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.
It’s hard to imagine a more perfect cinnamon roll. Followed directions exactly, but sprinkled a small handful of raisins over the dough before rolling it up.
First time making homemade cinnamon rolls and this recipe was absolutely awesome. Many home bakers can tell you that active dry yeast is harder to find than toilet paper during this Coronavirus crisis. I used my LAST 2 packets for these rolls and it was totally worth it.
Having patience was key, my proofing process was almost ‘iffy’ at first (I think the milk cooled off too fast before combining with the yeast) but continued anyway and worked fine with extra rise time.
Thanks Sally for helping me make something I’d never had the time or confidence to try. It made me feel a sense of joy, pride and accomplishment that I haven’t felt in a long time.
These were delicious! I followed the recipe exactly and found the dough soooo light and tender.
I divided the rolls between two glass 9inch pie plates and used the freezing instructions for the 2nd batch. Can’t wait to have a other fresh batch next week!
I love this recipe. If I double this recipe, will the rolls still taste the same
Oh. My goodness. These are heaven in a roll. My first time making cinnamon rolls from scratch and these were easy and exceeded expectations. I slightly increased the amount of cream cheese and confectioner’s sugar for a thicker frosting and these were perfect. My family and I could not believe how ooey gooey and perfect these came out. Sally’s recipes have never steered me wrong but this is an all-time favorite! Thank you!
Sooooo good! I followed this exactly except I added a little brown sugar to the filling mix. First time I’ve ever made cinnamon rolls, and this will now be my go-to recipe. Thanks!
Came out perfectly. I followed this recipe exactly. I’m glad I have an oven thermometer, my oven runs cool so my thermometer read 375 when I set my oven To 400. I found that the buns rose better ing the glass dish versus metal. I made the whole recipe but only used half of the dough. I placed 3 rolls in each of a 4 1/2 by 9 loaf pan, one glass and one metal. I gave one pan to my neighbors, we ate one and the rest went in the freezer before baking. I will see how the frozen ones turn out in the future.
They were delish. I tried them today, I think they need to be back in the oven for another 5 mins. Can I do that with a bit of frosting?
Well, my butt doesn’t thank you for this, but the rest of me does! What a lovely soft dough, it was a pleasure to work with! I used a dark metal 9×13 pan with parchment on the bottom and had no overdone issues as the other commenter noted. Came out utterly perfect! My husband made copycat cinnabon frosting instead of the glaze and…good lord. Ridiculous. Thanks again!
Hi Sally,
I recently found your site and loving your recipes so far! I’ve made these once before already and currently in the process of making them again! However both times the dough has been quite wet and sticky. No matter how much I flour my counter before turning the dough out it sticks. While the first batch I made turned out delicious once baked, I’m not sure where I’m going wrong to get such a sticky dough!? Any tips or ideas would be much appreciated!
Hi Naomi! So glad you are enjoying my website and recipes! I’m happy to help here. This is a very soft dough. It’s supposed to be a little sticky, so you can use extra flour when rolling it out or even try using a pastry mat to help manage the dough. Also– when preparing the dough, make sure your butter isn’t melted in the slightest and is a cool room temperature. (Here’s my post on room temperature butter if you need it!)
Hi Rhetta! You can cut this dough recipe in half. The 1st rise time will be shorter since there’s less dough. For the 2nd rise, the rolls can still rise overnight or– if not making overnight– just let them double in size and puff up before baking. Bake time will be a little shorter too.
Hi Sally,
My daughter recommended these for our quarantined Easter brunch. It is just my husband and me so I halved the recipe and they can’t out perfect. Thank you!
Hi Sally! I’m planning on making your cinnamon rolls this weekend and was wondering, for the next day when I take the rolls out of the fridge to do the second rise am I suppose to put them in a warm over to rise like the first rise or just set them out on the counter?
P.S. I love all your recipes!
I’m in the middle of making the cinnamon rolls. So far, so good, except for the KitchenAid moving across the counter! ??
My question is will it work well to put pecans in the pan first? Do I need to add anything?
Hi Diane! You can add pecans to the pan or try my pecan sticky buns recipe.
Hi Sally,
I followed your recipe and it was very delicious and fluffy of good texture at the day of baking, however I stored remainder in the same dish on the counter covered in plastic wrap for 2-3 days, found that its texture turned a bit cakey and crumbly even when re-heated. Can you please tell me is it meant to be like this or did I do sth wrong?
Hi Ayat, so glad you enjoyed these cinnamon rolls. I wonder if the rolls were over-baked. Cakey is expected from this sweet dough, but they shouldn’t crumble.
Yet another great recipe, Sally! There’s really no baking blog I trust more than this one! In my new free time, I’ve been trying to bake more challenging recipes and this was my second foray working with yeast. I used active yeast (the jarred kind) and, although 14g seemed like a lot of yeast at the time, my cinnamon rolls came out perfect and not yeasty at all. I used 1% milk for the recipe and it didn’t seem to negatively affect anything. On the second rise, I heated my oven to 150, turned it off, and put the dough in to rise for about 45 minutes (mostly because I was getting hungry!). The rolls came out soft, fluffy, and beautifully textured. My mom said she liked these rolls better than Cinnabon–high praise! I absolutely recommend this recipe for an indulgent morning.
Hi! These look delicious, so my daughter and I are trying them for the first time. Unfortunately, we have tried twice already and the yeast does nothing. The yeast is a different brand (all they had in stock right now), but expiration date is late 2021. I only have 1% milk, does that matter? Can you please tell us how long to mix in the yeast before letting it rest? Should all the sugar be dissolved first? Not sure what we’re doing wrong. There’s so many different ways online to activate yeast. Thank you!
Hi Jenn, Did you test the temperature of your milk with a thermometer? You want to heat milk to about 95°F (35°C)– too hot and it will kill the yeast. With a whisk, just stir the milk, sugar, and yeast together a few times. Cover with a towel and let rest about 5-10 minutes. You can see the photo above of what my yeast looks like with bubbles (not covered in a thick foam). You can also check out my Baking with Yeast Guide for even more information if you wish!
Hi Sally! Any tips on how to get the rolls to come up to temperature faster in the morning? My young kids eat pretty early! Would putting them in a warm oven like you did with the initial rise? Thanks!
Hi Beth! That could definitely help, but be careful they don’t begin to over-proof or puff up too much.
Loved making these! Do you recommend an egg wash for the tops?
Not necessary, but you can certainly brush it on. So glad you enjoy them!
I’ll continue my question here… yes, I’m making the Overnight Cinnamon Rolls, rolled the dough last night. I’m now on step 5…since it takes 2 hours to rise again in a warm oven, I want both batches to rise at the same time. I will bake one now and bake the second batch an hour later. Is it ok for the second batch to sit on the counter for an hour or will the dough ‘deflate’ if it’s not baked right away after it has risen? Sorry, if the question is confusing. My first time working with yeast. And thank you for the quick response. It’s not quite 6am in CA…can’t wait to pop my rolls in the oven!
Ok I understand know– yes, you can leave the 2nd batch to rise on the counter during that time. If they’re getting TOO puffy– place the whole pan in the refrigerator to slow it down.
Just to give you an update after baking these: they turned out BEAUTIFULLY!! My first time working with yeast & it was a BIG success with large fluffy rolls. Amazing texture & taste! Hubby is telling me to get off my phone so I can start another batch. Lol
This is how it’s been with all your recipes; can’t make enough of it. Thank you again & stay safe out there during this uncertain time.
I made these yesterday I have got to say I love the recipe very easy not over the top sweet I would add more cinnamon other then that loved it !
I used almond milk at the same ratio and everything turned out well.
Every recipe I have tried from Sally turns out perfect, but this may be my all time favourite recipe I have ever baked!! I was worried because my dough was a little stiff, but I added some warm water like it said and after I let it rise it was perfect. I added Sally’s “perfect vanilla icing” on top. Thank you for my new go-to cinnamon rolls!!
I also used almond milk because that is all I had in the house and they still turned out wonderful!
Hi Sally, thank you so much for all of your recipes, you’re the best and I’ve been following your site for years! I have read through 8 pages of comments just to see if anyone else has this issue…. So I have made these several times. I follow the recipe to a T. No substitions. Every single time they taste like yeast. I use the red star platinum yeast too. My rolls look exactly like yours, the yeast foams in the beginning just as it should, rises nice and huge every rise. They look gorgeous in the end like yours. I don’t know what’s going on except that they taste like yeast. I even tried again and only used one packet of platinum yeast. They foamed and rose just the same, got just as huge and perfect. Still taste like yeast. Do you have any idea what I am doing wrong? My 4 year old has become obsessed with sticky buns and I really would love to perfect this recipe for her! Thank you so so much for your time!!
I made this last night and finished this morning and they are SPECTACULAR! I baked at 370 because my oven runs a bit hot. I cut the recipe in half and baked the six rolls in a 9×9 pan. I added a bit of butter vanilla emulsion in the filling. Next time I may add a bit more cinnamon. And with the icing I doubled the amount of cream cheese. So fluffy and tender! EXCEPTIONAL!
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! I am not a Cinnabon fan – to me they’re too sweet and seem underbaked. I will most definitely be making these again!
Oh, I forgot to add that I made the dough in my bread machine! After letting the yeast bloom in the warm milk with sugar for 10 minutes, I just threw everything else in the machine and set it to dough cycle. Easy peasy!
Thank you so much for an easy to follow And delicious recipe ! I chose the “No Time for Overnight” option and I loosely covered them and let rise in a oven preheated to 200 degrees and then turned off just as in step 2 for 2 hours. They came out beautiful and puffy and I baked as instructed. My finished product was delicious and looks great but the bottoms are over done and it makes the cinnamon taste burnt/bitter. Not a huge deal as it was only the very bottom but I am wondering how to avoid this next time? Was it that I used butter to grease my pan, the pan being metal rather than glass or the heating of the oven for the second proof? Any tips or suggestions would be appreciated because I would love to make these again ! Thanks ! -Lea
Hi Lea! I’m happy to help. I usually bake my cinnamon rolls in a glass or ceramic pan (ceramic takes longer to heat, so the rolls typically take several minutes longer). For even baking, lower the oven temperature by 25 degrees F. Bake for a little longer on the lower heat. You can also tent the rolls with aluminum foil halfway through baking which will help them bake more evenly as well.
Hi! First I’d just like to say your recipes are almost always my go to for anything delicious, including this one! I’ve made these cinnamon rolls several times and they have turned out fabulously except the two center rolls are always slightly underdone. I usually have to take those out and bake them a little longer. Do you have any suggestions for this? I’d like to gift a tray of these but didn’t want to have the center rolls under done.
Many Thanks
Hi Patsy, This should be an easy fix! 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.
Hi! Just made these for the first time and they’re ok.. I think the problem was on my end. I tried to follow the recipe but when at the store buying ingredients I did not buy rapid yeast because the ingredient list does not say rapid rise or instant yeast. So I think mine did not prove right because I used standard yeast. For those of us that are new to baking (or for me who is just not smart enough to know that platinum means instant) it would be nice to have that information in the list of ingredients. Sounds like everyone else knew that piece of information except me…
Hi Kim, You can use standard yeast, but the rise time may me up to 40% longer. See the recipe notes for details, and also check out my Baking With Yeast Guide for answers to all of your yeast questions!
This is my go-to cinnamon roll recipe! It has turned out great every time. I’ve even started giving batches as gifts! Thank you so much!
It have found that allowing placing raised dough in the refrigerator over night allows it to raise beautifully.
I then leave it at room temperature before completing the recipe.