Vanilla Pudding Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting
These vanilla pudding cinnamon rolls are incredible! Fluffy and soft, the dough is a dream to work with and the frosting is perfection.
This recipe for my tried-and-true vanilla pudding cinnamon rolls is amazing!
The vanilla pudding makes the dough extremely soft and pliable. Once baked, the cinnamon rolls are so softy and fluffy!
Cinnamon Roll Dough with Pudding
This recipe has gained fame and fortune (ok, just fame) because of the secret ingredient:
Vanilla pudding.
Homemade or boxed, store bought pudding can be used.
Boxed pudding: 3.5 ounce box of instant vanilla pudding.
Homemade pudding: about 2 1/4 cups of cooked and mostly cooled vanilla pudding.
Other than the pudding, the dough is really straightforward. The dough is soft and supple and needs to rise until doubled before rolling out into cinnamon rolls.
Rolling Out Cinnamon Rolls
Pat the dough into a large rectangle and slather with butter and then an healthy sprinkle of cinnamon and brown sugar.
Roll up the dough into a log. Take care not to pull and stretch the dough while rolling or the rolls can shrink while baking.
Using a super sharp serrated knife or piece of thread or unflavored dental floss, cut the log into 1 or 1 1/2-inch pieces.
Place the cinnamon rolls on a greased baking sheet and let rise until doubled.
Bake until puffy and golden. PERFECTION.
When to Frost Cinnamon Rolls
There are two schools of thought on when to frost a cinnamon roll. Neither is wrong, so go with your heart!
- Let the rolls cool for 5-10 minutes and then frost. RESULT: ooey gooey frosting oozing into every crevice of the cinnamon rolls.
- Let the rolls cool completely before frosting. RESULT: fluffy frosting complimenting the pillowy soft cinnamon roll.
Reviews for Vanilla Pudding Cinnamon Rolls
These cinnamon rolls have been a tried-and-true favorite for more than a decade. Here are a few rave reviews from many of you who have fallen in love with them over the years:
Cooke F.: I have made these cinnamon rolls for the last 7 Christmas morning breakfasts. My family is addicted. Soooo good.
Kristina: The best cinnamon rolls I’ve ever made!
Gina: I’ve made these lots and they turn out perfect every time. They are the BEST. So decadent. Rave reviews from family, friends and coworkers. Thank you! 🙂
Kathy W.: I thought I had the best cinnamon roll recipe in North America but I was sadly mistaken. I made these this morning and they are to die for! No kidding. I just about made myself sick eating these delicious and gooey 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!
Vanilla Pudding Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Rolls:
- ½ cup warm water
- 2 tablespoons active dry yeast or 1 1/2 tablespoons instant yeast
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 3.5 ounce package instant vanilla pudding (see note)
- ½ cup (113 g) butter, melted
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 6 to 7 cups (852 to 994 g) all-purpose flour
Filling:
- 1 cup (227 g) butter, softened to room temperature
- 2 cups (424 g) brown sugar
- 4 teaspoons cinnamon
Frosting:
- 8 ounces (227 g) cream cheese
- ½ cup (113 g) butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3 cups (342 g) confectioner’s sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- In a small bowl combine water, yeast and sugar. Stir until dissolved. Set aside.
- In a large bowl (or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook), take pudding mix and prepare according to package directions. Add butter, eggs and salt. Mix well. Then add yeast mixture. Blend.
- Gradually add flour; knead until smooth. Do not overflour the dough! It should be very soft but not sticky. Place in a greased bowl.
- Cover the dough and let rise until doubled (if using boxed pudding, it may take quite a while to double because of the cold milk – see note below).
- Roll out the dough on a lightly greased or floured surface to about 34 X 21 inches in size. Take 1 cup soft butter and spread over surface.
- For the filling: in a small bowl, mix together brown sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle over the top of the buttered dough. Roll up very tightly. With knife put a notch every 1 1/2 inches. Cut with thread or serrated knife.
- Place on lightly greased cookie sheet about an inch apart. Cover and let rise until double again.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Remove when they start to turn golden (don’t overbake). Frost warm rolls with cream cheese frosting (combine butter and cream cheese and mix well, then add vanilla and sugar and mix again, then add milk for desired consistency).
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe
Recipe originally posted September 2008; updated August 2022 with new photos, recipe updates, etc.
Okay this may seem like a dumb question but I’m confused on the 3rd step. It says add flour and knead. So do you mix in the flour with a spoon, then knead it? Or dump the flour on the yeast mixture and just start kneading? Haha sorry I’ve never made cinnamon rolls before and am so confused! Also, how long do you knead it?
Sorry for the confusion! Just toss the flour in (gradually so it doesn’t fly everywhere) and knead once the flour has been added. You should knead 3-5 minutes with a mixer or double that if kneading by hand.
Could I substitute lemon pudding for the vanilla pudding?
Could certainly try!
These cinnamon rolls are very soft and the frosting on the rolls are delicious.
Love this recipe! It’s my go to recipe for cinnamon rolls! Perfect rolls every time…..thank you!!
I love the texture of these, but the actual roll was quite bland. Would it ok to add more sugar to the dough? If so, how much would you recommend?
Sure, you could add more sugar or more salt. Without knowing what brand or recipe of pudding you are using, I don’t dare give a recommendation on increasing sugar. You’ll have to experiment a little!
I have made these a few times, and they are AMAZING! They are also ginormous, so I was wondering if I could divide the dough in half before I roll it out. Would that produce a slightly smaller roll? Thanks for the recipe. They are seriously the best I have ever had!
Yes, you could totally do that.
First time I made these AMAZING! 2ND time they didn’t work and I could figure out why. Then it hit me LOL it was diffrent flour, so make sure you are using regular all purpose flour! It makes a huge difference. And also I use my kitchen aid every time and it handles fine. And lastly I leave my dough quiet sticky and allow to rise then when I turn it out to roll I just add a little flour and it Amazing. Good luck everyone these are do wrth the frustration trust me.
How long does it usually take the dough to rise?
Because the pudding is cold, the first rise takes quite a bit longer than a normal yeast dough. I often warm my oven just for a few minutes, turn it off and then put the bowl of dough in there to rise (just make sure your oven isn’t too hot- don’t want the dough to cook!).
Hi! Thanks for sharing this great recipe, we loved them. I hurt my kneading hand a bit ago, so I put the ingredients for the dough of course into my bread machine on dough setting. Not sure if anyone or yourself had tried it this way but it cuts down on quite a few steps. The dough turned out silky, rose beautifully, and made huge rolls. I’m definitely keeping this recipe!
Can you use this receipe for sticky buns instead of cinnamon buns If so how
I’m sure you could, but I haven’t tried it so you’ll have to experiment.
If you habnt tried making these into sticky buns yet , all you need to do is tear off pieces of the dough and dip them into a cinnamon & sugar mixture completely coating them and just drop them into the pan as you dip them. Just as you would do any recipe for sticky buns. Also this is more of a bread dough so the rise is bigger. I would make the pieces small. Figure them to double – triple in size.
Mel I would truly love to make your cinnamon rolls but because of health issues unable to handle the kneading of a full recipe. And others say that a full recipe is too much for a mixer. My problem in halfing the recipe is how to cut the 3.5 oz. of pudding in half?
The best solution is to make the full batch of pudding and just use half for the recipe and keep the other half for eating/snacking.
Hey, Mel! Once again, almost my entire weekly plan comes from your blog! 😉 I’ve never made Cinnamon rolls before, but I’d like to make some for my class at church for Christmas. Would it be possible to use this recipe but roll the “log” smaller to get more, smaller Cinnamon rolls?
Absolutely!
I found your recipe and I have one that calls for vanilla pudding in the mix too. I will have to check and see if it is the same. Funny thing is that my recipe came from my aunt Marilyn too. Well her name is Marilyn Jean and she always went by Jeanie so was my aunt Jeanie.
If I made these today for cooking tomorrow morning could I just refrigerate tonight then pull them out in the morning?
Sure…just make sure they have time to come to room temperature and double in size before baking.
How long do the rolls take to rise approximately? Also, if using granular sugar in place of brown sugar, do you use the same amount? 2 cups?
Two questions: How long do you let the rolls rise to double in size? And if I want to substitute granular sugar in place of the brown sugar, do I use equal amounts? Thanks!
It kind of depends on the warmth of your kitchen but maybe 1-2 hours for rising. I haven’t ever used granulated sugar but you could try subbing an equal amount.
Mel, I have an aversion to stuff like canned cream soups, Italian dressing mix and pudding mixes. If I can’t pronounce what’s in it I don’t want to feed it to my family. Since the pudding is prepared, can you use 2 cups of homemade vanilla pudding as a substitute? (Assuming the size package mentioned in your recipe calls for 2 cups of milk to prepare, of course.)
Definitely worth experimenting, Cat! I know there are lots of comments to read through but I believe others have tried that same thing and reported back with their results.
Hmmmm, i baked these Cinnamon rolls last night, and i had one this morning, ooooh so yummy…so soft, so pillowy, thanks for sharing the recipe Mel. In the past i had tried so many Cinnamon rolls recipe, but none beats this one. Spot on.
How about publishing all of your amazing recipes in print-hardcover? The Encyclopedia of Mel’s Kitchen Cafe. Not very catchy. Oy! I’d pay a hefty some to have someone else print for me. 🙂
Hi thank you for the recipe. The idea to put custard to the batter sounds very nice however I tried this recipe this morning and after 4 hours my dough is still sticky and not workable. It did rise very nice. At the moment I’ve let it rest again and see how it turns out. I have also added an extra cup flour but that only helped a little.
Really struggled with this recipe. Added over 8 cups of flour and it was still super sticky. Maybe I should have needed longer but was afraid over-kneading as I’ve done that before. Now they won’t rise. I’ve really had a hard time with the last few recipes after several successes. I might as well jsut open up the ingredients and throw them right in the trash. Just about ready to give up on baking.
Sorry about that, Ryan. Don’t give up though! I hope the rolls turned out ok.
These are my “go-to” cinnamon rolls! Absolutely love them! Made them again yesterday, it seems I use a different flavor of pudding mix each time (because seriously, who has vanilla pudding on hand when you get the wild hair to bake some yummies but don’t want to go to the store.) Yesterday’s batch was banana pudding infused, and oh my golly (!!!) My favorite ones yet! Just a faint hint of that banana, but enough to add to the deliciousness of these cinnamon rolls. I also increase the filling mix by half again as much, and you get that little more carmelized sugar at the bottom. Thank you for sharing with the world your geniusness in the kitchen! Cheers!
This is my first time to make the rolls and just wondering how long it takes for dough to raise the first and when they are on the cookie sheets. It is cool in my house(blizzard outside today,that is MN, lol) so I turned the heat up in the house. I have the bowl sitting on top of the stove and I did heat up the oven top first. Thanks for your comments.
It really depends on the warmth of your house but maybe 1-2 hours for the first rise and about an hour when they are on the cookie sheets? That’s honestly just a guess – could take longer if your house stays cool with that blizzard outside. 🙂
I make these cinnamon rolls every New Years Day. This was the first year I made the pudding from scratch, using the recipe on this site (the day before, so it was cold when incorporated into the cinnamon roll recipe). So good!
Thanks again!
I very new to baking and was wondering if someone could tell me how do you know when to use the paddle and when to use the dough hook?
Paddle works well for wet batters. Dough gets a lot more dense (dry, thick, hold shape) and for that you use the hook.
I used the cook and serve vanilla pudding (by accident), just what I had on hand. I looked up the servings for the 3.4 ounce instant and it makes 4 (1/2) cup servings, so 2 cups and the cook and serve makes 6 (1/2) cup servings. Either way the recipe calls for 2 cups if the whole 3.4 ounce of instant vanilla pudding is used. Hope this helps!
Dumb question, the instant pudding measurement, is that one package of instant pudding or 3 packages of instant pudding? Making sure I’m reading this right, thank you!
It’s one package of pudding.
Can you bake these in a cake pan instead of on cookie sheet. I made these but they didn’t raise very well. Thinking I didn’t add enough flour dough as it was kind of sticky
Sure!
These are the BEST cinnamon rolls I’ve ever had. I love all your yeast recipes (and specific instructions!) and am proud to say my baking has drastically improved because of you 🙂
Growing up my mom only ever made caramel rolls. I’ve tried to recreate that warm, gooey deliciousness but can’t get it right. Do you have a recipe for caramel rolls?
I don’t have a tried-and-true caramel recipe, Nancy – sorry! I’ll post about one if I ever land on a great one.
Well, I certainly got the royal treatment from making these rolls. All you could hear is, oh my gosh Mom, these are awesome, the best we have ever eaten. I even got kisses and a GROUP HUG. How about them apples!! All I can say is thank you a hundred times over.
Can these be baked in a 9 X 9 pans
I don’t see why not.
Unbelievably good!
I’m making them 3 times in the same month!
That tells you something!
I made these on Fri night and I can’t believe I am making them again!
wow addicting lay good! Thanks for a kick ass recipe.
Made these today, topped them with red white and blue sprinkles and they were as festive and delicious as ever! Loved the recipe and loved that it made so much!
Hi,
We don’t have Vanilla Pudding in the UK but I’m going to try something similar, Angel Delight. How much milk does a three and a half ounce packet of Vanilla Pudding require?
Thanks
The pudding mixes with 2 cups milk. Good luck trying it with the substitute!
Thank you! I made them and they have turned out utterly magnificent! Lightest dough I have ever tasted.
I do love the tang of buttermilk cinnamon rolls and wondered have you ever used fullfat buttermilk and/or sour milk for your liquid in this recipe? (Using Instant dry yeast to avoid proofing, of course, added to the dry ingredients.) I have yet to see a recipe using both the pudding and the buttermilk and was curious the results. Or perhaps the chemistry combo would prove disastrous?
I haven’t tried using buttermilk in this recipe so I can’t say for sure how it would work out but I don’t think it would be disastrous – sounds like it’s worth a try. Good luck if you decide to go for it!
I have to admit….am going to give it a go just because I love a challenge!
So I want to make these for neighbor gifts and want to freeze so they can eat whenever they would like. However I don’t want them to have to worry about the frosting. How do you think they would fair if I baked frosted cooled then froze??
I’ve frozen another roll recipe (the one I just posted a few weeks ago) after they were baked and cooled and frosted – I put each cinnamon roll in a little ziploc bag and they heat up perfectly in the microwave (about 1-2 minutes straight from the freezer – but out of the bag).
I love this recipe! I’ve made it many, many times (always a hit)! Just one question, any advice on how to make this recipe into an orange roll. I love the dough but I’m not sure where to go from there. Thanks!
Hi Lacy – I have a recipe for orange rolls if you want to use this dough instead, just try using the filling from the other recipe. Good luck!
Okay Mel;
I am kind of confused about your vanilla pudding cinnamon rolls. Do I just put the pkg of instant vanilla into my dough and mix that all together with the yeast? Or do I actually make pudding and then pour the pudding into my dough before kneading?
You want to mix up the pudding first before using it in the dough.
I can’t wait to try these cinnamon rolls. I’d like to may some as tasty as my son!
Can u give me the half recipe
I make these all of the time and don’t have a problem with them being too cold or slow in rising, because I have always put in the pudding as powder and just add the milk that I allowed to get to room temperature. Everything works out fine every time. I haven’t had them fail as of yet!
Have you tried warming the pudding after it sets? That’s what I usually do because from experience, using cold ingredients will significantly increase rising times.
Mel, in your recipe for Vanilla Pudding Cinnamon Rolls, the ingredients call for 2 Tablespoons of active dry yeast. Is this correct? That is a lot of yeast.
Hi Kathleen – I know it sounds like a lot but that’s how much I use. If using instant yeast, you can cut it down to 1 1/2 tablespoons.
Just perusing for a new cinnamon roll recipe and I’ve heard of these from friends who have tried them (S & D Zobrist). I always use white wheat, but wondering if you have done the same with this recipe in particular??
Thanks
Hi Jodi – yes, I’ve made this recipe with ground white wheat flour – the cinnamon rolls are a bit heartier but as long as the dough isn’t overfloured, they are still delicious. Good luck if you try them! (Say hi to the Zobrists from me and Brian!)
These were SOOOOO good! It made so many I gave so many away to my apartment neighbors! You said the dough wasn’t suppose to be sticky, but mine was super sticky. I used my hands to mix it, so that might have been the problem, but I don’t know. Thank you though. These were perf :3
Hi there- I made these one time and they were so amazing. The second time I made them they didn’t want to rise…the dough was soooo cold because of the pudding and I think that just chilled the dough so much it didnt want to rise….any tips? I am not sure what I did different the first time as they turned out so great and I remember the dough being cold that time too….THANKS!
Hi Lexie – is there a chance your yeast was expired or your water not warm enough? Also, overflouring the dough can seriously impact rising, too. It’s impossible for me to know what you did differently without being right there in your kitchen but I’d keep an eye on those factors next time. Good luck!
Hi- I’ve made these 4 times now and twice they were yummy and twice they wouldnt rise… all of my ingredients are fresh so I dont think that is it and I make bread/rolls fairly often so I sure think I have a good feel for water that is hot enough (and not too hot). The dough sure is cold though from making the cold pudding, even the two times they turned out right, they took a very long time to rise…. hmmmm…I love this recipe, that is why I would love to get it figured out so that I can make them and trust they are going to turn out right. I cook for a crew of cowboys, so it is important to me that I can serve them. Thanks for you suggestions, I am open to more!!
Hi Lexie, Lien’s suggestion is a good one if you want a more typical rising time from this dough. Like she said, the cool pudding will make it so the dough takes longer to rise. For the two times they haven’t worked out for you, are they rising but just slowly or not rising at all? One thing you could try is putting the dough in a warm oven (I preheat to 175 and then turn off when it has preheated) to speed up and help rise in a warm place.
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I found this on Pintrest and these are awsome cinnamon rolls everybody loved them
Thanks I enjoyed these
I had difficulty with freezing them. I baked some right away and they rose fine, big and fluffy, so I know it isn’t the recipe. I thawed in fridge over night and they wouldn’t rise on the counter, so I warmed the oven, only to 100 degrees and put a hot pan of water inside. They did rise, but not to their glory. Oh well. Live and learn. I have yet to learn how to successfully freeze and bake.
It’s around an hour per rise. It will depend on the temperature of your kitchen, type of yeast, even how long you kneaded the dough.