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+ servings
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 16 servings
Calories 354 kcal

Ingredients
 

For the dough:

  • teaspoons instant dry yeast
  • ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 cup whole milk lukewarm
  • cups all-purpose flour divided
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter very soft
  • ½ teaspoon fine salt

For the cinnamon filling:

  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter very soft
  • 3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
  • ½ cup granulated sugar

For the cream cheese glaze:

  • 7 tablespoons unsalted butter very soft
  • 5 ounces cream cheese softened
  • ½ cup powdered sugar sifted

Instructions
 

  • Mix the lukewarm milk with one tablespoon of the sugar taken from the total amount and the dry yeast, cover, and let it sit for 15 minutes until foamy.
    Yeast mixture in a glass bowl with milk and sugar, starting to foam
  • In a large mixing bowl, combine half of the flour, the remaining sugar, and a pinch of salt.
    Dry ingredients (flour, sugar, salt) mixed in a large bowl
  • Add the yeast and milk mixture to the flour bowl, then add the egg and the softened butter.
    Milk and yeast mixture, egg, and soft butter added over flour in a bowl
  • Whisk everything together until you get a smooth, thick batter.
    Smooth dough batter being whisked in a mixing bowl
  • Add the remaining half of the flour.
    Remaining flour being added on top of the dough mixture
  • Knead the dough, then cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and let it rise for 1 hour in a warm spot.
    Soft dough resting in a bowl covered with plastic wrap, ready to rise
  • For the filling, prepare the softened butter and mix the cinnamon with the sugar. Once the dough has doubled in size, roll it out with a rolling pin into a large rectangle.
    Rolled-out dough into a rectangle, with a bowl of cinnamon sugar nearby
  • Spread the softened butter evenly over the dough, then sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture all over the surface.
    Dough rectangle coated with butter and covered in cinnamon sugar
  • Roll the dough up tightly into a log and slice it into equal pieces.
    Cinnamon roll log being sliced into even spirals
  • Line a baking pan with parchment paper, arrange the rolls in the pan leaving some space between them to rise, let them rest on the counter for 20 minutes, then bake at 350°F (180°C) for 20–25 minutes until golden.
    Cinnamon rolls arranged in a parchment-lined pan, ready to bake
  • For the glaze, beat the softened butter, cream cheese, and powdered sugar with a mixer until completely smooth and creamy.
    Cream cheese and butter frosting being whipped in a bowl
  • Remove the cinnamon rolls from the oven and generously spread them with the cream cheese glaze while they are still warm.
    Warm cinnamon rolls in a pan being topped with cream cheese glaze

Notes

  1. Use lukewarm milk to activate the yeast; hot milk can kill it and stop the dough from rising.
  2. The dough should be soft and slightly tacky; adding too much flour will make the rolls dense.
  3. Rolling from the long side of the rectangle gives more spirals and a nicer swirl in each roll.
  4. Leaving space between rolls in the pan helps them expand and bake evenly without becoming heavy.
  5. Spread the glaze on warm, not hot, rolls so it melts slightly while still staying creamy.
  6. You can add a pinch of vanilla or orange zest to the glaze for extra flavor without changing the base recipe.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 354kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 53mg | Sodium: 113mg | Potassium: 93mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 535IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 53mg | Iron: 2mg
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