There’s nothing better than waking up on a nice cool morning to cinnamon rolls, especially on a holiday morning if you know what I mean. 😏 Cinnamon rolls may be one of the best breakfast items out there (sorry bacon). Warm, sticky, soft, and by the end of it you might be wearing half of it. I know I’ve been there. These aren’t just your normal cinnamon rolls, these suckers are biiiiggg and so much better than any other cinnamon roll you’ve ever had!

We originally posted this recipe last year, but it needed a little updating. No better timing than now around the holidays. Plus, these rolls are just too good to resist!

Why are these the best cinnamon rolls?

These cinnamon rolls are like biting into the sweetest cloud of sugar. Soft dough, gooey cinnamon filling, and topped with cream cheese icing that just melts down the sides.

Nobody wants a tiny cinnamon roll that you eat and then gone. These cinnamon rolls are hefty and the perfect breakfast item. #breakfastofchampions

In the past it’s such a disappointment to eat a cinnamon roll and have all those unraveling rolls be hard. Sometimes it’s stale, sometimes it’s just bad rolls. These cinnamon rolls are so soft and gooey, it’s just heavenly.

Ingredients You Need

• Flour
• Instant Dry Yeast
• Salt
• Sugar
• Milk
• Butter
• Eggs
• Cream Cheese
• Vanilla Extract
• Powdered Sugar
• Brown Sugar
• Ground Cinnamon

How to make the cinnamon rolls

Cinnamon rolls can seem a little scary with all the yeast, kneading, proofing… but with just the right tips they will be perfect and so worth it!

1. In a large bowl or stand mixer, whisk flour, sugar, yeast, and salt until fully combined. Set aside.
2. In a medium pot, heat butter and milk until just bubbly on the sides. About 130 F if you’re using a thermometer.
3. Add the milk mixture to the flour and begin to mix on low until just combined. Next, add in your eggs and continue to mix. The dough will start to form and pull away from the sides of the bowl. I definitely suggest using a stand mixer for this because the dough will become thick and hard to control with a hand mixer, but it’s still doable.
4. Lightly flour a smooth surface and begin to knead your dough for 3-5 minutes. I used a silicone mat, but you could just use your counter, a cutting board, marble surface, or any smooth surface. To knead your dough, roll it into a ball, flatten, fold in half, and press forward with the heel of your palm. A way to test if your dough is kneaded is pulling it between 2 fingers to create a “windowpane.” If you can stretch it thin to almost see through without it tearing, it’s good. If it tears, you need to knead it a little longer.
5. Add the dough ball to a medium bowl lightly coated in oil. Flip the dough so both sides get coated. Cover with a towel and place in a warm, dark spot to proof for 1 hour until doubled in size.
6. While proofing, let’s make the cinnamon filling. Add the cinnamon and brown sugar to a medium bowl. Whisk until combined. Set aside.
7. Once the dough is proofed, punch a hole in the center to deflate it. Roll it out on a lightly floured surface into a 12×16″ rectangle.
8. Brush the melted butter onto the dough. There’s never enough butter! Sprinkle your cinnamon sugar on top of the butter leaving 1/2″ empty on the edges.
9. Tightly roll your dough starting on the long side. Roll it a little bit, and keep it in place with your fingers in order to make sure it’s tight.
10. Cut the dough into 1 1/2″ thick pieces with a serrated knife. There should be 12 rolls. I suggest making small cuts before fully cutting the roll so you know where to cut it. You can also use unflavored floss to tie around the roll and pinch it off.
11. Place the rolls in a greased 9×13″ pan. There should be 4 rolls by 3 rolls. Cover with a towel again and proof in a warm spot for another 30-45 minutes. Towards the end of the baking time, preheat the oven to 350 F.
12. Once proofed, bake for 20-25 minutes until puffy and golden. While the rolls bake, make the cream cheese icing.
13. Beat together your cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until creamy.
14. Once the rolls are baked, let them sit for 5-10 minutes, then spread the icing over the warm rolls.

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Tips for the softest and gooiest cinnamon rolls

No one wants hard cinnamon rolls with no ooey-gooey goodness. These jumbo cinnamon rolls just melt in your mouth. Aaah, dreaming of these for Christmas morning 😊.

• Don’t over knead or under knead the dough – If you do, the rolls could end up tough and dry or not developed enough.
• Use good yeast that isn’t expired or dead – You’ve spent all that time making the rolls only to see they haven’t. This is simply yeast to blame. If the yeast is expired or dead, it won’t rise while proofing or baking very much. Unfortunately you’ll have to start over.
• Make sure your butter and milk is warm before adding it to the yeast – Believe it or not, if your wet ingredients aren’t warm enough, it won’t help the yeast and sugar to activate. The temperature could also affect how the rolls rise once proofing.
• Always proof your dough in a warm spot – If you dough is sitting in a cooler spot with a breeze, it won’t proof and rise very well. You can also place it in your oven at the lowest temperature or on a proof setting.

Special Kneading Tips

I you’re new to baking or kneading dough, here are the best tips for making sure you get the perfect cinnamon rolls! I’m no bread expert, but I’ve certainly learned a few tricks from the Great British Baking Show. Thanks Paul Hollywood. 😉

• If your dough tends to ball up and it’s hard to fold, it just means you need to work the dough a little more because it’s still tough. 
• Keeping some flour next to you is always a good idea because you want to keep your surface non-stick as much as you can. 
• To test if your dough is kneaded enough, pull some dough between your fingers to create a “windowpane.” If you can stretch it and gets thin, almost as if you can look through it, it’s good. If you try to stretch the dough to look through the “windowpane” and it breaks, continue kneading. 
• If you press your fingers into the dough and the prints fill back in fairly quickly, the dough is all set!
• Sometimes it takes a little elbow grease to get the dough to knead; make sure you really press firmly with your hand.

Cutting the rolls

If you didn’t know there are actually a few different ways you can cut your rolls and still keep them in perfect shape. Since the dough is so tender you want to be careful no matter how you cut it in order to keep the shape.

• Using a serrated knife – Using a knife will get you a mostly clean cut. Occasionally the knife will pull your down with it making the rolls lose some of their fluff. 
• Using scissors – You can also use scissors to cut your rolls, but this will smush them a tiny bit. This is a good trick for a tougher dough. 
• Using unflavored floss – What? Yes, you can use floss to cut your rolls too! Use an 8″ ish strand of floss, wrap it around the log, and tie it off at the top to cut it.

Before you commit to cutting the rolls, make little marks on the top so you know where to cut them. This will helps them to all be the same size.

Can I make the cinnamon rolls overnight?

Yes! There are a couple different options for making the rolls and here are the best things to do. If you still want to indulge in these gorgeous rolls, but don’t want to wait a whole day to eat them, here’s what to do.

Option 1

Make the dough, knead, and place in the oiled bowl. Tightly cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight. The next morning, take the dough out the fridge and continue steps as listed.

Option 2

Make the dough, knead, and proof. Once proofed, roll the dough and add the filling. Tightly roll the log and cut the rolls. Place the rolls in the 9×13″ pan and tightly cover with plastic wrap. Place in the fridge overnight. The next morning, remove from the fridge and let the rolls proof in a warm spot for 30-45 minutes. It’s ok if they aren’t as big as you expected. Then bake.

Why do we tightly cover the rolls before putting them in the fridge?

The rolls will still very slowly rise in the fridge and we cover them so the air doesn’t affect the dough. If they were exposed to the air overnight it could dry out the dough and make them not as soft.

Troubleshooting your rolls

Just incase you have some issues with dough, rising, anything, here are the best tips.

• My rolls are tough and dry! – You most likely over kneaded the dough. When this happens the dough can dry out and not become soft and airy.
• The rolls didn’t rise! – Your yeast most likely was dead or expired. If the yeast is bad, this will prevent the rolls from rising. Another issue that could have happened is you didn’t proof your rolls in a warm spot. Make sure it’s in a warm spot because this helps to develop the glutens.
• There’s not enough cinnamon filling! – Make sure to add plenty of filling because it’s not a cinnamon roll without the cinnamon.
• Some rolls are burnt and others aren’t. – Cut the cinnamon rolls to the same thickness so that they all bake at the same time.

Can I make these gluten free?

Yes! There are only a couple things you have to substitute and then you’re on your way to some delicious gf cinnamon rolls.

• Instead of normal flour, substitute it with gluten-free baking flour. I’ve found the best one to be Bob’s Red Mill 1-1 Baking Flour.
• Double-check that your yeast is gluten free. Most are, but always check.

That’s it! Just replace these items for gluten free and you’re all set!

When can I make these rolls?

There’s of course nothing better than waking up on a weekend morning to cinnamon rolls, but you could really have these all year round. I know I wouldn’t mind eating these every day. 🤫

These rolls are a great breakfast on holiday mornings or family gatherings. (Maybe tomorrow for Christmas… 😏)

The best part is you can make them the night before and bake the next morning!

How to store the rolls

Once you’ve had your fill of cinnamon rolls, it’s time to store them. Place them in an airtight container and store at room temp. They will stay fresh for 3-4 days before getting a little stale.

A little hack you can try is adding slices of bread to your container. This will keep them soft and not stale fro much longer. You can also do this with cookies, cake, and other baked goods.

Happy holidays and enjoy those rolls!

For more of my favorite rolls, look at my:

• Apple Crumble Cinnamon Rolls
• Small Batch Chai Cinnamon Rolls
• Ultimate Super Sticky Buns
• Cinnamon & Orange Morning Buns
• Sinful Cinnamon Buns

Did you make this recipe? let us know below or on Instagram @tuesday.treats or use #tuesdaytreats2016