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Iced cinnamon rolls in a glass pie dish

Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

These HomemadeCinnamon Rolls are soft, fluffy and the perfect weekend breakfast, brunch or dessert for Easter, Mother's Day, Christmas or any holiday weekend. This classic cinnamon roll recipe is filled with a sweet cinnamon sugar filling then topped with a fluffy cream cheese frosting. Easy to make ahead, with gluten-free option, freezer-friendly and refined sugar-free.

Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Keyword classic cinnamon rolls, easy cinnamon rolls recipe, homemade cinnamon rolls
Prep Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Cook Time 17 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 12
Author Kelly

Ingredients

For the dough:

  • 1 cup dairy-free or whole milk , warmed to no hotter than 110 F either in the microwave or on the stove - instructions below
  • 5 tbsp dairy-free or unsalted butter , warmed to no hotter than 110 F either in the microwave or on the stove - instructiobut do not have to film
  • 2 1/4 tsp or (one3) 0.25-oz. packet instant yeast
  • 2 large eggs , room temperature
  • 1/2 cup granulated pure maple sugar , organic cane sugar or granulated sugar of choice
  • 1 tsp fine sea salt
  • 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour , divided, plus more as needed. For gluten-free, we highly recommend using the following flours: Bob's Red Mill 1-1 Baking Flour or King Arthur Gluten-Free Measure for Measure Flour + add 1 1/2 tablespoon ground psyllium husk / psyllium husk powder (do not omit the psyllium husk for gluten-free as this is the magic ingredient that helps gluten-free dough more workable).
  • 1/2 cup granulated pure maple sugar , organic cane sugar or granulated sugar of choice
  • Cooking spray or oil for greasing the bowl and baking pan

For the filling

  • 1/2 cup dairy-free or unsalted butter , softened. We like Miyokos for dairy-free.
  • 2/3 cup coconut sugar , or preferred granulated brown sugar / brown sweetener (such as Lakanto or Swerve) of choice
  • 1 ½ - 2 tbsp ground cinnamon

For pouring over the rolls just before baking:

  • 12 tbsp about ¾ cup heavy cream , slightly warmed (dairy-free or regular - helps make the rolls extra fluffy)

For the frosting:

  • 6 oz cream cheese , softened (dairy-free or regular - we like Kite-Hill or Violife for dairy-free)
  • 1/3 cup dairy-free or unsalted butter , softened. We like Miyokos for dairy-free.
  • 1 1/4 cup powdered sugar / powdered sweetener (Lakanto / Swerve) of choice, or more as needed
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • pinch fine sea salt
  • 1-3 tsp milk or heavy cream of choice , dairy-free or regular, more or less as needed (we like Malk or Nutpods for dairy-free)

Instructions

Warming the milk and butter

  1. Warm the milk and butter either in a microwave safe bowl for 30-40 seconds or in a saucepan over medium heat until warm but not hot (make sure the mixture is not over 110F - the butter does not need to be melted all the way). If the mixture is too hot, let it cool down before adding it to the yeast to prevent killing the yeast.

Mixing the dough

  1. With a stand mixer (recommended for best results): In the bowl of a stand mixer with the beater blade attached, pour in the warmed milk / butter mixture and sprinkle the yeast on top. Add the eggs and sugar. Mix on low until combined. Add the salt and 4 cups of the flour. Mix on low speed until the ingredients are barely combined. Clean / scrape off the beater blade and attach the dough hook onto the stand mixer. Knead the dough on medium speed, for about 8 to 12 minutes, or more as needed until a smooth, soft elastic dough forms and starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl, (while slowly adding the reserved 1/2 cup flour, or more but only as much as needed). Shape / form the dough into a smooth ball.

  2. Without a stand mixer: In a large bowl, pour in the warmed milk / butter mixture and sprinkle the yeast on top and use a large wooden spoon to stir until combined. Add the eggs and sugar and use the wooden spoon to mix until combined. Add the salt and flour (in 1 cup increments to make mixing easier) and mix until all the ingredients are barely combined.

  3. Use your hands to start kneading the dough for 2-3 minutes, then turn the dough onto a smooth lightly floured surface and continue kneading until a smooth, soft elastic dough forms (while slowly adding the reserved 1/2 cup flour but only as much as needed), and continue kneading for about 10 - 13 minutes, or more as needed until soft and you can form the dough into a smooth ball.

Allow dough to rise

  1. Grease a large bowl with cooking spray or oil. Transfer the dough to the greased bowl and cover the bowl with a thicker kitchen towel. Set the bowl in a warm spot and allow the dough to rise until just doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours (depending on the humidity and temperature of the room).

Rolling out the dough and adding the filling

  1. Once the dough has doubled in size, gently punch the dough down in the middle and transfer it onto a lightly floured pastry mat or flat surface. Sprinkle the dough with a little bit more flour, as needed.
  2. Use a lightly floured rolling pin to roll the dough out into a large rectangle, about 20”x14 rectangle (or about ½” thick, doesn’t have to be perfect measurements), squaring off the edges often as you roll.
  3. In a small / medium bowl, mix together the cinnamon and sugar until combined.
  4. Use a rubber spatula to spread the softened butter into a thin and even layer over the dough, leaving a small border (about ⅛”) around the edges. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture evenly over the buttered dough. Gently pat / press the sugar mixture into the butter to ensure the mixture sticks to the butter.
  5. Working from the longer end of the dough, tightly roll the dough into a log, pushing in the sides as you roll so it stays uniform. Once you finish rolling, pinch the dough together to seal the log.

Cut into rolls

  1. Use a sharp serrated knife to trim / cut off a tiny bit of the edges of the log as needed, (if they are not even or have less filling and discard or set aside to bake in a separate pan).
  2. Use unflavored dental floss or a sharp serrated knife to cut the log into 12 even-sized pieces (about 1 1/8 - 1 1/2”).

Prepare for baking and bake

  1. Grease a 9x13 baking pan with cooking spray or oil. Place the rolls cut side-up in the prepared baking pan. Cover the pan with a towel and let it rise again until almost doubled, about 30 to 40 minutes.
  2. While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 350 F.

  3. Warm the heavy cream either in a microwave safe bowl for 20-30 seconds or in a small pot over medium heat until just warm to the touch.

  4. Spoon about 1 tbsp of the warmed cream evenly over each roll.
  5. Bake in the preheated oven for 23-28 minutes, until the tops are just a light golden brown and the center is cooked through but still soft (more or less as needed depending on your oven, pan used and size of the rolls - you can start checking them at 20 minutes and cover the pan loosely with an aluminum foil for the remainder of the cooking time if the rolls seem to be getting too brown).

While the rolls are baking, make the frosting:

  1. In a large bowl with a hand mixer (or in a stand mixer), combine butter and cream cheese and beat until light and fluffy. Carefully add the powdered sugar then the salt, and vanilla and beat until smooth. Gradually add milk (or heavy cream), only as much as needed, until smooth and fluffy.
  2. Remove the cinnamon rolls from the oven and allow them to cool for 5-10 minutes. Spread evenly with frosting.
  3. Serve warm and enjoy.

Recipe Notes

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days, in the fridge for 5 days, or in the freezer for 3 months.