Cinnamon Roll Recipe with Cream Cheese Icing

This cinnamon roll recipe with cream cheese icing truly is the best! A generous amount of brown sugar cinnamon filling rolled inside a soft, tender, yeasted dough. Every bite is like the center of the roll!

This cinnamon roll recipe really is the best. I worked tirelessly to perfect my sourdough cinnamon rolls earlier this year, but I still wanted an easier option. Over the years, I have made dozens of versions, but none were quite right. Today I confidently bring you the very best. They have a soft, flavorful yeasted dough, the perfect ratio of cinnamon brown sugar filling, and the perfect cream cheese icing.

In case you want to table making yeasted cinnamon rolls, you could always whip up a batch of my cinnamon scones to tide you over! There is always the tried and true cinnamon flop for an even easier breakfast cake, or try making air fryer cinnamon rolls. But for those of you who want to crank it to 11, I see you, and here are my apple cinnamon rolls to take it to the next level.

Ingredients & Substitutions

• Whole Milk: I use whole milk in yeasted breads for the added flavor and fat. It has a lower water content, and the extra fat helps keep the rolls tender and moist. You can substitute any milk alternative. 
• Active Dry Yeast: Active dry yeast requires the added step of hydration, but it is fast and controllable. Giving the dough time to develop gluten and relax while proofing is essential to the end result. If you don’t have dry active yeast, you can substitute double the weight of fresh yeast or half the weight in instant yeast. 
• Whole Egg
• Unsalted Butter
• All-purpose flour: I prefer to use all-purpose flour in the majority of my bread recipes because it has the perfect amount of gluten for developing a strong network but remaining tender and soft. You can use bread flour, but I would not recommend using pastry or cake flour, as they lack sufficient protein for proper gluten development. 
• Kosher Salt
• Granulated Sugar: I use sugar here for flavor, to aid in the caramelization of the crust, and as a readily accessible food source for the yeast.
• Dark Brown Sugar: I use dark brown sugar for the filling, but you can also use light brown sugar to achieve an equally delightful effect.
• Ground Cinnamon 
• Cream Cheese: I use original Philadelphia Cream Cheese for all my baked goods, including frostings and buttercreams. I use full-fat, though reduced-fat can be substituted.
• Powdered Sugar 
• Vanilla Extract

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Variations for Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

• Fruit & Nuts: In addition to the cinnamon sugar filling, add your favorite fruit compote, such as this easy apple compote or cherry pie filling recipe. Or roll up your favorite toasted nuts inside for a crunchy surprise.
• Caramel: The bridge between cinnamon rolls and this pecan sticky buns recipe is caramel cinnamon buns! It’s a little messy to eat, but I suggest spreading some salted caramel sauce on the bottom of the greased baking dish before adding the rolls. Then add a little caramel sauce to the frosting for impact!
• Cinnamon Muffins: Place each cinnamon roll in a greased muffin tin for an individual serving!
• Pull apart cinnamon roll bread: Roll out the dough (refrigerated) as directed, then spread the filling. Slice it in half and fold it over itself like a sandwich. Roll to twice the size. Cut squares and layer vertically inside a greased loaf pan. Proof and bake as directed until a knife or cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool, frost, and pull apart. Or make them into an apple cinnamon roll bake like Dorothy at Crazy for Crust.

Professional Tips

• Use your ruler! If you want evenly sized cinnamon rolls, use your ruler! I have a clear ruler that I keep in my kitchen just for baking. When rolling out the dough, you want to try and keep those sharp corners! It’s harder than it looks, but it’s good to have goals, right? And when dividing the dough, a ruler will come in handy to keep the rolls the same size.  
• Roll those cinnamon rolls tightly.  To help the rolls keep their shape and retain the filling inside, you want to roll them with purpose. Don’t roll so tight that you rip the dough, but you don’t want to leave any gaps. 
• Use a sharp knife to slice the rolls. I prefer a very sharp knife when cutting cinnamon rolls. If sharp enough, you won’t have to apply much pressure. This helps keep the filling from pushing out of the dough. A sharp serrated knife will also do the trick. If you like the dental floss method, just be sure to use unflavored dental floss. We don’t want added mint flavor to our rolls.

How to Make This Cinnamon Roll Recipe with Cream Cheese Icing

Use these instructions to make the best homemade cinnamon rolls! Further details and measurements can be found in the recipe card below.

Make the Dough:

Step 1: Heat the milk to 100-110°F. If the milk is too hot, it can kill the yeast. 

Step 2: In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the warm milk, then sprinkle the yeast over the surface. Whisk to break up any clumps. Allow to bloom (sit unperturbed) for 10 minutes or until bubbly.

Step 3: Add the remaining ingredients for the dough to the bowl. 

Step 4: Mix to develop gluten. Fit the mixer with the paddle attachment and mix until incorporated and no lumps remain. Switch to the dough hook. Mix on medium speed for 3-4 minutes. 

The dough will pull away from the sides of the bowl, and you will be able to pull a window pane. It is a stickier dough, but don’t be dissuaded.

Folds and Proofing:

Step 5: Turn the dough out into a large mixing bowl sprayed with cooking spray. 

Step 6: First fold. Give the dough one series of folds. Starting on one side, pull the dough up and fold it halfway towards the center. Rotate the bowl a quarter turn and repeat this process with each side until you have formed a small dough packet. Turn it seam-side down. The top should be smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and bulk proof in a warm spot for 30-45 minutes. 

Make the Filling:

Step 7: While the dough proofs, make the filling. In a bowl, combine the butter, sugar, and cinnamon. Mix until a paste forms. Set aside.

Assemble the Cinnamon Rolls:

Step 8: Once the dough has doubled in size, cover your work surface generously with flour and turn the dough out onto the counter. A bowl scraper or rubber spatula helps here because the dough is sticky. Sprinkle a generous amount of flour on top of the dough and flour a rolling pin.

Step 9: Roll the dough out into a 12-inch-long by 10-inch-high rectangle. Once you have your rectangle, spread your filling with an offset spatula. 

Sometimes it is necessary to let your fingers join the party to help spread/hold the dough. I purposefully keep a border on the top and the bottom edge.

Step 10: Starting at the bottom edge (12 inches across), start to roll away from you. Seal the top edge. 

Step 11: Cut approximately 1-inch pieces with a sharp knife (or your bench scraper). This makes 12 rolls. You can also cut the log into 8 equal pieces for larger rolls.

Step 12: Spray a 9 “x 11” baking dish with cooking spray, and then place the cinnamon rolls about 2 inches apart. I offset them so I have a row with 2 and then one in the center, followed by another row of 2, and so on. This gives them space to prove and grow without crowding.

Final Proof:

Step 13: Cover with plastic wrap and return to your warm spot to proof for an additional 20-40 minutes. I proofed 20 minutes and then moved the dish to another spot, preheating my oven to 350°F convection. The smaller rolls will proof and bake faster than 8 larger ones.

Bake the rolls: 

Step 14: Remove the plastic wrap and bake at 350°F for approximately 15-20 minutes. Mine baked 18. They will be golden brown around the edges and a bit on top, and the centers will no longer look or feel doughy. You can also test with a cake tester. It should come out clean.

Make the Icing & Frost:

Step 15: Allow to cool before icing.

Step 16: Mix all the ingredients for the icing together. I find a spatula easier than a whisk to incorporate the cream cheese. I kept mine a bit thicker so that I could spread it on the still-warm cinnamon rolls from the oven. A little bit of heaven on earth to be sure!

Recipe FAQs

Before You Go

I hope you enjoyed this classic brunch recipe. Check out our other easy breakfast & brunch recipes like these scrumptious jelly donuts or these whole wheat pancakes!