The Best Cinnamon Rolls Ever
These are the best cinnamon rolls EVER. They’re soft and fluffy with a gooey brown sugar cinnamon filling, frosted with cream cheese frosting all while drenched in a rich, buttery brown sugar cinnamon caramel sauce on the bottom.
This really is the absolute best cinnamon roll recipe. I can’t get over these rolls and I’ve been bursting at the seams with excitement to share them with you all! I took the concept of a sticky bun and merged it with a regular cream cheese frosted cinnamon roll. These super fluffy, gooey rolls have a special touch, while they bake, the bottoms are covered in a delicious, sticky cinnamon caramel sauce, which is basically just like extra cinnamon roll filling. Regular cinnamon roll on top, party on the bottom. I can’t even handle how good these are. These are a super winner, 100/10 recipe. I hope you all enjoy; this might just be the best recipe yet!
These cinnamon buns are the perfect thing to bake for Christmas morning breakfast or for special occasions. Nothing beats the smell of fresh rolls baking in the oven!
If you’re looking for other fall recipes, check out my pumpkin cheesecake cookies, cinnamon roll cookies, brown butter caramel cake, pumpkin cinnamon rolls, pumpkin blondies, apple cider cupcakes, pumpkin muffins, gooey butter pecan cake, chai cookies or chewy pumpkin cookies!
Why These are The Best Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
The bottoms are drenched in a sticky, buttery brown sugar cinnamon caramel sauce. Basically just like extra cinnamon roll filling all over the bottom of the rolls- YUM.
They’re full of cinnamon flavor. The rolls are filled with a delightful brown sugar cinnamon filling. As they bake, the bottoms also get covered in a cinnamon caramel sauce to make them extra gooey and delicious. Each bite is full of warm cinnamon!
They are extremely soft. Seriously like little pillows of doughy, buttery, sweet cinnamon goodness.
They are really fun to make! They do take a little time, but making them is half the fun. There’s something about working with yeast dough that makes making the dessert even more exciting. I love to see the dough rise, and transform into a delicious treat. It really makes you feel like you’ve accomplished something!
Ingredients for Perfect Cinnamon Rolls
- Active Dry Yeast– this is crucial for these rolls to rise properly, not an optional ingredient
- Cinnamon- used in the filling and caramel sauce
- Whole Milk– makes these rolls extra soft and pillowy
- Flour– all purpose flour will be used to make the dough
- Eggs– make sure they’re room temperature
- Unsalted Butter– make sure it’s very soft, will be used in the dough, filling and sticky bottom sauce
- Light Brown Sugar-used in the cinnamon filling and caramel sauce
- Granulated Sugar– used to make the dough and helps bloom the yeast
- Honey- used to make the gooey caramel sauce
- Vanilla Extract– adds a sweet note to the rolls
- Cream Cheese– used to make the amazing icing for the rolls
- Powdered Sugar– used to make the cream cheese frosting
- Heavy Cream– used for soaking the rolls while they proof and in the caramel sauce
- Rolling pin
- 9×13 baking dish
- Unflavored dental floss for cutting the rolls
Step by Step Instructions
Please see the recipe card below for complete measurements and baking time.
STEP ONE: Make your dough
To start, bloom your yeast. Mix your active dry yeast, little bit of sugar, and warm milk together and let sit for 10 minutes until foamy on top.
Next, in a large bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, mix flour, salt and sugar together. To the dry ingredients add the whisked eggs, vanilla, and softened butter and mix. Add in the yeast mixture and mix until everything is blended. Switch to a dough hook and knead on medium speed for 7-10 minutes until the dough pulls away from the edges of the bowl, forms a ball and springs back when pressed.
STEP TWO: Let it rise.
Form the dough into a ball. Place the dough in a large, greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or kitchen towel and place in a warm place to rise, (outside or a cold oven with the light on works well for this), for 1- 1 1/2 hours, or until the dough doubles in size.
STEP THREE: Make the gooey cinnamon caramel.
While the dough rises, make the sticky caramel sauce for the bottoms of the rolls, by mixing the butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, honey, vanilla, heavy cream and salt together in a medium bowl. Grease a 9×13 inch casserole dish. Spread the mixture evenly over the bottom of the pan.
STEP FOUR: Make your filling.
While the dough rises, also make the filling by mixing butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt together in a small bowl. If the filling is too firm and not spreadable, add heavy cream a tsp at a time until it’s easily spreadable.
STEP FIVE: Roll out your dough and spread filling.
Once the dough has had a chance to rise, remove from bowl, punch dough to release the air, and roll out on a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into about an 18 x 12 inch rectangle. It should be about 1/4 inch thick. Next, sprinkle the cinnamon sugar filling over the dough and spread it evenly with an offset spatula.
STEP SIX: Roll up dough and cut rolls.
Roll up the dough tightly into a long log shape starting from the end closest to you. Cut of a bit off the ends to make the log even. Cut 12 rolls about 1 1/2 inches wide using unflavored floss, kitchen twine or a very sharp knife.
STEP SEVEN: Let the rolls proof.
Place the rolls in the prepared casserole dish with the cinnamon caramel sauce mixture and pour room temperature heavy cream in between each roll. Cover them with plastic wrap and let them proof in a warm spot for about an hour, or until they have doubled in size.
STEP EIGHT: Bake the rolls and make the cream cheese icing.
Once the rolls have completed their second rise, bake at 350 degrees F for 29-32 minutes until golden brown. Cover with aluminum foil for the last 5 minutes if they’re getting too brown. While they bake, make the cream cheese frosting by adding the softened butter to a medium bowl and mixing on high speed with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy. Add in the cream cheese and mix until combined on medium speed. Sift the powdered sugar into the mixture a little at a time until all is combined. Then add in the vanilla and combine on medium speed until the frosting is smooth. Let the rolls cool for 10 minutes, then cover the warm rolls with the cream cheese icing. Then serve!
FAQs
Check that your yeast is not expired. If it did not get very foamy on top and smell “yeasty” after it bloomed, the yeast is dead. I’ve found that if it is just bubbly on top, but not foamy, this is an indication that the yeast is dead. Secondly, perhaps the dough just needed more time. Some times it can take up to 1 1/2 hours for the dough to proof all the way to “doubled in size”.
Yes. To prepare ahead of time follow recipe up until you are about to proof the buns for the second time. Cover the prepared buns and place in the fridge. The next morning when ready to bake, take the buns out of the fridge, pour room temperature cream in between them and allow them to proof somewhere warm until they’ve doubled in size. Keep in mind it will take longer than an hour because the dough is cold and has to come all the way to room temperature and then proof. Once they’ve doubled in size, bake according to the recipe.
Keep left over cinnamon rolls in an airtight container for up to three days, but I have a feeling they’ll be gone before that!
Pro Tips
Lightly grease plastic wrap for covering the dough while it proofs. This will help it not to stick to the rolls.
Use unflavored dental floss to cut the dough into rolls. This will allow for really pretty, clean cuts that a knife really can’t give you.
Let your dough proof outside if it’s warm enough, or in a cold oven with the light on.
If you make these delicious gooey cinnamon rolls please leave a star review! Also, tag me on Instagram @inbloombakery_ so I can see your creation! Follow me on Pinterest for other dessert ideas!
Other Recipes to Try Next Time
The Best Cinnamon Rolls Ever
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 1 1/4 cups (300 ml) whole milk, warmed to about 110 degrees
- 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
- 1 tsp granulated white sugar (to bloom the yeast)
- 4 3/4 cups (593 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp (25 g) granulated white sugar
- 2 eggs, whisked
- 1 tbsp vanilla
- 1/2 cup (112 g) unsalted butter, very softened
For the Cinnamon Caramel Sauce
- 1/2 cup (112 g) unsalted butter, very softened
- 1 cup (220 g) light brown sugar, packed
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/3 cup (116 g) honey
- 1/2 tbsp vanilla
- 3 tbsp (45 ml) heavy cream
- 1/4 tsp salt
For the Cinnamon Filling
- 1/2 cup (112 g) unsalted butter, very softened
- 1 cup (220 g) light brown sugar, packed
- 2 tbsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) heavy cream (for pouring in between the rolls)
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- 6 tbsp (84 g) unsalted butter, very softened
- 6 oz (170 g) cream cheese, cold
- 3/4 cup (97 g) powdered sugar
- 1/2 tbsp vanilla
Instructions
For the Dough
- To start, bloom your yeast. Mix your active dry yeast, sugar, and warm milk together and let sit for 10 minutes until foamy on top.1 1/4 cups (300 ml) whole milk, warmed to about 110 degrees, 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast, 1 tsp granulated white sugar (to bloom the yeast)
- Next, in a large bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, mix flour, salt and sugar together.4 3/4 cups (593 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled, 1 1/2 tsp salt, 2 tbsp (25 g) granulated white sugar
- To the dry ingredients add the whisked eggs, vanilla and softened butter and mix.2 eggs, whisked, 1/2 cup (112 g) unsalted butter, very softened, 1 tbsp vanilla
- Add in the yeast mixture and mix until everything is blended. Switch to a dough hook and knead on medium speed for 7-10 minutes until the dough pulls away from the edges of the bowl, forms a ball and springs back when pressed.
- Form the dough into a ball. Place the dough in a large, greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and place in a warm place to rise, (outside or a cold oven with the light on works well for this), for 1- 1 ½ hours, or until the dough doubles in size.
For the Cinnamon Caramel Sauce
- While the dough rises, make the sticky caramel sauce for the bottoms of the rolls, by mixing the butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, honey, vanilla, heavy cream and salt together in a medium bowl.1/2 cup (112 g) unsalted butter, very softened, 1 cup (220 g) light brown sugar, packed, 2 tsp cinnamon, 1/3 cup (116 g) honey, 1/2 tbsp vanilla, 3 tbsp (45 ml) heavy cream, 1/4 tsp salt
- Grease a 9×13 inch casserole dish. Spread the mixture evenly over the bottom of the pan.
For the Cinnamon Filling
- While the dough rises, also make the filling by mixing the butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt together in a small bowl. (If the filling is too firm and not spreadable, add heavy cream a tsp at a time until it's easily spreadable.)1/2 cup (112 g) unsalted butter, very softened, 1 cup (220 g) light brown sugar, packed, 2 tbsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp salt
Assembling and Baking the Cinnamon Rolls
- Once the dough has had a chance to rise, remove from bowl, punch dough to release the air, and roll out on a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into about an 18 x 12 inch rectangle. It should be about 1/4 inch thick.
- Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar filling over the dough and spread it evenly with an offset spatula.
- Roll up the dough tightly into a long log shape starting from the end closest to you. Cut of a bit off the ends to make the log even. Cut 12 rolls about 1 1/2 inches wide using unflavored floss or a very sharp knife.
- Place the rolls in the prepared casserole dish with the cinnamon caramel sauce mixture and pour room temperature heavy cream in between each roll. Cover them with plastic wrap and let them proof in a warm spot for about an hour, or until they have doubled in size.1/4 cup (60 ml) heavy cream (for pouring in between the rolls)
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees about 15 minutes before the rolls are done proofing.
- Once the rolls have completed their second rise, bake them for 29-32 minutes until golden brown. (30 minutes is usually perfect!)(Cover with aluminum foil for the last 5 minutes if they're getting too brown.)
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- While they bake, make the cream cheese frosting by adding the softened butter to a medium bowl and mixing it on high speed with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy.6 tbsp (84 g) unsalted butter, very softened
- Add in the cream cheese and mix until combined on medium speed.6 oz (170 g) cream cheese, cold
- Sift the powdered sugar into the mixture a little at a time and mix on low speed until all is combined.(You can add more powdered sugar if you want the frosting to be sweeter.)3/4 cup (97 g) powdered sugar
- Then add in the vanilla and combine on medium speed until the frosting is smooth.1/2 tbsp vanilla
- Let the rolls cool for 10 minutes, then cover the warm rolls with the cream cheese icing. Then serve!
My family loved these!!! If I want to bake them ahead of time, what’s the best way to warm them up?
First time ever making cinnamon rolls, and this recipe turned out well. I followed exactly as written other than using a different frosting (not a fan of cream cheese frosting). If I make it again I will probably use 1/3-1/2 as much caramel sauce. The sauce keeps the rolls nice and moist but there was way too much and they were VERY rich and sweet. That might be a good thing for some people but for me it was a little much.
I gave 5 Stars, because it tastes amazing!! BUT as a german i have to say that the recipe does not work with german ingredients. I had the rolls already 70 Minutes in the oven as they were still not done and decided then to take out the caramel sauce and make them another 20 minutes. That worked well. 🙂 the last few drops started to become caramellized and the dough became better. I will definitely try it more often and change everything till it becomes perfect with the ingredients I can find in our stores. 🙂 Thanks so much for this incredibly yummy recipe!
So “glad” to hear you have the same issue. I also live in German and had the same and always thought I did something wrong. I already cut down to half of the sauce and tried metal, glass and ceramic dishes but always the same. Once they are done though they are a dream!!!
These were my very first cinnamon rolls as I’ve always felt a bit intimidated to give it a try. This recipe however was very thorough and pretty much fool-proof! I made mine without the sauce and baked around 20min and they were heavenly! The dough was soft as a cloud and the filling and frosting perfectly compliment each other. Can’t wait to try more of your recipes, thank you! ?
Hi, I don’t have a hand blender even, if I do the whole process by hand, will I still have the same results?
Thank you
THE BEST CINNAMON ROLL RECIPE!!! everyone raved about them and it made me feel so good. I could have added more heavy cream (it didn’t do the full amount requested) and they were still AMAZING!!!!
I made these cinnamon rolls for a crew working on our house. Everyone of them called my husband and raved about them, and my hubby wanted to make sure I kept the recipe so I could make them again. They’re what cinnamon roll dreams are made of, I’m not even exaggerating 🙂
And I forgot to mention, I made these in our toy hauler RV. Lengthy recipe, but worth your time!
These are a bit labor intensive, but they are definitely worth the time. They really are the very cinnamon rolls ever .
A lot of recipes claim to be “the best”, but this truly is the best. I would say they’re labor-intensive because there’s so many components and steps but it’s all still very easy and they are to die for.
Absolutely delicious! I used a different recipe for the frosting but the cinnamon rolls were amazing
350 degrees in what? when i use celcius what degree should i use?
Hi! Any advice on turning these into mini cinnamon rolls? Thank you!
Amazing!!!! This recipe is definitely the BEST! Moist and delicious!
I’ve been making cinnamon rolls for a long time and this is the best recipe I’ve found thus far!! Love how the ingredient amounts are underneath each direction point. Game changer. I made the dough by hand and it comes together so nice. I didn’t have to add any flour while kneading. The rolls come out so fluffy and soft. Delicious! ??
My family is OBSESSED. My husband who thinks Cinnabon and Cinnaholic are the best cinnamon rolls ever, looked me in the eyes and said “these are the best cinnamon rolls I have ever had” they are be a family favorite and going to be served at every holiday. If I could give it 10 stars I would!
Hello, do you know if these freeze well at all?
Hi, like some other people commented, the bottoms were still doughy. Not sure how to prevent it. I baked in 9×13 and had to add a sheet pan to prevent the dripping. I would probably make half of the bottom caramel sauce next time. Do you have any other advice?
Made today and took about 5 hours from start to finish. Next time I’ll proof the bread the day before. Super delicious recipe, thanks!!
Like the roll itself but wasn’t a fan of the caramel at the bottom. Mine was way too soupy and the rolls were super doughy. Followed the recipe exactly how it’s written. Also thought the honey was too strong, didn’t really taste like caramel IMO. I think you could do just brown sugar, heavy cream, and butter to get that good caramel flavor and not so soupy
Have you tried to make these with a gluten free flour? If so, did you use King Arthur or another kind? Same quantity?
Thanks!
Hi Morgan! I have not tried them with GF flour and I would not recommend. A GF cinnamon roll is completely different and you can’t just swap the flours unfortunately. You are better off finding a GF cinnamon roll recipe and maybe applying the same technique of the “caramel” sauce on the bottom before baking. I hope this helps <3
I spent so long on these for them to turnout horribly. The taste is fantastic but they are so soggy from the “caramel” on the bottom. The 2 centre cinnamon buns were inedible, it was a soggy mushy mess. If I made them again I would cut the caramel in half or even omit it as it just made them soggy and way too sweet. I’m very disappointed in the wasted ingredients on these 🙁
Can I use the same amount of bread flour instead of all-purpose? Thanks!
Made these Christmas Eve to be ready to bake on Christmas morning. Absolutely perfect. Great recipe and easy to follow instructions. 10/10.
Ive made these 3 times so far, and gotten so many compliments each time. These are truly the best cinnamon rolls!!! Im making them with a different frosting this time (friend of mine cant stand cream cheese lol) and im certain theyll still be amazing as usual!
Great recipe, they turned out amazing! But heads up, your website is incredibly annoying to use.. you have too many ads and it creates an awful user experience. Pages take far too long to load and are blank when you scroll trying to keep up with the ads loading
Hola! Me ha encantado tu receta, he tenido algunos problemitas que no se si sabras ayudarme. Primero, la masa no ha subido, he utilizado levadura seca pero no se que habra pasado. Y por ultimo y mas importante, al echar el frosting sobre los rollos de canela habiendo esperado 10 minutos, ha empezado a subir un liquido amarillo que creo que es la mantequilla del sirope de caramelo del fondo que se habrá fundido ? no se si le habra pasado a alguien mas.
Gracias
Hola Blanca, nos paso lo mismo : creo que la levadura no funciono bien y luego los cinnamons se quedaron en un charco de mantequilla liquida! … la proxima vez intentaremos con levadura fresca… le pongo 5 estrellas porque no creo que fue por culpa de la receta…!
So good I made them for Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.
My daughter is allergic to eggs, so I used Greek yogurt instead of eggs everything still was outstanding!
Made these before Christmas and froze before second rise, they were delicious! I also subbed Bread flour for the all purpose and skipped the caramel sauce all together. I did put them in the fridge the evening before I wanted to bake and put them on the counter for a couple hours before baking, just so they weren’t completely frozen before baking.
Wow, wow, WOW!!! Made these this morning and it was like heaven in your mouth. My husband said “I could eat those until I get sick.” I appreciated the measurements being in grams! I am in the US but baking with grams is so much easier and more accurate. It also helped me divide the recipe in half since it’s just the 2 of us and I didn’t need 12 rolls (although I would love these everyday)!
Amazing just amazing, I have never tasted anything better.
Hi Betty! I’m so happy to read this, brought a smile to my face! Thanks for trying them!
Do NOT make these, unless you want to taste THE most delicious cinnamon rolls. I was not prepared for how incredible these are. They are so ooey gooey and soft. I wanted to get back into baking and these sounded like a perfect first step. They were pretty easy to make and I really appreciated the way the ingredients are listed in the steps. All in all, I will absolutely be making these again, ESPECIALLY when we have company. These are impressive when they come out of the oven.
As my own tip, I’d recommend using the toothpick method to test if they’re done. It’s hard to see and my oven took a little longer to bake these than the time noted. About 45 minutes total.
Hi Jennifer! Your comment made me smile 🙂 I’m so happy you liked them! Thanks for giving them a try!
Thank you for providing such an amazing recipe. Ive made these twice and it is the best one ive ever made. And thank you for giving measurements at each stage as a reminder, instead of scrolling up again for ingredient measurements every single time. Love it and love making these rolls!!
Do I use active dry or quick rise yeast?
Hi Erin, use active dry!
This was my first time making cinnamon rolls as they have always seemed somewhat intimidating to me. I don’t make a lot of things that require yeast and rising, etc., so that’s where I was a tad worried. These cinnamon rolls are ridiculously good! Now that I’ve concurred my fears I will definitely be making these again. My husband said these were as good as the ones we buy from a bakery in town and my father said they were outstanding! Thank you so much for the recipe ?
just wow!!!
The 1st time I made these I made them the size of 6 inch plate huge I know. They cooked over done and way too much caramel sauce. I made them again yesterday and cut the caramel sauce to 1/2 and I got 16 rolls out of this recipe but I made the copycat icing recipe to put on top. I’m going to delete all the other cinnamon roll recipes and just keep yours. This is the one ? and don’t need to give cinnabon any more money. Thankyou for Sharing.
I pride myself on being a pretty accomplished bread baker. These rolls are PERFECTION! I’m throwing out all my other cinnamon roll recipes. SO pillowy soft!! I did niggle….I cut down the amount of caramel sauce, added two diced, cooked apples to the filling, substituted monkfruit “sugar” for approximately 1/3-1/2 of the sugar in the filling and the caramel sauce, sprinkled a little salt over the caramel sauce before adding the rolls, and simply omitted the frosting – they didn’t need it! Holy Hannah! Salted Caramel Apple Cinnamon rolls. 5*. (TIP: If you raise your dough in a greased 9×13 pan instead of a bowl, the dough is already in a rectangular shape – you work it less and it stays softer!)
I made these once in september and they came out amazinnnggg, however the last two times i tried this month i can’t seem to get the dough right. I follow the recipe exactly but my dough never seems to get firm up enough to form a ball no matter how much i knead it or add flour. Any suggestions? Should i use less milk?
Made the recipe for Mother’s Day, and it turned out perfect! Dough was a bit sticky, so added a bit more flour when rolling out, but the rolls still came out tender & fluffy. The rolls do expand A LOT when proofing & baking, so make sure your container has enough extra space. To make it more manageable I rolled them out in 2 batches, and ended up with 25 rolls. The caramel at the bottom was delectable, would highly recommend!
This will be my second time making these cinnamon rolls and they are great!! I will be doubling the recipe and have a couple questions. 1. should i divide the dough into two sections before rolling it or just do it as one and then cut them? 2. Can I make it starting the night before? If so would I make it up until you cute the rolls? Or would you stop after making the dough. Please let me know. Thanks!
So I just made these! AMAZING recipe but after 30 minutes mine are not cooked through yet because they got absolutely massive in my dish! (Not complaining) but I think depending on how long you end up letting them proof bake time may vary 🙂 I’m sticking them in for another 15 covered with tinfoil and I think they will be perfect.
Recept je odlican samo pecenje mora biti na 200stepeni. nase rerne su obicno do 250 stepeni tako da je na 200 sasvim dovoljno.isto tako duzina pecenja treba da se kontrolise, meni su ispeceni za 15min .
What is the oven temperature for baking?
Hello! I plan on making these and had a question about doing it overnight. Your notes state to follow instructions until 2nd proof, then refrigerate. Do I put the heavy cream on before refrigerating or next morning after it comes to room temp?
Thank you!
I have a quick question. I plan on making these tomorrow but would like to make 6 and 6 so i can experiment with different flavours. When I change the quantity to 6, some of the measurements don’t change. Namely, the flour. Has anyone else run into this issue? Thank you so much.
Great recipe, except, the caramel sauce needs to be cut in half at least… waaaaaaaaay too much of it, causes the rolls to under bake.
Hi, I really wish these turned out for me but I had several problems. The dough didn’t rise, the rolls came out underbaked, there was too much caramel sauce and it turned into a soup instead of caramelizing. I’m not sure what happened but I really want to try these again, please let me know if you have any tips!
Love this recipe.
Wish I could give higher than a 4 but a little less than a 5. Everything worked out well for my first time making cinnamon rolls from scratch, delicious recipe! I agree with some of the comments above that the honey is too overpowering. Honestly, it ruined them for me. I made a second pan at the same time without the sauce and used only the heavy cream, which was absolutely splendid while still a little sweet and wet at the bottom. I will make these again and probably not use the sauce or make it so it can be put on at the end after the icing for a little bit of a sugary add-on. Thanks for sharing this, looking forward to making more of your recipes. 🙂
I made these and they were amazing! I’m planning on making them again for a party the following day. Is it best that I refrigerate them during the night and then reheat them in the oven that morning?