The Best Soft and Fluffy Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting

Few things make a home smell as magical as a pan of warm Cinnamon Rolls baking in the oven. This recipe gives you the softest, fluffiest homemade cinnamon rolls with a rich brown sugar and cinnamon filling, all topped with a cloud of tangy cream cheese frosting. They’re tender, buttery, and gooey in all the right ways, making them perfect for holiday mornings, special brunches, or just a cozy weekend treat.

The secret to these rolls is a dough enriched with milk, butter, sugar, and an egg, mixed until smooth with a dough hook in a standing mixer. Bread flour is ideal for structure, but all-purpose flour works if that’s what you have on hand. With two rises, first in a lightly greased bowl and then again in the baking pan, this recipe ensures your rolls bake up light, fluffy, and golden brown every time. And yes, you can prep them the night before and bake them the next day, so Christmas morning or brunch with friends feels effortless.

Why You’ll Love These Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting

• Soft, fluffy texture: The yeast dough rises beautifully for pillowy rolls.
• Classic gooey filling: Brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon swirl through every bite.
• Cream cheese frosting: Smooth, tangy, and sweet, it’s the most delicious way to finish.
• Make-ahead friendly: Refrigerate overnight and bake fresh in the morning.
• Versatile recipe: Add nuts, raisins, or drizzle with caramel if you want to mix things up.

Ingredients Needed To Make These Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting

Make sure you scroll down to the recipe card to see the full list of ingredients needed for this recipe.

Dough

• Bread flour (or all-purpose flour)
• Granulated sugar
• Instant yeast
• Milk
• Unsalted butter
• Egg
• Vanilla extract
• Salt
• Heavy cream (optional for gooey rolls)

Filling

• Unsalted butter
• Brown sugar
• Ground cinnamon

Frosting

• Unsalted butter
• Cream cheese
• Vanilla extract
• Powdered sugar
• Milk

How To Make These Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting

1. Prepare the dough
   • Warm the milk in the microwave until it reaches about 110°F. Melt butter and let it cool.
   • In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the egg, sugar, vanilla extract, milk, and melted butter. Sprinkle the instant yeast on top and let it sit briefly.
   • Add the flour and salt. Stir, then knead with a dough hook in a standing mixer until a smooth ball of cinnamon roll dough forms.
2. First rise
   • Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and a towel.
   • Let it rest in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
3. Prepare filling and pan
   • Mix brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Butter your 9×13 baking dish so the rolls don’t stick.
4. Shape the rolls
   • On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a large rectangle.
   • Spread softened butter across the dough, then sprinkle with the cinnamon mixture.
   • Roll into a tight log of dough. Slice evenly with a sharp knife or use unflavored dental floss for clean edges.
5. Second rise
   • Place the rolls cut side up in the prepared dish. Cover again with plastic wrap and a towel. Let rise until puffy, about 30–45 minutes.

6. Bake
   • Preheat the oven to 350°F. For gooey cinnamon rolls, pour heavy cream between the rolls before baking.
   • Bake until golden brown, 28–32 minutes.

7. Make the frosting
   • Beat together room temperature butter, cream cheese, vanilla, powdered sugar, and milk using a hand mixer or whisk until smooth.
   • Spread over warm cinnamon rolls and let it melt into the swirls.

Variations, Tips, and Substitutions

• Use all-purpose flour: Bread flour gives a chewier bite, but all-purpose flour works just fine.
• Overnight option: After shaping, cover the pan and refrigerate overnight. Bring to room temperature and let rise for 45 minutes the next day before baking.
• Slice neatly: Use unflavored dental floss instead of a knife for clean-cut rolls.
• Keep them soft: Store covered with plastic wrap or foil at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate for up to 5 days.
• Make them extra gooey: Pour warm heavy cream over the rolls before baking, Cinnabon-style.

Commonly Asked Questions

Why didn’t my dough rise?

Make sure your yeast is fresh and that your milk wasn’t too hot. If the liquid exceeds 115°F, it can kill yeast.

Get all the best baking tips!

Wondering how in the world to get the BEST bake every time? We’ve laid it all out for you.

GET ALL THE TIPS HERE →

Can I make these Cinnamon Rolls gluten- and dairy-free?

Yes! To make them gluten-free, swap the bread flour with a 1.1 gluten-free flour. For dairy-free, replace the butter with a plant-based butter alternative, use dairy-free milk (like oat or ripple), and choose dairy-free cream cheese for the frosting. 

Can I freeze Cinnamon Rolls?

Yes. You can freeze unbaked rolls after shaping (before the second rise). Thaw overnight in the fridge, let rise, then bake as directed. Baked rolls can also be frozen for up to 2 months.

Can I make these ahead for the next day?

Absolutely. Shape the rolls, cover tightly, and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, let them come to room temperature and rise before baking.

Do I need a stand mixer?

No. While a dough hook makes kneading easy, you can stir the ingredients with a spoon and knead by hand on a lightly floured surface until smooth.

What’s the best way to reheat cinnamon rolls?

Pop one in the microwave for about 15–20 seconds, or warm the whole dish in a 300°F oven for 10 minutes.

The Best Soft and Fluffy Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting

This soft and fluffy cinnamon roll recipe uses bread flour, brown sugar, cinnamon filling, and cream cheese frosting. Perfect for gooey, golden brown homemade rolls.

4.92 from 12 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 32 minutes mins

1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Total Time 2 hours hrs 22 minutes mins

Course Breakfast, Dessert

Servings 9

Equipment

• Stand mixer with dough hook attachment
• Large mixing bowl
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Whisk
• Rolling Pin
• 9×13 baking dish (with 2” sides)
• Plastic wrap + towel
• Small mixing bowls
• Rubber spatula or offset spatula

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

Dough

• 4 ¾ cups bread flour substitute all-purpose if needed
• ⅓ cup granulated sugar
• 2 packets 4 1/2 tsp rapid rise instant yeast
• 1 ⅔ cups milk warmed to 110°F
• 5 tbsp butter melted and cooled
• 1 egg room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp salt
• Optional: 1/3 cup heavy cream for gooey Cinnabon-style rolls

Filling

• 5 tbsp butter room temperature
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon

Frosting

• 4 tbsp butter room temperature
• 8 oz cream cheese room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
• 3 tbsp milk

Shop Ingredients on Jupiter

Instructions

 

Prepare Dough

• Warm milk to about 110°F (not hotter, or it can kill the yeast).
• Melt butter and let it cool slightly.
• In a mixing bowl, whisk together egg, sugar, vanilla, milk, and butter.
• Sprinkle yeast on top and let sit for 2–3 minutes.
• Add flour and salt. Mix with a dough hook on speed 2 for 5–8 minutes until a ball forms.

First Rise

• Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and a towel.
• Let dough rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Prepare Pan & Filling

• Butter a 9×13 baking dish.
• In a bowl, mix brown sugar and cinnamon.

Shape Rolls

• Lightly flour a surface. Roll dough into a 12” x 18” rectangle.
• Spread softened butter evenly over the dough.
• Sprinkle cinnamon-sugar mix on top.
• Roll tightly from the 18” side for 9 smaller rolls, or from the 12” side for 6 larger rolls.
• Cut evenly and place in the buttered dish.

Second Rise

• Cover with plastic wrap and a towel. Let rise 30–45 minutes until very puffy.

Bake

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Optional: pour heavy cream between the rolls for extra gooey texture.
• Bake 28–32 minutes, until tops are golden brown.

Frosting

• While rolls cool for 10 minutes, beat butter, cream cheese, vanilla, powdered sugar, and milk until smooth.
• Spread over warm rolls and enjoy.

Tried this recipe?Mention @TheSaltyCooker or tag #thesaltycooker!

There’s something almost magical about pulling a pan of homemade cinnamon rolls from the oven and spreading that rich cream cheese frosting over the golden tops. These are the best cinnamon rolls for lazy Sunday mornings, Christmas morning traditions, or any day when you need a little sweetness. They’re fluffy, gooey, and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. Once you make them from scratch, you’ll never look at the store-bought version the same way again.