Bakery Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. 
Serving Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. Cinnamon Rolls
Treat yourself to these incredibly soft, pillowy cinnamon rolls, generously spiraled with a gooey, warm cinnamon-brown sugar filling and draped in a luscious, melting cream cheese frosting.
Contains common allergens
In the app, Listahan checks these against your household automatically.
Instructions
6 steps- 1
In a mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm milk with a pinch of the granulated sugar. Let sit for 5 minutes until frothy. Add the remaining sugar, egg, melted butter, salt, and flour. Mix until a dough forms.
- 2
Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for 5-7 minutes until smooth and elastic. Place in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
- 3
Punch down the dough and roll it out into a 12x18-inch rectangle on a floured surface. Spread the softened butter evenly over the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border.
- 4
In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the buttered dough.
- 5
Starting from the long edge, tightly roll the dough into a log. Cut the log into 12 equal slices and place them in a greased 9x13-inch baking dish. Cover and let rise for another 45 minutes until puffy.
- 6
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake the rolls for 20-25 minutes until the tops are golden brown and the centers are cooked through. Let cool slightly before frosting with cream cheese icing or vanilla glaze.
Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. Listahan Family Score™
75/100
Good fit for most families
Score reflects how well this recipe fits a typical busy household. In the app, your Family Score is personalized to your household's allergens, kids, and pantry.
Nutrition
per serving325
Calories
7 g
Protein
45 g
Carbs
13 g
Fat
Estimated per serving. Actual values depend on the brands and portions you use.
Listahan cooking guide
Chef notes & practical guide
Technique notes, ingredient swaps, serve-alongside ideas, storage guidance, and equipment for this recipe.
Cultural context
Cinnamon rolls likely developed from European rolled pastries brought to North America by Scandinavian and German immigrants in the 18th and 19th centuries; Sweden's kanelbulle remains the most direct ancestor. The American version drifted sweeter and larger over time, and the Cinnabon chain, founded in 1985, cemented the format of a very large, heavily frosted roll as the North American standard. The Scandinavian version uses cardamom alongside cinnamon and less frosting, leaning on the bread itself rather than the glaze for sweetness.
Listahan note
This version uses a slightly enriched dough with enough butter and eggs for a featherlight, pull-apart texture, and relies on brown butter cream cheese frosting applied while the rolls are still warm so it melts into the layers rather than sitting on top.
Technique cues
- Roll the dough to an even thickness of about 1/4 inch before adding the filling; uneven dough means some rolls bake faster than others, leaving some over-browned while the thick spots remain doughy.
- Chill the rolled log for 15 minutes before slicing -- a cold log cuts cleanly with unflavored dental floss slid under the log and crossed at the top, giving clean rounds rather than compressed spirals from knife pressure.
- Bake rolls touching each other in the pan; as they rise and press together, they pull upward rather than outward, creating the tall, pillowy interior that defines a great cinnamon roll.
Kitchen flow
- Parallel prep
- While the dough completes its first rise, soften the cream cheese and bring butter to room temperature for the frosting so everything is ready immediately after baking.
- Make-ahead
- After slicing and placing rolls in the pan, cover tightly and refrigerate overnight; remove 1 hour before baking to complete the second rise at room temperature, then bake.
- Leftover move
- Reheat day-old rolls in a covered skillet with a tablespoon of water over low heat for 5 minutes; the steam revives the softness without the microwave's rubberizing effect.
- Cleanup rhythm
- Line the baking pan with parchment and spray it so caramelized sugar does not bond to the pan; soak the mixing bowl and dough hook immediately after use.
Ingredient brief
Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.
all-purpose flour
dough structure
Purpose: All-purpose flour provides enough gluten for a structured roll that still stays tender, without the chewiness that bread flour would introduce in this enriched context.
Handling: Weigh rather than measure by volume; too much flour from scooping makes a stiff, dry dough that will not proof properly.
Adaptation: Up to half can be replaced with bread flour for a chewier, slightly more substantial roll that holds its shape better after slicing.
unsalted butter
enrichment and filling fat
Purpose: Butter in the dough creates a tender, rich crumb, while softened butter spread on the dough before rolling ensures the filling adheres and melts into the layers during baking.
Handling: For the filling, use room-temperature softened butter -- too cold and it tears the dough; melted butter runs off the edges and falls out during rolling.
Adaptation: Vegan butter works well in both the dough and filling and produces a very similar result; avoid spreads with high water content.
brown sugar
filling sweetener and caramel base
Purpose: Brown sugar's molasses content deepens the caramel flavor of the filling and provides moisture that keeps the interior soft rather than drying into a brittle cinnamon layer.
Handling: Mix brown sugar and cinnamon before spreading to ensure even distribution across the entire surface.
Adaptation: Coconut sugar works at a 1:1 ratio with a slightly less sweet, more complex flavor and is not noticeably different in the finished roll.
cream cheese
frosting base
Purpose: Cream cheese provides tang that cuts the sweetness of the roll and creates a thick, spreadable frosting that melts into warm rolls without sliding off.
Handling: Bring cream cheese to full room temperature before beating it; cold cream cheese leaves lumps in the frosting that do not smooth out.
Adaptation: Mascarpone makes a milder, richer frosting; Greek yogurt cream cheese works for a lighter version with more tang.
whole milk
dough hydration and tenderness
Purpose: Whole milk provides both the liquid the dough needs and the fat that contributes to a softer, more pillowy crumb than water alone.
Handling: Warm milk to 110 F before adding yeast -- too cool slows activation, too hot kills the yeast.
Adaptation: Oat milk works well as a dairy-free substitute and produces a similarly tender crumb.
Technique notes
- Let frosted rolls sit 5 minutes before serving; the frosting melts into the warm crevices of the roll and creates a unified, gooey interior rather than a frosting-topped exterior.
- The second rise matters as much as the first -- under-proofed rolls bake dense and bread-like; they should look puffy and jiggle gently when the pan is moved before going in the oven.
- Adding a quarter cup of heavy cream poured over the rolls just before baking creates a pool of steam at the bottom of the pan that produces an ultra-soft, almost cinnabon-level texture without any extra effort.
Ingredient swaps
- Dairy-free direction
- Use oat milk in the dough, vegan butter in the filling, and vegan cream cheese for the frosting; the result is nearly indistinguishable from the dairy original.
- Gluten-free direction
- Use a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend and add 1 teaspoon of xanthan gum if not already included; expect a slightly denser roll that is still tender and flavorful.
- Lower-sugar direction
- Halve the filling sugar and use a thin drizzle of powdered sugar glaze instead of cream cheese frosting; the roll is still recognizably a cinnamon roll but significantly less sweet.
Serve alongside
- Crispy bacon strips
- Fresh orange segments
- Soft scrambled eggs
- Strong drip coffee with cream
- Chai latte
- Cold whole milk
Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.
Storage & reheating
- Store cooled rolls covered at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerate for up to 5 days. Freeze unfrosted rolls individually wrapped for up to 2 months; thaw and warm in a 325 F oven for 10 minutes, then frost.
Equipment
- Stand mixer with dough hook (or hand kneading works)
- 9x13 inch baking pan
- Bench scraper or unflavored dental floss for slicing
- Parchment paper
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