Easy Cinnamon Rolls

Easy Cinnamon Rolls – Deliciously soft and fluffy homemade cinnamon rolls that are generously filled with a cinnamon sugar swirl, and topped with a sweet cream cheese icing. So easy to make, yet SO delicious!

Cinnamon Rolls Recipe

Cinnamon rolls has to be one of the BEST indulgent breakfasts.

They’re warm, gooey, soft, and so fluffy. Filled with a cinnamon sugar swirl, and topped with a sweet cream cheese icing. Who can resist?

My cinnamon rolls recipe is great for yeast beginners, as we are using instant fast-action yeast. They freeze well, and can also be made ahead of time.

These cinnamon rolls are perfect for the holidays, a special breakfast, or can be enjoyed any time of the year!

Looking for more breakfast ideas? Check out my Fluffy Chocolate Chip Pancakes, Homemade Malt Loaf, and my Peanut Butter & Jam Muffins.

Ingredients you’ll need

Here’s a list of ingredients you’ll need to make these cinnamon rolls. You can find my recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete list with their amounts.

For the Dough

• Plain/all-purpose flour
• Instant fast-action yeast: You’ll need 1 and 1/2 tablespoons (14g or 2 sachets).
• Caster/granulated sugar
• Salt
• Whole milk: Warmed to about 43C/110F. Full-fat milk is best for the richest-tasting cinnamon rolls.
• Unsalted butter: Melted and cooled to room temperature.
• Large egg + egg yolk: The extra egg yolk adds moisture and richness to the rolls.

For the Filling

• Unsalted butter: Mostly melted. Not melting the butter completely results in a more spreadable filling without being runny.
• Light brown sugar
• Ground cinnamon: You’ll need 2 whole tablespoons.

For the Icing

• Cream cheese: Softened to room temperature.
• Unsalted butter: Melted.
• Icing/powdered sugar
• Vanilla extract

How to make Easy Cinnamon Rolls

To make these rolls, simply grab a large mixing bowl and whisk together the flour, yeast, sugar, and salt. Set aside.

Make a well in the centre, and add in the milk, butter, egg, and yolk. Mix well, then bring everything together with your hands to form a sticky dough.

Transfer the dough to a well floured surface, and knead for about 5 minutes until smooth, elastic, slightly tacky but no longer sticky.

Place the dough into a lightly greased bowl, cover with clingfilm, and leave to rise in a warm place for 1 – 2 hours, or until doubled in size.

TIP: Preheat the oven to 43C/110F. Once heated, turn the oven off. Place the covered dough inside, and allow to rise in this warm environment.

In a small bowl, mix together the butter, sugar, and cinnamon until combined. Set aside.

Once the dough has doubled in size, gently deflate with your fist, and transfer to a well floured surface.

Roll out to a large rectangle that’s approximately 22 x 16 inches (I like to slice the uneven edges off so I get a perfectly shaped rectangle. I usually end up with 20 x 14 inches).

Spread the filling all over the dough, then starting from a long end, roll up to form a tight log.

Using a very sharp knife or unflavoured dental floss, cut into 12 even rolls and place them into a greased 9×13-inch baking tray.

TIP: To cut into 12 even rolls, simply cut the log in half. Cut both halves in half again, then cut each one into 3 rolls. I highly recommend unflavoured dental floss for this. Shuffle the floss underneath, wrap around, then pull the two sides tightly in opposite directions to pull the floss through the roll.

Cover with clingfilm and leave to rise again in a warm place for 1 – 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Bake the rolls for 30 minutes, or until golden brown on top and cooked through.

Allow to cool in the pan on a wire rack whilst preparing the topping.

For the topping, mix together the cream cheese and butter until combined. Add the icing sugar and vanilla, and mix until smooth and combined.

If the icing is too thin for your liking, continue adding icing sugar until you reach desired consistency.

Spread the icing evenly over the cinnamon rolls. Serve warm and enjoy!

The printable recipe card with the FULL list of ingredients and instructions can be found at the bottom of this post.

NOTE: For best results, I highly recommend using the gram measurements (with a digital scale), rather than the cup measurements.

Cup measurements are simply not accurate enough, and I cannot guarantee the best results if you use them.

These Cinnamon Rolls are:

• quick and easy to make
• incredibly soft and fluffy
• filled with a cinnamon sugar swirl
• topped with a sweet cream cheese icing

How long will these cinnamon rolls last? Leftover rolls can be stored, covered tightly, in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Can I freeze these cinnamon rolls? Yes, baked rolls also freeze well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, and warm up before serving.

You can also make these cinnamon rolls ahead of time! Cut into rolls and place into the prepared pan as instructed, then cover with clingfilm and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, let the rolls rise in a warm place for 1 – 2 hours before baking.

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram and hashtag it #marshasbakingaddiction. I’d love to see!

Try these bread recipes!

• Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls
• Bakewell Sweet Rolls
• Chocolate & Orange Hot Cross Buns

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Originally Published: December, 2015 | Updated: August, 2023