# Soft Homemade Cinnamon Rolls Recipe Source: https://trevorfarias.com/recipes/cinnamon-rolls Author: Trevor Farias (Trevor's Kitchen) Published: 2026-10-01 · Updated: 2026-10-01 Category: Breakfast · Cuisine: American > For soft cinnamon rolls, make an enriched dough with warm milk, butter, eggs and yeast, let it rise until doubled, roll it into a rectangle, spread it with soft butter, brown sugar and cinnamon, roll it up and cut 12 rolls. Let them rise again until puffy, bake at 350°F for 22 to 26 minutes until light golden, and spread with cream cheese icing while warm. ## At a glance - Prep time: 40 minutes - Cook time: 22 to 26 minutes - Total time: 3 hours 15 minutes (Includes about 2 hours of rising) - Yield: 12 large rolls - Servings: 12 - Calories per serving: 430 ## Ingredients ### For the dough - 1 cup whole milk, warmed to 105–110°F - 2 1/4 teaspoons instant or active dry yeast, one 1/4-ounce packet - 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 50 g - 2 large eggs, at room temperature - 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, 85 g, melted and slightly cooled - 4 cups all-purpose flour, 500 g, plus more for dusting - 1 teaspoon fine salt ### For the filling - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, 113 g, very soft - 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar, 150 g - 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon - 1 pinch fine salt ### For the cream cheese icing - 4 ounces cream cheese, 113 g, softened - 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened - 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 180 g - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract - 1 to 2 tablespoons milk ## Instructions 1. **Make the dough.** In the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl, stir together the warm milk, yeast and sugar. Add the eggs and melted butter and whisk to combine. Add the flour and salt and mix with the dough hook on low, or a wooden spoon, until a shaggy dough forms. 2. **Knead.** Knead on medium-low speed for 6 to 8 minutes, or by hand on a lightly floured counter for about 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth, soft and only slightly tacky. Add flour a tablespoon at a time only if it is sticking badly. 3. **First rise.** Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let it rise in a warm spot until doubled, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. 4. **Roll and fill.** Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish. Punch down the dough and roll it on a floured counter into a 16x12-inch rectangle. Spread the soft butter evenly to the edges. Mix the brown sugar, cinnamon and salt and sprinkle it over the butter, pressing it in lightly. 5. **Roll up and cut.** Starting from a long side, roll the dough up tightly and pinch the seam to seal. Cut into 12 equal rolls and arrange them cut side up in the baking dish. 6. **Second rise.** Cover and let the rolls rise until puffy and touching, 30 to 45 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). 7. **Bake.** Bake for 22 to 26 minutes, until the tops are light golden brown and the center rolls read about 190°F. If they brown too fast, cover loosely with foil for the last 5 minutes. 8. **Ice and serve.** Beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth, then beat in the powdered sugar, vanilla and enough milk to make a thick but spreadable icing. Spread it over the rolls while they are still warm, about 10 minutes out of the oven. ## Equipment - Stand mixer with dough hook (optional) - Large mixing bowl - Rolling pin - 9x13-inch baking dish - Serrated knife or unflavored dental floss - Instant-read thermometer (optional) ## Notes - Warm the milk to about 105–110°F, never hot, so the yeast stays alive. - Use very soft butter in the filling, not melted, so the swirl stays put. - Take the rolls out when they are light golden. Darker means drier. ## Why this recipe works - Warm milk, butter and eggs make a rich, tender dough that bakes up pillowy. - Using softened, not melted, butter in the filling keeps the swirl in place instead of leaking out the bottom. - Cutting the rolls with dental floss or a sharp serrated knife keeps them round rather than squashed. - Baking until just light golden keeps the centers soft; overbaked rolls turn dry. - Icing the rolls while warm lets the glaze melt into every crevice. ## Working with yeast Use instant or active dry yeast. The milk should feel warm on your wrist, about 105°F to 110°F. Hotter than about 130°F can kill the yeast. If you use active dry yeast, let it sit in the warm milk with a pinch of sugar for 5 minutes until foamy before adding everything else. The dough has risen enough when it has roughly doubled and a floured finger pressed into it leaves a dent that springs back slowly. In a cool kitchen this can take 2 hours; in a warm one, less than 1. Watch the dough, not the clock. ## Overnight cinnamon rolls Make the dough, let it rise, shape and cut the rolls, and set them in the greased pan. Cover tightly and refrigerate for 8 to 16 hours. In the morning, take the pan out, set it in a warm spot for 60 to 90 minutes until the rolls are puffy and touching, then bake as written. ## Tips for evenly sized rolls - Roll the dough into an even rectangle, about 16 by 12 inches, with straight edges. - Roll it up tightly from the long side and pinch the seam closed. - Mark the log in half, then each half into thirds, then each third in half to get 12 equal pieces. - Slide a piece of unflavored dental floss under the log, cross the ends over the top and pull to cut cleanly. ## Storage - Store iced rolls covered at room temperature for 1 day or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Warm individual rolls in the microwave for 15 to 20 seconds. - Freeze baked, un-iced rolls wrapped tightly for up to 2 months. Thaw, warm at 325°F for 10 minutes and ice. ## Variations - Brown butter caramel drizzle: melt 4 tablespoons butter until golden and nutty, whisk in 1/2 cup brown sugar and 3 tablespoons cream, simmer 1 minute and drizzle over the warm rolls. - Pecan: scatter 3/4 cup chopped toasted pecans over the filling before rolling. - Orange: add the finely grated zest of 1 orange to the filling and use orange juice instead of milk in the icing. ## Frequently asked questions **Why are my cinnamon rolls dry or hard?** Usually too much flour or too long in the oven. Measure the flour by weight or by spooning and leveling, keep the dough soft and slightly tacky, and bake only until light golden. **Can I make cinnamon rolls the night before?** Yes. Shape and cut the rolls, set them in the pan, cover and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, let them rise at room temperature until puffy, 60 to 90 minutes, then bake. **Why did the filling leak out of my cinnamon rolls?** The butter in the filling was melted rather than softened, or the log was rolled too loosely. Use very soft but solid butter and roll the dough snugly. **Can I use instant yeast and active dry yeast interchangeably?** Yes, in the same amount. Proof active dry yeast in the warm milk for 5 minutes first. Instant yeast can go straight in, and the dough may rise a little faster. ## Nutrition (per serving, estimated) - Calories: 430 - Fat: 18 g - Saturated fat: 11 g - Carbohydrates: 61 g - Fiber: 2 g - Sugar: 30 g - Protein: 6 g - Sodium: 250 mg - Cholesterol: 70 mg --- Recipe by Trevor Farias. Full page with photos: https://trevorfarias.com/recipes/cinnamon-rolls Structured data (JSON): https://trevorfarias.com/recipes/cinnamon-rolls/recipe.json