Classic cinnamon rolls filled with cinnamon butter topped with cream cheese frosting.
Usually I don’t like desserts that take this long to make. I like immediate results…I am too impatient to wait around for hours for a treat to be ready. But I promise you, these cinnamon rolls are WORTH IT!!!
This recipe is for classic cinnamon rolls. First you make the dough, let it rise, then shape the cinnamon rolls and let the rise again. It takes about three hours start to finish but it is worth the wait, I promise!
The cinnamon rolls are so soft and fluffy on the outside with an extra-gooey-buttery inside. They are filled with butter and a brown sugar and cinnamon mixture that adds the perfect cinnamon flavor.
Finally, the rolls are topped off with a cream cheese frosting that is to die for! These cinnamon rolls are the REAL DEAL! Now stop reading and start baking!
- 1 cup milk, warm
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 and ½ teaspoons yeast
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ⅓ cup butter, melted & cooled slightly
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 and ½ cups flour
- ⅓ cup butter, softened
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons cinnamon
- 3 ounces cream cheese
- ¼ cup vegetable shortening
- 1 and ½ cups powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- In a stand mixer, combine milk and sugar. Sprinkle in the yeast and let sit for about 5 minutes. Fit the mixer with the dough hook and add the eggs, butter, and salt. Blend on medium speed until combined. Slowly add the flour, ½ cup at a time, until all flour is added. Continue to blend the dough with the dough hook on medium speed until the dough forms a ball and all flour is combined. Transfer the dough into a large bowl sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Use a piece of greased cling wrap to cover the bowl. Let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about one hour.
- Note: I usually turn my oven on for about 30 seconds to warm it up and let the dough rise in the warmed oven.
- Once the dough has doubled in size, use a rolling pin to roll the dough out into a rectangle shape, approximately 21 inches by 16 inches in size. Using a butter knife spread the butter evenly over the dough. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle evenly over the butter layer.
- Starting on the long end of the dough (21 inch side) carefully roll the dough into a cylinder shape. Using a sharp knife, cut the cylinder in half, cut each half in half again (you should have four pieces now) and cut each piece into three pieces. You should have 12 cinnamon rolls.
- Carefully transfer each cinnamon roll into a greased 13x9 pan. Cover the pan with a greased piece of cling wrap and let rise for about 45 minutes in a warm place.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Carefully remove cling wrap from pan and bake cinnamon rolls for 13-15 minutes.
- While the cinnamon rolls are baking, make the frosting. In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese, vegetable shortening, and vanilla until well combined. Slowly, add powdered sugar and beat until combined.
- Once the cinnamon rolls are done let cool slightly and frost. These cinnamon rolls taste best warm and fresh but will last 1 week in an airtight container.
Inspired by All Recipes
Love these Cinnamon Rolls? Check out more of my favorite desserts!
These cinnamon rolls look so impossibly fluffy and gooey, Katelyn! I’m loving them!
They are! Thanks Hayley!
I have been forever intimidated by cinnamon rolls. I absolutely love them and I’ve made them twice and they just didn’t turn out like I wanted. These look amazing and I’m definitely going to try these as soon as I can.
Working with yeast can take practice, that’s for sure! I have made these probably 5 times and they always turn out! Let me know if you have problems.