Best Cinnamon Rolls Recipe

Perfect for breakfast, lunch, parties or lazy days at home, you can’t go wrong with cinnamon buns. The bigger and fluffier they are, the better. Here we tell you exactly how to make cinnamon rolls and share our top tips on how you can make them even more delicious. Once you’ve tried this cinnamon roll recipe, you’ll never want to use another one. It’s a simple yet versatile recipe that takes around two hours to prepare and 20 minutes to cook. Then all you have to do is enjoy your homemade cinnamon rolls!

Cinnamon Roll Recipe Ingredients

The ingredients for a cinnamon roll recipe are not difficult to source. However, the recipe does require concentration and patience. If you want the best result, you need to use the best ingredients and they are listed here.

Cinnamon Roll Dough Recipe Ingredients

• 1 cup milk warm (105 degrees F) – use whole milk but almond milk will also work if you cannot use cow’s milk.
• ½ cup granulated sugar and another half tablespoon granulated sugar – you will use this to activate the yeast and to make the dough recipe sweet
• 1 tablespoon quick rise yeast – yeast cinnamon rolls obviously need yeast! Use a quick rise yeast as it will cut down on the preparation time (it does not need proving time) and you get to eat your yummy rolls quicker.
• 2 large eggs at ambient temperature – they give a rich consistency to the dough
• 6 tablespoons butter softened to at least room temperature or a bit warmer
• 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
• 4 cups to 4 ½ cups flour – preferably bread flour as it has a high protein content and this gives a lighter and chewy texture which is so characteristic of these buns. Failing that, all-purpose flour will do.
• 1 teaspoon salt – this helps to control the yeast
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Cinnamon Roll Sugar Filling Recipe Ingredients:

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 ½ tablespoon cinnamon – ground
• 6 tablespoon softened butter

Cinnamon Roll Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe Ingredients:

• 8 ounces cream cheese – soften it before use
• ¼ cup butter – soften it before use
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Make the Dough and Filling

• Put the milk in a microwave for 45-60 seconds and then pour the warm milk the stand mixer bowl with one tablespoon of sugar and one tablespoon of instant yeast. Stir the dough and leave it for five minutes so that it foams.
• Add ½ cup sugar along with the butter, eggs, and vanilla. Use the dough hook to stir it.
• Add the flour, salt and cinnamon and stir the dough at a low speed, then gradually increase it until a large ball forms – it should be smooth and a little tacky.
• Knead the dough on a floured surface – it will get elastic in around three minutes.
• Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover it with a warm and damp towel so that it will rise – it takes about an hour.
• Meanwhile, thoroughly mix the butter, brown sugar and cinnamon.

Assemble the Homemade Cinnamon Buns

• When you are ready to assemble the rolls, sprinkle flour onto a large a large work surface and press the air out of the dough as you form it into a rectangular shape.
• Roll out the dough until it measures 24 inches by 12 inches and is about a quarter of an inch thick.
• Spread your filling over the rectangle with a greased spatula and roll it up.
• Cut into 12 portions, equal in size, and place them in a 9 inch by 13 inch glass baking dish that has previously been lined with parchment paper and lightly greased.
• Cover and allow to rise further for 30 minutes before baking at 350 degrees F for 18-20 minutes. Don’t forget that you must preheat the oven.

Make the Frosting

• As the cinnamon rolls are cooking, you can beat the cheese together with the butter, vanilla, salt and powdered sugar and but do not put it in the fridge.
• Spread it over the cinnamon rolls while they are still warm.
• Serve and enjoy your homemade cinnamon rolls!

Top Tips for a Perfect Cinnamon Bun

• A common mistake is to overheat the milk! It needs to be at around 105-115 degrees F to get great results. If it is hotter than this, it could kill the yeast and you will not get any rise at all! To tell if your milk is at the correct temperature, dip your finger into it. If it feels about the same temperature as a warm bath, then it is perfect. If it feels hotter than this, leave it out for a while to cool down before you use it.
• Do not attempt to use cold butter for making the rolls – this is a good way to ruin your bake! On the other hand, do not use melted butter either as this is highly likely to make your filling leak out before you manage to get the rolls in the oven. Stick with butter that is at ambient temperature for the best results.
• A crucial step when following the recipe for rolls is rubbing the brown sugar into the butter. Don’t rush this stage, it’s important that these two ingredients are combined very well.
• Take your eggs out of the refrigerator a couple of hours before you use them. Cold eggs do not deliver the best baking results. The yeast could be affected by the drop in temperature and you will not get a good rise. The cold egg can also mix with your melted butter and that will cause coagulation.
• Cinnamon rolls are very sticky! It is vital that you put plenty of flour on the work surface and on your rolling pin before you start rolling out. You will also need flour on your hands before you touch them.
• Watch out for soggy centers! Check the middle of the rolls using a skewer and bake for another 10 minutes if needed. Sometimes, the outer layer gets brown before the center is cooked. If this happens, make a tent out of silver foil and place it over the buns to stop the outside from burning as the center cooks.
• You can store the cinnamon rolls in the baking pan overnight in the refrigerator and bake them the next day. Place the pan in a plastic wrap. Bring them to ambient temperature and allow them to rise for 45 minutes before baking.
• You can also freeze the dough after the first rise. When you are ready to use it, defrost it in the refrigerator overnight and then in a warm place for an hour before baking.