Better Than Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls
Forget Cinnabon—these best-ever homemade cinnamon rolls are big, fluffy, and bakery-worthy! Made from scratch with bread flour and instant yeast, they have pillowy-soft dough, a gooey cinnamon sugar filling, and rich cream cheese frosting. Perfect for breakfast, these soft and fluffy rolls stay moist for days—if they last that long! Plus, there’s an overnight option for easy prep.
Equipment
Ingredients
Tangzhong
- 1/4 cup bread flour
- 3/4 cup water
Cinnamon Roll Dough
- 3 2/3 cups bread flour *See notes below for measuring*
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons instant yeast
- 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/3 cup heavy cream room temperature
- 1/3 cup whole milk room temperature
- 1 large whole egg room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- Tangzhong from above
- 8 tablespoons salted European butter cool room temperature
Cinnamon Sugar Filling
- 1/2 cup salted European butter cool room temperature
- 2/3 cup light brown sugar packed
- 2 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp vanilla powder optional
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
- 5 ounces cream cheese cold
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
Instructions
- Before you start, line a metal 9x13 baking pan with parchment paper.
- First, make the tangzhong: In a small saucepan, whisk together the water and bread flour. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, for 4-5 minutes until the mixture is a paste-like slurry. Scrape it into a bowl and set it aside.
- In a stand mixing bowl, mix the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt until combined. Add the cream, milk, egg, vanilla, and tangzhong to the bowl. Knead on low speed with the dough hook for 2 minutes until it forms a rough dough ball.
- On low speed, knead in the butter 1 tablespoon at a time, letting it fully incorporate before adding more. Continue kneading for another 10-12 minutes until the dough looks smooth and elastic.
- Remove the dough from the bowl and pull the sides down into the bottom center to create a smooth round ball. Place it seam-side down into the mixing bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside for 30 minutes.
- While the dough rests, combine the butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla powder for the filling. Set aside.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a 15x21-inch rectangle. Dollop the cinnamon sugar mixture across the surface, then spread it to the edges with an offset spatula, leaving a 1-inch border at the top clean.
- Use a pizza cutter to cut twelve, 1 3/4-inch strips. Roll each strip away from you, then carefully transfer them to the baking pan. Cover the top with plastic wrap and set it in a warm place to rise until doubled, about 1-2 hours. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 325 F/162 C.
- Bake the cinnamon rolls for 30-35 minutes, or until the tops are lightly golden brown.
- While the rolls are baking, make the cream cheese frosting. In a stand mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese and butter until combined. Then mix in the powdered sugar. Keep beating on low speed until the frosting is light and fluffy, then mix in the vanilla bean paste and heavy cream.
- Let the pan cool on a wire cooling rack for 15 minutes, then spread the cream cheese frosting on top. Let sit another 15 minutes for the frosting to seep into the rolls. Serve warm and enjoy!
- Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for 4-5 days. Reheat them in the oven or microwave until warm before serving!
Video
Notes
*Measure your dry ingredients properly. This is my #1 baking tip! Do not ever scoop a measuring cup into your flour as this always leads to using too much flour. Instead, use the spoon-level method. This means fluffing the flour first, then spooning it into your measuring cup/spoon. For the BEST results, use a kitchen scale!*
Use cool room-temperature butter. This is important for both kneading it into the dough and for the filling. Butter that is too warm and greasy will make the dough harder to work with. It will also cause the filling to leak from the rolls.
Use a pizza wheel instead of floss! I've found this is much easier to cut and roll rather than using dental floss or a serrated knife. It keeps the cinnamon rolls perfectly round after baking, too!
Overnight rise: Once rolled, cover the baking pan with plastic wrap and chill them in the fridge overnight. The next morning, allow them to rise until doubled at room temperature before baking. Don't refrigerate them longer than 24 hours or the yeast will ferment and turn sour.
Freezing: Once rolled, cover the pan with two layers of plastic wrap and foil. Freeze for 2-3 weeks. Allow to defrost in the fridge overnight, then let them rise until doubled at room temperature before baking.
