These easy cinnamon rolls from scratch are perfect for yeast beginners because they only require 1 rise. Each cinnamon roll is extra soft with the most delicious cinnamon swirl! The rolls freeze beautifully, so this is a great make-ahead recipe, especially for planning ahead for holidays or the next time you need a special breakfast. Choose from a few easy icing flavors to top the warm & gooey rolls.
This recipe is brought to you in partnership with Red Star Yeast.
I originally published this recipe in 2013 and have since added new photos, a video tutorial, and a few more success tips. I also added one additional step to the recipe that yields even softer, fluffier rolls. This is reflected in the printable recipe below.
This easy cinnamon roll recipe is one of the most popular recipes on my website, for good reason.
These are classic, homestyle cinnamon rolls. It took me lots of recipe testing trial-and-error to develop quick cinnamon rolls that maintain all the flavor and texture of traditional overnight cinnamon rolls. But THIS. IS. IT. And I promise, making these easy cinnamon rolls is 100x more satisfying than that feeling you get from popping open a store-bought can of ready-to-bake rolls.
Here’s Why You’ll Love These Easy Cinnamon Rolls
- All the deliciousness of traditional homemade cinnamon rolls, but in half the time
- Soft and fluffy
- Gooey cinnamon sugar swirl
- Only 1 rise time
- Easy enough for yeast beginners
- Great make-ahead, freezer-friendly recipe—making it an excellent addition to your menu of Easter brunch recipes!
Lately, I’ve had even more success with the dough when I let the yeast dissolve in the warm milk/butter mixture, instead of whisking it into the dry ingredients. The rolls turn out even fluffier and softer, and I know you’ll appreciate that, too! The recipe below includes this small change.
Here’s what some readers are saying about this recipe:
One reader, Kristine, commented: “This recipe is perfect in every way. It is simple to execute and requires a very reasonable amount of time. … The best part for me, however, is that they tasted just like my grandmother’s cinnamon rolls. I have her recipe but it requires hours and hours and I rarely have that kind of time. Tasting these warm from the oven brought back a flood of happy memories and made me feel like I was right back in her kitchen. ★★★★★“
Another reader, Lana, says: “I admit, I was very skeptical about my cinnamon rolls rising in 90 minutes. And I was nervous about making cinnamon rolls because I didn’t think that I could make anything close to what my grandma used to make. But I’ve made other recipes from your site and have been successful so I gave it a try. Let me say, the cinnamon rolls are amazing! And easy! ★★★★★“
Just like grandma used to make! Is there a better compliment than that? I doubt it.
Yeast Beginners Rejoice: Only 1 Rise!
Do you love homemade cinnamon rolls, but are nervous to bake with yeast? You’re not alone! But if you’re curious about learning how to bake with yeast, this recipe is a perfect one to start with. No yeast cinnamon rolls are quick and tasty, but the Fluffiness Factor (I should trademark that) is simply unparalleled when it comes to yeast rolls vs. no-yeast rolls.
Unlike these homemade overnight cinnamon rolls that require hours of rise time, plus a 2nd rise after the rolls are shaped, this easy cinnamon rolls recipe requires only 1 rise, for just 60–90 minutes. And, honestly, they’re every bit as delicious. Bakery-style perfection for beginners!
Are You a Yeast Beginner?
This Baking with Yeast Guide is a wonderful starting point for yeast beginners. I answer many common yeast FAQs in easy-to-understand explanations, so you can learn about the basics before beginning.
Key Ingredients to Use for the Dough
Here’s my #1 tip: I recommend using a strong and dependable yeast. Platinum Yeast from Red Star is a premium instant yeast, which cuts down on rise time. Its careful formula contains natural dough strengtheners and makes working with yeast simple. And simple is always good, right? See recipe Note if using active dry yeast instead.
Here’s the rest of the lineup of ingredients for this rich dough:
- Flour: Flour provides the dough structure. All-purpose flour is best for these cinnamon rolls. You could also use bread flour—the rolls will be chewier.
- Sugar: You need white granulated sugar in the dough, both for flavor and to feed the yeast.
- Salt: Flavor.
- Whole milk: Whole milk is ideal for the richest-tasting cinnamon rolls. Buttermilk works just as well without any changes to the recipe. Many readers have successfully substituted nondairy milks. In a pinch, you can use low-fat milk, but avoid using nonfat milk.
- Butter: This is a rich dough, meaning it has fat to help guarantee softness.
- Egg: Like butter, egg promises a softer, richer dough.
These Step-by-Step Photos Will Help
The first step is to mix your dry ingredients together in a big bowl and this includes the flour, sugar, and salt. After that, warm the milk and butter together, and then whisk in the yeast until it has dissolved. Then you know it can start working its magic in your dough!
Pour this mixture over the dry ingredients, add the egg and then mix everything together. You do not need a stand mixer for this recipe, though you could certainly use one if desired.
Transfer dough to your work surface (below, left), and then knead by hand for 3 minutes until a soft dough forms (below, right). If you’re new to yeasted doughs, my how to knead dough post and video can help with this step.
Let the dough rest for 10 minutes as you prepare the filling—this gives the dough’s gluten a chance to settle and relax, which will make rolling out much easier.
3 Ingredient Filling
- Butter: Use super-soft butter for the filling—not too hard, not too melty. If the butter is too hard, it won’t be easy to spread it evenly over the soft dough. If it’s too melty, it will seep into the dough, and we don’t want that either. Butter that’s had time to soften to room temperature should be just right. If you forgot to get it out of the fridge earlier, here’s my trick for how to soften butter quickly.
- Brown Sugar: Using brown sugar in the filling gives these cinnamon rolls an extra-delicious depth of flavor.
- Cinnamon: You can’t have cinnamon rolls without it!
Roll out the dough and then top with softened butter and the brown sugar & cinnamon mixture.
Many readers have asked about using different fillings. Try using this raspberry cake filling instead—it’s delicious! Or if you love lemons, these lemon sweet rolls use this same dough.
Roll up the dough and then use your sharpest knife to cut into 10-12 rolls.
Why Are My Cinnamon Rolls Not Fluffy?
There are a lot of variables that go into the consistency of dough, even down to the weather and humidity. But the most common reason cinnamon rolls don’t turn out fluffy is because the dough didn’t have enough time to rise. In this particular recipe, with only 1 rise, it’s imperative the shaped rolls double in size in step 5 below. See the next photo? You want a pan of puffy-looking rolls even before baking.
Additionally, be sure to add only as much flour as you need to make a workable dough. This is a soft and tacky dough and it’s not supposed to be tough and hard. Too much flour will give you stiff, dense, dry cinnamon rolls.
Arrange your rolls in a lightly greased 9-inch or 10-inch pan. I appreciate that this recipe makes a slightly smaller batch than most other cinnamon roll recipes.
Here are the rolls before and after rising. This is the only rise! They’re ready to bake after they have nearly doubled in size.
Why Do My Cinnamon Rolls Rise Unevenly When Baking?
Sometimes the centers of the cinnamon rolls can pop up whack-a-mole-style while baking. This is caused by either rolling them too tight, or if the pan is too small/crowded. It’s happened to me many times before. But this is really easy to fix! Pull the pan out of the oven and use the back of a spoon to gently press the overly risen parts back down.
You Have Options for the Icing
I use the same luscious cream cheese icing here that I use for raspberry sweet rolls. It takes just a couple quick minutes to make, and you only need cream cheese, a little butter, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla extract. For something even easier, try a vanilla (or even coffee) icing like we use on coffee cake. Simply whisk confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract, and a little milk or strong coffee together until smooth. The video tutorial in the recipe below shows both icing options.
Spread or drizzle your icing on the warm rolls before serving—both icings seep right into every gooey swirl! The finished rolls pictured above have cream cheese icing, and here is the vanilla icing batch:
These easy cinnamon rolls from scratch are completely irresistible and they take half the time. If you’re looking for that perfect cinnamon roll recipe that doesn’t require 4+ hours, this is the winner.
Success Tips for Making the Best Cinnamon Rolls
- Don’t add more flour than you need. You can add a little more flour to bring the dough into a knead-able consistency, but adding too much will give you dense, dry rolls.
- Don’t kill the yeast. If your butter/milk mixture is too hot, it will kill the yeast and you won’t really notice until you’re far into the recipe… when the rolls won’t rise! Keep the temperature warm to the touch, around 100–110°F (38–43°C). An instant read thermometer is a handy tool for this baking recipe and many others.
- Use your sharpest knife to cut the rolls, so they don’t squish down.
- Use the correct size pan. This recipe makes 10–12 rolls, which fit in a 9- or 10-inch pan. If the pan is too small, they’ll be overcrowded. You can use a 9- or 10-inch pie dish, round cake pan, or square baking pan. If you want larger rolls, check out this recipe for jumbo cinnamon rolls!
- Let the rolls rise in a warm, draft-free environment. Here’s my favorite trick: Preheat your oven to 150°F (66°C), then turn it off. Cover the shaped rolls with aluminum foil and place the pan inside the warm oven. Leave the oven door cracked open for about 30 minutes, then close it and let them finish rising (another 30–60 minutes) in the oven with the door closed. Just don’t forget to take them out of the oven before you preheat it to bake them!
Description
These easy cinnamon rolls are perfect for yeast beginners because they only require 1 rise. You have a few options for toppings. The recipe below includes a simple cream cheese icing, but we also love these with the coffee icing or vanilla icing that’s included in the recipe Notes below.
Ingredients
Dough
- 2 and 3/4 cups (344g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled), plus more as needed
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (180ml) whole milk
- 3 Tablespoons (43g) unsalted butter
- 2 and 1/4 teaspoons Platinum Yeast from Red Star or any instant yeast (1 standard packet)
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
Filling
- 3 Tablespoons (43g) unsalted butter, extra softened
- 1/3 cup (67g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
Cream Cheese Icing
- 4 ounces (113g) full-fat block cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 2 Tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 2/3 cup (80g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Make the dough: Whisk the flour, sugar, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.
- Combine the milk and butter together in a heatproof bowl. Microwave or use the stove and heat until the butter has melted and the mixture is warm to the touch (about 110°F/43°C, no higher). Whisk in the yeast until it has dissolved. Pour mixture into the dry ingredients, add the egg, and stir with a sturdy rubber spatula or wooden spoon OR use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment on medium speed. Mix until a soft dough forms.
- Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface. Using floured hands, knead the dough for 3-5 minutes. You should have a smooth ball of dough. If the dough is super soft or sticky, you can add a little more flour. Place in a lightly greased bowl (I use non-stick spray), cover loosely, and let the dough rest for about 10 minutes as you get the filling ingredients ready.
- Fill the rolls: After 10 minutes, roll the dough out in a 14×8-inch (36×20-cm) rectangle. Spread the softened butter on top. Mix together the cinnamon and brown sugar. Sprinkle it all over the dough. Roll up the dough to make a 14-inch log. Cut into 10–12 even rolls and arrange in a lightly greased 9- or 10-inch round cake pan, pie dish, or square baking pan.
- Rise: Cover the pan with aluminum foil, plastic wrap, or a clean kitchen towel. Allow the rolls to rise in a relatively warm environment for 60–90 minutes or until double in size. (For a tiny reduction in rise time, see my answer to Where Should Dough Rise? in my Baking with Yeast Guide.)
- Bake the rolls: After the rolls have doubled in size, preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Bake for 24–27 minutes, or until lightly browned. If you notice the tops are getting too brown too quickly, loosely tent the pan with aluminum foil and continue baking. If you want to be precise about their doneness, their internal temperature taken with an instant read thermometer should be around 195–200°F (91–93°C) when done. Remove pan from the oven and place pan on a wire rack as you make the icing. (You can also make the icing as the rolls bake.)
- Make the icing: In a medium bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese on high speed until smooth and creamy. Add the butter and beat until smooth and combined, then beat in the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla until combined. Using a knife or icing spatula, spread the icing over the warm rolls and serve immediately.
- Cover leftover frosted or unfrosted rolls tightly and store at room temperature for a day or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: This dough can be made the night before through step 4. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest in the refrigerator overnight. The next morning, remove from the refrigerator and allow to rise in a warm environment, about 1 hour. Continue with step 6.
- Make Ahead Instructions – Freezing: You can freeze the rolls for up to 3 months, and I recommend a few different methods. The first method is to freeze them after shaping, before they rise (before step 5). Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then let rise for 1.5–2 hours at room temperature before baking. The second method is to par-bake the risen rolls for 10 minutes, let cool completely, then cover and freeze. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking. Finish baking at 375°F (190°C) for around 15 minutes. You can also freeze fully baked rolls. See How to Freeze Cinnamon Rolls for more details about all of these methods.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Electric Stand Mixer or Glass Mixing Bowl with Silicone Spatula/Wooden Spoon | Rolling Pin | 9- inch Round Cake Pan, 9-inch Pie Dish, or 9-inch Square Baking Pan | Instant Read Thermometer | Cooling Rack | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) for icing | Icing Spatula
- Yeast: I highly recommend instant yeast. If you only have active dry yeast, you can use that instead. Active dry and instant yeast can be used interchangeably in recipes (1:1). Active dry yeast has a moderate rate of rising and instant dry yeast has a faster rate of rising; active dry yeast will take longer to raise the dough.
- Milk: This recipe used to call for 1/2 cup (120ml) milk and 1/4 cup (60ml) water. The rolls taste much richer using all milk, and that is what I recommend. Whole milk or even buttermilk are ideal for this dough. If needed, you can substitute 3/4 cup (180ml) lower-fat or nondairy milk.
- Coffee Icing (or Vanilla Icing): Whisk 1 cup (120g) confectioners’ sugar, 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, and 2–3 Tablespoons (30–45ml) strong brewed coffee together until smooth. Or swap milk for coffee for regular vanilla icing. Drizzle over warm rolls.
- Reference my Baking with Yeast Guide for answers to common yeast FAQs.
Reader Comments and Reviews
I’ve made this recipe twice and both times the rolls didn’t rise.
I don’t know what I’m doing wrong.
Hi Bonnie! This baking with yeast guide will be a helpful resource!
Thank you for the recipe. It was my 1st time baking cinnamon rolls, they came out way better than I thought. T
I am making these in a thin aluminum pan to take to someone. Should I drop the baking temperature to 350?
Hi Connie, you shouldn’t need to drop the temperature, but you could if you wish, keeping in mind that the bake time will be a bit longer with a lower temperature.
Best cinnamon rolls EVER! After dreaming of cinnamon rolls for three years, I finally was able to eat gluten again and couldn’t wait to try a new recipe for my favorite pastry. This is by far the best written and tested recipe I have ever used, and will now be my go-to recipe for our family and to share with others.
Well done! Wouldn’t change a single thing.
Hello I’m in charge of our church kitchen. For our 17 weekly farmers market sales i made your lemon blueberry scones. Our most sold product. I had never made scones before and now I feel like a semi pro. Thank you again for such a great recipe and all the notes and tips on scones making. Fir the frozen butter i did however use my food processor and the grating blade. I froze all parts then grated the butter. Wh a t an easy process. Thank you again.
I followed the instructions to a T. They came out beautiful, but the rolls are very bland. I wish I had added vanilla extract/paste to the milk&butter mixture. I think it could have used some additional sugar in the bread as well.
This was a very time consuming process for it to come out disappointing my taste buds.
For the filling can you add chopped apples? Or would it make it to runny from apple juices.
Hi Susan, You can certainly play around with adding some apples to the filling. Make sure to cut them really small so they soften enough during bake time.
What is the exact quantity of each of the indredients? The instructions were unclear.
Hi Lola, the measurements and recipe are about halfway down the page. Or directly under the recipe title, you can click the “jump to recipe” button. Hope you enjoy!
Does frosting mess up if I leave the rolls frosted at room temp for like 8 hours? For example you bring these to a place that doesn’t have a fridge
They should be just fine for 8 hours!
Can these really be stored at room temperatures as stated above in the notes if they are frosted with cream cheese frosting? Shouldn’t dairy be refrigerated?
Hi Jess, cream cheese frosting is safe at room temperature for about a day (I will adjust that) because the sugar helps stabilize the dairy and keeps bacteria growth very low. After that, or if your kitchen runs warm, it’s best to refrigerate. The frosting will firm up in the fridge, so just let your treats come back to room temperature before serving.
What is the best way to reheat these in the oven?
Hi Makenna, we usually reheat at 350 degrees until warm. Wait to add the icing until they are ready to be served.
Hi, I made the c8nnamon rolls and everything looked really good. They were hard. Did i over cook them or did they not rise enough? First time making homemade cinnamon rolls. Any suggestions will be appreciated. Ty!
Hi Teresa, we’re happy to help troubleshoot. If your dough was hard, there could have been too much flour in the dough. How did you measure the flour? Make sure to spoon and level (instead of scooping) to avoid packing in too much flour into your measuring cups – or use a kitchen scale. You can read more about properly measuring baking ingredients in this post. It could also be that they were overbaked just a bit. For next time, you can try reducing the bake time by a few minutes and tenting your pan with foil to ensure the tops don’t brown too quickly. You may also find it helpful to review our Baking with Yeast Guide. Hope this helps!
THANK YOU! I’m new to baking and I’ve made these a bunch of times. They’re delicious and a hit, plus they make me look like a seasoned baker. Delish !
Love this recipe! It works every single time I make it:)
I made these for my family and they were a huge hit. I used my Bosch mixer and I’m very pleased with the results. The rolls were so incredibly light and fluffy. My nephew said it was like eating a cloud.
I will definitely be making these again.
Hi, can you freeze cinnamon rolls after their second rise?
Hi April, we have a tutorial (including video) on how to freeze cinnamon rolls–this should help!
I noticed that you didn’t proof the yeast/milk mixture to activation stage before immediately adding it to the flour. Did I miss something, or is it not necessary for the yeast to activate and bubble before mixing with the flour?
Hi! You are welcome to proof the yeast first, but it was omitted here to make this recipe quicker and simpler than the traditional homemade cinnamon rolls.
Hello!
Is it okay if I don’t have a handheld or stand mixer when making the icing? Can I just do it without?
Hi Jasleen! You can whisk this icing by hand if needed.
hi can i use unbleached flour?
Hi Jay, we prefer to use unbleached flour, but you can certainly use either.
Really easy! All the prep takes minimal amount of time, leave to rest (forget about it until dinner is prepped and cooked) and then baked for fresh dessert! Yum!!
Can this recipe be doubled for a 9 by 13 pan?? Or would that be too much for that size pan? What is better, glass or metal pan for this?
Hi Jenny, a 9×13-inch pan is a bit too large for a single batch of this recipe, but you can use a 9-inch square baking pan, which will give the rolls a little more room. For a 9×13 pan of cinnamon rolls, we recommend using our overnight cinnamon rolls recipe instead. We usually use glass pans, but either pan is fine!
Heya Sally, looking forward to trying this recipe but i have a bad wrist! could i use a dough hook on my stand mixer to knead the bread instead? Thanks for the endless baking inspo!
Hi Lillian, yes you can.
10/10 turned out perfectly! For the filling, I mixed the softened butter and sugar before spreading, doubled the frosting (with less powdered sugar) and only baked for 22 minutes – having the internal temp for the finished rolls was very helpful as my oven cooks hot. Whole family loved them!!
Sally, every type of bread recipe I’ve ever made has been from you. Pretzel buns, bread, cinnamon buns. I cant thank enough for such awesome recipes. They’re exactly what I can understand & bake. And the best part is watching my family chow down. I love you so much for this.
Thank you so much, Bonnie!
Can you make the dough and refrigerate for 24 hours?
For the coffee icing do you use the cream cheese and butter as well or is it just powdered sugar, vanilla , and coffee
No cream cheese or butter, Ryan! Just a simple glaze.
made some rolls using this recipe & they were a hit!! i’ve already printed this recipe so it’ll stay with me forever! some things i added just for extra decadence:
1. add a little bit of nutmeg & cardamom to the brown sugar/cinnamon mix! maybe like a generous tsp of each, i feel like it really added some depth to cinnamon rolls! also perfect for fall
2. mixed in some vanilla bean syrup to the butter (to layer in the roll) literally soooo good!!
My rolls didn’t rise well. They are still delicious. I’m having trouble with activating the yeast, I guess. I don’t want to burn it so I may not have brought it up to temp. Also, my egg was cold, do you think that’s what it was?
Hi Jeanee, Thank you for giving these a try! Have a look at Sally’s Baking with Yeast Guide; there’s a helpful section in there about why yeasted breads don’t rise, and maybe one will resonate with you. Here are some things to consider: What kind of yeast did you use, and did you check the date on it to make sure it wasn’t expired? Did you make sure the milk was the right temperature–not too hot or too cold? How long did you knead the dough? How long did you let the rolls rise for, and were they in a relatively warm spot? Hope this helps for next time!
I’ve done this and it turned out delicious!!! Everyone loved them!
Now I wanted to try making them with Caputo gluten free flour for a friend that can’t eat gluten. Do you think I could follow the same recipe and just swap the flours?
Thank you!
Hi Elie, we haven’t tested these with a gluten free flour, so we’re unsure of the exact results. Let us know if you decide to give it a try!
I did try with a gluten free flour. But after I had made them that I realized that the yeast I used wasn’t gluten free, so my friend didn’t eat. But my husband liked them. I’ll try again with gluten free flour and yeast
I love all your recipes that I’ve tried so far!!!
Where I am, I can’t find packed brown sugar. Only the loose type. Would that still work?
Hi Zaina, packed sugar means packing it tightly into the measuring cup, so yours will work!
The yeast didn’t work for me. When I added the milk, butter and instant yeast, everything clumped up together. So I threw it out and just added instant yeast to the dry ingredients then the wet ingredients. They haven’t rose yet.
Hi St, sorry to hear you had trouble with the yeast in this recipe. Our Baking with Yeast Guide might be a helpful resource for next time!
how many calories per roll?
Hi Claire, We don’t usually include nutrition information as it can vary between different brands of the same ingredients. Plus, many recipes have ingredient substitutions or optional ingredients listed. However, there are many handy online calculators where you can plug in and customize your exact ingredients/brands. Readers have found this one especially helpful: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
I made these and i used buttermilk instead of the milk and they are delcious !
These buns are so great! Scored much better than my usual recipe. Mixed dough in a breadmaker for about 30 minutes. Thanks for sharing.