Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

By Becky Hardin

Published Dec 13, 2019

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This homemade cinnamon roll recipe always makes an appearance at my breakfast table come Christmas morning. Soft, fluffy, loaded with cinnamon flavor, and drizzled with a sweet, creamy icing, they disappear fast. I love this recipe because I can prepare them the day before, then bake them fresh first thing in the morning. The irresistible aroma from the kitchen is enough to coax even the sleepiest heads out of bed, and because I get a big batch, I end up with enough for yummy leftovers the next day.

The Best Christmas Morning Breakfast 

Having cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning has quickly become a family tradition. I love that I can make them the day before for an effortless but impressive breakfast the next morning. I use bread flour to get a soft, chewy texture, and roll the dough with a thick, cinnamon spread for the quintessential cinnamon roll flavor. Once baked, I drizzle them with a mix of cream, icing sugar, and vanilla for a lick-the-spoon frosting that tastes next level.

This recipe is perfect for feeding a small crowd, so it’s great when I’m entertaining. If it’s just my family, I’ll have enough for leftovers the next day. Sometimes, I’ll stash the leftovers in the freezer to enjoy at a later date.

Tips for Beginners

• Allow enough time for the dough to rise. It will need 1½ to 2 hours, so make sure to allocate the time.
• No bread flour? You can use all-purpose flour if you don’t have bread flour, your cinnamon rolls may just turn out a little less chewy.
• Grease the dish. Be sure to grease the dish before placing the rolls in it so you can easily remove them once baked.
• If making the rolls the day before. Cover them tightly in plastic wrap so that they don’t dry out in the fridge.

Recipe Card

Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

Difficulty: Medium

5 from 11 votes

Prep: 35 minutes mins

Cook: 30 minutes mins

Rising & Chill Time: 2 hours hrs

Total: 3 hours hrs 5 minutes mins

Servings: 12 rolls

Author: Becky Hardin

Print Rate Pin

These homemade cinnamon rolls are perfect for Christmas morning; soft, chewy, and loaded with cinnamon, they are worth getting out of bed for.

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Ingredients 

1x2x3x

For the Dough

• ▢ 4½ cups bread flour 540g
• ▢ ⅓ cup granulated sugar 67g
• ▢ 1 tbsp instant dry yeast 9g
• ▢ 1 tbsp kosher salt 9g
• ▢ 4 large eggs 230g, cold
• ▢ 1 large egg yolk 14g, cold
• ▢ 14 tbsp whole milk 219g, cold (1 cup minus 2 tablespoons)
• ▢ 18 tbsp unsalted butter 254g, room temperature, plus more for the pan (2¼ sticks)

For the Filling

• ▢ 12 tbsp unsalted butter 170g, melted (1½ sticks)
• ▢ 9 tbsp brown sugar 113g (½ cup + 1 tbsp)
• ▢ ¼ cup granulated sugar 50g
• ▢ 3 tbsp ground cinnamon 27g
• ▢ 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice 3g
• ▢ ¼ tsp kosher salt
• ▢ 1 large egg 50g, lightly beaten, for brushing
• ▢ 1 tbsp milk 14g, for brushing

For the Icing

• ▢ 2 cups powdered sugar 226g
• ▢ 6 tbsp heavy cream 85g
• ▢ 1 tsp pure vanilla extract 4g
• ▢ ⅛ tsp table salt

Instructions 

For the Dough

• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, mix the bread flour, sugar, yeast, and salt on low speed for about 30 seconds.
  4½ cups bread flour, ⅓ cup granulated sugar, 1 tbsp instant dry yeast, 1 tbsp kosher salt
• Add eggs and milk and mix until a ball forms around the dough hook, about 4 minutes. Increase the speed to medium and mix until the dough is very smooth, about 5 more minutes.
  4 large eggs, 1 large egg yolk, 14 tbsp whole milk
• Add the butter, 1 tbsp at a time, while mixing the dough on medium speed. Incorporate the butter after each addition. It should take about 3 minutes to add all the butter.
  18 tbsp unsalted butter
• Place the dough in a large, oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Set the bowl in a proofing oven or somewhere warm for the dough to rise, about 1-1½ hours. The dough is very enriched so it may not rise very much.
• While the dough rises, prepare the filling: Combine the melted butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, pie spice and salt. The mixture will firm to a spreadable consistency when kept at room temperature until ready to use. Stir right before using.
  12 tbsp unsalted butter, 9 tbsp brown sugar, ¼ cup granulated sugar, 3 tbsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice, ¼ tsp kosher salt
• Line a baking sheet with parchment. Transfer the dough to the baking sheet and pat it out into a 1-inch-thick rectangle. Cover the dough with plastic wrap.
• If making the rolls the day of serving, refrigerate the dough for 1 hour or freeze up to 20 minutes. If making the rolls the next day, refrigerate the rolls overnight.
• When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375°F and grease a 9×13-inch baking pan with softened butter.
• Lightly flour a work surface, and transfer the dough onto it. Make sure the parchment has been removed from the dough. Lightly flour the top surface of the dough, and roll the dough out into a ½-inch thick rectangle.
• Use an offset spatula to spread the filling mixture, to the edge, evenly over the dough. The top surface of the dough should be covered.
• Roll the dough, beginning with the long side closest to you, into a tight spiral, keeping the roll tight as you work.
• Use a serrated knife or waxed floss to cut the dough log into 1½-inch rolls. Arrange the rolls on the prepared baking dish, leaving ¼-inch between them.
• Loosely cover the rolls with plastic wrap and place in a warm place or proofing oven to rise, about 30-45 minutes.
• In a small bowl, whisk together 1 egg and 1 tbsp milk. Brush the top of the rolls with the egg wash and bake at 375°F for 25-30 minutes or until the rolls are golden and the internal temperature registers 190°F.
  1 large egg, 1 tbsp milk

For the Icing

• While the rolls bake, mix the powdered sugar, heavy cream, pure vanilla extract, and table salt together and cover with plastic wrap until ready to use.
  2 cups powdered sugar, 6 tbsp heavy cream, 1 tsp pure vanilla extract, ⅛ tsp table salt
• When the rolls are finished baking, allow them to cool 10 minutes, then drizzle the icing on top.
• Serve warm (if possible) or reheat in a 350°F oven (loosely covered with foil) about 15-20 minutes before serving.

Equipment

• Kitchen Scale (optional)
• Stand Mixer
• Baking Sheet
• 9×13 Baking Pan
• Rolling Pin

Becky’s Tips

• The dough needs 1½ to 2 hours to rise, so plan accordingly.
• You can use all-purpose flour; the cinnamon rolls may just turn out less chewy.
• Grease the baking dish so you can easily remove the rolls once baked.
• Cover the rolls tightly with plastic wrap if placing them in the fridge overnight. 
• Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Serving: 1rollCalories: 648kcalCarbohydrates: 76gProtein: 10gFat: 35gSaturated Fat: 21gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 179mgSodium: 702mgPotassium: 147mgFiber: 2gSugar: 39gVitamin A: 1155IUVitamin C: 0.2mgCalcium: 86mgIron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Did you make this? Leave a comment!

How to Store

Store leftovers wrapped tightly or in an airtight container on the kitchen counter for 2-3 days or in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Reheat

Eat at room temperature, pop in the microwave for a few seconds to soften and warm, or place in a 350°F oven for 15 minutes.

Make Ahead

You can make these the day of serving, but for a stress-free morning, I like to make the rolls ahead of time, store them in the fridge, and bake them the next day. You can bake the homemade cinnamon rolls the day before if you prefer, and just reheat them in the oven before serving, but I do prefer them freshly baked.

Freeze

If you are super organized, you can make these rolls several weeks ahead of time and freeze them. Prep the whole dish up to the point of baking, and wrap them securely in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag. They will keep in the freezer unbaked for up to 6 weeks. The night before you want to bake them, transfer the to the fridge to thaw overnight.

Baked, you can stash them in the freezer for 3 months. Thaw on the counter before enjoying again.

Serving Suggestions

For a Christmas morning breakfast or brunch, I like to have a pot of bulletproof coffee handy to jumpstart my day. Along with the cinnamon buns, I’ll also prepare a hearty dish like this ham and cheese casserole, and a side of home fries to round out the meal. These cinnamon rolls are the perfect morning treat, either on Christmas morning or anytime the craving hits. They do take some time to prepare, so thankfully the recipe makes a big batch, so if there are leftovers, I can freeze them to enjoy another time.

More Christmas Morning Recipes

• For this Bread Pudding, I soak brioche bread cubes in a sweet and eggy custard and then bake it to perfection.
• This Eggs Benedict Casserole is made with English muffins, filled with ham, and topped with a simple sauce.
• This Creamy Ham and Potato Casserole has layers of tender potatoes, savory ham, and a creamy béchamel sauce baked into a rich and satisfying casserole.

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