Impossibly Soft Cinnamon Rolls (with Cream Cheese Frosting)
Apr 21, 2020, Updated Apr 28, 2024
This cinnamon roll recipe makes ultra soft, squishy cinnamon rolls. They’re 10/10 foolproof and always tender with my 4 pro tricks!
Soft, Tender Cinnamon Rolls
This is my ultimate tested-till-perfect cinnamon roll recipe for soft, tender cinnamon rolls.
A swirl of soft bun, gooey buttery brown sugar and cinnamon filling, and melty cream cheese frosting. Is there anything better than a cinnamon roll hot from the oven?
Done exactly as written, these homemade cinnamon rolls turn out heavenly every time. This is my go-to recipe for Christmas and Easter morning, and many, many mornings in between.
A few simple tricks are what sets this recipe apart from the pack. You’ll never look back.
4 Science-Backed Tips for the Softest Cinnamon Rolls
- Use a stand mixer. The dough is very wet and sticky, won’t form an actual ball, and kneading by hand will be difficult without adding more flour. More flour will dry out your buns.
- Weigh the flour, as the few extra tablespoons added by scooping compacted flour straight from the bag can also change the final product.
- Don’t overbake. The buns around the outside of the pan will be about 190ºF. I use a meat thermometer to check. The middle ones will be at a lower temperature but will continue baking via carry-over cooking once removed from the oven. No sweat if you don’t have a thermometer. As long as they aren’t sticky-doughy, they’re done.
- And my FAV. I’m obsessed with this LIFE-CHANGING tip for FOOLPROOF deliriously-soft cinnamon rolls: Pour some extra milk into the bottom of the pan after you place the rolls in. The milk adds moisture, keeping the buns soft and squishy as they bake. It creates steam so that an outer crust doesn’t form too quickly and the dough can expand to it’s ✨maximum volume and fluffiness✨. The dough slurps up the extra milk as it bakes. None will be left in the pan. You’re simply left with the most pillowy-soft cinnamon buns of your life.
Want to make your cinnamon rolls in advance so you can just pop them in the oven in the morning? You can definitely do it! But to make them as perfect and delicious, use my tricks.
There are two problems with making cinnamon rolls in advance. The first is that even though yeast is still active in the fridge, the dough is such a rich one that the rise is slow. The rolls won’t rise as much overnight as they would on the counter.
The second problem is that cold dough will bake unevenly. The tops will be very dark brown while the middle rolls are still raw and doughy. Gross.
The TRICK is to bring the rolls to room temperature quickly and allow them to finish their second rise in the morning before you bake them. See below.
How to Make Overnight Cinnamon Rolls
- Prepare the dough up until the second rise. After placing the rolls in the pan and covering with a clean towel, transfer them to the fridge.
- In the morning, lift the parchment out of the baking pan and separate the unbaked cinnamon rolls on the counter. Taking them out of the cold pan and separating them massively speeds up the time to get them to room temperature and finish rising. Plan for 1 hour on the counter to achieve this.
- Once the rolls are at room temperature and doubled in volume from yesterday (take a pic of them before you refrigerate if you’re unsure), put them back in a parchment-lined baking pan and bake as usual. The time will be the same.
Can I Freeze Cinnamon Rolls?
Baked cinnamon rolls freeze extremely well. Separate them (unfrosted) and freeze in a single layer on a baking sheet. Once firm, pack into airtight storage bags or containers for up to 2 months.
Pop one in the microwave for 20-second intervals, flipping upside down then right-side-up, until warm.
Alternatively, freeze the whole unfrosted pan of baked cinnamon rolls and rewarm in a 300ºF oven, covered tightly with foil, until warmed through (expect about an hour).
TIP: tap the “metric “ button in my recipe card to see weight measurements.
Impossibly Soft Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
For Cinnamon Roll Dough:
- 4 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 ¼ tsp instant yeast
- 1 ½ tsp kosher salt
- 1 cup warm milk 110°F – 120°F
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
For the Filling:
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 ½ tbsp ground cinnamon
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
Cream Cheese Frosting (Optional)
- 4 oz cream cheese softened
- ¼ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- A pinch of salt
Additional:
- ¼ cup milk for baking pan
Instructions
To Make the Dough:
- In a large bowl or stand mixer, stir together the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. TIP: tap the “metric “ button in my recipe card to see weight measurements.
- In another bowl, mix the warm milk, melted butter, and eggs.
- Add the milk mixture to the dry ingredients and stir it together to form a shaggy dough.
- Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 7-10 minutes by hand or 3-4 minutes with a stand mixer with a dough hook attached. The dough will initially be sticky; refrain from adding more flour as it will absorb moisture while resting.
- Let the dough rise in a greased, covered bowl in a warm place for about 30-45 minutes.
To Make the Filling:
- Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl.
To Assemble:
- Roll out the dough on a floured surface into a 12×16-inch rectangle.
- Spread the softened butter over the dough, then evenly sprinkle with the brown sugar-cinnamon mixture.
- Roll the dough tightly from the long edge and cut into 8 even slices.
- Cover the slices with plastic wrap and let them rise again for about 2 hours, or until doubled in size.
To Bake:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Just before baking, pour ¼ cup of milk into the bottom of a greased 9×13-inch baking pan. Place the risen rolls in the pan.
- Remove the plastic wrap and bake for 30-40 minutes, covering with foil or parchment after 20 minutes to prevent over-browning. Bake until golden brown and the outer rolls reach 190ºF with a meat thermometer.
- Let the rolls cool in the pan for 10 minutes.
To Make the Frosting (Optional):
- Beat the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and a pinch of salt in a bowl until smooth.
- Spread the frosting on warm buns for a melty, gooey frosting, or wait until completely cool if you prefer frosting not to melt.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I’m now craving cinnamon buns! Merci!
Avec plaisir!
lovin it
can you freeze them with the cream cheese glaze already on
You could in theory… you can freeze the frosting and you can freeze the buns, so why not? You just can’t really warm them up again if they are already frosted.
Thanks for this recipe. I’m gluten free/casein free so I can’t enjoy these but my Grandpa will be so happy!
My never ending problem as been applied here. What if my dough never rises? By never I mean…It’s been at least 4 hours, and there is still no sign of it becoming any lighter.
Is your yeast old?? Is it warm enough where the dough is rising? Use fresh yeast, and let the dough rise in a cold oven with the light turned on – you should have absolutely no problem…
can you use active dry yeast? I don’t have enough of the quick rise….
that should totally work!
You can, you just have to activate it in about 1/4 cup warm water first and reduce the liquid in the recipe by that much.
I baked these and they turned out great! Thanx!
Great! 🙂
I just found your recipe, can’t wait to try it! I love it when the house smells like cinnamon buns!
made these amazing cinnamon buns last week and they were delish!! I’m always looking for new recipies and half the time they are never as good as people describe. But these were great!! Thanks!!
Could you replace the cinnamon filling with a jam and cream cheese mixture? I made the cinnamon rolls, but would like to try something a bit different.
You’d have to try it and see! 🙂
You’d have to try it and see! 🙂