This recipe yields a pan of buttery soft, gooey cinnamon sweet, and extra fluffy homemade cinnamon rolls topped with tangy cream cheese icing. It’s been a reader favorite recipe for years and I love it so much that I turned this rich dough into apple cinnamon rolls, pecan sticky buns, maple cinnamon rolls, and even a cinnamon roll wreath. You can make the cinnamon rolls within a few hours or get started the night before using the overnight preparation option.
This recipe is brought to you in partnership with Red Star Yeast.
This cinnamon rolls recipe has lived on the site since 2014. After making countless more batches since I published the recipe plus answering readers’ comments and questions, I thought it would be beneficial to update the post with more helpful information and success tips. Homemade cinnamon rolls are a popular breakfast choice, so I want to make sure you have all the resources you need for this classic recipe.
By the way, if you love this dough, be sure to try it as raspberry sweet rolls or strawberry sweet rolls with lemon glaze next. Or for a sprinkle loaded treat, my birthday cake cinnamon rolls use the same dough, too!
Tell Me About These Homemade Overnight Cinnamon Rolls
- Texture: This is one of my richest homemade doughs, so you’re already promised a soft, springy, and fluffy texture. I usually use all-purpose flour, but if you use the optional bread flour, your rolls will be a little chewier. I find that these homemade cinnamon rolls are even fluffier than my easy 1 rise cinnamon rolls (and that’s because there’s the additional rise here!).
- Flavor: The smell of warm cinnamon rolls is oh-so-irresistible and inviting. Once you take that first bite, you’ll enjoy a fresh homemade dough that’s swirled with endless pockets of (Cinnabon style!) sweet and gooey cinnamon.
- Ease: Homemade dough and shaped breads require more precision and effort than making say, a coffee cake. But the dough is pretty straightforward and simple to shape, as long as you have enough flour nearby for your hands, work surface, and rolling pin.
- Time: This dough requires 2 rises. Once you understand the assembly process, the prep moves pretty quickly. Set aside at least 4-5 hours from start to finish or divide between 2 days with the overnight option. Whichever method you choose, keep in mind most of that time is hands off as the dough rises.
If you are craving cinnamon rolls right now, and just can’t wait for dough to rise, try these no yeast cinnamon rolls!
What Readers are Saying:
“I HAD to come and leave this rave review. I just baked and iced these cinnamon rolls ay 9:05 am. It’s now 10:55 am in a household of only 3 people only two are left. This recipe is the best I’ve ever tried. ★★★★★” – Chelsea
“Delicious and easy to follow! This was my first time cooking with yeast and my first time making homemade cinnamon rolls and this was a great recipe to start with. Everyone at brunch was blown away. ★★★★★” – Hannah
“Delicious! I have tried many cinnamon roll recipes, and this is my new favorite. I prefer a roll that is large, more fluffy than dense/gooey, and buttery without being overly sweet. This fit the bill! ★★★★★” – Brice
Are You a Yeast Beginner?
This Baking with Yeast Guide is a wonderful starting point for beginners. I answer many common yeast FAQs in easy-to-understand explanations, so you can learn the basics before beginning.
7 Crucial Ingredients in These Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
Feel free to skip straight to the recipe. But if you’re new to making bread, the following explanations are points that I’ve learned over the years and will be massively helpful.
- 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 2% or 1% milk, but do not use nonfat milk.
- Sugar: You need 2/3 cup of white granulated sugar in the dough. Use 2 Tablespoons in step 1 below (the proofing step), then add the rest in step 2.
- Yeast: You can use active dry or instant yeast. Follow the directions exactly as written regardless of which you choose. You’ll still proof the yeast in warm milk with some sugar even if you use instant yeast. This step ensures that the yeast is active and not expired. Most yeast these days is already active, but it’s a quick 5-10 minute step that prevents you from wasting your time just in case the yeast has expired. If using active dry yeast, the rise times will be a little longer. For the past 10+ years, my go-to brand has been Red Star Yeast. I always recommend Platinum Yeast from Red Star.
- Butter: This is a rich dough, meaning it has fat to help guarantee softness. Use 1/2 cup of softened butter and to help it blend easier, cut it into 4 pieces before adding.
- Eggs: Like butter, eggs promise a softer, richer dough.
- Salt: Dough is bland without salt.
- Flour: Flour is the structure of the dough. You can use either all-purpose flour or bread flour. You’ll notice the rolls are a little chewier if you use bread flour. It’s not a huge difference, so don’t worry if you only have all-purpose flour. (That’s what I usually use!)
Note: You’ll notice that I use more yeast in this recipe compared to my easy cinnamon rolls. Why? These are much fluffier and larger—about twice the size.
Step-by-Step Photos
Here’s what you’re looking for after you let the warm milk, some of the sugar, and yeast sit for about 5-10 minutes. The top will be a little foamy:
After the dough comes together, it will be a little soft and sticky—that’s normal. As explained in step 3 below, knead the dough on a floured counter or keep it in the mixer for kneading. If you’d like a visual of how to knead the dough by hand, you can watch the full video tutorial in my post on how to knead dough.
What If I Don’t Have a Stand Mixer? If you do not own a mixer, you can mix the dough together with a large wooden spoon/silicone spatula. It will take a bit of arm muscle. A hand mixer works, but the sticky dough repeatedly gets stuck in the beaters. Mixing by hand with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula is a better choice.
Let the dough rise until doubled in size:
Punch the risen dough down and roll it out.
Baker’s Tip: If the dough keeps shrinking as you roll it out, stop what you’re doing, cover it lightly, and let it rest for 10 minutes to relax the gluten. When you return to the dough, it should stretch out much easier.
Spread softened butter on top, then sprinkle on a mixture of cinnamon and sugar (brown sugar or white granulated sugar).
Roll it up:
Use a very sharp knife to cut the roll into 12 rolls, each about 1.5 inches. Arrange in your greased baking pan, cover, then let the rolls rise until doubled in size and puffy, usually about 1 hour. The left photo is before rising and the right photo is after rising:
Bake the rolls and then make the tangy cream cheese icing to smother on top. If cream cheese isn’t your favorite, you could top the rolls with vanilla icing, the brown sugar icing from these pumpkin donuts, maple icing from maple cinnamon rolls, or even the caramel icing from apple cinnamon rolls. Lots of options!
5 Success Tips
- Use brown sugar or granulated sugar in the filling: I used to use granulated sugar in the cinnamon sugar filling, but recently switched to brown sugar for extra flavor. Brown sugar doesn’t necessarily make the filling more moist—there’s so much butter, so it’s moist and gooey either way. Use whichever sugar you prefer.
- Best pan to use: I recommend a 9×13-inch glass pan or metal pan. Avoid ceramic pans. If you must use ceramic, keep in mind that the rolls will likely take longer to bake through.
- Evenly baked cinnamon rolls: These are extra big and fluffy cinnamon rolls, so to help guarantee the centers AND tops cook evenly, tent a piece of aluminum foil over the rolls after about 15 minutes in the oven. This will protect the tops from browning too quickly before the centers can cook.
- Don’t have all morning to spend on this dough? Feel free to prep the dough the night before. This is a wonderful way to save time in the morning so you can wake up and eat sooner. See my make-ahead/overnight instructions in the written recipe below.
How to Freeze Homemade Cinnamon Rolls So They Still Taste Fresh
Let me share a tip I’ve learned after working with this dough for several years. You can prep the rolls and freeze them ahead of time so they still taste fresh.
- Here’s how: Bake the rolls in step 9 for only about 10 minutes. Cool completely, then cover and freeze. To serve, take the rolls out of the freezer and place in the refrigerator overnight to thaw. Once thawed, finish baking them for about 15-20 minutes.
I often use this method when I gift cinnamon rolls to others—just copy/paste or write these freezing instructions down. This method is also helpful if you have company over, want to cut down on time, or are entertaining. I like to make these cinnamon rolls ahead when I’m hosting holidays like Easter. See more Easter brunch recipes, like savory quiche and frittata, to complete your menu.
PrintHomemade Overnight Cinnamon Rolls
- Prep Time: 3 hours, 30 minutes (includes rises)
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours (or overnight)
- Yield: 12 rolls
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This recipe yields a pan of buttery soft, gooey cinnamon sweet, and extra fluffy homemade cinnamon rolls topped with tangy cream cheese icing. You can make the cinnamon rolls within a few hours or get started the night before using the overnight preparation option.
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 cup (240ml) whole milk, warmed to about 100°F (38°C)
- 2/3 cup (135g) granulated sugar, divided
- 1 and 1/2 Tablespoons (14g) active dry or instant yeast (2 standard size packets)*
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature and cut into 4 pieces
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 and 1/2 cups (563g) all-purpose flour or bread flour (spooned & leveled), plus more as needed
- 2 teaspoons canola, vegetable, or olive oil for bowl (or use nonstick spray)
Filling
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 2/3 cup (135g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1 and 1/2 Tablespoons ground cinnamon
Cream Cheese Icing
- 4 ounces (113g) full-fat brick cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (120g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1 Tablespoon (15ml) heavy cream or milk
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Prepare the dough: Whisk the warm milk, 2 Tablespoons sugar, and the yeast together in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a dough hook or paddle attachment. Cover and allow mixture to sit for about 5 minutes or until foamy on top. *If you do not own a mixer, you can do this in a large mixing bowl and in the next step, mix the dough together with a large wooden spoon/silicone spatula. It will take a bit of arm muscle. A hand mixer works, but the sticky dough repeatedly gets stuck in the beaters. Mixing by hand with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula is a better choice.*
- On medium speed, beat in the remaining sugar (which should be 1/2 cup/100g) and the softened butter until it is slightly broken up. Add the eggs and salt and beat on medium speed until combined. The butter won’t really be mixing into the mixture, so don’t be alarmed if it stays in pieces. Switch the mixer down to low speed and with it running, add 1 cup of flour at a time, making sure it’s fully incorporated before adding the next. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. After 4 cups have been added, add the last 1/2 cup and beat until the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 3 minutes. Dough will be soft.
- Knead the dough: Keep the dough in the mixer (and switch to the dough hook if you used the paddle) and beat for an additional 5 full minutes, or knead by hand on a lightly floured surface for 5 full minutes. (If you’re new to bread-baking, my How to Knead Dough video tutorial can help here.) If the dough becomes too sticky during the kneading process, sprinkle 1 teaspoon of flour at a time on the dough or on the work surface/in the bowl to make a soft, slightly tacky dough. Do not add more flour than you need because you do not want a dry dough. After kneading, the dough should still feel a little soft. Poke it with your finger—if it slowly bounces back, your dough is ready to rise. You can also do a “windowpane test” to see if your dough has been kneaded long enough: tear off a small (roughly golfball-size) piece of dough and gently stretch it out until it’s thin enough for light to pass through it. Hold it up to a window or light. Does light pass through the stretched dough without the dough tearing first? If so, your dough has been kneaded long enough and is ready to rise. If not, keep kneading until it passes the windowpane test.
- 1st Rise: Lightly grease a large bowl with oil or use nonstick spray. Place the dough in the bowl, turning it to coat all sides in the oil. Cover the bowl with aluminum foil, plastic wrap, or a clean kitchen towel. Allow the dough to rise in a relatively warm environment for 2 hours or until double in size. (I always let it rise on the counter and it takes about 2 hours. For a tiny reduction in rise time, see my answer to Where Should Dough Rise? in my Baking with Yeast Guide.)
- Grease the bottom and sides of a metal or glass 9×13-inch baking dish (glass or metal) or line with parchment paper.
- Roll out the dough: Punch down the dough to release the air. Place dough on a lightly floured work surface and using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll dough into a 12×18-inch rectangle. Make sure the dough is smooth and evenly thick. If the dough keeps shrinking as you roll it out, stop what you’re doing, cover it lightly, and let it rest for 10 minutes to relax the gluten. When you return to the dough, it should stretch out much easier.
- For the filling: Spread the softened butter all over the dough. The softer the butter is, the easier it is to spread in this step. (Microwave it for a few seconds to soften if needed.) In a small bowl, mix the sugar and cinnamon together. Sprinkle evenly over the butter. Tightly roll up the dough to form an 18-inch-long log. If some filling spills out, sprinkle it on top of the roll. With an extra sharp knife, cut into 12 even rolls, about 1.5 inches each. Arrange in the prepared baking pan.
- 2nd Rise: Cover the rolls tightly and allow to rise until puffy, about 1 hour. (Or use the overnight option in the Notes below.)
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).
- Bake for about 25–28 minutes or until they are lightly browned on top. After about 15 minutes, tent a piece of aluminum foil over the top of the pan to prevent the tops from browning too quickly. Remove pan from the oven and place pan on a wire rack for about 10 minutes as you make the icing.
- 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 medium speed until smooth and creamy. Add the confectioners’ sugar, cream/milk, and vanilla. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then switch to high speed and beat for 1 minute. Spread the icing over the warm rolls and serve immediately.
- Cover leftover frosted or unfrosted rolls tightly and store at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions – Overnight: To prepare the night before serving, prepare the rolls through step 7. Cover the rolls tightly and refrigerate for 8–12 hours. (16 hours max. 8–12 hours is best, but 16 hours is OK if absolutely needed. Do not exceed 16 hours.) The next morning, remove from the refrigerator and allow to rise on the counter for 1–2 hours before continuing with step 9.
- Make Ahead Instructions – Freezing: Baked rolls can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and warm up before enjoying. You can also freeze the unbaked rolls and here’s how: bake the rolls in step 9 for only about 10 minutes. Cool completely, then cover tightly and freeze. To serve, take the rolls out of the freezer and place in the refrigerator overnight to thaw. Once thawed, finish baking them for about 15–20 minutes.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Stand Mixer or Large Glass Mixing Bowl with Silicone Spatula or Wooden Spoon | Rolling Pin | 9×13-inch Glass Baking Pan or Metal Baking Pan | Cooling Rack
- Milk: I recommend using whole milk for the best, richest-tasting dough. You could also use buttermilk. Reduced-fat, low-fat, or nondairy milk works in a pinch. Do not use nonfat milk.
- Yeast: You can use active dry or instant yeast in this recipe. Follow all of the same instructions. If using active dry yeast, the rise times are usually slightly longer. Reference my Baking with Yeast Guide for answers to common yeast FAQs.
- Other Icing Options: Instead of cream cheese icing, you can top the warm rolls with vanilla icing, the brown sugar icing from these pumpkin donuts, maple icing from maple cinnamon rolls, or even the caramel icing from apple cinnamon rolls.
- Gluten Free: We have not tested this recipe with gluten-free flour, so we are unsure of the results.
I am an avid follower of your blog, I’ve tried many of your recipes and love them all! For awhile now I’ve been making your Easy Cinnamon Rolls because they are fantastic and, well, easy. I decided to try these overnight rolls and am blown away by the flavor and texture in these rolls compared to the others (which are still amazing). As long as I can get myself together enough to plan ahead, these will be my go-to cinnamon rolls. Thanks for another great recipe!
Just made these for Christmas morning, and they were an absolute hit. Nothing better than waking up to pull the rolls out of the fridge to rise, and sip coffee by the tree while waiting for everyone else to wake up. Thanks for this recipe!
This is my go-to cinnamon roll recipe and had become our Christmas morning tradition! I’ve always been nervous about making cinnamon rolls for whatever reason, but these turned out beautifully the first time I made them and every since. This year, I added cranberries to the dough (dried cranberries soaked to plump them up) and it was a delightful addition!
Made these for Christmas morning and OH MY GOD the best cinnamon rolls I’ve ever had. My boyfriend said they took him right back to his grandmothers and even my mom said that they were better than hers!! WINNER never even look for another recipes! Forever making
Hi Sally,
Thanks for your recipe. My buns were very soft inside but the top portion of the buns are crispy, where did I do wrong? Thanks.
Best Regards
Alice
Hi Alice, that’s an easy fix for next time. First, lower the oven rack on which you bake these rolls. Also, lower the oven temperature so the rolls can bake more evenly (and increase the bake time, too). You can also tent the rolls with aluminum foil so they bake more evenly, too.
Sally, they were soooooo good!!! Thank you! Going to be a tradition now!
I make cinnamon rolls for every holiday but wanted to try an overnight receipt. These are by far the best cinnamon rolls I have ever made! I did change the filling to 1/3 c white granulated sugar and 1/3 c brown sugar!
I have a little more than 30 minutes until the 2 hours are up!
I have made several batches of these (my first attempt at cinnamon rolls) and they are a very tasty, easy to make cinnamon roll. The only change I made was to add more cinnamon and butter filling as our family really likes cinnamon. I am not a newbie at baking but does anyone have suggestions as to the corner rolls? I have used glass and foil pans and have tried one pan centered and two pans side by side in the oven. I cover the rolls halfway through and rotate the pan/pans for even baking. However, the corner rolls and sometimes the all the rolls along the side are usually hard/tough. I do not think I am overbaking, because the center rolls are “perfect” (soft and just beginning to change color).
It’s helpful to lower the oven rack so the whole pan bakes for evenly. Also, tent the whole pan with aluminum foil after about 10 minutes. This will help the rolls bake more evenly too.
To avoid issues with corner rolls use two cake pans or two 8 inch gas iron skillets. Just made these and used two skillets. This is an awesome and flexible recipe you can use as a base for other rolls.
Hi Sally, I’m a total amateur when it comes to baking anything beyond cookies, and the details and tips you provide have basically taught me how to bake (so far, perfect pumpkin cupcakes and cranberry orange scones).
Apologies if this was asked and answered, but how would I adapt this to make mini-rolls or half size rolls? Different shape log to shape… thickness… bake pan size/temp…?
If anyone has tried this, feel free to comment!
Hi Victoria, I’m so happy you have been finding the posts helpful! I haven’t tried making these into mini rolls but I might start by shaping the dough into two 6×18 inch rectangles and try rolling them that way. You won’t get as much of the filling in each roll though!
Sally, thanks very much for your reply! I’m not the original poster but I do know her personally and so I’m benefiting greatly from her love of your baking addiction. 😉
Victoria says she’ll try those half-sized rolls per your suggestion.
I have been searching for the perfect cinammon roll recipe for years and I have finally found it! As happy chance would have it, this is also the easiest recipe I’ve tried. The rolls are soft, tender, and perfectly delectable!
These turned out to be one of the best things I have ever baked. I absolutely love this recipe and will be making these again many, many times!
I love your recipes and have made many of them. The last few times I have made these cinnamon rolls my family has raved about how good they are, but I feel like there’s something wrong with the texture. I make them in the stand mixer and he is all good ingredients but I feel like the texture of the roll itself is wrong. Help me! What am I doing wrong? I also have this problem with dinner rolls. I want them to feel more velvety in your mouth, but the baked product feels too stiff.
Hi Samantha! Are you over-measuring the flour? With both recipes, you want a very soft dough. Spoon and level your flour and do not use more flour than you possibly need. Soft, supple dough = soft, supple cinnamon rolls and dinner rolls. Also, avoid over-baking. The rolls will lose their softness if over-baked. I hope this helps.
So I want these xmas morning but not sure I can get up early enough to let them rise for an additional hour plus before baking them? That would mean I would have to wake at 4 to put them in the oven by 6 to be ready for 6:30-7 breakfast… so can I leave them covered but out overnight in the cold basement? Bring them up stairs and bake for longer in the warm oven??
I am no expert at all but have made these many times and had a few fails I can share 🙂 I worry if you left them overnight in the basement, they’d over-rise on the second rise and you’d end up with overflowing dough. I make these every Christmas morning and find the last rise only takes about an hour if I put them in my cold oven with the light on. We usually eat them while we open presents (rather than a sit down breakfast) so I don’t have to wake up too much earlier than the rest of the crew! Good luck!!
You might also try Sally’s crockpot cinnamon rolls! https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/easy-slow-cooker-cinnamon-rolls/
They can be made ahead and throw in the crockpot in the morning so you could turn it on and go back to sleep 🙂 Be careful with these though – my crockpot runs a little hot and I burned them the first few times!
Boil a pot of water and pour it 9×13 pan placed on the rack under the buns for about 30 mins. The heat and moisture will wake the dough faster, and you can bake sooner. I do this every year with great results.
Hi Elizabeth, If it’s very humid that could certainly impact the dough. How did they turn out once baked?
They turned out delicious ! So soft and tasty and perfectly baked throughout the whole dish. They just didn’t hold their shape well, so they didn’t have that perfect spiral look. Going to try again in a few days when the weather cools off with the apple version of this recipe!
Is there a difference in taste or texture of these rolls and your easy homemade cinnamon rolls? (besides the icing)
Hi Catherine! These cinnamon rolls are softer with a more developed dough flavor since they rose overnight. I love this recipe for traditional cinnamon rolls.
I am in Florida with a lot of humidty now in August. My dough is super sticky. I added more flour during the hand kneading process, but still a little sticky. Any recommendations. FYI, once baked they were fabulous!
If the end result was fabulous then you did everything right! Try coating your hands with flour while working with the dough to help, but unfortunately if it’s a super humid day it might be a bit more messy 🙂
I made these for a 2nd time and they were a big hit over a Saturday party (our no-fuss, extremely small wedding) and a Sunday party (friends came over to toast our nuptials). People really went on and on about them and said they’re better than cinnabon’s. My new hubby said this 2nd batch was even more amazing than my 1st attempt. Practice makes perfect. These will be on a regular rotation. I ain’t afraid of no yeast! Thanks, Sally!
Congratulations on your wedding! Cinnamon rolls sound like a lovely way to start your journey together 🙂
I was searching for a better overnight cinnamon rolls recipe than the one I had and this is just incredible! So fluffy and buttery. I had made my research first and had read comments in several blogs. For those who are searching for the best overnight cinnamon rolls recipe ,you are in the right place. Thank you Sally for sharing it!
Since I live in England part of the year I ALWAYS miss certain foods like Cinnamon Rolls. I found your recipe and will never use another. These came out perfect and my daughter was thrilled to have a taste of home (USA) when she woke up this morning. Thanks for all of the great recipes!
This may have already been ask but do they have to stay in the fridge over night? Can I leave them on the counter covered so they can go straight in the oven the next morning?
Hi Lacey! The shaped cinnamon rolls will over-proof at room temperature overnight. Keep in the refrigerator.
I LOVE these rolls!! I make a few tweaks but otherwise fabulous! Wondering if I make in foil pans should I decrease baking temp or anything? I want to take them to work. Thanks!
I just made them and they are incredible! Great recipe and not tht much harder than your easy cinnamon rolls but so much bigger! I made regular icing because no one likes cream cheese frosting anymore around here. Traitors! Still fantastic!
I made these last year and they were a huge hit. Now are a Christmas morning tradition. I send a batch to my sisters for their morning as well. Everyone is making sure I am making those cinnamon rolls for tomorrow. Haha. Thank you for a great recipe.
This is my favourite cinnamon roll receipe by far. Will confess I do mine in the bread maker. I warm the milk up for a minute in microwave add cold butter and eggs. All the dry ingredients go in the top and on the knead cycle. Hour and a half later perfect dough to roll out.
Kids think it’s the best ever so thank you.
Ps am doing a Xmas version involving mincemeat and marzipan. Yumm
I make cinnamon rolls every thanksgiving and I will never use another recipe. These were the best I’ve ever made!
I made these today and they turned out amazing! I did use almond milk since my son I allergic to dairy and they turned out amazing! I also had trouble with the middle of the pan not getting done as quickly as the outside, but I just did as you directed and covered it with foil and baked another 5 minutes and they were perfect!
i added 1/4tsp each cloves, powdered ginger, and allspice + a sprinkle of salt in with the cinnamon which gave it a more interesting flavor. for the icing, i used granulated sugar and doubled the cream cheese, and melted it all together on a stovetop. it caramelized a little, which also gave it a more dynamic taste. overall, it was an amazing recipe besides those little things.