Enjoy a family breakfast or late-night dessert with these ooey-gooey easiest homemade cinnamon rolls. This recipe has been a family favorite for years.
These cinnamon rolls have become a Christmas tradition around my house; I get up early every Christmas just so I can make them for my husband. And, when the rest of the family shows up for dinner, the first thing they go for is the cinnamon rolls.
While cinnamon rolls can seem quite intimidating to make, they are much easier than you think. They take a little time but are worth the wait. This recipe can be broken down into 3 parts: the dough, the filling, and the icing. For the dough, you will need yeast, milk, granulated sugar, butter, salt, eggs, and flour. The filling is quick and simple and consists of brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter. And finally, for the icing, you will need butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla.
The Dough
The most important step in making the dough is activating the yeast. You will need to bring your milk to a lukewarm temperature over low heat (approximately 100-110 degrees). Immediately remove milk from the heat and whisk in the yeast. Set the yeast mixture aside until frothy or foamy; this should take 5-10 minutes. (Refer to the picture above for what your yeast should look like when ready.)
Meanwhile, you can add the butter, sugar, salt, eggs, and flour to a large mixing bowl.
If you have a stand mixer with a dough hook, this works best. Mix until well combined. Next, pour in your yeast mixture and use the dough hook to thoroughly combine all ingredients. The dough is ready when it is formed together and easily comes clean from the side of the bowl. [If you don’t have a stand mixer with a dough hook, you can mix all ingredients by hand. After all, they didn’t have electric mixers when all of these bread recipes were originally created. And honestly, sometimes making things the good old-fashioned way can be extra rewarding. So, don’t be afraid to get those hands a little messy. It will be worth it in the end.]
Time to Rise
Now it’s time for the first rise. Place the dough into a well-oiled bowl (I prefer to use cooking spray, but any cooking oil will work). Cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm environment for about an hour or until dough has doubled in size.
PROTIP: Make the dough rise faster by placing a cookie sheet, cooling rack, or other pan over a steaming pot of water. Place bowl of dough on top of rack/pan until the dough is doubled in size (Do not place over boiling water or over a hot burner. Overheating the dough will destroy the yeast, and the dough will not rise).
The Filling
While you’re waiting for that dough to rise, it’s time to make that yummy filling. This is one of the most important parts of the cinnamon roll, and it is the easiest part. For the filling, combine cinnamon and brown sugar. You will also need softened butter to spread over the dough. This is the perfect time to go ahead and prepare your pan. Grease a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray or butter.
PROTIP: If you prefer to let your rolls spread out a little more, you can use a large cookie sheet instead of the baking dish.
Assembling the Rolls
Time to roll out the dough, add the filling, cut the rolls, and prepare for a second rise. The first step is to punch down the risen dough. Now, pour it out onto a lightly floured surface and use a rolling pin to gently roll the dough into a 12×16 rectangle, approximately 1/4 inch thick. Once the dough is rolled out, spread the softened butter evenly over the dough. Next, sprinkle the filling over the entire surface.
Starting with the long edge, carefully roll the dough down toward the other long edge, making sure to keep the dough tight and compact. Use a sharp knife to cut it into 12 rolls.
Place rolls into prepared pan; cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm area to rise until doubled in size. PROTIP: Lightly spray one side of plastic wrap with cooking spray before placing it over the rolls to prevent sticking.
Once the rolls have risen, place them in a 350-degree oven and bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
The Icing
While the rolls are baking, it’s time to prepare the icing. Add butter and cream cheese together in a mixing bowl and combine until smooth. Add in milk and vanilla. Next, add in powdered sugar and salt. Continue mixing until all ingredients are well combined and the icing is smooth and fluffy.
Topping off The Rolls
Remove rolls from oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes. Spread icing evenly over rolls, using all of the icing. Serve and enjoy!
Easiest Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
Dough
- 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
- 1 cup milk lukewarm
- 1/3 cup butter or margarine unsalted, softened
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 eggs
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
Filling
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- 3 tbsp cinnamon
- 1/3 cup butter unsalted, softened, or margarine
Cream Cheese Icing
- 6 tbsp butter unsalted, softened, or margarine
- 1/4 cup cream cheese softened
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 tbsp milk
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/8 tsp salt
Instructions
Dough
- Prepare pan. Grease 9×13 baking dish with butter or cooking spray and set aside.For the rolls, whisk 2 1/4 tsp (1 packet) active dry yeast, along with 1 tsp sugar (you can take 1 tsp out of 1/2 cup sugar) into 1 cup lukewarm milk. Set aside until frothy or foamy (approximately 5 minutes). Meanwhile, combine the remaining ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Mix until well combined. Next, pour in the frothy yeast mixture and mix until the dough pulls cleanly from the side of the bowl.Place dough in a well-oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm environment until doubled in size (approximately 1 hour).1 cup brown sugar, 3 tbsp cinnamon, 1/3 cup butter
Filling
- Combine 1 cup brown sugar with 3 tbsp cinnamon. Set aside. You will also need 1/3 cup softened butter to spread over the dough before adding brown sugar/cinnamon mixture.Once dough has risen, punch dough down and roll out on lightly floured surface. Dough should be approximately 12×16 inches, and 1/4 inch thick. Once dough is at desired size and thickness, spread softened butter evenly over entire surface. Sprinkle filling over top. Next, starting with long side, carefully roll dough down toward other long end, keeping dough tight and compact. Dough should look like a long log once rolled up. Now, use a sharp knife to cut into 12 rolls.Place rolls into prepared pan and cover with plastic wrap. Preheat oven to 350 °F Place rolls in a warm environment until doubled in size (approximately 30 minutes.
Bake
- Once rolls have doubled in size, remove plastic wrap and place in a 350 °F oven. Bake rolls for 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow rolls to cool for 5-10 minutes before adding icing.6 tbsp butter, 1/4 cup cream cheese, 1 tsp vanilla, 2 tbsp milk, 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 1/8 tsp salt
Icing
- While the rolls are baking, it is time to prepare the icing. In a mixing bowl, combine 6 tbsp butter with 1/4 cup cream cheese. Mix on medium speed until well combined. Add in 1 tps vanilla, 2 tbsp milk, 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, and 1/8 tsp salt. Mix on low to start until powdered sugar is well incorporated, then turn to high and continue mixing until icing is soft and fluffy. Spread evenly over slightly cooled cinnamon rolls. Serve and enjoy!
