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This easy cinnamon roll recipe is smothered with homemade cream cheese frosting. They’re super soft, gooey, and quick—made in just one hour!
Whether you make them for breakfast or brunch, this recipe will be well-loved, just like our Mini Cinnamon Rolls and Nutella Cinnamon Rolls.
Made in 1 Hour!
My entire family is OBSESSED with Homemade Cinnamon Rolls. My mom has been making them for as long as I can remember.
Our classic recipe takes a little more time, so we wanted to master an easy cinnamon roll recipe that was more simple and could be made in an hour and we love them just as much!
Here are all the reasons why we love them:
- Quick. With less rise time, they’re made in just an hour!
- Delicious. The rolls are soft and so yummy and are great for holidays like Easter, Christmas and New Years.
- Frosting. We added cream cheese to the cinnamon roll icing for extra thickness and a little tang, and it’s absolutely perfect!
IngredientS
- warm water – If the water is too cold the yeast will not bloom properly. If the water is too hot it could kill the yeast.
- buttermilk – or make your own buttermilk. Must be at room temperature so that the yeast can work its magic.
- unsalted butter
- sugar
- rapid rise yeast – or an equal amount of instant yeast or active dry yeast. Be sure the yeast is fresh, old yeast doesn’t work as well and you wont get light and fluffy cinnamon rolls.
- large eggs
- salt
- bread flour – All-purpose flour also works well for this recipe, but bread flour works best. To make your own, add 1½ teaspoons of vital wheat gluten to a 1 cup measuring cup then fill the cup the rest of the way up with all-purpose flour. Sift the contents.
- granulated sugar
- light brown sugar – or dark brown sugar
- unsalted butter – melted
- ground cinnamon
- powdered sugar
- cream cheese – softened
- milk – or half-and-half
- vanilla extract
How to Make Easy Cinnamon Rolls
- MIX. In a large bowl (or bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook) stir together water, buttermilk, sugar, melted butter, and yeast. Allow to sit for 15 minutes.
- REST. Add in salt, eggs, and flour (for flour, be sure to spoon in and top off and start with 4½ cups – you want the dough to be sticky). Mix for 10 minutes and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
- FILLING. Prepare your filling by mixing together melted butter, brown sugar, sugar, and cinnamon. Set aside the cinnamon sugar mixture.
- ROLL OUT. On a floured surface, roll dough into a 12 x 16-inch rectangle using a rolling pin. Spread your filling over the top and roll it up.
- BAKE. Cut into 12 large rolls (or 18 smaller rolls). Place rolls in a large, greased baking dish or jelly roll pan. Bake at 375°F for 15-20 minutes.
- FROSTING. While baking, mix together the frosting ingredients in a small bowl. Spread a layer on top of the cinnamon rolls while they’re warm, and then spread another layer of frosting once they have cooled.
Variations
- Sprinkle raisins, chopped nuts (like walnuts or pecans) or even chopped bacon onto the brown sugar mixture before you roll the dough to be cut.
- Use a simple powdered sugar glaze on top.
- Use your favorite frosting. Maple and vanilla frosting both taste great.
Recipe Tips
- No proofing. You’ll notice the reason that this one hour cinnamon rolls recipe takes a fraction of the time is that the dough doesn’t need hours to rise. The dough rises a bit in the oven and they come out fluffy and delicious.
- Best way to cut the dough. You can use a serrated bread knife to gently saw through the dough, but even that can cause the slices to squish and pinch together.
- The best way to cut the dough is to use a long piece of unflavored dental floss or sewing thread. Gently place the floss under the spot you wish to cut. Bring the floss up, cross it over the top then pull the ends so it slices right through the dough.
Storing Info
- STORE. Place cinnamon buns on a plate and cover tightly with plastic wrap or foil, or place in an airtight container. They should keep at room temperature for 2-3 days.
- FREEZE. Freeze rolls unfrosted or frosted. Wrap the pan, or individual rolls, with plastic wrap and again with aluminum foil and put in the freezer. Let them thaw overnight and warm them in the oven for a few minutes.
- To freeze unbaked: shape the rolls and freeze them before you bake them. Be sure to wrap them tightly and they should be able last for 6-8 weeks in the freezer. Allow several hours for them to thaw before you put them in the oven to bake.
For more of our favorite sweet rolls, try:
Easy Cinnamon Roll Recipe
These easy cinnamon rolls are smothered with homemade cream cheese frosting. They're super soft, gooey, and quick—made in just one hour!
Ingredients
Dough
Filling
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- ⅔ cup packed light brown sugar
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
Frosting
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- 3-4 tablespoons milk or half-and-half, as needed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Make the dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer or large bowl using a wooden spoon, mix water, buttermilk, melted butter, sugar, and yeast. Allow to sit for 15 minutes.
- Add eggs and salt, then mix in flour one cup at a time. Mix for 5 minutes, then allow to rest for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare your filling. Mix granulated sugar, brown sugar, melted butter, and cinnamon together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a large baking dish or jelly roll pan (or a 9-x-13-inch baking dish if you are fine with your rolls touching).
- On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 12-x-16-inch rectangle. Spread filling over the surface of the dough, leaving a ½-inch border all around. Roll the dough into a log starting at the long edge, making sure the seam is on the bottom.
- Use a long piece of unflavored dental floss or sewing thread to cut the roll into 12 large rolls or 18 smaller rolls. Gently place the floss under the spot you wish to cut, then bring the floss up, cross it over the top, and pull the ends so it slices right through the dough.
- Place rolls cut side up in the prepared pan. Bake for 17–20 minutes.
- While rolls are baking, mix all frosting ingredients together in a large bowl, starting with 3 tablespoons milk and adding more as needed to reach a spreadable consistency.
- When rolls come out of the oven, immediately spread a layer of frosting on warm rolls. Add another layer of frosting once cooled.
Video
Notes
Flour. Bread flour is our preferred choice for this recipe for super soft rolls, but you can substitute all-purpose flour as well.
Make ahead of time. To freeze rolls unfrosted or frosted, wrap the pan, or individual rolls, with plastic wrap, then with aluminum foil, and freeze for up to 2 months. To reheat, let thaw overnight, then warm the rolls in the oven for a few minutes.
Variations. Sprinkle raisins or chopped nuts, like walnuts or pecans, over the filling before you roll the dough. Use a simple powdered-sugar glaze on top instead of the cream cheese frosting. Swap in your favorite frosting—maple and vanilla frosting both taste great.
Nutrition
Serving: 1roll, Calories: 609kcal, Carbohydrates: 106g, Protein: 10g, Fat: 17g, Saturated Fat: 10g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 0.5g, Cholesterol: 69mg, Sodium: 357mg, Potassium: 145mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 62g, Vitamin A: 554IU, Vitamin C: 0.1mg, Calcium: 79mg, Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Recipe adapted from Your Homebased Mom.
Made this for Easter brunch the night before, stored in fridge overnight & baked the next morning after I let it sit out at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. Came out great! I didn’t have buttermilk so used whole milk with a little less than a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar. I was pressed for time the night before, but think letting my dough chill in the fridge for 20 minutes prior to rolling out the dough might have been helpful, but everything turned out OK despite the middle section of my log being fuller than the ends. The frosting covers up your imperfections which is helpful! Thank you for this amazing recipe! Everyone loved them 💗
Thanks so much for sharing your experience making these. And I’m so happy to hear that the rolls turned out delicious and were a hit! Hooray!
Can these be made the night before and baked the next morning?
Yes you can. I’d suggest making the rolls through step 6. Then wrap the pan with plastic wrap and keep in the fridge overnight so that they don’t rise too much. Then in the morning when ready to bake, let them sit out as the oven warms up and bake as recipe indicates. Should still turn out amazing!!
Thank you! This recipe and some yeast from a friend saved our Christmas breakfast. I thought my husband had bought our usual frozen, rose and bake ones. 😮(I’ve never made them from scratch) 😮😮I know! I’m just not a baker, but these were so easy and done so quickly. They were so yummy!
YAY!! I’m so glad they were there to save the day and you all enjoyed. Way to give homemade cinnamon rolls a try too!
For one hour cinnamon rolls these are fantastic! Especially when you’re in a hurry!
I am an avid faker and will make the full all day long cinnamon rolls when I have the time but if I don’t this is the recipe I use.
My family loves these! I love how quick they are to make. Super yummy.
I never realized homemade cinnamon rolls were so easy until I saw these a while back. My husband thanks you. 😂😂
Loved these so much. Thank you for the recipe. 😍
First off, these cinnamon rolls are the bomb! As promised, they are light and fluffy and done in an hour(give or take) and just come together super easily. And it makes 12 huge rolls! I cooked 9 in a 9×13 and 3 in a round 9 inch pan! However,not being a novice to making cinnamon rolls,I wanted to give my input as others asked some of my same questions(as I was making them),in their reviews.
I followed the directions 95% having to make a few modifications.
I did use rapid rise yeast( yes, all 3 tbsps, and as some asked they were not yeasty tasting at all!) It was what I had and just reduced each time you let the dough “rest” by a minute or two.
I did my kneading in my kitchenaid and let it do its thing for about 7 or 8 minutes instead of 10.
Only other thing I changed was my filling. My preference is softened butter,not melted, and I made up all the cinnamon and sugar it called for but used about 2/3rds of it. More than that and its just spilling out all over and hard to roll up the dough. Oh and we add mini chocolate chips to the filling too.
My husband and kids were all super excited and said this recipe is definitely a keeper!!! Happy baking!!!
Thank you so much for your feedback!! So helpful for many readers I’m sure. I’m also so happy to hear that the cinnamon rolls were a hit! The addition of the mini chocolate chips sound tasty. Thanks for giving the recipe a try!
I just spent a lot of time making these rolls today. I’ve never made cinnamon rolls but I have made bread and it didn’t seem right to me that they weren’t allowed to raise before they were put in the oven and my instinct was correct. The rolls didn’t raise and I wasted a lot of time and money because they aren’t fit to eat☹️
Sorry to hear you had trouble with the cinnamon rolls. Was your yeast fresh? Was the water temperature too hot or too cold? Sometimes that can kill the yeast and cause it to not rise. There are lots of different factors that can play into dough rising well or not. We haven’t had any trouble with them rising in this recipe (especially when following the directions to sit for certain periods of time). But I’m sorry to hear yours didn’t. That is frustrating. Thanks for giving the recipe a try!
I just made these 1 hour connimon rolls and they are delicious! It was a bit of trouble, but worth it t.
Yay! I’m glad to hear you enjoyed the cinnamon rolls. Homemade is usually always worth the effort, right? 😉 Thanks for trying them!