haven’t ever made bread or anything like this before. Thanks
Hey Stephanie! Great question. I always use salted butter, but either kind will work fine. If you use unsalted, you could just be a little heavy handed when adding the salt to the dough.
And when I say spoon and level, I just mean don’t go digging your measuring cup into your pot of flour, because that will pack the flour in and that’s not what you want. Use something (a spoon, another measuring cup, whatever) to pour the flour into the measuring cup that you are using, then level if off with a knife, or whatever level instrument you want to use to make the top even. Hope this explanation helps!! Enjoy the cinnamon rolls!!
I made 2 batches of dough,hoping if I leave the 2nd dough in the fridge overnight that it will be easier to work with. I followed the instructions. I’ve made cinnamon rolls before but never with such a sticky dough. It was hard to work with and I left it in the fridge longer than 2 hrs. I had to add alot of flour to make it work. My kitchen was not hot. I made these at night. I just don’t see how it can work being colder.. But I will try with the overnight dough tomorrow. Thank you
Hi Claudia! Yes, brioche dough is very sticky and you can only roll it out when it’s cold. I’m not sure what went wrong! Hopefully your second batch works out okay!
Best ever, hands down. Made dough last night and left in refrigerator over night. Rolled out this morning and let rise. Absolutely the best cinnamon rolls ever. So tender, perfect sweetness, would not change anything.
Thanks
Hi Michael! I’m so happy to hear the cinnamon rolls were a success! Now you’ve got me craving them. Thanks so much for the review!
Quick question- what type of cream do you use for your recipe? Is is Heavy whipping cream? Sour cream? Cream cheese? Your recipe looks really good and I am excited to try it.
Hi Rebecca! Yes, heavy whipping cream, or whipping cream, or it’s sometimes called heavy cream. Sometimes they have different fat percentages but any kind will do for this recipe. Let me know how the rolls turn out!
This was the best rolls I have ever made. I had so many compliments.
Hooray! That’s awesome Mia! I’m so glad you liked the recipe and that everyone else did too :) that’s the best. Thanks for coming back to tell me!!
Absolutely the best cinnamon roll recipe I’ve ever had in my recipe book
I was visiting my family and made these rolls at their house and was a big hit !
Thank you I will be using this recipe over and over again
Hooray! I’m so glad the rolls were a hit Terry! It is the best when you can share with family :) Thank you so much for commenting and leaving a review!
I just made these they were a big hit! Very soft and the flavor didn’t come from just the filling like most recipes 10/10 will make again
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Anna! Thanks for reviewing!
my oven is so small anything over 15 inches doesn’t fit lol
Ah the oven at my old house was tiny like that!! I could only use the smaller pans! So sad. You will just have to do a few batches I guess!
1/2 cup of butter, in your roll recipe, would be 2 sticks, not one. Looks very good!
Hi Janie! No, 1 stick of butter is 1/2 cup (4 ounces) in the United States! Are you from somewhere else? Is it different there?
This is a 100% trash recipe. This makes batter, not dough. Maybe if you allowed comments to be shown in the main page I would have known but now I have wasted hours making a absolute mess of my kitchen. Thanks.
Hi Hannah. I am publishing your comment, so you can rest assured that I do indeed publish all reviews on my recipes. There just haven’t been any poor reviews on this recipe yet, until yours. I’m sorry it didn’t work out. I thought I made it very clear in the recipe that it does indeed make a very batter-like dough. You must refrigerate it to make it workable. Did you skip that step?
I made these cinnamon rolls for a family brunch. They are very light and fluffy. I especially like baking them in the shallow pan so they are not overly large and dense. I will definitely make these rolls again.
I’m so glad you liked them Mary, thanks for the detailed review! I think you and I have very similar cinnamon roll tastes :)
Best cinnamon rolls I’ve ever made! (And I am super picky!) Thank you!
Hooray!! I’m so happy to hear that Brynne! Fluffy cinnamon rolls forever :) Thanks so much for the review!
The best cinnamon bun recipe ever. Very FLUFFY and SOFT and DELICIOUS! THANK YOU FOR SHARING THE RECIPE!
Thank you Hala! I’m so glad you liked it! Thanks for the comment :)
These were a hit Christmas morning !!!
Thanks Dad!!! :) Cinnamon rolls forever!
I made your cinnamon roll recipe on Christmas morning and they are truly outrageous!! THE BEST I have ever eaten!! You are a genius! Thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe. I’m sorry I don’t have a photo to share because we plowed into them before I had a chance! Merry Christmas and Happy New year!!
I’m so happy to hear that Becky!!! They really are the best!! I made FIVE batches of these for my huge family this Christmas (about 30 people, and yes we have tons of leftovers ;) Cinnamon rolls forever!! Thanks so much for commenting with a review, it means so much to me!
Just a question-how tall is your 11*17 baking sheet?
Hey Zosia! Great question, it has 1 inch edge.
Thanks! I made these last night and now I am soon going to put them in the oven. I’ve only ever used my 11×17 as a cookie sheet and a jelly roll pan but I decided to try it. Merry Christmas!
( I didn’t really post my first comment at 6:11 am)
(Oh I get it, it’s the time zones!)
Aww Karen thanks so much for the shout out! These look INCREDIBLE!!! Arg still so many recipes I have to try!!! Can’t wait to give these a whirl and MERRY CHRISTMAS/HOLIDAY SEASON TO YOU!!
Merry Christmas to you too Erika!! I LOVED reading your post and all the discussion and commentary! I was just diving in to developing my cinnamon rolls recipe, so your post came at the perfect time. It seriously was so helpful to see all the comparisons. How you compare ingredients across different recipes is exactly how I do it when I’m developing a new recipe, so it was really fun for me to read. Yay for cinnamon rolls!!!!
Hi! Have you tried freezing these? I must’ve cut them too thin because it made two 9×13 pans so I was thinking about freezing one pan. Any tips?
I’m so excited to try these!!
Hi there! Yes these freeze great! Just cover them tightly with plastic wrap and/or foil and freeze for up to a month! Let thaw in the fridge overnight and then continue with the overnight instructions in the recipe.
I have to say Thank You Again! for another scrumptious (haven’t made yet but I can tell these will be off the Richter scale.)
I save every recipe you’ve sent me. You have a way with words, so don’t ever quit blogging or cooking! Do you have any cookbooks that you’ve published? If not, you should.
Happy Holidays to you and yours. Time to get busy on these cinnamon rolls. YUM!!!!
P.S. where can I purchase a tall 2 C. measuring cup shown in the picture?
Thank you so much for your sweet comment Karen! I’m so happy to hear you are saving my recipes :) I don’t have any cookbooks written yet. Maybe someday! If I do, I will definitely announce it on the blog!
And I bought the 2 C measuring cup at Target! It’s in the Magnolia collection from Chip and Joanna. I love it, but be sure to hand wash, my first one broke in the dishwasher!
10 Things I Hate About You! Such a classic movie😊 Homemade cinnamon rolls for Christmas breakfast are a tradition that my husband brought with him into our family when we got married. I spent today with my sisters baking cinnamon rolls for our families. Some years we have to bake them earlier than others. Merry Christmas Karen, thank you for sharing your recipes and thoughts with us this year!
Yaaaassssss I’m so glad someone got the movie line!! Haha! That’s one of my favorite quotes ever :) And I’m pretty sure we’ve never done cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning (we usually do something different every year) but I feel like this is the year we should start that tradition! There is just something magical about cinnamon rolls, right? Merry Christmas Brandi! Thanks for commenting!