Classic Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting

Name: Classic Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting
Prep time: 51 min
Cook time: 27 min
Total time: 1 h 18 min
Yield: 12 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 cup (240 ml) whole milk, warmed to 110°F (43°C); 2¼ tsp (7 g) instant yeast; ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar; 4 tbsp (57 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled until just warm; 2 whole (100 g) large eggs, at room temperature; 1 tsp (6 g) fine salt; 3¾ cups (470 g) all-purpose flour, plus up to 2 tbsp (15 g) extra for dusting; 1 tbsp (14 g) unsalted butter, softened, for greasing the dish; ¾ cup (165 g) light or dark brown sugar, firmly packed; 3 tbsp (24 g) ground cinnamon; 6 tbsp (85 g) unsalted butter, very soft, spreadable like mayonnaise; 4 oz (115 g) full-fat cream cheese, softened to room temperature; 3 tbsp (43 g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature; 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar, sifted if lumpy; 1 tsp (5 ml) pure vanilla extract; 1 tbsp (15 ml) whole milk, plus more by the teaspoon if needed to thin

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Soft, pillowy rolls made from an enriched yeast dough, swirled with a gooey brown sugar and cinnamon filling and finished with tangy cream cheese frosting. Straightforward, same-day, and reliably fluffy.

Prep: 51 min
Cook: 27 min
Wait: 2 hr 5 min
Total: 3 hr 23 min
Makes: 12 rolls

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Ingredients

12 servings

For the dough
1 cup (240 ml) whole milk, warmed to 110°F (43°C)
2¼ tsp (7 g) instant yeast
¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
4 tbsp (57 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled until just warm
2 whole (100 g) large eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp (6 g) fine salt
3¾ cups (470 g) all-purpose flour, plus up to 2 tbsp (15 g) extra for dusting
1 tbsp (14 g) unsalted butter, softened, for greasing the dish
For the filling
¾ cup (165 g) light or dark brown sugar, firmly packed
3 tbsp (24 g) ground cinnamon
6 tbsp (85 g) unsalted butter, very soft, spreadable like mayonnaise
For the frosting
4 oz (115 g) full-fat cream cheese, softened to room temperature
3 tbsp (43 g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar, sifted if lumpy
1 tsp (5 ml) pure vanilla extract
1 tbsp (15 ml) whole milk, plus more by the teaspoon if needed to thin

Equipment (7)

Stand mixer with dough hook (or large bowl and wooden spoon)
9×13-inch (23×33 cm) metal or ceramic baking dish
Rolling pin
Unflavored dental floss or sharp serrated knife for cutting
Large bowl, lightly greased, for rising
Instant-read thermometer
Clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap

Steps

Before you start

Take the eggs, filling butter, cream cheese and frosting butter out of the fridge 1 hour ahead so they are at room temperature and soft.
Warm the milk to 110°F (43°C), which feels comfortably warm but not hot on your wrist. Over 130°F (54°C) can kill the yeast.
Plan on about 3½ hours from start to frosted rolls, most of it hands-off rising time.
This recipe uses instant yeast. If you only have active dry yeast, see the substitutions.

1
Mix the dough
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk the warm milk, instant yeast and granulated sugar.
- Add the cooled melted butter (4 tbsp/57 g), eggs and salt and whisk to combine.
- Add 3¾ cups (470 g) flour and stir with a spatula until a shaggy, sticky dough forms with no dry flour left.
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Ready when: No dry flour remains and the dough looks shaggy and sticky.
Tip: Make sure the melted butter is only warm, not hot, or it can scramble the eggs and harm the yeast.
2
Knead until smooth
- Attach the dough hook and knead on medium-low speed for 7 to 8 minutes.
- The dough should be soft, slightly tacky and pull away from the sides of the bowl.
- If it sticks heavily to the bowl after 3 minutes, add flour 1 tablespoon at a time, up to 2 tablespoons total.
- To knead by hand, turn out onto a lightly floured counter and knead for 10 to 12 minutes.
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Ready when: Dough is smooth and elastic, and a small piece stretches into a thin, translucent window without tearing right away (windowpane test).
Tip: Resist adding too much flour. A slightly tacky dough bakes into softer rolls.
3
First rise
- Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a lightly greased large bowl, turning once to coat.
- Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and let rise in a warm spot (about 75°F/24°C) for 60 to 90 minutes.
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Ready when: Dough has doubled in size and a fingertip pressed 1 inch in leaves an indentation that springs back slowly.
Tip: In a cool kitchen, set the covered bowl in the oven with only the light on.
4
Prepare pan and filling
- Grease the 9×13-inch (23×33 cm) baking dish with 1 tablespoon softened butter.
- In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar and cinnamon until evenly mixed, breaking up any lumps.
- Keep the 6 tablespoons (85 g) very soft butter nearby for spreading.
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Ready when: The sugar mixture looks uniformly tan-brown with no streaks of white or clumps.
5
Roll out and fill
- Turn the risen dough onto a lightly floured counter and gently press out the air.
- Roll into a 12×16-inch (30×40 cm) rectangle with a long side facing you, about ¼ inch (6 mm) thick.
- Spread the soft butter evenly over the dough, leaving a ½-inch (1 cm) clean border along the far long edge.
- Sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar evenly over the butter and press it down lightly with your palm.
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Ready when: Dough is an even rectangle about 12×16 inches with butter and sugar covering everything except the clean far edge.
Tip: If the dough springs back while rolling, cover it and rest it for 5 minutes, then continue.
6
Roll and cut
- Starting from the long edge nearest you, roll the dough up snugly into a 16-inch (40 cm) log, pinching the clean far edge to seal the seam.
- Turn the log seam-side down.
- Slide a piece of unflavored dental floss under the log, cross the ends over the top and pull to slice.
- Cut the log in half, then each half in half again, then each piece into 3, making 12 rolls about 1⅓ inches (3.5 cm) wide.
- Arrange the rolls cut-side up in the prepared dish in 3 rows of 4.
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Ready when: 12 evenly sized rolls sit in the dish with their swirls facing up.
Tip: Floss gives cleaner cuts than a knife, which squashes the spiral.
7
Second rise and preheatOven 350°F / 175°C
- Cover the dish loosely with a towel or greased plastic wrap and let the rolls rise in a warm spot for 40 to 45 minutes.
- About 15 minutes before the end, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) with a rack in the center.
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Ready when: Rolls are visibly puffy, touching each other and a gently poked roll springs back slowly.
Tip: Don't let them over-proof until they look huge and gassy, as they can collapse in the oven.
8
Bake the rollsOven 350°F / 175°C
- Bake in the 350°F (175°C) oven for 25 to 28 minutes, rotating the dish halfway through.
- If the tops brown too quickly before 20 minutes, tent loosely with foil.
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Ready when: Tops are golden brown, the center roll reads 190°F (88°C) on an instant-read thermometer, and the swirls no longer look raw or wet.
Tip: Underbaked center rolls are doughy, so check the middle of the pan and not the edges.
9
Cool and make frosting
- Let the rolls cool in the dish on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, beat the cream cheese and 3 tablespoons softened butter in a medium bowl with a hand mixer on medium speed for 1 to 2 minutes until completely smooth.
- Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and beat on low, then medium, for 1 minute.
- Beat in 1 tablespoon milk, adding more by the teaspoon if needed.
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Ready when: Frosting is smooth, fluffy and spreadable, thick but able to drizzle slowly off a spoon.
Tip: Make sure the cream cheese is truly soft, or the frosting will be lumpy.
10
Frost and serve
- Spread the frosting over the warm rolls with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon, letting it melt into the swirls.
- Serve warm.
- Frosted rolls should not sit out longer than 2 hours (1 hour if your kitchen is above 90°F/32°C), so refrigerate any leftovers promptly.
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Ready when: Frosting is soft and glossy, just melting into the warm rolls.
Tip: Frosting piping-hot rolls will make it slide off and turn greasy, so wait the full 10 minutes.

Good to know

Tips

Weigh the flour if you can. Scooping with a cup can add 20% too much and give dry rolls.
Use unflavored dental floss to cut the log. It makes clean cuts without flattening the spirals.
A very soft, spreadable butter filling stays inside the swirl. Melted butter tends to leak out and burn on the pan bottom.
Check doneness with a thermometer in the center roll. It should read 190°F (88°C).

Make ahead

Overnight option: after cutting and arranging the rolls (step 6), cover tightly and refrigerate for 8 to 16 hours. Next day, let them stand at room temperature for 45 to 60 minutes until puffy, then preheat the oven and bake as directed. The frosting can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated; bring to room temperature and beat briefly before using.

Storage & reheating

Room temperature: frosted rolls (cream cheese frosting is perishable) may sit out for no more than 2 hours, or 1 hour if the room is above 90°F (32°C); refrigerate leftovers after that. Unfrosted rolls keep covered at room temperature for 1 to 2 days; frost them just before serving. Refrigerator: frosted rolls keep up to 4 days in an airtight container. Freezer: freeze unfrosted or frosted rolls, wrapped well, for up to 3 months and thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat individual rolls in the microwave for 15 to 20 seconds, or reheat the whole pan covered with foil at 300°F (150°C) for 12 to 15 minutes. Eat reheated rolls promptly rather than leaving them out again.

Substitutions

instant yeast → active dry yeast, same amount (2¼ tsp / 7 g). Stir it into the warm milk with the sugar and wait 5 to 10 minutes until foamy before adding the other ingredients. The first rise may take about 15 minutes longer.
whole milk → 2% milk or unsweetened plain oat milk. Rolls will be slightly less rich but still soft.
light or dark brown sugar → coconut sugar or an equal weight of granulated sugar plus 1 tbsp molasses. Flavor will be slightly less caramel-like but the filling will still work.
full-fat cream cheese → mascarpone. Gives a milder, creamier frosting. Add an extra pinch of salt for tang. Store it refrigerated just like cream cheese frosting.