One of the best ways to make cinnamon rolls with amazing cream cheese frosting is to make them in the small batch! I will show you how to make cinnamon rolls the night before! Simply throw them in the oven in the morning and enjoy rich and indulgent treats!
I love all kinds of sweet breakfast recipes, such as Strawberry Banana Bread and Easy Waffle from scratch. But cinnamon rolls are sooo good when hot from the oven! I love that they’re gooey and warm.
This is one of the best cinnamon bun recipes made overnight in a small pan with indulgent cream cheese frosting! This sweet dish is a great addition for busy weeknights and best with coffee or tea. They are so great that your family and friends would want to buy them from you! The actual dough itself is so flavorful and moist that you don’t need gallons of frosting (which by the way is also delicious)!
Cinnamon Rolls Recipe
This recipe calls for only simple ingredients and it’s important to buy good fresh yeast for tender and flavorful results.
I used regular all-purpose flour and whole milk for this cinnamon rolls recipe. You can also use 2% milk but whole milk adds so much extra yumminess!
How long should I knead the cinnamon rolls
Kneading can be the difficult part for some of us, including me. You must knead at least the recommended time if doing it by hand (8 min for this recipe).
Kneading is key!! Add a little flour if it gets too sticky to work with/ lightly dust. The dough should feel harder the more you knead and you’ll know its ready.
Pro Tip: the longer you let them rise, the fluffier and better they taste!!
You will know when the dough is ready by pinching it between your fingers and feeling something like an earlobe texture. Can you over knead? No! It’s almost impossible to over knead by hand.
Variations to the cinnamon bun recipe
- Add nuts to this breakfast recipe. I would go for pecans, but walnuts will work great here too! I also like slightly crushed slivered almonds.
- Add some maple syrup to the top of the mix before putting the rolls in the pan. For extra sweetness:)
- Double the cinnamon! I don’t think you can go wrong here!
- You can use oven temperature of 350 instead of 375 if you want your cinnamon roll to be lighter in color on the top.
Helpful Tips
- Make sure to put the dough in a warm place to rise. For example the microwave, turned off, and it will rise even more!
- Make sure to roll out the dough evenly. If you don’t, they are still going to be great, but you risk having some rolls smaller and others fit for a king!
- I would highly suggest taking extra time and being extra careful when reading the directions. In addition, I allowed my first rise to go for approx. 2 hours and it came out perfect.
- Pour your milk into a mug and microwave it for about 20 seconds until it is lukewarm, NOT HOT (about 105-115 degrees F). Warm the milk in a small saucepan until it bubbles, then remove from heat. Mix in ¼ cup sugar, ¼ cup butter and salt; stir until melted. Let cool until lukewarm.
How many calories
You don’t have to worry about calculating the calories. For this recipe, the calorie count is 599 calories per roll. The secret is out!
Can I make them ahead or overnight?
Overnight Rolls. Yes! If you are pressed for time in the morning, make the dough the night before and refrigerate overnight in an oiled and covered bowl. It will rise slowly throughout the night.
Just make sure you pull out the dough from the fridge a few hours before you make these so it has time to get to room temperature. Once at room temperature you can start shaping the rolls! Finally transfer them to a greased baking dish for baking.
If you want to make them a couple of days ahead, my suggestion is to prepare batches and put them in disposable aluminum containers until ready to bake! Shape the rolls, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator, up to 1 week.
These cinnamon rolls are spectacular!
Please be warned – the smell in the kitchen is heavenly! It will awake your entire family if you make them too early on Sunday morning. Topped this with a cream cheese icing these are simply AWESOME!
Try these cinnamon rolls you won’t be disappointed. I never thought I’d make a world class cinnamon roll but I was wrong! After this recipe, I am thinking of making cinnamon rolls professionally:). So if you also want great sticky buns that will knock the socks off your friends and family, this is it! They are that good.
Easy Cinnamon Rolls
Equipment
- 6 to 7-inch baking dish
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup whole milk, (or 2% milk)
- 2 tablespoons salted butter, melted
- 1 egg yolk, large
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, (plus 1 tablespoon)
Filling
- ⅓ cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons salted butter, softened
Frosting
- 3 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 3 tablespoons salted butter, softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- In a small bowl, dissolve yeast and in warm milk. Stir and allow to sit for 10-15 minutes until the top of the mixture looks foamy and creamy.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together milk and yeast mixture from above with melted butter, sugar, egg yolk, and salt.
- Next add the flour and stir well to combine with a spoon. You will get a thick, sticky dough. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes (12-16 folds). The dough should not be sticky.
- Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 60 to 90 minutes.
- While dough is rising, stir together brown sugar and cinnamon in a different bowl.
- Once your dough has risen, turn it out on a lightly floured surface and using a rolling pin, roll it into rectangular shape to about 5 by 15 inches. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with brown sugar mixture.
- Roll into a tight log from the short side. Use a serrated knife or dental floss to cut the roll into quarters.
- Place the rolls in a 6 to 7-inch greased baking dish. Cover with a towel, place them in a warm spot, and allow to rise for an hour, until puffed up and fluffy. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
- Bake cinnamon rolls for 15-22 minutes, until the tops are golden and centers cooked through. Allow rolls to cool for 5 minutes before frosting.
Frosting
- While your rolls are baking, in a medium bowl, whisk together softened cream cheese, butter, sugar, vanilla, and salt, until well combined together.
- Spread frosting over rolls with a spoon or a spatula and serve.
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only. This information comes from online calculators. Although whatsinthepan.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
I love cinnamon rolls, and can’t wait for my kitchen to smell like cinnamon when I make these!
Great recipe! My husband and son love cinnamon rolls and I really enjoyed making them.
Can I make these with gluten flour ? Thanks
Yes! I made them gluten free as well with Cup for Cup gluten free flour. I assume other mixes would be fine too.