This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
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 5 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 17-20 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, 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. Once all flour has been added, mix an additional 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 degrees 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.
Recipe adapted from Your Homebased Mom.
I am not much of a baker. My husband loves cinnamon rolls, with raisins. Nit easy to find in the stores. This recipe is delicious and very easy to make. I love your instructions. With addition of raisins, they were a big hit with my husband as well as my quilting group. Both were amazed I was able to bake something this delicious.
I love making good cinnamon rolls. This recipe is the best I have ever made. It’s an easy recipe to follow and is so, so good. My family has a tradition of having cinnamon rolls on our church’s conference weekend. With that happening in a couple of weeks, I can’t wait to make these delicious rolls again. These are soft and full of deliciousness! Thank you for sharing so many good recipes like this one.
I absolutely love this recipe and have made it multiple times. Do you think it would work well as mini-cinnamon rolls? (or should I try your Mini Cinnamon Rolls Recipe instead)
Was the recipe updated? I feel like I’ve always used Active Dry yeast with this, and the recipe text says it, but the ingredients list now says Rapid Rise.
I just made these today and they are super super good! I do not have much experience with bread making and using yeast so these are wonderful. Easy to follow instructions and are delicious. We are in the midst of some bad weather and the power kept blinking off and on but I got them baked!! I got 22 out of the recipe! They rose very well and baked nice and fluffy. I followed the recipe pretty much as written.
Recipe was easy and cinnamon rolls full of flavor best I’ve had.
Made these today and they were delicious!! My daughter, a lover of canned cinnamon rolls, exclaimed, “These are delicious! The best cinnamon rolls I’ve ever had! Waaaay better than canned cinnamon rolls!” I agree.
Because there are folks in our family who can have butter without problem but struggle with the lactose in milk, I substituted goat’s milk kefir for the buttermilk, as I frequently do in baking, and it worked out just fine.
I also dropped the powdered sugar by about 2/3 cup and subbed in 1TBSP pure maple syrup instead to give the icing a hint of maple flavor without adding sweetness than the recipe already called for.
I’ve always been intimidated by homemade cinnamon rolls. I tried them once before, years ago, and they didn’t turn out well at all. I decided to stick with the canned ones. But I came across your recipe for these today and they seemed doable. I decided to give them a try. I’m so glad I did.
One question: would it affect the quality of the cinnamon rolls to make and cut them, put them in the baking dish, and refrigerate them- unbaked- overnight? I’d really like to have them for a holiday morning fresh from the oven without missing out on any festivities.
Thank you for sharing the recipe and in such a detailed and accessible way!
Love the rolls!
Wo during how the dough freezes to bake at a later time?
Thanks!
Love cinnamon roll! Can’t wait to try them.
Hope you enjoy the recipe!!
Been making these cinnamon rolls for a couple years now—Always a hit!
Even inspired my husband to make a video 😂
https://marytylermore.blogspot.com/2020/05/marys-rolls.html
Thank you!
That is such a cute video! I’m so glad you enjoy the cinnamon roll recipes. They looked amazing!!