If you’re looking for the best cinnamon roll recipe ever then look no further! These Perfect Cinnamon Rolls are the most delicious, soft and fluffy cinnamon rolls you’ll ever eat!
These Perfect Cinnamon Rolls may look familiar to some of you. I posted the original recipe back in 2015 but felt they didn’t get the love they deserve, so I decided to re-post it. This is my most FAVORITE cinnamon roll recipe ever. I have made them several times over the past few years for holidays, weekend breakfasts and for a neighborhood party. They are always a hit and I’m always asked for the recipe. 😀
I love to bake cinnamon rolls. They are my idea of the ultimate sweet treat! This recipe for Perfect Cinnamon Rolls creates the most flavorful, soft, moist, fluffy cinnamon roll ever and I am not exaggerating!
There are many reasons that make these rolls perfect. First and foremost, they taste AMAZING. (I only use caps when I try to get my point across. haha) The dough is so soft it almost melts in your mouth and the cinnamon/sugar ratio in the center is just perfection.
The cream cheese frosting finishes these cinnamon rolls off to total perfection! One of the keys to their deliciousness is to wait and frost them until they’re room temperature. Not when they’re hot. This involves a lot of self control because when you smell these baking you will want to eat them straight out of the oven. But trust me on this and wait. As soon as they’re ready to be frosted you can dive right in and lose all self control. And believe me, you will.
One more bonus to these wonderful rolls is that they freeze so well! Read the notes in the recipe card on how to freeze them.
Now go make some. Immediately! 😉
Perfect Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
Cinnamon Rolls:
- 4 cups milk I use 2% milk
- 1 cup salted butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 ½ Tablespoons instant yeast
- 4 large eggs beaten
- 12 cups all-purpose flour
Filling:
- 1/2 cup salted butter softened
- 2 cups brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons ground cinnamon
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 pounds powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup milk
Instructions
- ROLLS: Heat the milk in a saucepan until milk is scalded. (Heating right before the boiling point) Pour scalded milk in the bowl of an electric stand-mixer. Add the butter, sugar and salt. Using the dough hook, mix until combined. Then let cool until warm. (If mixture is too hot it will kill the yeast.)
- Add the yeast and eggs and mix until combined.
- Gradually add in the flour. (I used exactly 12 cups of flour. You may need more or less depending on humidity and how you measure flour. Also, because of how much flour this recipe requires your mixer will be full!) The dough should be soft but slightly sticky. Knead for 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer dough to a large greased bowl. Cover and let rise until doubled in size.
- Divide dough in half. Place dough onto a floured surface and roll each half of dough into an 18×12 inch rectangle.
- FILLING: Spread 1/4 cup softened butter over each rectangle. Stir together brown sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle half over each rectangle. Starting with the longer end, roll up tightly then pinch at the seam. Cut each roll into 12 equal portions. (You'll have 24 rolls total.)
- Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Place 12 rolls onto each lined baking sheet. (3 across, 4 down) Cover pans with kitchen towels and let rolls rise until doubled in size.
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Bake rolls 20 to 22 minutes or until golden on top. Remove from oven and let cool completely before frosting.
- CREAM CHEESE FROSTING: In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter together until combined. Gradually add in powdered sugar, vanilla and salt. Continue to beat until creamy and combined. Spread frosting over cooled cinnamon rolls and enjoy!!
Notes
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Recipe adapted from: Joan’s Bunchberry Bites/Mel’s Kitchen Cafe
These are beautiful!! I can’t wait to make these!
Could raisins be added to the filling?
Most definitely!
Are these better than the other cinnamon rolls you posted before?
In my opinion, these are WAY better! Seriously, the best cinnamon roll I’ve ever had in my life.
Just made these:) the smell and taste is irresistible. Mine turned out huge! The size of my hand! Lol I didn’t put all the powdered sugar in the frosting cuz it would’ve been too sweet, so I used 3\4 or so of a 2lb bag and added almost 3\4 cup of milk in the end ( wanted mine more runny). When I make these again I will third the dough instead of half and make them a bit smaller:) delicious recipe! Thanks!
I made these tonight! I halved the recipe bc I knew my bread machine could not handle 12 cups of flour! lol It barely handled 6! I have a 9×12 pan, a pie pan, and a 9×9 FULL!!!!!!
Can’t wait to try them! <3
Holly, These Look and I’m sure they are delious ! Could you give me an approximate carbohydrate count for one of your cinnamon rolls.
I look forward making these rolls.
Thank you, Carol Jean
They look fantastic! I have always been and always will be a sucker for a good cinnamon roll. I can smell them through the screen :D!
is the 1 cup of butter melted or softened?
It doesn’t need to be softened or melted. The scalded milk will melt it as stated in the directions 🙂
Is this better than the cinnabon cinnamon rolls recipe you posted a few years back?
Yes, I really think so! 🙂
Can these be made ahead and refrigerated? I need about 4 recipes and would love to be able to make them ahead. would you recommend freezing or refrigerate and bring to room temp before cooking??
Yes, you can make these ahead of time up to the baking part. Don’t bake. Wrap pans tightly in saran wrap then store in fridge. When I am ready to bake them I let them sit out on the counter for 4 to 5 hours so they can come to room temperature and rise. Then bake as directed. 🙂
Do you have an alternate frosting – my children just don’t love cream cheese type frostings
Dawn, here is an easy vanilla frosting without cream cheese:
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 to 4 tablespoons milk (or cream)
Beat all ingredients together until smooth!
OMG….i have searched for years for the PERFECT CINNAMON roll recipe. Here it is!!
They are soft and tEnder, thE Frosting sweet and fluffy. They literally look liKe the post! I froze almost all of them foR later. Thank you!!!
Wow, just wow. I have never made cinnamon rolls that are as impressive as these. Fluffy and huge.
Thank you.