Learn how to make the BEST gooey cinnamon rolls at home (way better than Cinnabon!). These secret ingredient cinnamon rolls are soft & fluffy and topped with a silky cream cheese frosting that takes them over the top. You’ll never need another cinnamon roll recipe after these!
It was great to wake up this morning to fresh cinnamon rolls. I threw these babies in the oven at 7 am and by 8 the whole apartment felt like a little Amish bakery. I don’t know why a lot of people think it’s hard to make cinnamon rolls! It’s very easy and rewarding. It’s just a matter of waiting for them to rise ( it’s like magic isn’t it?) and I’m very impatient.
Trust me it’s 100% worth it and I promise the result is the fluffiest and most tasty cinnamon rolls you will ever have! They’re easy to make and can be prepared the night before for a quick grab-and-go treat. I’ve been developing this recipe for years to make the perfect batch of soft, fluffy, and most importantly, gooey cinnamon rolls. In fact, this recipe went viral on tiktok with over 15 Million views to date!
If you enjoyed these cinnamon rolls, check out my pumpkin cinnamon rolls version next!
How to Make Cinnamon Rolls from Scratch
Making cinnamon rolls is a 3 part process.
- You will need to first make the dough and allow it to rise.
- Next is the buttery cinnamon filling
- And lastly the delicious cream cheese frosting
To get started, set aside the ingredients for the frosting to allow them to come to room temp while you make the dough.
Next, Gather all the ingredients for the dough and knead the dough in a stand mixer until soft. Transfer the dough to a greased bowl and allow it to rise for 1 hour.
While the dough is rising, combine your butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a medium bowl and set aside.
Next, spread out your dough onto a floured countertop or mat and roll it into a 9×14-inch rectangle. Brush the butter onto the dough then top generously with the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
Now cut the dough into 4 equal segments then cut each segment into 3 rolls, about 1 inch each. You should end up with about 12 equal slices. Transfer to a 9×13 pan and allow the dough to rise for 1 hour. This step will allow the dough to rise even more and become extra soft, fluffy, and pillowy.
Last, pour heavy cream directly on top of the cinnamon rolls and bake. Meanwhile, prepare your frosting while they’re baking! your cinnamon rolls and prepare the frosting while they’re baking.
Cool the cinnamon rolls for 5-10 minutes then spread the cream cheese frosting ontop of the rolls and enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
What can I do if my dough is too sticky while kneading?
You may need a little more flour depending on the exact time of all-purpose flour you use and your altitude. If the dough is still a little sticky after kneading, simply add a little more flour, about a tablespoon at a time. Be careful not to add too much and dry the dough out. The dough should still be soft & slightly sticky.
Can I add mix-ins to the filling?
For sure! feel free to customize these cinnamon rolls to your liking. I sometimes like to add apples, nuts, or chocolate right before rolling the cinnamon rolls.
How do you make cinnamon rolls taste better?
To make cinnamon rolls that taste extraordinary, you’ll want to use the best quality cinnamon you can get your hands on. Costco’s organic Saigon cinnamon is my absolute favorite and I will never use any other cinnamon. The next trick to making delicious cinnamon rolls it to pour heavy cream on top of the cinnamon rolls before baking. Lastly, using a homemade cream cheese frosting will take the cinnamon rolls over the top.
Why add heavy cream to cinnamon rolls?
Adding heavy cream on top of cinnamon rolls is the secret ingredient for making extra soft & gooey cinnamon rolls. As the cinnamon rolls bake, the heavy cream will caramelize and form a gooey layer of cinnamon at the bottom of the cinnamon rolls. It will also absorb into the rolls and make them extra soft & fluffy so you never have to deal with dry cinnamon rolls again!
How to Store Cinnamon Rolls
After the cinnamon rolls have completely cooled, cover with plastic wrap or foil or place in an airtight container.
If you will consume them within the next 2 days, simply leaving them on the counter at room temperature works best. You can also transfer to the fridge for another 4 days.
To Freeze Cinnamon Rolls: Wrap each roll into plastic wrap or foil and then place in a large freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 2 months.
To Reheat Cinnamon Rolls: Thaw at room temperature overnight or microwave in increments of 30 seconds until soft.
More Cinnamon Roll Recipes
- Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
- Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls
- No Yeast Cinnamon Rolls
- 45 Minute Cinnamon Rolls
- Keto Cinnamon Rolls
- Cinnamon Roll Cake
Best Cinnamon Rolls ( Soft & Gooey!)
Ingredients
For the dough:
- ¾ cup warm milk
- 2 ¼ teaspoons quick rise or active yeast, 1/4-ounce package yeast
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup butter, melted
- 1 egg
- 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, plus more if needed
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
For the filling:
- 1 cup brown sugar, light or dark
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- ½ cup butter, softened or almost melted
- 1 cup heavy cream, DO NOT MIX INTO FILLING
For the cream cheese frosting:
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- 4 tablespoons butter, softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
To Make Dough:
- Warm milk in the microwave for 30 seconds, to just about 110F. Transfer warm milk to a large bowl or in the large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Sprinkle yeast on top. Stir milk and yeast until yeast is mostly dissolved. Add Sugar, butter, egg, flour, and salt.
- Knead dough on medium speed for 3-4 minutes. The dough might seem wet at first but will become less sticky as you knead it. The dough should be soft, elastic, tacky and smooth. If the dough is still too wet, add another 1-2 tablespoons of flour. Alternatively, this can be done by hand.
- Grease prepared dough with oil and cover with plastic wrap or kitchen towel. Allow to rise for about 30 minutes or until almost doubled in size.
To Make Filling:
- While the dough is rising, prepare the filling. In a medium bowl, combine the softened butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon (DO NOT add heavy cream). Mix until well combined; set aside.
- Once the dough has doubled in size, transfer it to a well-floured surface and Roll it into a 9×14-inch rectangle using a rolling pin. Spread filling over dough, leaving about 1/4 inch border all around the outside of the dough. Starting with the 14’’ side, tightly roll into a log and place the seam down to ensure it’s sealed.
- Cut the dough into 4 equal segments then cut each segment into 3 rolls, about 1 inch each. You should end up with about 12 equal slices. Place the rolls in a buttered or greased 9×13 dish. Cover with a towel to rise for 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Heat heavy cream in the microwave for 30 seconds until lukewarm. Pour heavy cream evenly over rolls and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the tops are a light golden brown.
To make the frosting:
- While the rolls are cooling, in the bowl of an electric mixer or by hand, combine the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Beat until smooth and fluffy. Spread onto the warm rolls and enjoy!
Video
Equipment
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Wow these really are the BEST cinnamon rolls I’ve ever made! The addition of heavy cream really took them over the top! This will be a regular in my house now!!
Made these today, by hand, o stand mixer. They’re soft, gooey, and perfectly tantalizing! They were a huge hit with everyone and the grandkids were crazy for them! Definitely a keeper recipe. I’ll definitely make these again and again.
I followed the recipe exact, made no changes, however I did have to let the dough rise longer than 30 mins, closer to 45 mins. They turned out wonderful! Thanks for a great recipe.
Don’t have a stand mixer or dough hook. Options??
You can make the dough by hand!
Your initial description of how to make this doesn’t make sense, it is also different than the recipe.
The flavor and ease of this recipe is great! However they were a bit mushy. If I make them again I’ll reduce the amount of cream that gets added before baking.
These literally are the BEST cinnamon rolls ever! super gooey and soft. Thanks for the recipe!
These are the softest and very delicious cinnamon rolls just what I been looking for. So very soft and my house smelled so good as they were cooking just like the Cinnabon store but so much better!!!!!!
So sweet, so delicious, I love it, Thank you so much!
Why won’t any of the pictures load? I can’t see a single picture, no matter what I do to try to get it to load. Any ideas on what I can do to get the pictures to load where I can see what your Cinnamon rolls look like? Also could I let these rise overnight? If so, how do you recommend I do it? I want to make them for breakfast one day, but I don’t want to have to get up at dawn and spend the entire morning in the kitchen making them and not be able to eat them until noon. Plus, it would be better on my back. I have Spina Bifida and endure back pain 24/7, and cooking makes it hurt even worse.
😃 literally no one cares about the whole backstory
JoAnna, you sound so f$%king crazy girl. Get it together. Spina Bifida is so 2020 #Vaxxed.
Not sure why so many had issues with the dough being sticky. I followed the ingredients and instructions to a T and found these rolls ‘heavenly’. I’ve been baking cinnamon rolls for years and love to experiment with different recipes. It’s what I love most about cinnamon rolls, the diversity of how they can be made. I made these for our church’s Christmas bazaar bake sale. I wanted a recipe that was just as it says in the title “fluffy”. These were beyond fluffy – clouds of cinnamony sugary wonderful goodness. The dough came together in 15 sec using my Kitchenaid mixer with the paddle. After that I put on the dough hook and within a minute the dough was perfect. I turned it out, kneaded it a few times more and placed it in a bowl to rise. Perfection! It rolled out in minutes and baked just as stated in 20 minutes. My family devoured them and I had to make another batch for the bake sale! This recipe is wonderful, thanks so much for posting!
Excited to try your recipe! Have you ever tried making the dough a day ahead, rising the buns and putting them in the refrigerator overnight for baking in the am? Any advice for this?
I love making cinnamon rolls, and my family loves eating them. One problem I have though… I use unbromated flour and it tends to make the dough a little more difficult to work with. In particular the dough doesn’t rise as well as when I used to use bromate flour, any suggestions on how to help the rising process along?
We love homemade cinnamon rolls – these look so delish! Pinned – Thanks for linking up to Freedom Fridays!
Mandy, The dough should not be sticky although is should be soft; not hard. Maybe you didn’t knead the dough long enough? try kneading the dough a bit more.
The only other thing I can think of is the type of flour you are using. With all breads you might have to add a little more or less flour. If you are still making the dough add a little more flour and make sure to knead the dough for at least 2-3 minutes. If you have already made the dough add more flour on the counter when rolling. Please let me know if that helps.
These cinnamon rolls just grabbed me!! I can just smell the cinnamon! Just pinned!!
Hugs from Freedom Fridays With All My Bloggy Friends!
Thank you for pinning Evelyn!
Yummy! I love cinnamon rolls. Need to make em soon.
Stopping by from Weekend re-Treat Link Party 🙂
OMG i would not hate you even a little if you sent me some of these! YUM! Thanks so much for linking up at Creativity Unleashed!
Sure will!! Have a Happy New Year! 😀
Cinnamon rolls is a food I can’t get enough of!! This looks spectacular!
Me too! Thanks Megan
G’day One word? YUM!
Cheers! Joanne
Viewed as part of the Foodie Friends Friday Christmas Cookie Exchange
@mickeydownunder
Cinnamon rolls are the best! I love when they double in size too, it is like magic. The bigger the better! These would be perfect for Christmas morning. And impressed you made these on such a tiny counter : )
Thanks Natalie! I’ve learned to adjust to it. 🙂
No there isn’t ! Thanks Laura
hello, is all of the butter melted? or just the 2 tbsp to spread on the dough?
Is there anything better than cinnamon rolls for breakfast! Yummy!
hello, is all of the butter melted? or just the 2 tbsp to spread on the dough?