There’s something wonderfully old-fashioned about learning how to make cinnamon rolls from scratch. Soft, enriched dough, that buttery spiral of cinnamon and brown sugar, and a glossy layer of cream cheese icing – it’s the sort of bake that makes the whole house smell like a weekend.
This step-by-step recipe walks you through how to make cinnamon rolls at home, using a simple flour paste (a tangzhong-style starter) for extra-soft buns, a cocoa-kissed cinnamon filling, and a cream cheese icing that stops everything from becoming too sweet. There’s even the option of a light salted caramel drizzle if you’d like a bakery-style finish.
Ingredients for Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
To keep things organised, it helps to think of this recipe in four parts:
- A flour paste (starter) to keep the dough soft and fluffy
- A foamy yeast mixture to give a good rise
- The enriched dough itself
- The cinnamon filling, plus a simple cream cheese icing
You’ll find the full measurements in the recipe card, but in brief you’ll need:
- Plain (all-purpose) flour, buttermilk, sugar, eggs and butter for the dough
- Brown sugar, cinnamon, raw cocoa and cornflour for the filling
- Cream cheese, butter, icing sugar and vanilla for the icing
It’s worth bringing the butter and cream cheese to room temperature before you start, so everything mixes smoothly when you reach the icing stage.
How to Make Cinnamon Rolls – Step by Step
Make the flour paste and activate the yeast
A quick flour paste stirred into the dough makes a noticeable difference to the texture of the finished rolls. Whisk flour and water together until smooth and set aside; it will be stirred in later.
At the same time, you’ll dissolve a little sugar in warm water and sprinkle over active dry yeast. After a few minutes the yeast mixture turns foamy and frothy – that’s your signal it’s ready to go into the dough.
Mix and prove the dough
In a large mixing bowl, flour and a pinch of salt are combined with the foamy yeast mixture and buttermilk. Sugar, melted butter and eggs follow, and a mixer fitted with dough hooks does most of the work for you.
Once the flour paste goes in, the dough becomes smooth and elastic. It only needs a brief knead by hand on a floured surface before it’s ready to rest. Pop it into a clean bowl, cover with cling film and leave it to prove for about an hour, until the dough is light, puffy and roughly doubled in size.
Roll, fill and shape the cinnamon rolls
While the dough is resting, you can stir together the filling: brown sugar, cinnamon, raw cocoa and cornflour. The cornflour helps the filling stay slightly thick and velvety inside the rolls, rather than all leaking to the bottom of the dish.
Once risen, the dough is turned out onto a floured surface, gently deflated and rolled into a large rectangle – about 3–4 mm thick. A thin layer of soft, not melted butter is brushed over the surface, then the cinnamon mixture is sprinkled evenly from edge to edge.
A quick once-over with the rolling pin presses the filling gently into the dough, and then comes the satisfying part: rolling it all up into a neat log. For clean, bakery-style slices, fine string or unflavoured dental floss works beautifully; slide it underneath, cross the ends over the top and pull to cut. Measuring with a ruler keeps each roll the same width.
Second rise and baking
The slices are nestled snugly into a greased rectangular baking dish, spirals facing upwards. Covered with cling film, they rise again for about an hour until pillowy and well expanded.
From there it’s simply a case of baking at 180°C for around 30 minutes, until the tops are golden and the centre rolls are cooked through. The dish comes out of the oven, and the rolls are left to cool slightly in the tray while you make the icing – you want them warm, not scorching, before you cover them.
Cream Cheese Icing and Optional Salted Caramel Drizzle
The icing is a classic cream cheese affair: softened cream cheese and butter beaten together until smooth, then whisked with icing sugar and vanilla. A splash of milk loosens everything to a soft, spreadable consistency. Spread this generously over the warm cinnamon rolls so it just begins to melt into the spirals.
If you’d like to echo the glossy finish you often see in bakery cinnamon rolls, you can add a light drizzle of salted caramel over the top just before serving. Keep it delicate – more of a zigzag than a full layer – so you still taste the cinnamon and the tang of the cream cheese.
Tips for Soft, Fluffy Cinnamon Rolls
- Don’t rush the rises
The times given are a guide; what matters most is that the dough looks puffy and airy before you move on. - Watch the oven, not just the clock
Every oven is a little different. The rolls are done when they’re well risen, golden on top and feel set in the centre rather than doughy. - Use room temperature ingredients where asked
Soft butter and cream cheese blend far more easily than fridge-cold versions. You’ll get a smooth icing without overmixing. - Cut with string for neat spirals
A knife can squash the dough and drag the filling. Fine string or unflavoured dental floss gives you clean, sharp edges. - Serve warm
These are at their best on the day they’re baked, served slightly warm so the icing is soft and the centres are pillowy.
Soft Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Icing
Ingredients
Method
- Make the flour paste: In a small bowl, whisk together the water and flour until smooth and lump-free. Set aside.
- Activate the yeast: In another bowl, stir the sugar into the warm water until dissolved. Sprinkle over the active dry yeast, stir gently, then leave until the mixture is foamy and frothy.
- Start the dough: In a large mixing bowl, add the flour and a pinch of salt. Pour in the foamy yeast mixture and the buttermilk.
- Add sugar, butter, and eggs: Add the sugar, melted butter, and eggs. Using a mixer fitted with dough hooks or large dough beaters, mix until the ingredients begin to come together into a soft dough.
- Beat in the flour paste: Add the prepared flour paste to the bowl and beat again until everything is well combined and you have a smooth, elastic, slightly sticky dough.
- Knead: Lightly flour the work surface. Turn the dough out, shape it into a ball, and knead gently, just until smooth and springy.
- First rise: Place the dough into a clean bowl (lightly oiled if you wish). Cover tightly with cling film and leave to ferment/prove for about 1 hour, or until roughly doubled in size.
- Make the filling: In a separate bowl, mix together the cinnamon, raw cocoa, brown sugar, and cornflour until evenly combined.
- Roll out the dough: Lightly flour the work surface again. Turn out the risen dough, gently deflate it, and roll it into a large rectangle about 3–4 mm thick.
- Brush with butter: Using a pastry brush, spread a thin, even layer of soft butter over the surface of the dough, right out towards the edges.
- Add the filling: Sprinkle the cinnamon–cocoa–sugar mixture evenly over the buttered dough, covering it all the way to the edges.
- Press in the filling: Gently roll a rolling pin over the top to help the filling stick to the dough.
- Roll into a log: Starting from one long edge, roll the dough up tightly into an even log.
- Cut into rolls: Slide fine string or unflavoured dental floss under the log, cross the ends over the top, and pull to slice. Use a ruler to measure even widths so you get around 12 neat rolls.
- Second rise: Lightly grease a rectangular baking dish. Arrange the rolls snugly in the dish, spirals facing upwards. Cover with cling film and leave to rise for about 1 hour, until puffy and well risen.
- Bake: Preheat the oven to 180°C. Remove the cling film and bake the rolls for about 30 minutes, or until golden on top and cooked through in the centre.
- Cool slightly: Remove the dish from the oven and allow the cinnamon rolls to cool in the tray for 10–15 minutes while you make the icing. They should be warm, not piping hot, when you ice them.
- Make the cream cheese icing: In a bowl, beat together the cream cheese and butter until smooth and creamy. Add the icing sugar and vanilla and mix until thick and smooth. If the icing is too stiff, add a little milk, a teaspoon at a time, until you have a soft, spreadable consistency.
- Ice the rolls: Spread the cream cheese icing over the warm rolls in the tray, letting it melt slightly into the spirals.
- Add salted caramel (optional): For a bakery-style finish, drizzle a small amount of salted caramel sauce over the iced rolls just before serving.
Video
Notes
FAQs: How to Make Cinnamon Rolls
Can I make cinnamon rolls the night before?
Yes. Prepare the rolls up to the second rise, then cover the dish tightly and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, bring the dish back to room temperature, let the rolls finish rising if needed, and bake as usual.
How do I keep my cinnamon rolls soft?
Avoid adding too much extra flour when kneading, and give the dough enough time to rise until it’s properly puffy. Don’t overbake; once the tops are golden and the centre is cooked through, they’re done.
Can I freeze homemade cinnamon rolls?
You can freeze the baked, un-iced rolls once they’re completely cool. Defrost at room temperature, warm gently in the oven, then add fresh icing before serving.
Is cream cheese icing too rich with cinnamon rolls?
On the contrary – the slight tang of cream cheese helps to balance the sweetness of the dough and cinnamon filling. If you add salted caramel as well, keep it to a light drizzle.