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.
These were delicious. My family ate them so fast. The dough was soft. I took some to a few co workers and they loved them.
Do I put pudding in the fridge before using it. Or do I just make pudding and not put in fridge. I’m confused
You can make the pudding and use it right away in the recipe.
Hello, has anyone made these successfully with an egg replacer of some kind? Looking to desperately makes these but with a egg replacer. Thanks!
I only have 1 egg…wondering how the rolls will be if I omit the extra egg in the recipe? Love your recipes. We are also an all-boy family, just 3 but very LOUD…and with growing appetites and busy schedules, I appreciate how your recipes hit the spot and are not too difficult to make. My favorite recipe, btw, is your homemade twix bars recipe. Everyone who tastes them says they are amazing!
Hi Gigi! I would try it with one less egg especially if that means you don’t have to go to the store…good luck!
Love this recipe! We can’t have dairy or eggs in our home, and the pudding keeps the bun itself so soft and delicious, even after cutting the eggs and butter. I used butterscotch pudding in my rolls and it was a hit! Thank you so much for this yummy recipe!
Question, how did you make this recipe dairy free with the pudding? We are dairy free at our house.
Hi! Looking forward to making these! Wondering how to prepare one day ahead and bake in the morning? PS LOVE, love your recipes and make so many of them! Loyal fan!
Hi Jennifer! here’s a post I did about making cinnamon rolls ahead of time: https://www.melskitchencafe.com/how-to-make-cinnamon-rolls-ahead-of-time/
These are absolutely fantastic!!! I followed the recipe fully and I ended up with 18 good sized rolls. I used the recipe for homemade vanilla pudding and OH was it good! (ok to me it was good. 🙂 ) My family absolutely loved the cinnamon rolls. I am about to make them again and this time I plan to cut the recipe in half.
I have been making cinnamon rolls for years, but this is hands down THE best recipe ever. Came out amazing, thanks for sharing. Really appreciated the yeast good as well.
Hi Mel! I’ve made these cinnamon rolls a few times now and they’re always delish!! One thing… I made them over the holidays, and although they received rave reviews like usual, for some reason, they shrank back a lot as they cooled (leaving big gaps in the rolls). The dough was beautiful and soft like always, allowed them to rise until big and puffy, baked until golden brown etc etc. They just didn’t stay nice and fat and puffy once baked. Any thoughts or suggestions from the expert would be greatly appreciated! 😉
I’ve found there can be a couple things that contribute to gaps in cinnamon rolls. Pulling the dough tightly (or stretching it) as you roll them up (before cutting) can make a difference. Also, if they rise too much before baking, that can also contribute to the gaps. It’s hard to know the exact one thing that can cause this since there are several different factors. Also, using less butter in the filling can help, too!
I made these on Christmas and they were perfect!! My new go to cinnamon roll recipe! Thank you!
I made these over the weekend and they are terrific! I haven’t made cinnamon rolls from scratch in years because they always were dry by the second day, These stayed moist and the recipe was simple & easy to follow. I used instant pudding & warmed up the milk to room temp before mixing this and it took about An hour to rise. The majority of the rolls are in the freezer unbaked but I did bake some right away. The flavor was terrific and they stayed very moist. I made one change – I used 1/2 cup butter with the filling and think that worked fine. Love the recipe!
Hi, Do you roll up from long side or short side?
Thanks!
The long side.
So I am a bit confused with all the comments. Your original recipe says to use a dry box of instant pudding but apparently everyone is using homemade or already prepared pudding. What is the outcome if I follow the recipe as is using the dry box of pudding?
In step #2 the recipe indicates that the dry pudding needs to be prepared according to package directions so make sure to do that with the dry pudding mix – the recipe works great using those original instructions.
Thank you!!!
Omg! Made homemade vanilla pudding for 1st time in long time, hoped I had cooled it enough, the dough was in my 6 qt kitchen aid mixing bowl 3” above the rim in an hour +, yeast was happy-happy, the recipe was widely successful, wonderful & yummy!!!!
Just wanted to let you know that they turned out beautifully with the Cook ‘n’ Serve Pudding Mix. I MW the milk, stirred in the pudding mix and butter. Then poured it into the mixing bowl and let it cool a bit. Then I mixed in the eggs and dry ingredients. I was distracted so ended up letting it rest for 30 minutes. Mixed it, had to add a little more flour because it was really sticky and let it rest for 15 minutes. The dough was soft and supple.
i was wondering what if i used cooked pudding from
the box would that be ok
I think so as long as the pudding is mostly cool before using.
I just came across this recipe. I haven’t made them yet, but I definitely plan on it. The link to the homemade warm pudding recipe has me wondering if it’s possible to use cook & serve box vanilla pudding?
I haven’t tried it but I’m sure you could!
Hands down the best recipe ever!
I made the recipe with the homemade pudding and they turned out AMAZING! Thank you for the tutorial on the yeast dough!! I’ve definitely been over-flouring things in the past!! But no more!! (Hopefully!!!! )
I made these last night to bake this morning and they were absolutely fantastic! I criminally under salt everything, so my next attempt will be a bit more salted.
Thank you!
I want to make this recipe but I have to know if I have to knead this by hand?
I make the dough in my mixer and knead it with the dough hook.
I can’t wait to try thesescinnamon rolls .Thank you
Sugar free pudding or regular. Thank you
I realize that homemade is always best but in a pinch could one use commercially prepared pudding like Snack Pack?
I honestly don’t know since I haven’t tried it and I don’t believe I’ve seen a comment come through of someone else trying it. You’d have to experiment. Good luck!
Thanks, Mel. I will give it a try both ways and let you know if one is better than the other!
Hello! These are amazing! Thank you so much!!! …… just curious if you have ever doubled your batch at one time? Asking in advance because these will not last long, haha!
Yes, this recipe doubles great (makes a ton!)
Awesome! Thank you so much for getting back so quickly! (And great recipe!)
Can’t wait to try your recipe. With another cinnamon roll recipe I have, the creater suggested using a bread maker for the mixing and first rise on the dough cycle. It worked wonderfully. Do you think the same method could work with this recipe?
I’m not sure – I don’t own a bread machine. As long as your bread machine can fit the quantity of dough, it should work fine, I think.
I made these today, and they are amazing! They were soft, fluffy, and, well… perfect. Everyone loved them, and our daughter even took one to work with her – considering she works at the local ice cream parlor, it’s really saying these are better than ice cream!!
Hi Mel!
Can I make this dough ahead of time and freeze it? How long can it stay in the freezer? What would I need to do if I wanted to make them a day ahead and store in the fridge?
Hi Sharon, yes, you can make this dough and freeze it if the cinnamon rolls are already shaped (before they rise on the pan). Then you can take the frozen cinnamon rolls out of the oven, let them thaw, rise and bake according to the recipe.
Hi Mel! Thank you very much! I am finally getting around to making these now, but won’t use all of them (should’ve halved the recipe). I will make some and freeze the rest.
These were delicious! Thanks for a great recipe. We have a family of six. This makes a big batch, so I left what I needed for the morning in the fridge, and froze the rest. My kitchen was chilly; to speed up rising: I heated my oven , before making the dough, to the lowest temp. Turned it off. Then I added a pan of boiling water to the lowest rack. It took about an hour and a half.
Amazing, I used buttermilk instead of the water. And half and half for the pudding.
How did the Buttemilk taste with the pudding mixture? Did you add the Buttemilk to the pudding?
Mel, Today is the second time I’ve made these rolls and all I can say is AWESOME.
I am a self taught baker that has worked for a mom and pop bakery for the past 14 years. Every night the owners come in and make all the dough’s (bread, roll and sweet rolls) to proof overnight for the next days baking. A lot of our customers rave on how good our bake goods are and how they will never eat anything from another bakery. I just want to say, if any of our customers had one of these cinnamon rolls, they would never buy one of ours again.
The owners of the bakery have their secret recipe’s and now I have my own secret to a better cinnamon roll. 🙂
Haha that’s awesome, Donald! Thanks for the review!
would the dough be too sweet for dinner rolls?
I think so, but that’s just me.
Can you use whole grain flour instead of all purpose?
The rolls may not be as light and fluffy but you can definitely try!
Hi! I’ve always made it my mission to show people that healthy can taste good, and I have been playing with this recipe for a couple of years now. (I do realize that cinnamon buns will never be “healthy”, but they can definitely be more nutritious.) 100% whole wheat still rises, but not as much as white, and is quite dense. I realized that part of the appeal of cinnamon buns is the soft pull apart factor. I found that a 60% white flour to 40% whole wheat was the happiest compromise. If you can find it, Robin Hood used to make a “Nutri- Flour”; same consistency as white, just with a bunch of nutrients added back in. So I would sometimes use 100% of that, or do 60% of it, and 40% whole wheat.
Good luck!
Amazing!!! If the “big” pans are as good as the scrap pan. Oh my goodness. These are the new go to.
Best ever rolls so easy too….making them AGAIN….
I don’t know if the recipe site, Recipezaar, recipe #27493 copied you, but that is the one I’ve been using for many years. It is essentially the same. Best cinnamon rolls. Everyone want them for Christmas, Easter, Birthdays, and trade for work. Sometimes I just make them to share with friends. Your recipe is just as good I’m sure.
These cinnamon rolls are absolutely delicious. The closest yet to Cinnabon, had a hard time time not eating the whole pan.
After you make them, do you refrigerate the leftovers (because if the cream cheese)?
I made them and we found them too sweet.
Yes, I refrigerated leftovers if longer than 6-8 hours.
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! 🙂
Possibly the best cinnamon rolls I’ve made – VERY close in taste to Cinnabon although the texture is slightly more bread-y/open (although this could be my fault for kneading or rising too much). Everyone loved them!
This is my new go to recipe for cinnamon rolls, thanks!
I just made these wonderrolls from heaven. I would like you to we are family now because these will be a staple on our menu for years to come!
I have made this three times already. They are scrumptious and the moistest dough that will melt in your mouth. Everyone always for the recipe.
The first time I did this recipe the cinnamon rolls were great and delicious! The second time I put fresh blueberries on top of the filling and they were over the top delicious. I have some left over cooked apple bits that I am going to try this time around for apple cinnamon rolls. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! The warm homemade vanilla pudding was a fabulous ‘secret’ ingredient. Worth the little bit of extra time!
It’s a Christmas Morning tradition at our house to have fresh, piping hot, homemade cinnamon rolls. I came across this recipe over 5 years ago and I’ve never needed another recipe since! These are LITERALLY THE BEST. Thank you for becoming part of our family tradition!
Thanks, Bridget – so happy you love this recipe!
I can’t wait to try these! I love cinnamon roll’s but can’t very a good one or can’t get a good recipe of them so before I completely give up I’m gonna try these! Wish me luck!
Oh, Donna. You will have to look no further. Been making these for about 12 years. Boy did I become popular real quick.
This is the only recipe I will use and I have tried dozens of recipes over the years. For gifts I split it into three round aluminum pans with covers from the dollar store. Always a hit!
I have always failed miserably at making cinnamon rolls but my friend told me that her secret was pudding in the mix. I googled cinnamon rolls with pudding and this one popped up. The reviews were good, recipe was easy to follow, so I decided to give it a shot.
I am so glad I did! These turned out phenomenally – large, fluffy, soft, and just sweet enough! Thank you so much for sharing.
ME TOO, now you’ve got me excited to try these!
Hi Mel!
Can you please write measures in milliliters and grams?
Hi Ana – I’m sorry, I don’t measure my ingredients that way, but there are lots of online conversion calculators if you need the amounts in grams.
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.
Thank you so much for sharing your recipes with the world. I will be making more and more of your fantastic food.
Hi Mel!
If I want to refrigerate these overnight, should I do that before the second rise?
Yes! Then just take them out of the refrigerator a couple hours before baking so they can come to room temp and rise before baking (they’ll probably puff/rise a bit in the fridge overnight).
I saw your post on Instagram and these looked perfect for the cool fall day we had today. They did not disappoint, we were out of cream cheese, but even with a simple sugar glaze I ate 3. They just melt in your mouth!