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Soft Homemade Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Icing

A single, freshly baked cinnamon roll topped generously with white icing, sitting on a white plate.
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A straightforward recipe for making soft, fluffy yeast rolls filled with cinnamon sugar and topped with a simple cream cheese glaze.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup whole milk, warm
  • 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened, plus more for greasing
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar, plus 1/4 cup for filling
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted, for filling
  • 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

  1. Warm the milk to about 110°F. Stir in the yeast and let it sit for 5 minutes until foamy.
  2. In a large bowl, cream together 1/2 cup softened butter and 1/2 cup granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time.
  3. Mix the yeast mixture into the butter mixture.
  4. In a separate bowl, whisk together 4 cups of flour and the salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until a soft dough forms.
  5. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for 5 to 7 minutes until smooth and elastic. Place the dough in a lightly buttered bowl, turning once to coat. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 1 to 1.5 hours, or until doubled in size.
  6. Punch down the risen dough. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a large rectangle, about 12 by 18 inches.
  7. Brush the surface evenly with the 1/2 cup melted butter. In a small bowl, mix the 1/4 cup granulated sugar and 2 tablespoons of cinnamon. Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the buttered dough.
  8. Starting from the long edge, tightly roll the dough into a log. Cut the log into 12 equal rolls.
  9. Place the rolls cut-side up in a greased 9×13 inch baking pan. Cover and let rise again for 30 minutes.
  10. Preheat your oven to 375°F. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown.
  11. While the rolls bake, make the icing: Beat the softened cream cheese, vanilla extract, and 2 cups of powdered sugar together until smooth. Add a tablespoon of milk if the icing is too thick.
  12. Remove the rolls from the oven and immediately spread the cream cheese icing over the warm rolls. Serve warm.

Notes

  • For the softest rolls, ensure your milk is warm enough to activate the yeast but not so hot that it kills it.
  • Do not skip the second rise; this helps the rolls become light and fluffy before baking.
  • If you prefer a thinner glaze, add milk one teaspoon at a time until you reach your desired consistency.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://whiskdaily.com/foolproof-cinnamon-roll-recipe/