BREAKFAST RECIPES

Classic Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting

Updated

Soft, gooey homemade cinnamon rolls made with an enriched bread-flour dough and a brown sugar cinnamon filling, finished with a tangy cream cheese frosting.

Prep
40 min
Cook
18 min
Total
2 hr 40 min
Yield
12 large or 18 medium rolls
Illustration of Classic Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting

These are the kind of cinnamon rolls people expect from a bakery: a soft, slightly sweet yeast dough rolled around plenty of brown sugar, butter and cinnamon, baked snugly in the pan so the centers stay tender, then spread with cream cheese frosting while they are still warm. Instant yeast keeps the timing manageable, with one rise for the dough and a shorter one for the shaped rolls. This is a classic from the KitchenSimplicity archive.

Bake them for Christmas morning, a holiday brunch or any slow weekend. The recipe makes enough for one 9 x 13-inch pan or two 9-inch square pans, so you can bake one now and freeze the other for a later morning. For Valentine’s Day or other occasions, the same dough can be shaped into hearts.

Tips

  • To freeze, cover the shaped rolls tightly right after they go in the pan, before the second rise. Thaw and let them rise at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours, then bake as directed.
  • For heart shapes, roll the long sides of the dough toward each other so they meet in the middle like a scroll, slice, pinch the bottom of each slice into a point and bake on parchment-lined sheets at 400°F for about 10 minutes. Thin the frosting in the microwave for a few seconds and drizzle it over.
  • Rolls are best the day they are baked. Store leftovers covered at room temperature for up to 2 days and warm each one in the microwave for about 20 seconds.
  • A serrated knife or a length of unflavored dental floss cuts the log cleanly without squashing the spirals.

Classic Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting

Prep
40 min
Cook
18 min
Total
2 hr 40 min
Yield
12 large or 18 medium rolls

Ingredients

  • For the dough:
  • 1 cup (240 ml) whole milk, warmed to about 110°F
  • 1/3 cup (75 g) unsalted butter, melted
  • 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons (8 g) instant yeast
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 cups (420 to 540 g) bread flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • For the filling:
  • 1/3 cup (75 g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup (200 g) packed brown sugar
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
  • For the cream cheese frosting:
  • 4 ounces (113 g) cream cheese, softened
  • 1/4 cup (57 g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 cups (180 g) powdered sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt

Steps

  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl), stir together the warm milk, melted butter, sugar and yeast. Let it stand for about 5 minutes, until it looks creamy.
  2. Beat in the eggs. Add 3 1/2 cups (420 g) of the bread flour and the salt and mix with the dough hook on low speed (or a wooden spoon) until a shaggy dough forms.
  3. Knead for 6 to 8 minutes by machine or about 10 minutes by hand, adding more flour a tablespoon at a time only as needed. The dough is ready when it is smooth and elastic and feels tacky but does not stick to a dry fingertip.
  4. Shape the dough into a ball, place it in a greased bowl and cover. Let it rise in a warm spot for about 1 hour, until doubled in size.
  5. Meanwhile, grease a 9 x 13-inch pan or two 9-inch square pans. Mix the softened butter, brown sugar and cinnamon into a spreadable paste.
  6. Punch down the dough and roll it on a lightly floured counter into a rectangle about 16 x 21 inches. Spread the filling evenly to the edges.
  7. Starting from a long side, roll the dough up into a snug log and pinch the seam closed. Cut it into 12 equal slices for a 9 x 13-inch pan, or 18 slices for two 9-inch pans (9 in each). Place the rolls cut side up in the pans.
  8. Cover and let the rolls rise for about 30 minutes, until puffy and nearly doubled. Heat the oven to 400°F while they rise.
  9. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the tops are light golden brown and the center rolls read about 190°F on an instant-read thermometer. Let them cool for about 10 minutes.
  10. While the rolls bake, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla and salt and beat until creamy. Spread the frosting over the warm (not hot) rolls so it melts into the swirls.

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