I love cinnamon rolls. A while back I already made a cinnamon roll cake and also these cinnamon buns, so it’s time for a new cinnamon roll recipe with a filling made with butter, white and light brown sugar and of course cinnamon. On top comes a delicious cream cheese frosting.
These cinnamon rolls are of course also made from a yeast dough. The great thing about this recipe is that you can prepare the cinnamon rolls the night before and just let them rise again the next morning and then bake them. The smell when these cinnamon rolls are in the oven is just fabulous. After baking, you just need a little patience to let them cool down a bit and then go for it and enjoy these fluffy and soft cinnamon rolls. So good!
Tools & Equipment
- 22,8x33cm/9×13-inch baking dish
- Fine-mesh strainer
- Medium bowl
- Parchment paper
- Pastry brush
- Plastic wrap
- Rolling pin
- Sharp knife
- Silicone spatula
- Small bowl
- Stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment & dough hook
Recipe Tips
Milk vs. Buttermilk: I like to use buttermilk, because it adds a delicious richness and flavor to the cinnamon rolls. If you don’t have buttermilk, you can use whole milk instead. You can also use low-fat or non-dairy milk, but the rolls won’t taste as moist and rich.
Proofing the Dough: I like to prepare the dough the night before and put it in the fridge overnight (8-12 hours). If you do not have the time or do not want to wait that long, you can also shape the cinnamon rolls, cover loosely with plastic and let rise at room temperature for about 1-2 hours or until doubled in size.
Frosting: I used a cream cheese frosting to top my cinnamon rolls. For those who think this is too rich, you can omit the cream cheese and butter and add a little milk or heavy cream instead until you get the consistency you like. A touch of vanilla extract also works really well with this frosting.
Ingredients for Cinnamon Rolls
Step by Step Guide – How to Make Cinnamon Rolls
Make the Dough
Spray the bottom of a 22,8x33cm/9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray and line with parchment paper. In the bowl of a stand mixer combine sugar, salt and butter. Mix slowly at first, then increase to medium-high until light and fluffy, for about 1 minute. Add the egg and mix on medium for about 2 minutes.
Add the flour along with the yeast and buttermilk and mix on medium-low until just combined, for about 1 minute. Attach the dough hook and knead on medium speed for about 10 minutes. The dough is ready when it pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
Transfer the dough to a large oiled bowl. Cover with plastic and let rise until the dough has doubled in size, for about 2 hours. Oil your work surface and rolling pin and turn out the dough.
Knead the dough for a minute to get the air out, then roll it out to a size of about 36x46cm/14×18-inch. Mix together granulated sugar, brown sugar and cinnamon. Melt the butter and brush it over the rolled out dough.
Sprinkle sugar mixture on top of the butter. Once all the dough is covered, roll it up into a tight log. Place seam side down and cut off about 2,5cm/1-inch from both ends, then cut into 12 equal slices about 4cm/1,5-inch.
Put the cinnamon rolls in the baking dish. Cover and place in the fridge for 8-12 hours. The next morning, remove the rolls from the fridge and let them rise until they are puffy, for about 1-2 hours. Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F. Melt butter and brush the tops of the rolls with melted butter.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown on top. About halfway through baking, cover loosely with aluminum foil to prevent the tops from browning too much before the centers are done. Remove the pan from the oven and let cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes.
Make the Frosting
Sift powdered sugar. In the bowl of a stand mixer combine sifted powdered sugar, cream cheese and butter. First mix on low speed for about 30 seconds, then increase to medium-high and beat until creamy, for about 2 minutes.
Spread the frosting over the still-warm rolls with a pastry brush.
Storing and Freezing Instructions
Storage: Store leftover glazed or unglazed rolls tightly covered at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Freezing Instructions: You can freeze baked cinnamon rolls for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat before serving. You can also freeze unbaked rolls. Let the rolls rise overnight in the fridge and perform step 14 the next morning. Bake the rolls for about 10 minutes at 190°C/375°F. Remove from the oven and let cool completely, then cover tightly and freeze. Remove the rolls from the freezer and place them in the fridge for a couple of hours to thaw slightly. Then bake until done.
My Summary for Cinnamon Rolls
Difficulty: Simple.
Taste & Texture: The cinnamon rolls are sweet, but not too sweet and the cinnamon flavor comes out perfectly. They are golden brown, a little crispy on the outside and super soft and fluffy on the inside. The cream cheese frosting on top is so delicious.
Time: Preparing the dough takes about 30 minutes. The dough must then rise for about 2 hours at room temperature. The filling is done in 5 minutes. Rolling out and shaping the cinnamon rolls takes about 20 minutes. Then the cinnamon rolls go into the fridge overnight. The next morning they need to rise again at room temperature for 1-2 hours and then they are baked for 20-25 minutes. The frosting is done in about 5 minutes.
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