Cinnamon Rolls Recipe

These bakery-style cinnamon rolls are soft, fluffy, and layered with a rich brown butter cinnamon filling, then finished with tangy cream cheese frosting and crunchy candied walnuts. The dough is slow-risen for maximum flavor and tenderness, and a pour of heavy cream before baking keeps every roll irresistibly pillowy. They're perfect for holiday mornings, special brunches, or anytime you want a truly special homemade treat!

Prep Time45

Cook Time30

Inactive Time (rising, chilling, proofing)14

Total Time15 15

Course: Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cinnamon rolls, cinnamon rolls recipe, homemade cinnamon rolls, how to make cinnamon rolls, yeast cinnamon rolls

Servings: servings

Equipment

1 Stand Mixer with Dough Hook and Whisk Attachment
1 Medium Mixing Bowl
1 Small Saucepan
1 Rolling Pin
1 Bench Scraper or Sharp Knife
Dental Floss (optional)
1 (10-inch / 25 centimeter) Round Metal Baking Pan
Parchment Paper
1 Sheet Pan
1 Nonstick Skillet
1 Instant-Read Thermometer
Plastic Wrap or Clean Kitchen Towel

Ingredients

For the Dough

1 ounce whole milk heated to 90°F (32°C)
3 gram active dry yeast
280 gram all-purpose flour
25 gram sugar
3 gram Diamond Crystal kosher salt
3 large egg room temperature
1 stick unsalted butter cut into 8 pieces, room temperature

For the Filling/ Schmear

1 unsalted butter
1/2 cup light brown sugar
pinch of kosher salt
3 tablespoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon honey
1 large egg
10 tablespoons heavy cream one tablespoon per roll

For the candied walnuts

1 cup walnut pieces
¼ cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon salt

For the Frosting

8 ounce cream cheese
4 ounce butter
3 ounce powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste
2 teaspoon lemon juice
salt to taste
2 ounce heavy cream
2 ½ ounce milk

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

For the Dough

In a medium bowl, add the warm milk and yeast. Let the mixture sit for ten minutes to bloom the yeast. If the yeast doesn’t bubble and froth, it's dead. Start over.
1 ounce whole milk, 3 gram active dry yeast
In the base of a stand mixer bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, and salt.
280 gram all-purpose flour, 25 gram sugar, 3 gram Diamond Crystal kosher salt
After the yeast has bloomed, gently whisk eggs into the milk/yeast mixture.
3 large egg
Fit the stand mixer with a dough hook, and begin mixing on low. Add the egg/milk mixture to the dry mix, and bring it into a rough dough.
Once the dough is cohesive, increase the speed and gradually incorporate the butter cubes, a few pieces at a time, mixing until fully absorbed. The dough should be smooth, elastic, and somewhat tacky (but manageable).
1 stick unsalted butter
Knead on medium-high (speed six) for eight to ten minutes until the windowpane forms.
Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let rise for about one and a half hours at room temperature until the dough is one and a half times the original size.
Punch down the dough, cover it tightly, and refrigerate overnight (eight to twelve hours). This cold proof deepens flavor and makes handling easier.

For the Filling

In a small saucepan, add butter and cook on medium-low until milk solids have fallen to the bottom and milk solids are golden brown and toasted, about five to ten minutes.
1 unsalted butter
Pour the butter into the base of a stand mixer and add brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and honey. Let the mixture cool until the butter has solidified to room temperature.
1/2 cup light brown sugar, pinch of kosher salt, 3 tablespoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, 1 tablespoon honey
Using the whisk attachment, whip the butter mixture until doubled in size and light in color.
Add in the egg, and continue to whisk until the mixture is the consistency of frosting.
1 large egg

For the Shaping and Rolling

Remove dough from the fridge. On a floured surface, roll to about a 16-inch × 16-inch (40.64-centimeter x 40.64-centimeter) square.
Spread the smear evenly over the entire surface, leaving a tiny margin (about half to one centimeter) on the edges of the dough. Freeze for 20 minutes. (Freezing will make the dough stiff and leave a cleaner spiral. You can skip this step if you’re in a hurry.)
Remove the dough from the freezer, and roll it tightly from the long side into a log. Freeze again for 20 minutes.
Remove the dough from the freezer, and trim the ends as needed.
Using dental floss or a sharp knife, cut the dough into ten equal rolls.
Grease a ten-inch (25.4 centimeter) round metal pan and line the bottom with a parchment round. Arrange the rolls in the pan, leaving space between each piece.
Cover the dough loosely using plastic wrap or a damp towel. Let the dough proof at room temperature for ~45-60 minutes or until it is puffy and nearly doubled in size.

Bake

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C)
Pour one tablespoon of heavy cream over each proofed roll.
10 tablespoons heavy cream
Place the cinnamon roll pan on a sheet pan. This will catch any overflow of the giant cinnamon rolls!
Bake 25-30 minutes until golden and cooked through. The center of the rolls should reach ~185-190°F (85-88°C).
Let the pan rest for about 30 minutes before glazing.

Make the Nuts

Add all the ingredients to a small nonstick skillet
1 cup walnut pieces, ¼ cup light brown sugar, 1 tablespoon butter, 1 teaspoon salt
Heat on medium-low heat, and cook the walnuts while stirring constantly until the sugar is melted and coats the walnuts evenly and the sugar is caramelized, about five to six minutes.
Spread the nuts on a ¼ sheet tray lined with parchment to cool at room temperature until ready to use.

Make the Glaze/Frosting

In a mixer, beat cream cheese and butter until silky.
8 ounce cream cheese, 4 ounce butter
Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, lemon juice, and salt.
3 ounce powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste, 2 teaspoon lemon juice, salt
Add cream and milk, as needed, to get a thick but spreadable glaze (you want enough body so it sets but also seeps slightly).
2 ounce heavy cream, 2 ½ ounce milk
Spread the glaze over the rolls, sprinkle the candied nuts on top, and enjoy.

Video

Notes

*I don’t recommend doubling the ingredients for this recipe.

Storage: Cinnamon rolls are best enjoyed the day they’re baked. Store fully cooled leftovers tightly covered at room temperature for up to one day, or refrigerate for up to four days. For the best results, reheat individual rolls in the microwave for 15-20 seconds, or warm the entire pan loosely covered in a 300°F (150°C) oven until heated through.

Nutrition