BEST EVER Homemade Cinnamon Rolls (soft and gooey)

These homemade cinnamon rolls are the best you will ever eat! The super soft, gooey inside paired with the silky cream cheese frosting, is a recipe for success. Ready in under 2 hours.

Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

Nothing says Sunday morning like a warm, gooey batch of good old fashioned cinnamon rolls. Whether you eat these rolls for breakfast, afternoon snack or dessert, You will be running back for more!

These cinnamon rolls are made with simple ingredients, ready in under 2 hours and are still made completely from scratch. Simple and sweet, My kind of recipe.

A tasty homemade gift is the present everyone loves, pair these soft and fluffy cinnamon rolls with a sweet note and you’ve got yourself the best gift ever. Nothing says I love you like a heartwarming labor of love.

How to make Cinnamon Rolls from Scratch

To make these a simple homemade cinnamon roll, I use Fleischmann’s rapid rise dry yeast, so the dough only has to proof for about 1 hour before baking. Unlike most recipes that require double proofs.

To make these the night before, make the dough then rise for 30 min. Put in the fridge til morning. In the morning, roll out dough, fill, roll, and bake at 350 for 25 mins.

You could also make and freeze (then frost right before serving)

Making the Cinnamon roll dough

This dough is my go to dough recipe. It is so simple! Iv’e tried my fair share of dough and have had it not turn out a time or two and let me tell you, Nothing hurts worse. This dough is foolproof! It turns out perfect every. single. time.

Here’s some tips:

• The stick test: Once your hands are washed from kneading, stick your finger into the dough, if it bounces back, you’re good to go. If it sticks, keep kneading.

• The dough will be sticky first, then shaggy. Knead until smooth.
• To make the dough in the mixer, I add more flour (about a cup more) then once it is mixed, I knead until smooth.
• You must add the butter and water WARM, make sure it is not hot. I do two 30 second intervals until the mixture is just warm to touch.

Once the dough is finished, let it rest for 10 minuets, You can mix the cinnamon filling below while you wait. After 10 minutes, the dough will have doubled in size and be much easier to roll out.

Cinnamon Roll Filling

After rolling out the dough, we will add butter and the cinnamon roll filling.

You can choose to mix the filling on the rolled out dough, or combine in a separate bowl, whisk together and sprinkle on the roll. This is what I prefer.

Make sure your butter is at room temperature! The hardest part about this recipe is remembering to set your butter and cream cheese out ahead of time. Did you know you can actually leave salted butter on the counter for up to two weeks? This has saved me many times when I realize I forgot to bring my butter to room temperature.

If you do forget to set your butter out, you will want to heat it up in the microwave while watching very closely. You do not want your butter melted. This will squish out the sides when you cut the rolls.

Spread your butter even with a spoon, then sprinkle your cinnamon roll mixture onto the dough. Spread it even with your hands if needed.

Now we roll!

Best way to cut cinnamon rolls, so easy!

Ditch your knife! We’re using a thin piece of thread to cut these cinnamon rolls! This is genius, right?!

Run the thread across the bottom of the cinnamon rolls, bring it over the rolls, crossing the threads over each other, then pull tightly to slice. Watch the video below for a how-to.

You want to avoid using a knife to prevent from squishing your rolls. If you can’t find some type of string, use a sharp knife and saw back and forth, gently.

Our cinnamon rolls are ready to proof

Now that we have perfectly shaped cinnamon rolls, it is time for the hardest part, waiting!

After placing the rolls into a dish, cover the dish with a hand towel and let rise for 1 hour. They are going to double in size.

Make sure you use a dish big enough. These cinnamon rolls get HUGE! It is okay if they are touching.

If you are wanting to make these for the morning, wrap dish in plastic wrap and store in the fridge overnight. In the morning, let the rolls rest 45 mins after taking them out of the fridge then bake as normal.

Bake your cinnamon rolls at 350 for 25-30 minutes

Bake your cinnamon rolls at 350 for 25-30 min. I like mine soft and gooey on the inside so I take them out at that 25 minute mark.

You are looking for a nice golden top. Maybe a little less golden than I have pictured, haha! The middle cinnamon roll seems to look exactly like I like them.

When should I ice my Cinnamon rolls?

Make your icing while the cinnamon rolls are cooling off. This takes about 5-10 minutes to mix. Your rolls should be nice and warm by then.

Once your icing is mixed, spread onto the cinnamon rolls while they are still warm. This will allow the icing to get down in the edges.

You want to serve these cinnamon rolls while they are nice and warm! If there is any extras (don’t count on it!) Make sure you place them in an air tight container to prevent them from drying out.

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