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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 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.
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Recipe adapted from Your Homebased Mom.
Can I make these and put in fridge over night then bring to temp and then bake??
Could you make these ahead of time, as in 24 hours in advance? And if so, do you just refrigerate the dough?
You could definitely make these ahead of time. I haven’t made them that far in advance, only because I love fresh out of the oven cinnamon rolls, just cover them real good, so they won’t harden.
Has anyone tried freezing these?
In halved the recipe and made in the thermomix (definitely helped with the mixing time! 3 secs and speed 3, scraped bowl and repeated then 8 minutes knead function). They turned out so well! I did find the inside a little grainy but will try the suggested tips next time!
Thank you for this delicious recipe!
Question. Do you roll from the long side or the short side? Thank you in advance.
The recipe says to cut 12 pieces, but the pictures of the finished rolls show 15 in the pan. Which is the correct number?
It just depends on how big you cut them. If you have more to feed, then make them a little smaller and you could get 15 out of it:)
Hi
Great improvement on a rather long proccess but oh so worth it recipe.Quick question is it 370 deg cel. 370 farenheit?I’m from south africa.
Awesome, thanks so much for stopping by!! It is 375 degrees Fahrenheit:) These are the best and I hope you try them and love them, like we do!
At the first step, can you please tell me if you add the ingredients in order and stir them together before letting them sit?
In the instructions, (step 1 & 2) it will tell you which ingredients to mix and let sit. You add a few to the yeast and let sit and a few other ones are mixed together and sit, but it tells you specifically in the instructions:) They don’t need to be added in order, as long as the right ones are mixed together. These are the best!! Hope you give them a try!
I am trying to figure out what type of yeast? I have active dry, which I activated first? is that correct or do I just take a packet of dry yeast and put into the 1 cup of warm water?
Delicious, easy, and quick are three words we live by when sweet treating is involved. We love cinnamon rolls and can’t wait to try these! Thanks for sharing!
Made the cinnamon rolls last night for kids breakfast this morning and they LOVE them. It took me a bit longer than the description though. I didn’t mix for a total of 10 min in the mixer because it appeared to be done and over mixing can make them tough. I let them rise longer until it doubled in size, about an hour. Kneaded for a few minutes and then rolled. I cut them smaller because I knew they would rise more while they sat in line to cook. I got 18 roles out of the batch with more than enough icing. I will cut back on the icing recipe because it makes to much for us. Delish recipe!
Can I make the rolls and put them in the fridge to sit overnight before baking?
Did you find an answer to this?