Epic Cinnamon Roll Recipe!
The BEST Cinnamon Rolls!
Is there anything better than fresh cinnamon rolls hot out of the oven? I’ve been on the hunt for the best cinnamon roll recipe; the recipe to end all cinnamon roll recipes, for years!!! Something I could serve my family on Christmas morning for that perfect start to a day of major indulgence! I’ve tested quite a few and finally stumbled upon this recipe in an old cookbook that truly knocked it out of the park. With a few alterations, these came out huge, fluffy, ooey-gooey, creamy, sweet, sticky, delicious cinnamon bun glory.
Be sure to follow the directions closely to get the ultimate in tasty results. In particular, the SAIGON cinnamon, and high-quality bread flour. I love King Arthur bread flour. Prepare these on Christmas Eve, pop them in the fridge and they’ll be ready to bake in the morning! I promise you, it is so worth it! Oh, and if you have little ones around… they can help too! My little guy loved icing the buns before his taste test 😉
Cinnamon Rolls Recipe:
Makes: 8 Large Rolls (you can also make them smaller and wider as shown above by dividing the dough into more pieces. They’ll just spread out and be a bit flatter. If you go with this route, I suggest a small baking sheet lined with parchment that fits 9 for optimal results.)
Ingredients:
For the dough:
- ¾ cup warm milk (whole milk or 2% preferred) (110 degrees F)
- 2 ¼ tsp dry active yeast
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg + 1 egg yolk
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 3 cups bread flour
- 3/4 tsp salt
For the Filling:
- 2/3 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 ½ tbsp ground Saigon cinnamon
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
For the frosting:
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
Directions:
- In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, add the warm milk. Whisk in the dry yeast and let sit to activate, about 5-10 minutes.
- Once the yeast shows signs of activity, add all the dough ingredients and mix with the paddle attachment until combined. Use your hands to finish kneading the dough together. Change to the dough hook and continue kneading on the lowest speed for 5 minutes.
- Move the dough to an olive oil greased bowl, cover, and let rise for one hour or until doubled in size.
- Roll the dough out on a floured surface into a 9″x12″ rectangle shape. Spread the melted butter on the surface, leaving a 1/2″ rim around the edges. Sprinkle the brown sugar and cinnamon mixture evenly over the butter layer. Use your fingers to evenly disperse.
- Starting with the short side of the rectangle, roll the dough into a cylinder. Cut the cylinder into eight pieces using a serrated bread knife. Cut slow for a nice sharp cut. Move each cut roll to an olive oil greased, 8″x11″ glass baking dish and arrange to fit with all edges touching.
- Let rise covered at room temp for 30 minutes or in the refrigerator overnight covered in plastic wrap. If refrigerating, bring to room temperature (about 30-45 minutes) before baking.
- Bake at 350F for 25-30 minutes. Let cool for five minutes before adding the cream cheese frosting.
- For the cream cheese frosting, combine all frosting ingredients in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment for one minute to whip into a light and airy mixture.
- Spread over your cinnamon rolls and serve fresh and warm! If you aren’t going to eat them all at once, only frost the ones you plan to eat right away. Store the unfrosted buns and frosting separately in air-tight containers and refrigerate for up to a few days. Warm the buns in the oven before adding the leftover frosting.
