These easy homemade cinnamon rolls are soft, gooey, and delicious! They’re my family’s favorite holiday breakfast. Make-ahead instructions included!
This cinnamon roll recipe is my family’s favorite holiday breakfast! Easy and delicious, it makes the best cinnamon rolls I’ve tried. They have a soft dough filled with a rich brown sugar and cinnamon swirl. A gooey vanilla glaze (or cream cheese frosting!) takes them over the top.
I first shared this recipe in 2019, inspired by the cinnamon rolls my mom made on Christmas morning when I was growing up. Now with over 350 5-star reviews, it’s since become a reader favorite! I recently updated it with new photos, make-ahead and freezing instructions, and tips for cinnamon roll success.
If you’ve never made homemade cinnamon rolls before, you won’t believe how simple they are to make from scratch! They’re a perfect breakfast for Christmas, Easter, or any weekend brunch. I hope you love them as much as I do!
Ingredients in Cinnamon Rolls
Here’s what you’ll need to make this cinnamon roll recipe:
- Active dry yeast or instant yeast – It helps the dough rise.
- Melted butter and milk – They add moisture and richness to the cinnamon roll dough.
- Sugar – It makes the dough lightly sweet.
- Sea salt – Essential for a flavorful dough.
- All-purpose flour – Spoon and level it to avoid packing too much into your measuring cup.
- Dark brown sugar and cinnamon – They create the delicious cinnamon sugar filling.
- Powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and more milk – For the glaze! It’s sweet, gooey, and quick and easy to mix together. If you love cream cheese icing on cinnamon rolls, top them with my cream cheese frosting instead.
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
Recipe Variation
Make vegan cinnamon rolls: Because this recipe is made without eggs, you can easily make it vegan! Simply use almond milk instead of regular milk and melted coconut oil instead of butter!
How to Make Cinnamon Rolls
I love how easy it is to make this recipe. No stand mixer required! It has three main steps:
- Making the dough
- Filling and shaping the rolls
- Baking and icing them
Here’s an overview of each step:
Making the dough
Start by proofing the yeast. Mix it with warm water and sugar in a small bowl, and set it aside for 5 minutes, or until the yeast is foamy.
Next, mix together the wet and dry ingredients. Combine the melted butter, milk, sugar, salt, and yeast mixture in a medium bowl. Place the flour in a large bowl and add the wet ingredients. Stir to combine.
Next, knead the dough. Use your hands to knead the mixture until it comes together into a rough dough. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and continue to knead until it becomes smooth.
Then, set the dough aside for its first rise. Form it into a ball and place it in a large bowl greased with butter. Cover with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap and set aside until the dough has doubled in size.
Filling and shaping the rolls
After the dough rises, roll it out into a large rectangle. Dust your work surface and rolling pin with flour to prevent sticking.
To add the filling, brush the dough with melted butter and sprinkle it evenly with brown sugar and cinnamon.
Then, roll and cut the rolls. Starting at a short end of the rectangle, roll the dough into a log.
Use a sharp knife to slice the log into 12 even rolls. Place them in a large greased baking pan, cut side up. Cover the rolls and set them aside to rise for 1 hour.
Baking and icing the rolls
After their second rise, bake the cinnamon rolls at 350°F for 25 to 30 minutes, until they’re lightly golden brown. Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool for 10 minutes.
While they cool, make the glaze. Slather it over them and enjoy warm!
Why aren’t my cinnamon rolls fluffy?
If your cinnamon rolls aren’t fluffy, expired or dead yeast is usually the issue.
- Always proof your yeast before making the dough. This simply refers to mixing the yeast with a little warm water and sugar and waiting for it to foam before adding it to the dough. If the yeast doesn’t foam, discard the mixture and start again with new yeast. Note that I recommend proofing active dry AND instant yeast. Instant yeast technically doesn’t require proofing, but I think it’s always best to check freshness to avoid disappointment.
- Don’t overheat the proofing water. 105°F to 115°F is the sweet spot. If the water is too hot, it can kill the yeast!
Cinnamon Roll Recipe Tips
- Use room temperature milk. Cold milk will hinder the rising process. Warm your milk in the microwave for 20 seconds, or let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, before adding it to the dough.
- Let the dough rise somewhere warm. Yeast responds to warmth, so, for an extra-productive rise, stick the dough somewhere warm. We like to put ours on a sunny windowsill! I’ve also had success putting the dough in the oven with the light on while the oven is turned off. The light gives off warmth that helps activate the yeast.
- Add the glaze when the rolls are still warm, but not hot. If the rolls are too hot when you add the glaze, it will melt. If they’re too cold, it won’t spread and ooze over them. I find that letting them cool for 10 minutes brings them to the perfect temperature. They’ll still be warm when you eat them, and the frosting will soften over them without completely melting.
How to Make Overnight Cinnamon Rolls
Get ahead on this cinnamon roll recipe by assembling the rolls the night before you plan to serve them. That way, you can easily bake them off in the morning!
To make overnight cinnamon rolls, prepare the recipe up to the point of slicing the rolls. Place them in the baking dish and cover tightly with foil or plastic wrap. Instead of letting the rolls rise at room temperature, refrigerate them overnight. The next morning, remove the rolls from the fridge. Let them stand at room temperature for 1 hour before uncovering and baking them according to the recipe.
Storage Tips
Store these homemade cinnamon rolls in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. For longer storage, I recommend freezing them.
How to Freeze Cinnamon Rolls
Allow the cinnamon rolls to cool completely after baking. Wrap individual rolls in foil or plastic wrap, or tightly cover the entire baking dish. Store the rolls in the freezer for up to 3 months. Wrapped or covered in foil, they reheat perfectly in a 350°F oven. Add the glaze right before you eat!
More Favorite Brunch Recipes
If you love these soft, fluffy cinnamon rolls, try one of these brunch recipes next:
Getting ready for Christmas morning? Check out these 45 Christmas Breakfast Ideas!
Cinnamon Rolls
Serves 12
These soft and fluffy homemade cinnamon rolls are perfect for the holidays or any weekend brunch! Find make-ahead and freezing instructions in the blog post above.
Other Frosting Options (instead of the glaze)
Prevent your screen from going dark
Grease an 8×11 or 9×13-inch baking dish.
In a small bowl, stir together the water, yeast, and sugar. Set aside for 5 minutes, or until the yeast is foamy.
Make the dough: In a medium bowl, combine the melted butter, milk, sugar, and salt. Stir in the yeast mixture. Place the flour in a large bowl, then add the wet ingredients and stir until combined. The mixture will be sticky. Use your hands to roughly knead the mixture, then turn it out onto a floured surface. Knead the dough for 3 to 4 minutes, or until smooth, sprinkling it with more flour if needed. Form the dough into a ball.
Brush a large bowl with butter and place the dough inside. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Make the filling: In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar and cinnamon.
Punch down the dough and roll it out on a floured surface into a 20×14-inch rectangle. Brush with 2 tablespoons melted butter and sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar to within ½ inch of the edges.
Starting at one of the short 14-inch ends, roll tightly into a log, then use a sharp knife to slice the log into 12 rolls. Place the rolls in the baking dish cut-side up, cover, and let rise for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Make the glaze: In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons milk, and vanilla until smooth. If it’s too thick, add more milk. Alternatively, make this cream cheese frosting recipe instead of the glaze.
Uncover the rolls and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until lightly golden on top. Remove and allow to cool for 10 minutes, then drizzle the glaze or frosting on top and serve.
Make these cinnamon rolls dairy-free by using almond milk instead of regular milk and melted coconut oil instead of butter.
Recipe adapted from Oh She Glows.
