Easy Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

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This Easy Homemade Cinnamon Rolls recipe provides detailed step-by-step instructions for making soft and tender cinnamon rolls every time.

Get warm, speedy homemade cinnamon rolls on the table in just over an hour – start to finish! 

Best Homemade Cinnamon Roll Recipe

This recipe got me started making cinnamon rolls regularly for my family. It made me successful at baking them, and now I want to make them repeatedly!

The biggest reason this recipe makes us so successful in making homemade cinnamon rolls is the yeast.

The yeast is mixed in with the flour so it’s protected and foolproof, just in case the water you add may be a bit too hot.

Hot water kills yeast and then your rolls can’t raise properly…such a disappointment!

Another big reason this recipe is wonderful?

It’s a TIME SAVER. These cinnamon rolls can be made, start-to-finish in just over an hour.  Making cinnamon rolls doesn’t have to take all day!

This quick and easy cinnamon roll recipe will fill your kitchen with the comforting scent of warm cinnamon and sweet cinnamon roll frosting in no time.

Another method for making very moist cinnamon rolls is by making cinnamon rolls with heavy cream, like these Tik Tok Cinnamon Rolls.

How to make Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine milk, water, oil, sugar and salt in microwave safe bowl.

Heat 1-2 minutes, or until the temperature is to 120 – 130 degrees F. at the center.

While the liquids are heating, measure 3 cups of flour into the bowl of a stand mixer.

Add yeast, combining it with the flour.

Pour the heated liquids into the flour/yeast mixture.

Using the whisk attachment, beat at medium speed for 30 seconds, then add the egg and beat one more minute.

Switch to the dough hook and add 3 cups of flour, kneading the dough until the flour is fully incorporated.

First, be careful you don’t add too much flour. 

The cinnamon roll dough should be pretty tacky to the touch when you get ready to pull the dough out of the mixing bowl.

TACKY to the touch is ok, but not STICKY and MESSY. If your dough is sticky, you must add more flour, but only as needed, a little at a time.

Add the remaining 1/2 cup of flour, a little at a time, only adding as much as needed, until the dough is soft and pliable, slightly tacky to the touch and no longer sticking to the sides of the bowl.

Typically, when the dough has reached the perfect consistency (slightly tacky and still soft and tender), it will come all together on one side of your mixing bowl.

As soon as this happens, STOP KNEADING! To also keep your dough light and tender, don’t over work the dough as this can make it tough.

At this point, if you have time, which I usually don’t, place the dough into a large greased mixing bowl and cover with a lightweight towel.

Let the dough raise until double in size, approx. 40-45 minutes.

This extra first raise will make your cinnamon rolls extra tender. If you don’t have time for this step, just proceed to the next step.

Remove the dough to a lightly floured work surface and allow it to rest for 5 minutes. Punch the dough down, then rest for another 5 minutes.

Once the dough has fully relaxed, it will roll out easily.

Sprinkle a bit of flour onto your work surface, then throw your dough down a couple of times so that if there are any air bubbles inside, they move on out.

Next, use your hands to form the ball of dough into a fat rectangle, of sorts. This will help you roll the dough into the large rectangle that you want for the rolls.

As you roll out the dough, make sure you roll from the center towards the edges so that the center of the dough isn’t thicker than the rest.

Using your favorite rolling pin, roll the dough into a large rectangle, approx. 22″wide x 18″ tall in size.

Try to be sure to roll out the dough into a RECTANGULAR sheet, not an oval sheet.

If you begin rolling out the dough into the rectangle and the dough keeps pulling back each time, let the dough rest for an additional 5 minutes.

Use your rolling pin to roll the dough out into a large rectangle that is about 22-inches wide by 18-inches tall.

Now spread the butter over the rectangle of dough, then sprinkle liberally with cinnamon.

Now add your layer of dark brown sugar; sprinkle this over the top of the cinnamon, then use your hands to spread it out evenly, pressing down on the brown sugar a bit to level it.

Using your fingertips, gently grab the front long edge of the dough and begin rolling it from the front towards the back.

Once you have the cinnamon roll dough rolled up into one long roll, pull out your measuring tape (or just eyeball it) and find the center, then mark it with your knife.

Using the mark as your guide, cut the log of dough into two equal halves. Place them one above the other, but not touching, on your work surface.

Now slice each log in half, making four equal-size logs of cinnamon roll dough.

Mark each log of dough where you want to slice it.

In this example I needed to get 5 rolls from each portion of the log of dough, for a total of 20 small rolls from the batch.

Use a sharp serrated knife to gently saw down through each dough log, slicing each one into rolls.

Place the rolls onto a well-greased, rimmed 13×18-inch baking sheet. At this point, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Let the rolls raise in a warm, draft-free spot in your kitchen until they are just barely beginning to touch each other on the baking sheet.

Bake the rolls, uncovered, on the center oven rack in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, just until golden brown on top.

Remove the rolls from the oven to a cooling rack.

Frost the rolls while they are still warm, but not super hot.

Homemade Cinnamon Roll Dough is Tough

Your dough is telling you it hasn’t rested enough just let.

If the dough pulls right back as you try to roll it out into the rectangle, lay down your rolling pin. Take a walk about for 5-10 minutes.

Yes!!! Double the amount of yeast this recipe calls for, then proceed just as directed. Cut the dough into 16 cinnamon rolls.

Once you return, I bet you’ll see that the dough cooperates completely. It just needed a little nap!

Can I freeze these easy homemade cinnamon rolls

Place 5-6 rolls into a greased 10×12-inch aluminum pan. I use disposable pans since I give away a lot of cinnamon rolls. Make sure to leave enough room around each roll so they can freeze and raise. 

Freeze the cinnamon rolls until ready to use. Then place the pan into the fridge the night before you want to bake them or 8-10 hours of fridge time.

About an hour before you want to bake them, remove the rolls from the fridge and uncover on the counter. Let the rolls rise.  

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the cinnamon roll pan onto a baking sheet (doubling up like this helps the rolls to brown better on the bottom).

Bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown and done at the center. Let the cinnamon rolls cool for 15-20 minutes, then frost as directed in the recipe. 

How to make a quick cinnamon roll frosting

In your stand mixer, beat 1 1/2 cups of softened butter and 8 oz. softened cream cheese until smooth.

Add 1 Tbs. vanilla extract, 1 tsp. kosher salt, 2 lbs. powdered sugar, and 2-3 Tbs. milk. Beat until frosting is the desired consistency.

Divide into thirds and freeze to use later. The recipe makes enough for three batches of cinnamon rolls.

Can I use canned frosting for my cinnamon rolls?

Sure. I like to use cream cheese frosting but have even used chocolate frosting before, too.

No matter which frosting you are using, homemade or store-purchased, frost the cinnamon rolls while still warm.

Which tools are helpful for making speedy homemade cinnamon rolls?

Rimmed baking sheets – Heavy-duty bakeware is essential for proper browning. I like aluminum baking sheets with a rimmed edge, 13×18 inches in size. If you make sure to always hand-wash your baking sheets they will last soooo much longer!

Silicone spatula spoons – Of all the tools in my kitchen, silicone spatula spoons are what I use the most. They make stirring and sautéing a breeze and I love all the pretty silicone colors available. Silicone spatula spoons are completely heat-proof so they won’t melt, even when used over high temperatures. I like to have different sizes on hand for different kitchen tasks – soooo handy!

Rolling pin – My rolling pin of preference is a French 16-inch wooden rolling pin. The tapered design makes it easy to maneuver when rolling out dough.

Stand mixer – Making cinnamon rolls in a stand mixer definitely makes the whole process easier and faster. I can highly recommend the Bosch stand mixer. It is powerful, easy to use. I love how the motor is in the base of the mixer so there’s nothing in your way as you’re working in the bowl.

Frosting spreaders – Using an off-set spatula spreader for spreading the icing over warm cinnamon rolls makes the job an easy one. I like having different sizes depending on the task at hand.

Spice shaker – I want the cinnamon to be well dispersed in a nice thin layer on my cinnamon rolls. This stainless-steel shaker works great and I really like the handle on the side.

Other Favorite Recipes

Everybody loves cinnamon rolls – that’s for sure. As a matter of face, we love another version of this cinnamon roll recipe almost as much – Speedy Cinnamon Rolls with Maple Frosting.

Frozen Rhodes Cinnamon Rolls with Heavy Cream shows you how to effortlessly transform frozen cinnamon rolls into light, fluffy, and decadent oven-baked treats.

How to Make Jumbo Cinnamon Rolls….The Easy Way!