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pan of iced cinnamon rolls

My Favorite Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

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Prep Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Rising Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 18
Course: Breakfast, Dessert
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the dough
  • 1 cup warm milk whole or 2%
  • 5 tbsp unsalted butter melted
  • 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast one packet
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar plus 1 TBSP
  • 4 1/2 - 5 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
For the filling
  • 5 tbsp unsalted butter room temperature
  • 3/4 cup light brown sugar packed
  • 3 tbsp cinnamon
For the frosting
  • 1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
  • 4 oz cream cheese softened
  • 4 tbsp butter room temperature
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 tbsp milk

Equipment

  • Stand mixer
  • Rolling Pin
  • Flavorless floss

Method
 

To make the dough
  1. Warm milk in microwave for about 1 minute (should be about 100 degrees F.)
  2. Pour milk into a mixing bowl, then add in yeast and 1 TBSP sugar. Let sit for 5 minutes to allow the yeast to bloom.
  3. Add sugar, eggs, salt, cinnamon, and butter to your mixing bowl with the yeast, and mix on low speed until combined.
  4. Gradually add 4 1/2 cups flour to mixer. Once it starts to become difficult for the mixer to mix with the paddle, switch to dough hook.
  5. Knead dough on low speed with the dough hook for 3-4 minutes. The dough should become tacky, rather than sticky. If it’s still sticky, add additional flour, one tablespoon at a time.
  6. Gently form dough into a ball and place in a covered, lightly greased bowl. Let rise in a warm place for one hour, until dough has doubled in size.
To make the filling and form the rolls
  1. In a medium bowl, combine cinnamon and brown sugar.
  2. On a floured surface, roll out your dough. I rolled mine to about 18 x 12 inches.
  3. Spread room temperature butter on dough, leaving about 1/4 of an inch along the sides. If the butter is too difficult to spread, you may need to microwave it for a few seconds.
  4. Sprinkle your cinnamon sugar on your dough, then tightly roll your dough lengthwise.
  5. Cut into 18 rolls and place into two lightly greased 9 x 9 pans (or whatever size pans will fit them). 
  6. Cover and let rise again for 30 minutes.
  7. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and once rolls have risen again, bake for 18-20 minutes.
To make the icing
  1. In the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment, combine cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth.
  2. When cinnamon rolls are done baking and still warm, spread cream cheese frosting on top. Enjoy!

Notes

Note: if making overnight cinnamon rolls, do the first rise and form the rolls as normal. Instead of doing the second rise, place the assembled rolls in the fridge covered with plastic wrap. In the morning, let the rolls come to room temp & rise (this can take up to an hour) before baking.
This recipe can be made at high or low altitude. I find that altitude doesn't greatly affect cinnamon rolls.