Looking for the perfect cinnamon roll recipe? These gooey rolls are incredibly simple and perfect for beginners, needing only a short 15-minute first rise. Each roll has a delicious cinnamon swirl and fluffy Cinnabon-style frosting. They can be made overnight or frozen, making them ideal for holidays or special breakfasts. Try them once, and you’ll never go back to any other recipe!
One Reader Said: “Literally is the best cinnamon roll recipe EVER. I have been using your recipe for the last few years now, and it never fails to turn out perfectly. It is definitely a staple in our household. I always mix the cinnamon, brown sugar and butter together for the filling, to me it is easier and I like that the sugar mixture doesn’t move as much when you mix it with the butter. If you are like me, and reading the reviews before trying a recipe, you can stop reading and go make the recipe. You won’t be disappointed!!” – Erin
You will love this Giant Fluffy Cinnamon Roll Recipe!
My grandma, an amazing baker, taught me how to make these yummy rolls when I was a girl, and I’ve been making them ever since. Her original recipe was for overnight cinnamon rolls, but I’ve tweaked it so you can make them the morning of as well.
When my now-husband proposed, I was more worried about not bringing these cinnamon rolls than the engagement itself – not really, but almost! Baking them reminds me of family, love, and cherished memories. This recipe has been tried, tested, and loved by thousands—saved over 18,000 times for a reason!
You can trust this recipe to be foolproof, whether you make them ahead, start them the night before, or whip them up in the morning. These rolls appear on special occasions like Christmas morning, Easter, or whenever I want to spoil my family. They’re really easy—just follow my step-by-step instructions! Trust in a recipe that’s been cherished and perfected over the years.
I enjoy giving precise details in my recipe posts to lead my readers through any questions. If you’re just here for the printable recipe, use the Jump to Recipe to head straight there!
Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls ingredients
- WHOLE MILK | You can use other percentages, but I love whole milk.
- BUTTER | no substitutions here, the real deal.
- SUGAR | I use all-natural cane sugar in almost all of my baking
- BREAD FLOUR | In a pinch, you can make with all-purpose flour, but bread flour will yield the most chewy, tender homemade cinnamon buns.
- YEAST | Doesn’t matter if it’s fast acting or regular, package or jarred!
- EGGS | If you need to quickly bring them to room temperature, submerge them in warm (not hot) water for 5-8 minutes.
- Cinnamon Bun Filling: Brown sugar, Cinnamon, Butter — all the good stuff.
- Cinnabon Frosting: Butter, Cream Cheese, Powdered Sugar, Vanilla extract, pinch of salt and a little milk if needed.
Get the full recipe in the recipe card below.
How to make the frosting for Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls
Step 1 | Heat Milk Base
Place the milk, room-temperature butter, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan and heat on very low, stirring occasionally.
Heating to 120° F (49°C), careful it gets hot really fast, your butter might not be fully melted, that’s okay. If you get it too hot (greater than 130°F/54°C), just give it a couple minutes to cool down, you don’t want to scald your yeast.
Take out 2 additional sticks of butter and your cream cheese to soften while making your dough.
Step 2 | Make Dough
While your milk, sugar, butter mixture is heating, measure out 2 cups of the flour into the bowl of your mixer, add the yeast and mix gently.
Slowly pour the warm milk mixture into the flour and yeast mixture, mixing on low. Add room-temperature eggs* to the flour and milk mixture and the rest of your flour.
Once your dough is mixed thoroughly, replace your paddle attachment with the “J” hook and let it knead the dough for you, about 5-10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
Don’t have a kneading hook? Place the dough on a floured surface and get your upper body workout in for the morning, kneading the dough for the same amount of time, tossing in a little more flour if it gets too sticky.
BAKING HACK | Did you forget to take your eggs out of the fridge? No worries. Submerge eggs in the bowl with warm (not hot) water for 5-7 minutes.
Step 3 | Rest Dough
Grease a bowl with a teaspoon of oil, using a paper towel spread oil around bowl, plop dough in and turn over covering dough with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot for about 15 minutes to rest.
Warm rising spot? Preheat your oven on its lowest setting, then turn off oven. Place the dough in the now warm, but turn off oven. If your oven has a “proofing” setting, place on that setting and let rise for 15 minutes.
Step 4 | Make Filling
Meanwhile in a small bowl, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon with a fork and set aside.
Once the dough has rested for about 15 minutes, place on a floured surface and roll out into roughly an 18 x 21 inch rectangle.
Next spread the ½ cup softened butter, evenly onto the dough, I like using an offset spatula.
Spread cinnamon sugar mixture evenly over the top of the butter within about ½ inch of the edges.
Starting with the long edge, roll tightly into a log.
Using a little water, rub along the edge of the dough and pinch edges together to get a good seal.
- Slice into 10-16 even rolls, if you want to get all perfectionistic you can measure your log.
- I usually eyeball it and adjust if needed.
Place in greased (buttered or non-stick spray) 9×13 pan or line with parchment paper, with space between each roll.
Cover with a damp tea towel or plastic wrap and return to that warm place to rise until nearly doubled, about 45 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400° (375 if using a dark or glass pan), remove rolls before preheating. They have now doubled in size!
Bake for about 12-15 minutes. Don’t overbake; if anything, underbake slightly until risen and slightly golden.
How to make Cinnabon Frosting
- In a large mixing bowl whip together butter, cream cheese until smooth, add powdered sugar, vanilla and pinch of sea salt; beating until smooth and fluffy, if needed add a teaspoon or so of milk or cream.
- Smother over the tops of warm rolls, serve immediately. Or spread on rolls individually.
Tips for Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls
- Fresh Yeast! To check if your yeast is still good, dissolve a little in warm water with a pinch of sugar. If it bubbles up after a few minutes, it’s ready to use.
- Scoop and level your flour. Bread flour works best because it has more protein, making the rolls softer. But if you prefer, you can still use all-purpose flour. Just make sure to scoop and level it to get the right amount.
- Ovens vary. Check your oven temperature with an oven thermometer to make sure it’s accurate. And be patient—baking times can vary slightly, so keep an eye on your rolls.
- Kitchen temperature matters. If your kitchen is too cold, your dough might take longer to rise. If it’s too warm, it could rise too quickly. Try to keep your kitchen at a consistent, comfortable temperature for the best results.
- Don’t rush the rising process. Let your dough rise until it’s doubled in size. This can take longer on colder days, but the wait is worth it for soft, fluffy rolls.
- Watch Ingredient Temps: If you overheat your butter, sugar, milk mixture, cool it off to 120-130° F.
- Use room temperature eggs. Your dough will mix more smoothly with room temperature eggs. If you forget to take them out in advance, simply submerge them in warm (not hot) water for 5-7 minutes.
- Roll the dough evenly. When rolling out your dough, try to keep it an even thickness throughout. This helps ensure all your rolls bake evenly.
- Don’t skimp on the filling. Be generous with your cinnamon-sugar filling. It’s what makes each bite deliciously gooey and flavorful.
- Cut the rolls evenly. Use a sharp knife or dental floss to cut your rolls. This keeps them from squishing and ensures they bake evenly.
- Properly space your rolls. When placing your rolls in the baking pan, leave a little space between each one. They’ll expand as they bake and fill in the gaps.
Cinnamon Bun Recipe FAQs
YOU BET! Make the recipe up to the sliced roll stage, cover tightly with plastic wrap and put in refrigerator overnight. They will rise slowly, take out in the morning bringing to room temp and making sure they are doubled, preheat your oven and bake.
Since you are making sweet bread, bread flour is best! Available at most grocery stores, bread flour will ensure your ooey-gooey cinnamon rolls are soft, fluffy with the perfect rise. However; in a pinch I’ve used all-purpose flour, and it still turns out well, maybe not as fluffy.
Yes, they will continue to rise slowly in the refrigerator. Be sure to cover tightly with plastic wrap and bring to room temperature (at least 30-60 minutes) before baking.
These super easy, light, and fluffy yeast rolls are also great for Easter! Give them a whirl!
Looking for more great breakfast treats?
Breakfast is champion in our house, especially during the holidays or on a lazy weekend. Check out all of our breakfast recipes, below are a few of our favorites.
- Crock Pot Cinnamon Roll Casserole (so gooey and a great, quick alternative to regular cinnamon rolls.
- Cinnamon Swirl Bundt Cake – Easy and so good! Starts with a cake mix!
- Cinnamon Crunch Scones or try these Cinnamon Chip Scones, drool!
- Overnight Cinnamon French Toast
- Chocolate Croissant French Toast
- Copycat Panera Pumpkin Muffin Recipe or these Orange Scones (super popular!)
I hope you loved this incredible recipe for Gooey Cinnamon Rolls, it will become your favorite too!
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
DOUGH
- 1 cup milk whole is best
- ⅓ cup butter room temperature (don’t substitute)
- ½ cup all-natural cane sugar or white sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 ¼ cups bread flour plus extra for rolling (may use AP Flour if necessary)
- 2 ¼ teaspoons Instant dry yeast or one package, see notes about Instant vs. Active dry yeast.
- 2 large eggs room temperature*
FILLING
- 1 cup brown sugar packed, or combination of granulated and brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- ½ cup butter softened (don’t substitute)
FROSTING
- ½ cup butter softened
- 8 oz cream cheese regular or neufatchel is fine (room temperature)
- 2-3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- pinch of salt
- 1-2 teaspoons of milk or cream if needed optional
Instructions
MAKING THE CINNAMON ROLLS
- Remove butter, eggs and cream cheese from fridge, allow to come to room temp for recipe.
- Combine milk, butter, sugar and salt in small saucepan and on low, bring to about 120°. Careful it can go from warm to hot fast. If too hot (greater than 130 degrees), let sit until cools slightly. Butter may not be completely melted, that's okay.
- While milk is warming, place 2 cups of bread flour and yeast into bowl of mixer and gently mix to combine.
- Slowly pour in milk, butter, sugar mixture into flour and yeast mixture, mixing on low.
- Add room temperature eggs and the remaining 2 ¼ cups of flour, mixing well to combine. *Forget to take your eggs out, place in bowl of warm (not hot) water for 5-7 minutes)
- After mixing the eggs and all flour in well, replace paddle attachment with J hook for kneading, knead for 5-10 minutes on a low setting, until dough is smooth and elastic. If the dough is too sticky (sticking to the sides of the bowl) after a few minutes, then add a tablespoon more of flour at a time, util it's tacky, but not sticky. The dough should be soft and smooth.
- Don't have a kneading attachment, turn dough onto floured surface and knead for same amount of time.
- Put a teaspoon of oil into a medium bowl and using a paper towel spread it all over the bowl. Plop your dough into bowl and turn to "grease" top and bottom, seal with plastic wrap and set in warm place for 15 minutes to rest (about 30-45 minutes if using active dry yeast). I set my oven on the proof setting at about 75° F. If there is no proof setting, turn your oven on to 100, let it preheat, then TURN OFF, then place the dough inside for first resting.
- Meanwhile, mix together packed brown sugar and cinnamon well in a small bowl, set aside. Or if desired, mix together very soft butter, sugar and cinnamon until it makes a spreadable paste. Sometimes I microwave for 20 seconds to make it easier to spread.
- Once dough has rested, turn onto floured surface and roll out into 18×21 inch rectangle, roughly. Spread with ½ cup softened butter. Spread brown sugar and cinnamon mixture evenly, spreading to within ½ inch of the edges. Or if you combined cinnamon, sugar and butter, spread evenly over the dough.
- Roll, from long side tightly and pinch edges to seal, using a little water on seams if needed. Cut into 10-16 evenly sized rolls and place in greased or parchment lined 9×13 pan. Cover with clean, damp tea towel (or plastic wrap) and allow to rise in warm place for about 45 minutes, until almost double.
- Preheat oven to 400°, 375 if using a dark or glass pan. Bake rolls about 12-15 minutes until slightly golden. While baking or during rising time, make frosting.
FROSTING
- Place butter, cream cheese in mixing bowl, blend until smooth. Slowly add powdered sugar beating on low until incorporated, add vanilla and salt, blend until smooth. If needed add a teaspoon of milk or cream if too thick. Amount of powdered sugar depends on taste.
- Smother warm rolls with frosting and allow to sit for a few minutes before serving.
Notes
OVERNIGHT INSTRUCTIONS
Make the recipe up to the second rise after slicing the rolls. Place a piece of plastic wrap over pan tightly, place in fridge overnight until morning. When ready to bake, while the oven is preheating, remove rolls from the fridge for 30-60 minutes, allowing them to come to room temp and double in size. Bake as directed. Freezing Rolls Sometimes I don’t make up the entire pan. Place unused cinnamon rolls (dough) onto a parchment lined sheet and flash freeze for 1-2 hours. Remove and place in tightly sealed container or baggie, squeezing out as much air as possible. When ready to bake, remove from freezer, placing in pan overnight (or at least 8 hours) in fridge, covered with sprayed plastic wrap. Remove from fridge and allow to sit at room temperature while preheating the oven. Remove plastic wrap and bake as directed. OR place in pan of frozen rolls in warm place (70-80° F) and allow to thaw and rise until doubled on counter, will take 6-8 hours. Bake as directed.Nutrition
Emily-Cora
These are so delicious! I look forward to making them again for Easter and Christmas morning. Note for those using a glass casserole dish-consider spliting the buns into 2 pans to give them more room to rise and bake. I ended up having to bake them so much longer than the recipe because I think my glass casserole pan was overcrowded.
Thank you so much Emily-Cora!! Love your twist and your tips! Thank you!
Akemie
Delicious!!!
Thank you so much!!
Joan Richards
I cannot get the recipe for this.
Hi Joan, sorry about this. I sent you an email re this.
Lauren
These were absolutely delicious! I have been wanting to try making homemade cinnamon rolls for a while and this recipe was perfect! Only thing I had trouble with was that the dough didn’t get poofy at all after the first rise. Not sure why. But they still turned out delicious.
We had a couple leftovers. What is the best way to store any leftovers?
Hi Lauren, could have been your yeast, might just have been cooler than normal in your kitchen and so they were slower.
Store them covered in the counter in an air tight container for a few days. The fridge will dry them out, but you can freeze them and then thaw and warm them in the oven. The frosting will melt into them making them warm and gooey!
Oh and depending on how many leftover try my cinnamon roll bread pudding! It’s amazing! https://www.thefreshcooky.com/cinnamon-roll-bread-pudding/
Brook
Make with salted or unsalted butter ?
I always use salted butter Brook, but if you normally use unsalted then use that.
Lexi
When making 24hrs in advance and you said do the recipe up to the 2nd rise, does that mean DO the second rise or DONT Do the second rise?
Put them in the fridge before they rise the second time. They will slowly continue to rise in the fridge. Then you’ll want to allow them to double right before baking.
Rachel Pike
If I want to cook a pan of frozen rolls Christmas morning, do you recommend thawing & rising at room or refrigerator temperature the night before?
Hi Rachel, a great question! The best and safest way would be to thaw overnight in the fridge, thawing in the fridge will be more controlled and you will end up with better texture in the long run. Let me know how you like them!
Donna Andrews
Can I make these 2 days before I bake them?
They might over-rise a bit 2 days before, 1 day before absolutely, but just keep an eye on them, if they start really poofing up in the fridge, I would bake them sooner rather than later. You can also underbake them slightly and then warm them to finish their baking the morning or day you want them. Hope that helps, Donna!
Carol
I made these early to test and I learned to wait until they cooled more before icing. But tasted so good.
Making again on Thanksgiving morning.
So glad you loved them Carol! My family likes a little icing right as they come out so it melts in and then another swirl when they are cooled a bit more. 😆 happy Thanksgiving!
Danielle
Really yummy but had to bake quite a bit longer than indicated. Followed the recipe to a T
Thanks Danielle, so glad you liked them. Everyone loves their cinnamon rolls baked a little differently. And every oven is a little different. Sorry yours took so long! But so glad you loved them!!
Dawn
They turned out great, I will make them again. Very easy.
So happy to hear that, Dawn! Thanks for your sweet words!
Storm
These were absolutely amazing! I love a messy, gooey, cinnamon roll, and these did not disappoint. This is the best batch I have ever made, and the only recipe I will ever use. Jeez, these were so good. HUGE thank you, Kathleen!
Oh thank you so much for making my month with your sweet comment!! Happy cinnamon rolling!
THERESA Marie BUBA
These are great! BUT I worked at Cinnabon, jtlyk… there’s a small amount of lemon extract in the frosting as well. Hope this helps!
Thanks so much for your kind comment and that tip!!!
Kelsey
Kathleen! These were by far the easiest cinnamon rolls to make! The dough is so easy to handle and rolls out so nicely. And when I say delicious, I mean DELICIOUS! My Cinnabon loving husband died over these! I chose to do the overnight method, so I could bake them quickly in the morning but the second rise took way more time than 30-60 minutes. I had them proofing in the oven with the light on (about 80°) and it took over 2 hrs to double in size. So, if you are putting them in the fridge and doing the second rise in the morning, you may need to allow more time than indicated….but it is SO worth the wait! Also, I used these rolls for caramel rolls (replace cream cheese frosting with caramel sauce) and they were lights out 🤤 Will definitely be making these regularly!
Thanks for that tip Kelsey! I’ll try and remember to add a note to the recipe card. Love the caramel idea! Yum!
Pamela Caughron
These cinnamon are the best I ever tasted. My niece and I made these together and both of us have made another batch separately. They are great.
Thank you Pamela! You made my week!!
J
Active dry yeast and instant dry yeast are not the same. If you have active dry it needs to go in the warm milk to bloom before mixing in the flour
Thank you for that tip, I should clarify!!
Dawn
so which yeast would be the best to use? Active or instant??
Hi Dawn – You can use both interchangeably. I used Instant; if you use Active, you will have to allow it to rise a bit longer (15-20 minutes longer) and make sure your milk is warmed. Hope that helps! I’ll clarify on the recipe card too.
Jason C.
Followed this recipe to the letter, which is weird for me because I’m always changing a little something here and there since I live more a mile above sea level. But, having read your story before getting to the recipe, I figured you were also baking at elevation so…no changes neccessary. A special “THANK YOU” for making it easy on those of us who (no longer) live at the beach.
What in the name of sweet, sinful, cinnamon satisfaction have you done here, Kathleen? These are, without a doubt, the best cinnamon rolls I’ve baked. I put a generous helping of icing on as soon as they came out of the oven to let that ooey-gooey magic happen and had about 1/4 of the icing left. I dished that into a container and took it to work for people to dial up their own level of sugar-induced insanity and it did not disappoint.
I bake things for work often; S’more Cookies, Chocolate Truffles, Triple Chocolate Chip Cookies, Blueberry Pie and Mocha Chocolate Cheesecake have all made an appearance in the last few months. These cinnamon rolls were received with the same enthusiasm as anything else and disappeared faster the babysitter’s boyfriend when my garage door opens.
If you take your time with this, like you should anything you bake, you’re in for a treat. If you like your cinnamon rolls cooked through and hard on the outside, I don’t know why you’re still reading this. If you like just a little icing, cut the icing recipe in half. Sure, you can substitute AP flour for cake flour. But, take some time to understand the difference with how it impacts texture and how it compounds if you make other changes, like using lower fat milk or margarine. Afterall, you can’t blame the final product on the recipe if you aren’t following the recipe. Use the pictures in the post for a reference along the way if you aren’t sure how your product should look. Above all, just have fun and keep baking.
Thanks again, Kathleen. This recipe is certainly a keeper!
Well Jason, thank you for making my year!! You are so sweet! Just like the rolls! Thank you for your thoughtful comment!!
Zayna
Hi Kathleen, I’m so sorry but I can’t figure out how to make an independent comment so I’m replying here!
I don’t have a stand mixer, only a hand mixer with beaters and spirals. Would one of those work for the initial mixing, or would I want to mix with a spoon or by hand? Thanks so much. Hoping to make these tonight for Christmas morning breakfast!
Hi Zanya, you surely can use a hand mixer for the initial mixing. but once it starts laboring, stop and finish mixing by hand. You will need to knead it by hand, as hand mixers usually aren’t strong enough to do the final mixing and kneading. Hope you love them!!
Wonderful Christmas gift, best recipe
Best cinnamon roll recipe ever. I bake and give to all my neighbors for Christmas. We’ve only lived here for two years and the neighbors are already asking when the cinnamon rolls are coming this year lol!
Oh I love that!! What. Beautiful story, thank you for sharing with me!
Erin
Literally is the best cinnamon roll recipe EVER. I have been using your recipe for the last few years now, and it never fails to turn out perfectly. It is definitely a staple in our household. I always mix the cinnamon, brown sugar and butter together for the filling, to me it is easier and I like that the sugar mixture doesn’t move as much when you mix it with the butter. If you are like me, and reading the reviews before trying a recipe, you can stop reading and go make the recipe. You won’t be disappointed!! ????
Oh Erin, thank you so very much for your kind words!! You made my year!