The Best Cinnamon Rolls {Cheryl’s Famous Recipe} – with step-by-step tutorial and tons of tips
This recipe for the best cinnamon rolls EVER will make you rethink who you are and every cinnamon roll recipe you’ve ever made! They are so light, so fluffy, and so amazing!
Well, today is a big, BIG day.
Several weeks ago, I quickly mentioned (in this Friday Thoughts post) that I had found “the cinnamon roll recipe to end all cinnamon roll recipes” and I asked if you had room in your heart for one more cinnamon roll recipe? Haha. Hundreds of you responded saying: uh, hello, are you crazy, BRING IT ON! While the other two of you said: don’t need another cinnamon roll recipe, thankyouverymuch.
I’ve been buried under requests for this recipe ever since. You’ve emailed. You’ve commented. You’ve found my personal Instagram account and stalked me there to ask for it. You’ve begged. You’ve pleaded. You’ve called. You’ve emailed and commented and asked again. 🙂
Although I had already made the recipe several times when I mentioned it that Friday, I wanted to make it several more times and take lots and lots of pictures in order to make sure I could provide the most foolproof recipe and preempt any troubleshooting. In total, I’ve made this best-ever cinnamon roll recipe at least nine times since my friend, Cheryl, gave it to me mid-December.
Speaking of Cheryl, I gotta give this lady all the credit. She’s the source of the greatest cinnamon roll recipe of all time! And she’s adorable (and so nice).
So is her husband. That’s him, Jean (pronounced John), making his other-worldly artisan bread. He’s a master bread baker. And Cheryl is one of the most accomplished, gourmet cooks and home bakers I’ve ever met. Like, she takes everything totally next level (they had us over for a Mediterranean-inspired dinner and I could barely eat, I was so in awe at the amazing spread). And these cinnamon rolls are no exception. Thank you, Cheryl! And thanks for letting me share the love with everybody about this recipe!
One of the most common phrases I’ve heard over the last couple weeks as you’ve requested this recipe is: I don’t know how they can be better than Gloria’s cinnamon rolls*, but I’m willing to try! (*Or these vanilla pudding cinnamon rolls or these Yukon gold cinnamon rolls.)
And trust me, I thought the same thing! The backstory is important here. So let me explain really quickly. At a church activity mid-December, I won an innocent-looking disposable square pan of cinnamon rolls as a Bunco prize. I’m wired to never turn down a pan of cinnamon rolls. When I found out Cheryl had made them, I was even more excited. I had no choice but to dig in right then and there even though the dice were still rolling.
I was stunned. How could a cinnamon roll be this light and fluffy? This amazing? I mean, I don’t want to brag, but I already make a ridiculously great cinnamon roll, but these were totally beyond deliciousness, and I began to doubt everything I thought I knew about cinnamon rolls.
I cornered Cheryl in the hallway to ask if she’d be willing to share the recipe after several of us women basically ate the whole pan and unanimously agreed: these cinnamon rolls = lifechanging. I had to whip my phone out faster than an old western gunslinger because Cheryl started rattling off the recipe by memory and I wanted to type in every detail. In my mind, I had already decided that if the ingredient lineup and method was basically the same as the other beloved cinnamon roll recipes on my site, I’d just chalk it up to the fact that Cheryl had a magic cinnamon roll touch. I’d be sad for a minute that I was missing this magical cinnamon roll making gene, but I probably wouldn’t need or use a recipe that was a similar variation to others I make all the time.
But. That wasn’t the case at all. As she gave me the recipe, I realized this was a cinnamon roll game changer and unlike any cinnamon roll recipe I’d made before. Because the amount of variation was so great, I knew I could (and needed to) post it to stand alongside the other great cinnamon roll recipes in my archives.
And because the ingredients and mixing method and dough texture are unlike other cinnamon roll doughs I’ve made, the resulting cinnamon rolls are lighter in texture and much fluffier. You don’t have to take just my word for it either. I’ve already said before that Brian is the resident cinnamon roll snob. He doesn’t like it when I mess with a good thing, and he already loved the cinnamon roll recipes I’ve posted before. But even he agrees 100% that these are the best cinnamon rolls I’ve ever made.
I even dared make them for my Aunt Marilyn (who introduced me to Gloria’s recipe years ago!), Uncle Dan and cousin Lydia, who take “cinnamon roll snob” to a whole new level. Dan almost didn’t try them because he’s so loyal to Gloria’s recipe. After eating, analyzing, eating, and analyzing (that’s what I make you do if you come to my house), Lydia said they were “way better than any other recipe,” Marilyn admitted they were “absolutely incredible,” and Dan conceded that although he’d never say they were better than Gloria’s recipe, they were “definitely on the same level.” I’ve given so many of these cinnamon rolls away as I’ve tested the recipe; every single person has honestly raved over them (and I don’t think they are just saying that, because I’ve instructed all my friends that we can’t be friends unless they give me honest feedback on food I shove in their face.)
Phew! So there’s the background. I know some of you may not care about all that. But for those of you that have been loyal MKC readers and have fallen in love with any other cinnamon roll recipe on my site, you know that it is important to me to give you an explanation for why I’m posting yet another recipe for something I’ve already declared the best!
Here’s my ultimate disclaimer though:
If you have a cinnamon roll recipe that you love and have already deemed BEST EVER, stick with it! No need to change things now! I already know that this recipe may not be for everyone; the world was meant to be a cinnamon roll diverse place. However, if you love to try new recipes, have been looking for the cinnamon roll to end all cinnamon rolls, or you just want to expand your baking horizons, I think you are going to love this one.
Let’s get into the nitty gritty!
For this recipe, you can use a stand mixer or mix it by hand because it doesn’t require much kneading and the dough is not super stiff and hard to work with. I have recently been using this Danish dough hook aff. link (that one of you recommended!) for hand-mixed yeast doughs and it is a game changer.
I’ve made this cinnamon roll recipe in my Bosch Universal mixer {aff. link} and my KitchenAid stand mixer {aff. link} for testing purposes; I’ll always choose my Bosch for bread making because it’s superior at that kind of task, but a Kitchen Aid will do the job, too. Here’s a quick look at the comparison between these two stand mixers, if you are interested. This recipe doubles GREAT in the Bosch (haven’t tried a double batch in the KitchenAid).
Add 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1/2 cup neutral-flavored oil to the mixer and pour in the 2 cups scalded milk.
What is scalded milk? It’s basically milk that’s been heated to just below a boil – doing so changes the protein structure in the milk (none of which I really understand). But what I do know is that the reason many yeast dough recipes calls for scalded milk is because it makes the bread/rolls lighter and fluffier! So do it!
I take the easy way out and microwave the milk for this recipe in a microwave-safe liquid measuring cup. Every microwave will vary, but I heat it for 2-minute increments until little bubbles start to form around the edges and it is steaming. You can do this on the stovetop, too. And yes, I’ve let it go too long and it actually boils, and no, I don’t start over, and yes, the rolls still turn out great (just be aware that boiling milk will foam and rise and most likely spill over so if it does, you’ll want to make sure you have a full 2 cups of hot milk to work with).
Let the milk/oil/sugar mixture rest for 15 minutes or so until the mixture is warm and not blistery hot. Add in the 4 cups all-purpose flour (I always use unbleached all-purpose) and then sprinkle the 1 tablespoon instant yeast on top of the flour. See the recipe below for how to substitute active dry yeast for the instant yeast.
If you’ve been a tad bit impatient like me and maybe, possibly, perhaps didn’t let the milk mixture cool off for the full 15 minutes, make sure the yeast is added on top of the flour so it isn’t incorporated straight into the hot milk.
Start mixing! The dough will be much wetter than a normal cinnamon roll dough. Don’t panic. Things will come together, I promise.
Mix until no dry streaks remain, scraping down the sides of the bowl if needed.
Now cover the bowl and let the wet dough (we’ll call it a sponge) rise until puffy and a little bubbly. This takes about 45 minutes to an hour in my kitchen. You can see a noticeable difference as the sponge has had time to rest and rise.
To the sponge, add 3/4 cup flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt.
Start mixing again. The dough doesn’t need to be kneaded, necessarily, but you definitely want to let it mix to fully incorporate all the dry ingredients. It will start out rough and shaggy looking but it will come together.
After about a minute of mixing, it should form a mass of dough that has smoothed out a bit (doesn’t look as rough and spiky). This dough is very soft! Resist the urge to add more flour. As long as it isn’t leaving lots of wet dough residue on the sides of the bowl, it should be ok.
If you are making the dough in a KitchenAid mixer, I suggest starting with the paddle attachment and moving to the dough hook after adding the last addition of flour, baking powder and baking soda. I find it’s harder to get clean sides of the bowl with this recipe when using the KitchenAid based on the shape of the dough hook and bowl, just try to avoid adding more flour unless it is just so sticky it is impossible to work with. Grease your hands with cooking spray and gather it into a smooth ball before deciding whether to add more flour.
The dough may leave some doughy bits of residue on your fingers or hands, but if you grab a small piece, you should be able to roll it into a somewhat sticky ball. Over flouring this dough will be the death of a great cinnamon roll, so persevere through a bit of stickiness if you can!
Pile the dough into a lightly greased bowl or container. You can see how soft and stretchy the dough is below.
Let the dough rise until doubled. The exact time will depend on the warmth of your kitchen, but it takes right about an hour to an hour and a half in my kitchen. I use these handy measured food storage containers for dough rising and about a million other things {aff. link}. If you live near a Standard Restaurant Supply store (or other restaurant supply store), you can pick them up in various sizes for less than the price on Amazon, FYI.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter (I use about 2-3 tablespoons flour) and roll out to about 12X18-inches. Pictured below is my favorite inexpensive and super awesome rolling pin – I have the 13 2/5-inch one {aff. link}. The size of the rectangle doesn’t have to be exact. I go for this size because it gives several spirals in the cinnamon roll, but if you like your cinnamon rolls puffier, roll the dough into a smaller rectangle so it is thicker. Spread the dough evenly with 8-12 tablespoons butter and sprinkle with cinnamon and brown sugar (I use about 3/4 cup brown sugar + 1 tablespoon cinnamon – Cheryl recommends adding cardamom to the sugar, too, which is delicious).
Favorite cinnamon = Penzey’s signature cinnamon blend (totally unsponsored but the only cinnamon I use)
Start rolling these bad boys up! Roll tightly without lifting and stretching the dough up and over. If the dough is stretched while rolling, the rolls may have a tendency to shrink while baking. Once rolled, pinch the edge lightly to seal and pat the roll into an even thickness. My rolled up cinnamon roll log usually ends up being about 20 inches long.
As a quick sidenote, I get this question a lot:
Why do cinnamon rolls shrink and gap while baking?
That is a great question. And one that has kept me up many a night. In my intense cinnamon roll research, I’ve found it can be due to a variety of things. 1) Stretching and pulling on the dough while rolling into a log (like I mentioned above). When I’ve stretched too much during this part of the process, I’ve noticed that the cinnamon rolls can shrink and gap while baking. 2) Too much butter and/or cinnamon and sugar filling. While baking, the sugar and butter melt (into that glorious buttery/sugary gooeyness), and if the sugar filling is really thick, that leaves a lot more opportunity for gapping after the rolls bake and cool. 3) Rolling the dough too thin. While this may mean less cinnamony spirals, a thicker cinnamon roll rectangle is going to gap less while baking. 4) Letting the cinnamon rolls rise too long before baking. Doing this can cause the cinnamon rolls to deflate slightly in the oven and shrink as they cool. 5) Cramming too many cinnamon rolls into a pan that is too small. When I’ve done this, the rolls press together too much while rising and then fall back and shrink while baking/cooling.
Ok, moving on. Now it’s time to cut the log into rolls! I cut the log in half first. And then I cut each half in half again. And lastly, I cut each of those fourths into thirds. Confused? Haha. It’s easier than it sounds. This inexpensive serrated knife {aff. link} is my go-to for cutting cinnamon rolls because it doesn’t crush the dough while cutting, but you can use unflavored dental floss or thread.
My preference is to use a half sheet pan for these rolls (the recipe makes 12 large cinnamon rolls).
These rolls need room to rise and I’ve learned the hard way that putting them in too small of a pan means they won’t be nearly as fluffy and delicious. Below is a picture of this same recipe (all 12 rolls) baking in a 9X13-inch pan. You can see how close they are together before they’ve even risen. And on the right, after baking, they’ve gapped a lot in the middle and the sides are burned/middles are doughy.
So make sure you give the rolls at least an inch in between so they can breathe and have room to live. You can certainly roll the dough into a large rectangle and make 15-16 rolls out of the batch, instead of 12. If they are smaller, they’ll probably fit in a 9X13-inch pan + an 8X8-inch pan just fine.
If you are making these to give away, I’ve found rolling them per the recipe (and getting 12 rolls out of the batch) and putting four rolls into an 8X8-inch pan is about perfect for baking smaller batches. Just the right amount of space to bake up fluffy and perfect. Here’s an example of a cinnamon roll baked in a square pan with three other rolls. Get a load of that fluffiness! It’s the perfect size of cinnamon roll if you ask me.
Once the rolls are placed on the baking pan, let them rise until very puffy and touching lightly on most sides (they may not be double in size, but close).
Bake the rolls at 350 degrees for 18-22 minutes (add time if needed). If you have convection bake, using that setting will help the rolls bake through to the center more quickly, but standard bake is fine, too.
While the rolls bake, make the frosting. You can frost them warm, or let the rolls cool a bit. I like to hit middle ground and frost while they are still just slightly warm so some of the frosting melts down into all the nooks and crannies but still stays a bit solidly soft on top.
Speaking of frosting, I’ve made a lot of cinnamon roll frostings over the years, and the icing I posted with these Yukon gold cinnamon rolls is hands down my favorite. It is the cinnamon roll icing I’ve been searching for my whole life. The delicate, creamy flavor (without an overpowering cream cheese presence) is the best, best, best. You can use various extracts to flavor it – maple, if that’s your thing (yum) or vanilla.
Lately, with the price of pure vanilla sky high, I’ve been experimenting more with emulsions (scary word that in this case just means flavoring). And wow, this butter vanilla emulsion {aff. link} adds the most insane yumminess to the cinnamon roll frosting. Kind of gives it a buttery sugar cookie vibe. In.the.frosting. It’s crazy good. And it’s only six bucks a bottle.
Incidentally as a sidenote, my 14-year old made these super soft chocolate chip cookies for a youth activity last week and used that butter vanilla emulsion in place of the vanilla extract and people were apparently saying they’d never had a cookie that tasted so amazing and wanted to know the secret. Emulsions! Haha.
And since we’re talking random bits of knowledge here, rolling things out on a lightly floured counter is one of my least favorite things to do in the history of ever because of the gummy mess it can leave while wiping up. That is, until I figured out my handy dandy bench knife/scraper {aff. link} could eliminate the hassle. I use this scraper for so many things, but scraping up floury, cinnamon roll gunk off my counter is one of the reasons it has earned its way into favorite tool status.
So there you have it! Have we covered everything? I think so! If you’ve made it this far (without skimming), you deserve a major award.
If you have any additional questions, ask away in the comments and I’ll respond as quickly as I can. I am SO excited for you to get your hands on this recipe and let me know what you think! Enough talking, go make some cinnamon rolls!
How to make these cinnamon rolls ahead of time
This post on making cinnamon rolls ahead of time applies perfectly to any sweet roll!
One Year Ago: Healthy Yogurt Oat Blueberry {or Chocolate Chip!} Muffins
Two Years Ago: 7-Minute Spaghetti Squash {Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker}
Three Years Ago: Perfect Roasted Vegetables {5 Simple Tips}
Four Years Ago: White Chocolate Oatmeal Craisin Coconut Cookies
Five Years Ago: Light Lemon and Spinach Spaghetti
The Best Cinnamon Rolls {Cheryl’s Famous Recipe}
Ingredients
Sponge:
- ½ cup (106 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup neutral-flavored oil
- 2 cups milk, scalded (heat to just below a boil), I use 2% milk
- 4 cups (568 g) all-purpose flour (I use unbleached)
- 1 tablespoon instant yeast, see note for active dry yeast
Dough:
- ¾ cup (107 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
Filling:
- 8-12 tablespoons salted butter, softened
- ¾ cup (159 g) packed light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon cardamom, optional but delicious
Icing:
- 2 ounces (57 g) cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup (113 g) salted butter, softened
- Pinch salt
- 2 tablespoons milk or heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cups (200 g) powdered sugar
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a bowl to mix by hand), add the sugar and oil. Pour in the scalded milk and mix. Let the mixture sit for 15 minutes or so until it is warm but not blazing hot.
- Add the 4 cups flour and sprinkle the yeast on top of the flour. Mix until no dry streaks remain and scrape down the sides of the bowl if needed. The dough will be loose and wet-looking. Cover the bowl and let the sponge rest until puffy and doubled, 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the warmth of your kitchen.
- Add the remaining 3/4 cup flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix until the flour is completely incorporated and the dough looks smooth instead of rough and shaggy. It may not necessarily clean the sides of the bowl but it should for a pretty cohesive mass. Add additional flour only if it is too sticky to handle or a small piece of dough won’t form a ball in your hands (it’s ok if it leaves some doughy residue on your fingers).
- Scrape the dough into a lightly greased bowl or container, cover, and let rise until doubled, about an hour.
- On a lightly floured counter (I use about 2-3 tablespoons flour), roll or pat the dough into about a 18X12-inch rectangle. Spread the softened butter evenly across the top. Combine the brown sugar and cinnamon (and cardamom, if using) in a bowl and sprinkle evenly across the top of the butter. Pat down very lightly.
- Starting with one long end, start rolling the rectangle into a log without pulling and stretching on the dough (but still rolling as tightly as possible). Roll the seam to the bottom and pat the log into an even thickness – it should be about 20 inches long or so at this point.
- Cut the log into 12 even pieces. Place the rolls on a parchment-lined half sheet pan, tucking the loose end of the roll underneath, if you want. The rolls should be about an inch apart so they have room to rise. Cover with lightly greased plastic wrap and let rise until noticeably puffy and almost doubled, about an hour.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 18-25 minutes until lightly golden and baked through. Let cool until warm before frosting.
- For the frosting, add the cream cheese and butter to a medium bowl. Whip with a handheld (or stand) mixer until creamy. Add the salt, milk or cream, and vanilla. Mix again. Add the powdered sugar and whip until light and creamy.
- Spread the slightly warm rolls evenly with the icing. Serve immediately or let cool completely and serve at room temperature (or warm lightly before serving).
Notes
Recipe Source: adapted slightly from a recipe from my friend, Cheryl R (cut the recipe down to smaller size, changed up the mixing method just a little)
These were GREAT! I made them this morning and followed the recipe exactly (which is something I don’t usually do– EVER when baking) and they came out perfectly! I rolled them a little too loosely, but otherwise perfect texture and flavor, and made from staple ingredients! I will DEFINITELY be making these again as this batch may not last the day!
Oh my. This was my first attempt at cinnamon rolls and they were divine! Will make them every Easter from now on – the whole family loved them!!
I stayed up til 12:30 last night (forgot how long the rises would take!) making these rolls so we could eat them today, Easter morning. Got up early to let them rise (out of fridge). Was so excited anticipating these babies! Checked the oven a few times, as I’m at my MIL’s house with an old oven that overcooks things quickly. Even had the temp 25 degrees lower. Every time, they looked not done, not done, and then boom! Overdone! I almost cried. One pan of four was too done to eat, the others are salvageable. Mel, the recipe is wonderful, I’m just so sad I took my eyes off them for three minutes (and well before the time recommendation). Just needed someone to sympathize with me crying over my hard work and letting a few extra minutes ruin my masterpieces I’ll try again, in my own oven at my house that I can better predict.
Oh man, Lynn, I AM SO SORRY!! I can definitely sympathize with you – there’s nothing like that awful feeling of going to so much work only to have them over bake to the point of no return. Such a bummer!
Thanks Mel. The icing is so good, and the rolls that weren’t too cooked are still good, especially with a few seconds in the microwave. Looking forward to another batch sometime.
I made these Cinnamon Rolls today….I haven’t made cinnamon rolls for over 10 years because I haven’t been happy with the end result. This recipe is definitely a keeper and was thrilled with the end result!!! My family kept saying how yummy they are and kept coming back for more. This recipe has everything that will give you an excellent tasting and texture cinnamon roll needs. I was concerned it didn’t call for eggs in the dough and wondered how the dough would turn out….and they turned out perfectly. I love using Cardamom in my cookies and adding this spice is a yummy addition to the cinnamon/brown sugar mixture. Thank you Mel for the excellent step by step visual illustrations!. And all the time you put into what you do soo well to help us be successful feeding our family’s yummy treats and healthy meals!
These are the “BEST” cinnamon rolls….so happy my searching for a good recipe has now come to an end!!! Thank you for sharing!!!
My husband said, “They taste like a bite of heaven. Seriously. Was this recipe from Mel’s?” 🙂 Loved it! Thank you!!!
This is the best cinnamon roll recipe I have ever made (and I have made a lot!) It cracks me up that you predicted that people the world over would be making cinnamon rolls the first weekend of April. I definitely am!
Whew Mel, I was sitting there thinking, “Please President Nelson, don’t cancel the cinnamon rolls tomorrow! I already started them!” Crisis averted.
I was thinking the same thing! He seemed so close to announcing a fast beginning tonight, and I was beginning to lament having put forth the effort to make my cinnamon rolls that would have to be baked tomorrow morning regardless of whether or not we’re fasting.
These turned out so well!! They are the best recipe of cinnamon rolls I have ever made. Fluffy, moist, and so delicious! I have to say I was a little sceptical using oil (canola for me), but I needn’t have been. Will make again and again! Thanks, Mel.
SO GOOD. I’m awful at making cinammon rolls and these were a HUGE hit! Thank you!!!
By far the best cinnamon rolls I’ve ever had and I don’t take cinnamon rolls lightly as they are the highlight of two weekends a year in the LDS church. This recipe. It wins.
These are amazing! We are hooked, the frosting is a game changer!!!! If I want to refrigerate over night after I have cut them and placed in pan what do you recommend for rise time from fridge? Does refrigerating them before hand have a down side?
Does this post help? https://www.melskitchencafe.com/how-to-make-cinnamon-rolls-ahead-of-time/
My goodness! I have been baking bread since I was 6 years old and these are the best cinnamon rolls I have ever made! I love the lightness of the bread, lots of flavor without the heaviness of other rolls I have made before.
This was my first at making cinnamon rolls. Thank you for the tips, illustrations, and recipe. My rolls were not perfect looking, but they were delicious. I will definitely make these again. Practice makes perfect!
Thanks for sharing,
Teri
Can I halve this recipe?
Yes
Okay this question sounds dumb as I’m typing it haha but if I want to use this exact recipe but get double the amount of cinnamon rolls, just smaller in size, would you recommend dividing the dough and rolling into two separate logs and baking 24 on one cookie sheet?? Or what would be the best way to go about making them smaller?
Yes, that’s exactly what I would do!
Hi Mel! Thanks for sharing all of your DIVINE recipes and expert tips with us! You’re simply the best! For the filling in this recipe, how do you determine how much butter to add? Between 8 and 12 tablespoons is quite the range. Thank you so much!
It honestly depends on my mood – haha – or just how buttery I want them. Mostly, though, I stick with the 8 tablespoons.
Not that these need another 5 star review but these are amazing! They were fun to make and the taste is just so good. I bake and cook every night after my three toddlers go to sleep, and these were a fun project to tackle while listening to a podcast (wow – this would have been the Saturday night of my nightmares a few years ago hahahah). Thank you for a great recipe!
I also had two snow days that kept the kids home, and figured some cinnamon rolls would refuel them after hours of play. I am a devoted baker and certainly have my go-to recipe imprinted by memory, and never stray since I’ve felt it was already perfect. But the snow made me curious to see if I could learn something new and discover something better, and I came upon your recipe. I have never had such success with both a yeast and chemical raising of dough.. I was skeptical at the outcome, but was I ever amazed!
These certainly were the MOST amazing (and I made them vegan) I have ever made and my family was RAVING about them. So fluffy, texture so perfect, baking time perfect, cardamom touch sublime! These will be my go to from now on! Now have to do it a few times to commit it to memory. Thank you for sharing!
Hi! I was wondering if you could share what substitutions you made to make this recipe vegan? I would love to try it!
We had a snow day from school (way to soon after Christmas break in my opinion :)!) which included sledding with friends which of course had to end with cinnamon rolls! And oh my goodness, these were SOOOOO good! I’ve been a devote hard Vanilla Pudding Cinnamon Roll maker for years, but I think I’m converted to these from here on out. AMAZING!!!
This recipe is exactly half of pioneer woman’s recipe. nobody noticed that?
I was thinking the same exact thing as I was looking at this recipe. I’ve been making Pioneer Woman’s recipe for years. It is the best, but this is the same exact recipe and method she uses.
So good!
I made these for a second time today. They are so good! I doubled the batch, increased the cinnamon and now plan to freeze them. Thank you again for another fantastic recipe:)
Happy New Year!
I was a little hesitant to make these after the debacle that was the Yukon Gold Cinnamon rolls (still not sure how I managed to mess those cinnamon rolls up not once but twice.) I typically make close to Gloria’s recipe (and sometimes do half orange rolls/half cinnamon). But I thought I’d try these – and that was a very good choice! I think I’ve found my cinnamon roll recipe for life. While the others are very good, they would often feel a little bit like a rock in my stomach afterwards. These are so light and fluffy! I may or may not have eaten one warm and un-iced out of the pan. Then I told my husband we were giving them away so he couldn’t eat them – then I might have given in and eaten one – iced but room temperature and it was still delicious! The others I’d always warm up – but these are delicious (and super soft!) – even in a cool state. I had made some of your 10 minute caramel earlier this week (for the chocolate chip caramel cookie bars – also a big hit!) and I put a little bit in my frosting. Yum! So good.
Hi Mel, Could you please tell me when the best time to freeze the dough is? Would you say it’s before the third rise? How much time to let them thaw and rise? Basically, could you provide some notes (fridge and freezer) for how to make these ahead so Moms aren’t spending 4 hours on Christmas Eve making them? We have bikes to put together!
Here’s a post I did that talks about making cinnamon rolls ahead of time:
https://www.melskitchencafe.com/how-to-make-cinnamon-rolls-ahead-of-time/
Hey Mel,
I love this recipe as well as Gloria’s recipe. I always make a batch for Christmas morning. I preferred this recipe just a touch, but I am wondering if you think that I could substitute the oil for ghee or melted butter in this recipe. I never have neutral flavored oil on hand. Thanks!
I use butter in place of the oil in this recipe and it’s great!
Thank you so much for your reply. I am going to make them with melted butter today! We love cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning!
Can I use Whole Buttermilk for the scalded Milk? Would I need to add or delete anything? Could I maybe use half buttermilk and half scalded milk? I love breads and cakes with buttermilk and wondered if it would work in your recipe.
You can definitely try! I have another cinnamon roll recipe with buttermilk and it’s great, so it may work here
I made these this morning with cranberry-orange filling for an event. They were a huge hit. I didn’t love the oil flavor (even though it was canola) and wondered if it would work with butter instead as I do for my usual cinnamon rolls. I loved the fluffier texture of these compared to what I usually make.
I have to tell you my cousin and I were on a quest to find the best cinnamon roll recipe so we planned it all out, then baked all day today. We tried 6 different recipes, all with different methods and ingredients. We used Rhodes cinnamon rolls with doctored up frosting, kind of as a joke. Sadly, they ranked pretty high, Or maybe not sadly if you’re in a time crunch. But this recipe was hands down everyone’s favorite. So light and fluffy, perfect texture and taste. These cinnamon rolls are perfection and my search for the perfect recipe is over! Thanks for sharing this gem and for all the helpful detailed instructions.
This is awesome, Catherine! What a fun experiment to do and I actually laughed out loud at the rhodes result! Hey, that’s kind of awesome, I guess! Glad this recipe ended up faring well, too. So fun!
Sadly I let your post scare me into under-flouring my dough again it was a little too light and it was impossible to make clean slices (they stuck together again as soon as I used my thread on them). It also stuck to my counter quite a lot, though otherwise it was easy enough to work with.
Also, I am open to a tutorial on spreading softened butter on dough. I had very soft butter that almost melted in my hands, and breaking it into little clumps and sort of massaging it on the top worked okay, but there’s got to be a better way!
Judging from day two, I might have let it rise too much at some point, though I don’t recall leaving it alone a very long time (it was a little hectic when I was making it). Or maybe I watch the great British baking show too much? Hehe
I was a little nervous to make these. I typically make more or less Gloria’s cinnamon rolls – and last time I tried something new for Christmas (RIP Yukon gold cinnamon rolls), they were a bust – so I decided to make them this weekend. They are amazing. While I like my other cinnamon rolls sometimes they feel like a rock in my belly – but that is definitely not the case with these! This is my new cinnamon roll recipe. Also I’d made your 10 minute caramel earlier this week and put some in the icing! Delicious!
I have made A LOT of cinnamon rolls in my lifetime. One of my sons has been bugging me to make cinnamon rolls all week so today I caved. This new recipe is the best I’ve made. The dough is so nice to work with. I kept wanting to add more flour but I resisted and the result was fabulous. The final rolls were HUGE. The bread was so soft and fluffy and the filling tasted wonderful. I added maple along with the vanilla in the frosting and it was divine. Thank you so much!
P.S. I have to apologize because before I made the recipe I was wanting to read the reviews and clicked on the starts beside the recipe, thinking it would take me to read the reviews but I think I accidentally gave you about a 3 star rating. If there is a way to fix that, please let me know.
Thanks, Kim! And no worries on the star rating. If you had clicked on the three stars it would have prompted you to leave a review; if it didn’t do that then it means the rating didn’t actually get clicked. 🙂
Have you ever refrigerated the rolls and bake the next day?
Yes. The longest I’ve refrigerated the rolls is about 12 hours.
How long did you let them sit out of the fridge before you put them in the oven to bake? Thinking nah rad to Christmas 🙂
*thinking ahead!
A lot depends on how much they rise in the refrigerator, but I try to give them 1 1/2 hours out of the fridge to come to room temp before baking.
Hi Mel! I have noticed that my cinnamon roll filling likes to melt out of my roll while rising before baking. What are your suggestions for this? Can I let them rise in my fridge? If so, how long?
Hey Michelle – are they rising in an overly warm spot? Or is the filling leaking out even at room temperature?
I haven’t done this recipe yet, but I have a question. I have active dry yeast, so you said in notes that I can use the “same amount of yeast in a couple tablespoons of warm water and a pinch of sugar”. So I use water instead of milk or I can use milk aswell?
I would suggest proofing the yeast in warm water instead of milk.
I always use active dry yeast and for this recipe took 1/3 cup of the scalded milk/sugar/oil mixture (after it had cooled a bit) then mixed in the yeast and it proofed beautifully 🙂
It always makes me hesitate to add extra liquid (like the 3-4 Tb called for in this recipe to proof active dry yeast) to a bread/roll recipe, so I just take the proofing liquid out of what is already called for with the recipe…if that makes sense.
Thank you Mel for this wonderful recipe!
I made these for the staff meeting when we went back to school this fall and they were a HUGE hit! There were extras (which I chose not to leave in the staff lounge…!) so I froze them in individual baggies like you suggested. I just took one out and microwaved it until it was warm and gooey. It tastes exactly like it came out of the oven. Thanks for that tip and this delicious recipe.
The best even got better! My friend insists that Canadian flour is so much better for bread. So, I did an experiment with these cinnamon rolls. The initial results are in (my husband), the Canadian flour makes the best even better. Today, will be the real test when our friend does a blind test of American flour vs Canadian flour. Regardless of the flour, these get gobbled up!
P.S. for the filling, I neglected to reread the directions and combined the butter, brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Then, spread the mixture on the dough. Worked great.
P.P.S. The rising time with the Canadian flour was longer but that might have been the temperature of our house.
I really liked these rolls. I was debating which recipe to make: this one or Gloria’s, but decided on this one because of the lightness of the dough, that you and everyone else was talking about. And they are light! I love cinnamon rolls, but usually feel very heavy after eating them. Not this time! My dough was super sticky after I added all the flour, but I though I would stick to the recipe and only add more if it will be impossible to roll after the last rise. It was the right decision, no additional flour was needed. Also I just used my hands to stretch it out, no rolling, it was that soft and easy to work with. Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe!
I have been searching, and testing Cinnamon Roll recipes for as long as I can remember, searching for that one recipe to knock it out of the park. This is a winner hands down! Thank you so much for sharing.
These are amazing!!! I was worried I didn’t add enough flour because I left the dough stickier than I typically would but once it had time to rise it was perfect!! This was the treat my daughter wanted for her 8th birthday/baptism and she kept saying they were so soft and melted in her mouth. We love Gloria’s recipe too, I agree with the comment that her recipe is amazing and the roll dough really shines and gives good flavor and is a bit heartier- and these rolls are lighter and let the cinnamon filling really stand out.
Love them both but this recipe probably wins as my go to. Thanks Mel!!
I have made Gloria’s amazing version a few times and they were my tried and true. Then I tried making these and they are truly incredible. In my opinion, this is the difference:
Gloria’s rolls are more substantial. The dough is it’s own star of the show. You have two separate components when you eat it. The amazingly tender dough and the cinnamon filling.
This recipe: the dough is SO light that it kind of melts away leaving the cinnamon to really be THE star. It’s kind of a backdrop to the cinnamon aspect of the bun and not a co star.
I hope that didn’t sound too poetic for cinnamon rolls:) both versions are amazing! I would say this one is “lighter” and more melt in your mouth while Gloria’s has more “bite” to it.
Hope this was helpful! I HIGHLY recommend both versions!
I have roamed the earth looking for the best cinnamon roll and I found it! Honestly, they were amazing! Would the rolls rise too much if I put them in the fridge overnight for the second rise? Thank you!
Should work pretty well!
Hello mel im trying your cinnaon rolls at this moment. Just wondering approximately how many minutes should i mix the sponge using my paddle attachment? Thank you.
Hi Kris – just mix until it is combined, maybe 1-2 minutes.
Best Cinnamon rolls I’ve ever had. Would give it 100 stars if I could.
For Mother’s Day I asked my husband for the gift of a quiet kitchen so I could make these cinnamon rolls while he played with our one year old. I made these today for a brunch with our families and everyone raved about them! My husband especially wants you to know that these are the best cinnamon rolls he’s ever had. Thank you for another gem of a recipe! And thank you for the reassurance that they would turn out soft and tender, even if the dough seems a bit wet. These are our go-to cinnamon roll recipe from now on!
These have ruined all other cinnamon rolls for me. I love how easy and fool proof the recipe is and they turn out perfect and yummy every time! We freeze our leftovers and they warm up perfectly! I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve made these since I found this recipe. <3
Hi. What are the dimensions of the half sheet pan you use for this recipe?
About 11X17 inches.
Thanks!! I am finally make these today, they are proofing now for the second time. If you bake at 350 conventional, would you put it on 325 for convection? Thank you!
Also, when adding the flour and mixing for the second time, what is an approximate mixing time? I know it would be different for each case, but maybe just an idea to get a good starting point. Also, mix on low, or med speed?
Thank you!
If the recipe says bake at 350 degrees and I use convection, yes, I drop the temp to 325. Low or medium speed should be fine, and it should just take a few minutes of mixing time.
Well. These were DELICIOUS!!!!!
I made these for Easter brunch this year. So wonderful. Thank you for the recipe.
These are by far the best cinnamon rolls I’ve ever had! I’ve been trying different cinnamon roll recipes for years and they always end up like bread rolls with frosting on them. After making these I realized I’ve probably been putting too much flour in my dough. Thanks for being so encouraging about sticking to the recipe. I followed it exactly and these were so tender and delicious. I can stop my search for the perfect cinnamon rolls 🙂
I rarely write recipe reviews but these cinnamon rolls turned out SO perfect I felt obligated to do so. These are hands down the best cinnamon rolls I’ve ever had. I accidentally started up my mixer before adding the yeast so I ended up adding the yeast to the wet ingredients but it still turned out amazingly. I’ll be sticking to this recipe for good. Thank you!
These are amazing. Best frosting, and the dough is so tender and soft. Will definitely make these again.
These were fantastic! I love how tender these were and the frosting was just perfect. My favorite thing is that you give an exact measurement for everything including the flour (instead of a range). I just weighed the dry ingredients and these turned out exactly as promised. Our new favorite cinnamon roll recipe!!