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The Best Fluffy Cinnamon Rolls

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These are the BEST Cinnamon Rolls! Soft and fluffy, they're packed with cinnamon flavors and topped with a gooey cream cheese frosting.
  • Author: Delphine Fortin
  • Prep Time: 45 mins
  • Proofing Time: 2 hours
  • Cook Time: 25 mins
  • Total Time: 3 hours 10 minutes
  • Yield: 12 rolls 1x

These are the BEST Cinnamon Rolls! Soft and fluffy, they’re packed with wonderful cinnamon flavors and topped with a gooey cream cheese frosting. The recipe comes together easily and comes with make-ahead instructions.

Ingredients

Scale

For the dough:

  • 1 ¼ cups (30 cl) whole milk
  • 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast*
  • 1 teaspoon sugar (to bloom the yeast)
  • 2 eggs, at room temperature and whisked
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 Tablespoons (25g) sugar
  • 4 ⅓ cups to 4 ½ cups (520-540g) all-purpose flour**
  • 1 ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup (120g) unsalted butter, softened

For the cinnamon filling:

  • ½ cup (120g) butter, at room temperature
  • ⅓ cup (70g) light or dark brown sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons ground cinnamon
  • ¼ cup (60 ml) heavy cream, at room temperature (for pouring in between the rolls)

For the cream cheese frosting:

  • 4 ounces (115g) cream cheese, softened
  • ¼ cup (60g) unsalted butter, softened
  • ½ cup (65g) confectioners’ sugar
  • 3 Tablespoons maple syrup

Instructions

For the rolls:

  1. Start with the dough. In a small bowl, whisk together active dry yeast, one teaspoon sugar, and warm milk, and let sit for 10 minutes, until bubbly. Transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, then add the eggs, vanilla, and sugar. Slowly add the flour**, salt, and mix until combined. Slowly add the softened butter and mix. Knead on medium speed for about 10 minutes. If the dough is too sticky, add a little bit more flour. The dough should be soft and pull away from the sides of the bowl. Shape the dough into a ball and place in a large, greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and place in a warm place to rise, for 1 hour, or until the dough doubles in size.
  2. For the cinnamon filling. In a medium bowl, mix together the softened butter, brown sugar and cinnamon until combined.
  3. For the cream cheese frosting, add softened butter to a medium bowl and whisk on medium speed with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy. Add cream cheese and mix until combined. Set the electric mixer on low and slowly add the confectioners’ sugar and then the maple syrup. Mix until combined.

For assembling and baking:

  1. Grease a 9×13-inch (23×33 cm) baking dish, and set aside.
  2. Remove the dough from the bowl, punch it down, and roll it out on a lightly floured surface into a 18×12-inch (46×30.5 cm) rectangle and about ¼-inch (0,5 cm) thick.
  3. Spread the cinnamon filling over the dough, using an offset spatula. Starting from the longer side, roll up the dough tightly into a log. Cut of a bit off the ends to make the log even. Cut 12 rolls, about 1 ½-inch (3,8 cm) wide, using unflavored floss or a very sharp knife.
  4. Place the rolls in the prepared baking dish, and pour room temperature heavy cream in between each roll. Cover them with plastic wrap and let proof in a warm spot for about 1 hour, or until the rolls have doubled in size.
  5. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Once hot and rolls have proofed, bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a light golden color.
  6. Let the rolls cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then cover with the cream cheese icing. Serve, and enjoy!

Notes

* Yeast guide ratio. You can replace active dry yeast with instant yeast, or fresh yeast, adjusting the yeast ratio as followed: 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast (7g) = 1 ¾ teaspoons instant yeast (6g) = 0.6 ounces (17g) fresh yeast. Remember that both active dry yeast and fresh yeast need to be “proofed” in a liquid mixture before using. Instant yeast however, can be added directly to the dry ingredients.

** Depending on the brand, you may need more or less flour. I recommend starting with 4 ⅓ cups (520g) flour, up to to 4 ½ cups (540g) if needed. You know your dough looks fine when it’s soft and detaches from the sides of the bowl, without being too sticky.

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