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Cinnamon Rolls

Cinnamon Rolls

The ultimate comfort food, these warm Cinnamon Rolls with creamy icing will make your mornings special. Soft, fluffy, and bursting with cinnamon flavor, they’re an easy weeknight treat you’ll want to share!
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Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 23 minutes
Total Time 58 minutes
Course Desserts
Cuisine American
Servings 12 servings
Calories 350 kcal

Equipment

  • Frying Pan
  • Whisk
  • Oven
  • Chef's Knife
  • Mixing Bowl
  • Wooden Spoon
  • Baking Sheet

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup milk (110-115˚F), not hot
  • 2 1/4 tsp instant yeast (rapid rise)
  • 1 egg room temp
  • 2 Tbsp unsalted butter melted, divided
  • 4 Tbsp granulated sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour or bread flour, plus 2 to 4 Tbsp (and more to dust)
  • 6 Tbsp unsalted butter softened, plus more to grease pan
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp ground cinnamon
  • 4 Tbsp unsalted butter softened
  • 4 oz cream cheese softened
  • 1/2 Tbsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup powdered sugar

Instructions
 

  • In a large mixing bowl (or using a stand mixer), add 1 cup warm milk (110-115˚F) and sprinkle with 2 1/4 tsp instant yeast. Whisk in 1 egg, 4 Tbsp sugar, 1 Tbsp melted butter, and 1/2 tsp salt.
  • Add 3 cups flour and stir in with a firm spatula or wooden spoon. Add more flour 1 Tbsp at a time just until dough is no longer sticking to fingertips or the walls of the bowl. It should still feel slightly sticky but won’t stick to clean/dry fingertips.
  • Knead the dough by hand for 3 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm 100˚F oven for 30 minutes (or at room temp 1 hour), until doubled in size.
  • Generously dust a clean work surface with flour and turn the dough out onto the floured surface. Sprinkle dough lightly with flour and roll into even 17″x10″ rectangle, squaring off the sides.
  • Dot the surface of dough with 6 Tbsp softened butter and spread it out evenly all the way to the edges.
  • In a small bowl, stir together 1/4 cup sugar and 1 1/2 Tbsp cinnamon and sprinkle ALL OF IT evenly over buttered dough.
  • Roll the dough up starting with one of the longer sides and work in a typewriter motion, keeping a tight roll. Once it's rolled up, push ends in slightly to make them a little more uniform then slice into 12 equal-sized rolls.
  • Butter sides and bottom of a 9×13 metal baking pan with 1 Tbsp butter and arrange cinnamon rolls, evenly spaced with the cut-side down. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm 100˚F oven 20-30 minutes, (or room temp 50-60 min), until puffed.
  • Brush tops with 1 Tbsp melted butter and bake at 350˚F for 20-24 mins or until tops are lightly golden. Let cool in pan 15 minutes then frost warm buns generously with the cream cheese glaze.
  • In a medium bowl with an electric hand mixer, cream together 4 Tbsp softened butter and 4 oz cream cheese. Beat in 1/2 Tbsp vanilla then add 1 cup powdered sugar and continue mixing on high speed until fluffy (3-4 min), scraping down the bowl as needed.

Notes

  • On Measuring Flour: Fluff up flour then spoon into a dry measuring cup. Level off the top.
  • Temperature Control: Liquid should not be hotter than 115˚F and oven no hotter than 100˚F or you will cook and ruin the yeast.
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