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Soft and Gooey Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

With their pillowy dough, perfect cinnamon + brown sugar filing, and a luscious cream cheese frosting, these Soft and Gooey Homemade Cinnamon Rolls will be your go-to recipe.
Course: Breakfast, brunch, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cinnamon rolls, classic, cream cheese glaze, gooey cinnamon rolls, homemade, soft cinnamon rolls, soft dough, yeast, yeast dough
Servings: 8 rolls

Ingredients

For the Dough:

  • 1- ¼ Ounce Pack of Yeast, instant or dry active {.25 ounce if weighing}
  • ⅓ Cup (67 g) Brown Sugar of Choice, spooned and leveled, not packed
  • 1 ⅓ Cup (320 ml) Whole Milk, warmed to about 110°F
  • ⅔ Cup (151 g) Salted Butter, softened to room temperature
  • 2 Large Eggs, room temperature
  • 1 Teaspoon Salt
  • 4 ¼ Cups (531 g) All-Purpose Flour, plus more for dusting and rolling out the dough

For the Filling / Bottom of Pan:

  • 1 Cup (227 g) Salted Butter, softened to room temperature
  • 1 Cup (220 g) Brown Sugar of choice, packed
  • ¼ Cup (about 28 g) Ground Cinnamon

For the Cream Cheese Glaze:

  • 1 Tablespoon 1 Tablespoon (14 g) Salted Butter, softened to room temperature
  • 3 Ounces (85 g) Cream Cheese, softened to room temperature
  • 1 ¼ Cup (150 g) Powdered Sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon (5 ml) Pure Vanilla Bean Paste
  • 3 Tablespoons (45 ml) Half-and-Half

Instructions

  • Activate the Yeast
    Add the yeast, brown sugar, and half of the warmed milk to the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk gently to combine. Cover the bowl and allow the mixture to sit for about 20 minutes, or until the yeast has bloomed and the mixture looks foamy.
    This extra step is worth the wait because you can see that your yeast is active before adding the rest of your ingredients.
  • Make the Dough
    Add the remaining warm milk, softened butter, eggs, salt, and flour to the yeast mixture.
    Fit your mixer with the dough hook and mix on low until everything begins to come together. Increase to medium-low and knead for approximately 5–7 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic and begins pulling away from the sides of the bowl.
    The finished dough should be soft and slightly tacky but shouldn't feel excessively sticky.
    You can also make this dough without a stand mixer. Once the ingredients are combined, transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead by hand for approximately 5–7 minutes, or until smooth and elastic.
  • Let the Dough Rise
    Grease a large bowl with butter and place the dough inside, turning it once to lightly coat the outside.
    Cover the bowl and place it somewhere warm and draft-free. Allow the dough to rise for approximately 1½–2 hours, or until it has doubled in size.
    Don't rush this part! Giving the dough plenty of time to rise is one of the things that helps create those wonderfully soft and pillowy cinnamon rolls.
  • Make the Cinnamon Filling
    While the dough rises, combine the softened butter, packed brown sugar, and cinnamon until evenly incorporated.
    Divide the filling in half.
    Generously grease your baking pan with butter, then spread half of the cinnamon filling across the bottom of the pan. This is one of my favorite parts of this recipe. As the cinnamon rolls bake, the butter and brown sugar underneath them melt together and create an extra gooey cinnamon layer on the bottom.
    Set the remaining filling aside for the dough.
  • Roll and Fill the Dough
    Once the dough has doubled in size, gently punch it down and transfer it to a lightly floured work surface.
    Roll the dough into a large, even rectangle. Spread the remaining cinnamon filling evenly over the dough, leaving just a small border around the edges.
    There are two methods for shaping these cinnamon rolls. 
    The first one is the log method. Startling along one of the long sides, roll the dough tightly into a log. Using a sharp knife or unflavored dental floss, cut the log into 8 large, evenly sized cinnamon rolls.
    The second is the slice and roll method, which I personally prefer. Using a pizza cutter, slice the cinnamon rolls into eight even strips. Roll each one up and place them in the prepared pan.
  • Let the Cinnamon Rolls Rise a Second Time 
    Arrange the rolls in your prepared pan directly over the cinnamon filling.
    Cover the pan and allow the cinnamon rolls to rise in a warm place for another 30 minutes. They should look noticeably larger and puffy when they're ready to bake.
    Toward the end of the rise time, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
  • Add the Heavy Cream and Bake
    Once the cinnamon rolls have finished rising, pour ⅓ cup (80 ml) heavy cream evenly over the rolls, allowing some of it to run down between them.
    Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 25–30 minutes, or until the rolls are beautifully golden brown on top and the centers are baked through.
    The heavy cream combines with all that butter, cinnamon, and brown sugar as the rolls bake, while also helping the dough stay incredibly soft and tender.
  • Make the Cream Cheese Glaze
    While the cinnamon rolls are baking, beat the softened butter and cream cheese together until smooth and creamy.
    Add the powdered sugar, vanilla bean paste, and half-and-half. Continue mixing on medium to high until the glaze is completely smooth.
    As soon as the cinnamon rolls come out of the oven, spread the cream cheese glaze generously over the warm rolls. I love adding it while they're still hot because the glaze begins to melt into all the little spaces between the rolls and settles into those cinnamon swirls.
    Let the rolls cool for about 15 minutes, then serve them warm.

Notes

Metric measurements calculated via an online converter. Only American measurements have been tested. 
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