Better Than Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls

Better Than Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls: The Best Cinnamon Rolls you’ll ever taste! Light, fluffy layers of a sweet roll, packed with cinnamon filling, then slathered with cream cheese frosting.

Why We Love This Copycat Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls Recipe

Ah, Homemade Cinnamon Rolls. We can’t seem to get enough of them.

Several weeks ago I took my children out on a lunch date. After lunch, the kids noticed a Cinnabon shop and proceeded to coax me over to the counter.

I hadn’t had a Cinnabon roll in a long long time, so I gave in rather quickly.

With nostalgic anticipation, I unraveled my first cinnamon roll layer and proceeded to taste what I remembered to be life-changing. Yet what was my reaction?

Meh.

Not as good as I remembered.

It was too… something. And not enough, something else.

“Better Than Cinnabon” Cinnamon Roll Recipe

In fact, my gut reaction was a prideful confident statement, “We can do better at home.”

In all honesty, you really can do better at home if you know what makes a killer cinnamon roll. So today I want to share my secrets for making a “Better Than Cinnabon” Cinnamon Roll Recipe.

Best cinnamon rolls recipe that is perfect for any occasion

Consider making this Better Than Cinnabon Cinnamon Roll Recipe for your sweetie this Valentine’s Day! Or for Christmas morning breakfast!

Our Best Cinnamon Roll Recipe

First things first, you need ingredients for these homemade cinnamon rolls. I’ll go over the dough, the filling, and the glaze/frosting separately.

• Whole Milk – This is used to help proof the yeast and add moisture to the dough.
• Unsalted Butter – For tender fluffy rolls with elevated flavor, be sure to make the dough with butter, not margarine or shortening.
• Granulated Sugar – To make the dough sweet!
• Active Dry Yeast – For a light airy texture. Don’t add hot liquid to yeast. It can kill it.
• Eggs – Room temperature.
• All-Purpose Flour – For a light wheaty flavor and smooth texture.
• Salt – Add plenty of salt to the dough to balance all the layers of sweetness to come.

Cinnamon Roll Filling

• Cinnamon – The classic flavoring of cinnamon rolls.
• Nutmeg – I add a secret ingredient to my cinnamon filling… Nutmeg! Just a touch of nutmeg boosts the cinnamon flavor without overpowering it. Most people won’t notice the nutmeg flavor, but they will notice the intensified cinnamon appeal.
• Brown Sugar – To sweeten the filling and make it sticky.
• Butter – The easiest way to incorporate all of these flavors is to mix them into softened butter and spread it over the dough. This creates luxurious swirls inside!

Cream Cheese Frosting for Cinnamon Rolls

The Best Cinnamon Roll Recipe is frosted not once, but twice!

• Cream Cheese – Softened. This brings a nice tangy flavor to the frosting.
• Unsalted Butter – Softened.
• Vanilla Extract – To gently flavor the glaze.
• Powdered Sugar – To sweeten and fill out the glaze.

• Place the bread hook on the mixer and turn it on low. Add the eggs, salt, and remaining flour up to 4 cups. Allow the mixer to “knead” the dough until it pulls away from the sides. Run the mixer for approximately 10 minutes to allow the dough to stretch and develop the gluten.
• If the dough seems too sticky after the first 2-3 minutes add an additional 1/4 cup flour.
• Once done rising dump the inflated dough out on a well-floured work surface. Fold into thirds and press flat. Then turn and fold into thirds again and press into a rectangle. Roll the rectangle out into a large 16 X 20 inch sheet.

For the Cinnamon Filling:

• Mix the brown sugar, softened butter, cinnamon, and nutmeg until smooth. Keep at room temperature until ready to use. This helps prevent leakage, and also makes it easier to roll the dough tight.
• Using a large flat spreader, spread the cinnamon filling over the sheet into a thin layer. Leave 1 1/2 inches bare (cinnamon-free) on one long edge. Be careful not to gouge holes in the dough.

• Starting at the cinnamon-covered long edge, roll the dough sheet tightly toward the uncovered edge to form a long tight log. Place a piece of parchment paper in a 9 X 13 inch baking dish.
• Then cut the log into 12 equal rolls. Tuck the loose end under each roll to secure it, and place them in the baking dish to rise.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Allow the rolls to rise (again) for at least 30 minutes while the oven heats. Then bake for 20-25 minutes, until the edges are barely golden and the center of each roll is puffed high up.

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

• While the rolls are in the oven, beat the cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar together until completely smooth.
• The moment the rolls come out of the oven gently spread half the glaze over the tops and allow it to seep down into the cracks.
• Five minutes later, add more glaze if desired. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Follow these tips and you too can make Better Than Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls that your friends and family will go nuts over!

Serving Suggestions

Of course, you can eat these best cinnamon rolls all on their own and have a lovely breakfast or brunch! But they go well with other things, too. I would serve these with a full spread, especially when feeding a crowd! Try serving with some of these options:

• Breakfast Fruit Pizza
• Oven Baked Bacon
• French Toast
• Easy Egg Bites

See The Printable Recipe Card Below For How To Make Better Than Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Let Cinnamon Rolls Rise Overnight?

You can make the dough the day before. Roll them, cut them, and place the baking dish in the fridge until morning.

Then set them out to rise while the oven warms. Bake and glaze!

What do the eggs add to the dough and is there a way to leave them out?

The eggs make the dough more pliable and give it stretch. They also make the texture finer, the flavor richer, and the color better. I would not omit them unless you are allergic.

Can you half the recipe?

Yes, you can half the recipe. Making a smaller batch (or the same-sized rolls) should not affect the overall cooking time. However, if you make the rolls smaller, you will need to reduce the cooking time.

Can I use evaporated milk?

Yes, you can, although I would not scald the evaporated milk because it is processed for canning. You can use it as-is. 

Can the flour be substituted for whole wheat flour?

You can. However, the dough will be much heavier and will not rise as much. I would suggest using two-thirds all-purpose flour and one-third whole wheat flour for fluffy rolls.

More Cinnamon Roll Recipes!

• Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls
• Cinnamon Roll Bread Pudding Muffins
• Cinnamon Roll Cookies
• Gluten-Free Cinnamon Rolls from Lauren’s Latest

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