No Fail Homemade Cinnamon Rolls | Olive & Mango

We all need a classic cinnamon rolls recipe that is straightforward, reliable and yields soft delicious fluffy cinnamon rolls every time. There are so many great cinnamon roll recipes out there on the web I thought I would share my favourite one to make for yeasted sweet rolls with a cream cheese frosting that is just the perfect touch to the rolls/buns. They’re easy to make and can be prepared the day before and left to rise overnight in the refrigerator. This makes them ideal to add to your favourite brunch recipes and a sweet treat for breakfasts. There’s nothing like homemade cinnamon buns so lets make some really good ones shall we.

Homemade Cinnamon Rolls recipe Ingredients

All you need is basic pantry ingredients to make these cinnamon rolls. Here is a breakdown of what you will need:

• FLOUR: I use all purpose flour for this recipe. Some recipes call for using bread flour for the rolls – feel free to use bread flour instead. All purpose flour helps make these rolls nice and fluffy and tender. Bread flour gives baked goods a bit more structure and chew. So it all depends on what you want the texture of your rolls to be. Its a straight 1:1 swap
• YEAST: I used Dry active yeast for this recipe – NOT INSTANT yeast. Although you can use instant yeast and your dough will take a lot less time to rise but this recipe was tested with regular dry active yeast. Make sure your yeast is not expired!
• SUGAR: You will need GRANULATED sugar for the dough to sweeten the dough lightly and to help feed the yeast. You will need BROWN sugar for the filling for a nice caramel flavour and POWDERED sugar for the frosting
• WHOLE MILK: For super soft, buttery dough we recommend using whole milk but really any milk will work. Room temperature.
• WATER: Warm water is what will activate the yeast. I strongly recommend using an instant read thermometer to get the temperature right as the warm water is what activates the yeast. If the temperature is too hot it will kill the yeast – if it’s not warm enough the yeast will not activate or dough will take a very long time to rise.
• VANILLA: I use pure vanilla extract for best flavor for the dough and the frosting
• EGG: Just one egg and room temperature and it adds richness to the dough
• SALT: Just 1 tsp for flavor
• BUTTER: You will need approx 4 tbsp butter each for the rolls and the filling and another 4 tbsp of butter for the frosting. I also use 4 tablespoons for brushing tops of rolls with before they go in the oven. That is a grand total of 2 sticks of butter. I always use unsalted butter to control amount of salt in recipe.
• CINNAMON: You can’t make cinnamon rolls without cinnamon – we use it in the filling but for a spiced frosting you could add a pinch there too

How To Make Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

You can make the cinnamon rolls within a few hours or get started the night before using the overnight preparation option in recipe notes. They are quite easy to make once you have all your ingredients ready. Here are the basic steps (full instructions in recipe card below) :

1. Activate/Proof Yeast: Combine warm water and 1 tsp of the granulated sugar, sprinkle the yeast over the top and set aside for about 5 minutes until it bubbles
2. Make Dough: Mix the egg, room temp milk, salt, sugar and melted butter. Then mix in flour.
3. Knead Dough: 5-7 min until dough is elastic smooth and slightly sticky
4. Let the Dough rise for the 1st time: Place it in a lightly greased bowl to rise. I recommend covering it with plastic wrap , or a warm damp towel.
5. Roll & Shape Dough: Roll it into a 10×15 inch rough rectangle using a rolling pin.
6. Fill Dough & Roll: Spread butter over dough and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Roll dough tightly
7. Slice Rolls: Measure and mark your rolls then slice with a piece of dental floss or a very sharp knife
8. Let the Dough rise for the 2nd time: Place rolls in prepared pan, cover in plastic wrap and place in warm spot to rise and double their size. (once they are cut and in the pan you can pause recipe there and cover and refrigerate rolls at this point if making ahead – details below)
9. Bake: Brush rolls with melted butter and bake until lightly golden 20-25 min – do not over bake.
10. Make frosting and slather it on heavy and enjoy!

Tips for Making the Best Homemade Cinnamon Rolls Recipe Everytime:

• Make sure that all your ingredients are room temperature -except for the water which is suppose to be warm.
• Don’t Overheat Your water – Most cinnamon roll recipes call for warm milk or warm water in the dough, and the most common mistake is overheating your water for this step. Warm your water only to between 110-115°F. Anything over that will kill the yeast, and anything lower can increase the time it takes the dough to rise.If you don’t have a thermometer, test the milk by dipping your finger in it. It should feel warm, but not scalding. If needed, quickly cool it down by placing it in the fridge for a few minutes or stirring with a spoon.
• Make sure your yeast is active- if you find it’s not bubbling or showing any sign of life after you cover and let it sit for up to 10 min – it is dead. Discard and start with a new package. Check expiry dates on package.
• Use Room Temperature – Not Melted – Butter for the Filling – Room temperature butter is essential for every part of this cinnamon roll recipe- in fact it’s the very opposite of pie – there shouldn’t be anything cold in this recipe. A lot of cinnamon roll recipes call for pouring melted butter over the dough right before sprinkling on the cinnamon sugar and rolling it up. It works, but it’s messy, and the filling oozes out the sides of the dough when rolling it up.
• Don’t skimp or cheat on dough rise time. Be patient and give the dough time to rise – for tips on how to get a good dough rise is included in my tsoureki post in the Recipe Notes along with some troubleshooting of you are having issues.
• Don’t dry out your dough before that first rise. Adding too much flour all at once could do this. Add flour in a bit at a time. Knead it enough and reduce flour a bit if needed. The dough will be tacky and soft. It shouldn’t completely stick all over your hands, but if you touch it should feel tacky and not dry and floury. Don’t be tempted to keep adding flour!
• Don’t roll the dough too thin. You want a happy medium. Measure before cutting and mark the roll before slicing them.
• Don’t over bake the rolls. Remember that the rolls will continue to bake for a little while in the pan after they come out of the oven. Plus you want them nice and moist so underbaking them a little will prevent them from drying out. The internal temperature of the middle of the cinnamon rolls should read 190°F (87°C).
• Frosting rolls while they are still warm makes them extra gooey and delicious!

Homemade Cinnamon Rolls Storage, Make Ahead & Freezing

• STORAGE: Store in an airtight container or tightly wrapped for up to 3-5 days. Frosted ones should be kept in the fridge because of the cream cheese. Unfrosted rolls can sit covered at room temperature but keep the frosting refrigerated. Rewarm the rolls in the microwave or oven then frost before enjoying. Cinnamon rolls are best eaten the day they are baked and frosted for best texture, though they will still be delicious after.
• MAKE-AHEAD OVERNIGHT INSTRUCTIONS: The 1st proof cannot be refrigerated overnight BUT you can place them in the fridge after dough has been rolled out and placed in the baking dish. After you’ve rolled and cut your cinnamon rolls and placed them into your lightly greased baking pan, cover with plastic wrap and place in your refrigerator. The next day, remove them from the fridge and allow them to come to room temperature (about 45 minutes to an hour depending on the temperature of your house) before baking.
• FREEZER INSTRUCTIONS: Roll and cut your cinnamon rolls and place several inches apart on a baking sheet to freeze rolls individually. Once frozen, transfer to a resealable plastic freezer bag. When ready to bake, place in a lightly greased baking dish and allow to come to room temperature before baking.
• FREEZE BAKED ROLLS: You can also freeze the rolls, baked, cooled but unfrosted. Later, you can thaw them out, warm them for just a few minutes in the oven, and ice them while warm. OR you can freeze the rolls completely iced and finished. Just allow them to cool, then cover with plastic wrap and foil for up to 30 days. Thaw overnight in the fridge or on the countertop.

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