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These light and fluffy Homemade Cinnamon Rolls taste delicious hot out of the oven and topped with our extremely yummy Cream Cheese Frosting and we have all the instructions you’ll need to make them perfectly every time!

Frosted Homemade Cinnamon Roll sitting on a white plate.

Fluffy homemade Cinnamon Rolls, hot out of the oven, chock full of cinnamon filling and dripping with icing are delicious.  There is no doubt about that.  But we have to be honest, they aren’t exactly easy to make.  It took us a long time to gather up the confidence to try to master them. And now that we have, we wish we would have done it sooner. The good news is that now we have you covered too. There are quite a few steps but if you follow this recipe exactly you too can wow your family with a yummy breakfast pastry chock full of cinnamon sugar goodness. Although if you would rather make an easier version (no judgment here) here is a link to a no-yeast-required cinnamon roll recipe. Still here? Grab the yeast, and let’s get baking!

How to Make Cinnamon Rolls From Scratch

Collage image showing how to prepare the yeast to make the dough.

Step 1: Heat milk in the microwave to 105 degrees.
Step 2: Pour heated milk, melted butter, and sugar into a mixing bowl.  Double-check the temperature of the liquid to make sure the melted butter did not increase the temperature of the milk.  Anything much higher than 105 degrees will kill the yeast.  Add the yeast to the bowl and lightly mix with a fork. Allow the yeast to bloom for 5 minutes.
Step 3: Add 4 cups of flour to the mixing bowl.
Step 4:  Mix the liquid and the flour with a spoon until it is combined.

Collage image showing how to make the cinnamon roll dough.

Step 5:  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise for at least 1 hour at room temperature.
Step 6:  The dough should approximately double in size.
Step 7:  Add 3/4 cup of flour to the dough and mix with a spoon.
Step 8: The dough should pull away from the sides of the bowl.

Collage image showing how to knead and roll out the cinnamon roll dough.

Step 9: Pour the dough out onto a floured surface.
Step 10:  Knead lightly until the dough comes together in a ball.  It should not be sticky or stick to the surface. Add flour 1 tablespoon at a time if needed.
Step 11:  Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough.
Step 12:  Roll the dough into a 12×17″ rectangle.

Collage image showing the steps for making the Cinnamon Filling for the rolls.

Step 13: Add the Brown Sugar, Granulated Sugar, and Cinnamon to a bowl.  Mix with a fork until combined.
Step 14: Add the melted butter.
Step 15: Mix until combined.
Step 16: Spread the Cinnamon Sugar Butter evenly onto the rolled out dough.

Collage image showing the steps for rolling the cinnamon roll dough and slicing into pieces.

Step 17: Roll the dough into a tight cylinder.
Step 18: Use unflavored Dental Floss to smoothly slice the dough into rolls.
Step 19:  Cut the roll of dough into 12 equal slices. 

Collage image showing the cinnamon rolls before going in the oven and after coming out of the oven.

Step 20: Place the Homemade Cinnamon Rolls into a buttered 9×13″ baking dish.
Step 21:  Cover the baking dish with a kitchen towel and allow the rolls to rise again for 30 minutes.
Step 22: Bake the Cinnamon Rolls in an oven preheated to 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.  We usually place a piece of aluminum foil over the pan of rolls after 15 minutes in the oven to keep them from browning too much on the top.

Collage image showing the cream cheese icing used to frost the cinnamon rolls.

Step 23:  Make a batch of icing.  We have included a recipe for a basic icing below.  Another decadent idea, and one which we have done here, is to ice the rolls with our The Best Cream Cheese Frosting. You can find all the instructions and ingredients for this delicious cream cheese frosting right here.
Step 24: Frosting the Cinnamon Rolls liberally after they have cooled for at least 15 minutes or all of the frosting will melt into the rolls.

Homemade Cinnamon Roll with a bite taken out of it sitting on a white plate in front of a pan of Cinnamon rolls.

Other Breakfast Treats You Will Love

Did you Make This Recipe? Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @twosisterscrafting on Instagram so we can see it!

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Homemade Cinnamon RollsPrint

Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

Yield 12 servings
Prep Time 1 hour 50 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 25 minutes

These light and fluffy Homemade Cinnamon Rolls taste delicious hot out of the oven and topped with our extremely yummy Cream Cheese Frosting and we have all the instructions you'll need to make them perfectly every time!

Ingredients

Rolls

  • 1/2 cup Butter (Sweet Cream Salted Butter, melted)
  • 2 cups Milk
  • 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
  • 2 1/4 teaspoons Active Yeast
  • 4 3/4 cups All-Purpose Flour
  • 1 teaspoon Baking Powder

Filing

  • 1/2 cup Butter (Sweet Cream Salted Butter, melted)
  • 2/3 cups Brown Sugar
  • 2/3 cups Granulated Sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
  • 2 heaping tablespoons Ground Cinnamon

Icing

  • 1/2 cup Butter (Sweet Cream Salted Butter, melted)
  • 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
  • 4 cups Powdered Sugar
  • 1-2 tablespoons Cream or Milk (to thin icing)

Instructions

  1. Heat milk in the microwave to 105 degrees.
  2. Pour heated milk, melted butter, and sugar into a mixing bowl.  Double-check the temperature of the liquid to make sure the melted butter did not increase the temperature of the milk.  Anything much higher than 105 degrees will kill the yeast.
  3. Add the yeast to the bowl and lightly mix with a fork. Allow the yeast to bloom for 5 minutes.
  4. Add 4 cups of flour to the mixing bowl.
  5. Mix the liquid and the flour with a spoon until it is combined.
  6. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise for at least 1 hour at room temperature.
  7. The dough should approximately double in size.
  8. Add 3/4 cup of flour to the dough and mix with a spoon.
  9. The dough should pull away from the sides of the bowl.
  10. Pour the dough out onto a floured surface.
  11. Knead lightly until the dough comes together in a ball.  It should not be sticky or stick to the surface. Add flour 1 tablespoon at a time if needed.
  12. Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough.
  13. Roll the dough into a 12x17" rectangle.
  14. Add the Brown Sugar, Granulated Sugar, and Cinnamon to a bowl.  Mix with a fork until combined.
  15. Add the melted butter.
  16. Mix until combined.
  17. Spread the Cinnamon Sugar Butter evenly onto the rolled out dough.
  18. Roll the dough into a tight cylinder.
  19. Use unflavored Dental Floss to smoothly slice the dough into rolls.
  20. Cut the roll of dough into 12 equal slices.
  21. Place the Homemade Cinnamon Rolls into a buttered 9x13" baking dish.
  22. Cover the baking dish with a kitchen towel and allow the rolls to rise again for 30 minutes.
  23. Bake the Cinnamon Rolls in an oven preheated to 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.  We usually place a piece of aluminum foil over the pan of rolls after 15 minutes in the oven to keep them from browning too much on the top.
  24. Make a batch of icing.  We have included a recipe for a basic icing above.  Another decadent idea, and one which we have done here, is to ice the rolls with our The Best Cream Cheese Frosting. You can find all the instructions and ingredients for this delicious cream cheese frosting right here.
  25. Frosting the Cinnamon Rolls liberally after they have cooled for at least 15 minutes or all of the frosting will melt into the rolls.

Did you Make this Recipe? Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @twosisterscrafting on Instagram so we can see it!

© Two Sisters Crafting
Cuisine: American / Category: Breakfast