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Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

Easy to make and so delicious with creamy cream cheese frosting ... mmm
Prep Time2 hours
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time2 hours 20 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Cinnamon Rolls, Cream Cheese
Servings: 8 rolls
Calories: 507kcal
Author: ChiefElf

Equipment

  • Deep baking dish
  • Mixing bowl
  • Electric mixer or a whisk

Ingredients

For the dough:

  • ¾ cup whole milk, warmed to about 40°C (110°F)
  • 2¼ teaspoons active yeast
  • ¼ cup white granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg, at room temperature
  • 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
  • ¼ cup butter, melted
  • 3 cups bread flour, plus more for dusting
  • ¾ teaspoons salt (if using salted butter, do not add salt.)

For the filling:

  • ⅔ cup brown sugar (light or dark, doesn't matter much)
  • 1½ tablespoons ground cinnamon
  • ¼ cup butter, softened

For the icing:

  • 113 grams cream cheese, softened
  • 3 tablespoons butter, softened
  • ¾ cup powdered sugar
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  • Firstly warm up the milk in a microwave for about 40-45 seconds, or on a stove top. The temperature should be about 40°C (110°F), like bath water.
    Transfer warm milk into a mixer bowl, sprinkle yeast on top. Add sugar, egg, egg yolk and melted butter. Mix until well combined.
  • Start adding the flour and mixing with a wooden spoon, until the dough begins to form.
  • Using a dough hook on a stand mixer, or if you don't have, you can also knead the dough by hand.
    Using a stand mixer, mix the dough on medium speed for about 8 minutes. The dough should be smooth and slightly sticky, but not sticking to the bottom of the bowl. Otherwise add a bit more flour and mix again.
    By hand, knead the dough until it form a nice smooth ball and is just slightly sticking to your hands, but not too much.
  • Transfer the ball of dough into an oiled bowl, cover with plastic food wrap and allow to stand in a warm place for about 1 - 1½ hours, or until doubled in size.
  • After the dough has doubled in size, transfer it to floured surface and roll out a rectangle about 0.5 cm thick, not too thin, but also not too thick as you will have to roll it up.
  • In a medium bowl mix together the brown sugar and cinnamon. Spread the softened butter onto the dough rectangle, leaving about 1-2 cm margin at the short far side of the dough.
    Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar on top of the butter.
  • Carefully roll up the dough into a roll, sealing it at the empty side.
  • Grease a deep baking dish and line with parchment paper, covering the sides as well.
    Tip: dish needs to be big enough to fit about 8-10 rolls, with some space between them, as they will expand. I used a small dish and they were almost jumping out of the pan.
  • Cut the roll into 8-9 slices.
  • Place the rolls into the prepared dish, cover and allow to rise again for about 30-45 minutes.
  • Preheat the oven 180°C (350°F). Uncover the rolls and bake them in preheated oven for about 20-25 minutes. They should be just slightly golden brown on the edges.
  • Allow the rolls to slightly cool before adding the frosting.

Make the frosting:

  • In a bowl combine cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer or a whisk until smooth and fluffy.
  • Spread over the cinnamon rolls and serve.
  • Enjoy!