Better Than Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls
Better Than Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls: The Best Cinnamon Rolls you’ll ever taste! Light fluffy layers of 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!
Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting
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.
How to Make The Best Cinnamon Rolls
For the Dough:
- Set the butter, eggs, and cream cheese out to warm to room temperature. Place the milk in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil. The moment it reaches a boil, remove from heat. (This process is called scalding, and it ensures the milk doesn’t affect the yeast’s ability to rise. Don’t skip!)
- Pour the hot milk into the bowl of an electric mixer and add 1/2 cup butter, to bring the temperature down. Stir and allow the butter to melt completely. Then stir in the sugar. Touch the milk mixture to test the temperature. It should be close to lukewarm. If it is not, add 1/2 cup flour and test again. Once it is just above room temperature, stir in the yeast and let it foam for approximately 10 minutes. (Too-hot liquid can kill yeast so be careful.)
- 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 & Sausage Skewers
- Easy Egg Bites
- Ultimate Iced Coffee
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
Better Than Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls Recipe
Ingredients
For the Dough:
- 1 cup scalded whole milk
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 1/2 teaspoons dry active yeast (or 1 packet)
- 2 large eggs
- 4 cups all-purpose flour (plus additional as needed)
- 2 teaspoon salt
For the Cinnamon Roll Filling:
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 1/2 cup cream cheese softened
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
For the Dough:
- Set the butter, eggs and cream cheese out to warm to room temperature. Place the milk in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil. The moment it reaches a boil, remove from heat. (This process is called scalding, and it ensures the milk doesn’t affect the yeast’s ability to rise. Don’t skip!)
- Pour the hot milk into the bowl of an electric mixer and add 1/2 cup butter, to bring the temperature down. Stir and allow the butter to melt completely. Then stir in the sugar. Touch the milk mixture to test the temperature. It should be close to luke warm. If it is not, add 1/2 cup flour and test again. Once it is just above room temperature, stir in the yeast and let it foam for approximately 10 minutes. (Too-hot liquid can kill yeast.)
- Place the bread hook on the mixer and turn 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. After 10 minutes, turn the mixer off. Cover the top with plastic, and allow the dough to rise until double in size, approximately 60-90 minutes in a warm kitchen.
For the Cinnamon Roll Filling:
- Mix the brown sugar, softened butter, cinnamon, and nutmeg until smooth. Keep at room temperature until ready to use.
- 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.
- 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 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.
This recipe is perfect! I have made cinnamon rolls many times, in fact, I’m known for them, and this recipe is easier and more reliable than any other recipe I’ve tried. I don’t change anything and they come out fabulous every time. Thank you!
Fantastic recipe, but a few tweaks I made/would make next time. The nutmeg wasn’t up my alley and I didn’t even add the full amount – I added between 1/4t and 1/2t and it’s not super noticeable in the taste, but still I’d prefer it without altogether. I also found I needed longer rise times (in a very slightly warmed oven so it was a warm environment), but I’m glad I did because they turned out perfectly fluffy! I also baked a bit longer (as per other reviews) because the middle (where the cinnamon rolls were touching each other) didn’t look cooked enough and I’m glad I did because they came out great without being under-baked at all. This was only my second time making cinnamon rolls and they are way better than my first try years ago! I’ll definitely use this recipe from now on and be making cinnamon rolls much more frequently. Thank you Sommer!
Hi Sommer,
Just wanted to let you know that your recipe is so great that I used it as a basis for my Sprouted Wheat Flour Cinnamon Rolls on my blog. I put a link to your blog where people can come for your original recipe. The Sprouted Wheat Flour one had to be tweaked a little, but they also came out great. Hope you get some extra views from the link, and thank you for a great recipe. A great tip that I picked up from you here is the use of parchment paper with cinnamon rolls! Who knew it would work out okay? I didn’t, I thought it would end up all stuck to the gooey bottom of the rolls. I shall never make cinnamon rolls without it again!
Used the recipe and Substituted the topping with glazed icing and it turned out beautiful and moist. My family enjoyed and my son in law did not believe that I made it. He thought I bought it from the supermarket.
I do not make things like this often ,however, this recipe is worth trying! Simple to understand and they turn out wonderful!!!
Mine did not last long on the counter!!
I made these yesterday and not sure what went wrong but most of the filling ran out in the pan and then hardened on the bottom of the pan as they cooled, so they were very hard and chewy on the bottom. Any ideas on what I can do to avoid this next time?
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Do these need to be stored in the fridge or left out on the counter? Also, how long will they stay good?
Hi Ashley,
Either is fine! I usually leave them out on the counter top. They will keep at room temperature for 3-5 days, but I doubt they will last that long. :)
Hi Sommer!
Years ago I had tried making cinnamon and other sweet type rolls…lets just say it was a mess (things that pretended to be cinnamon rolls that were raw in the middle burnt everywhere else…super runny…just gross).
So I took a hiatus for a few years from baking, and just told everyone while an excellent cook was a horrible baker…then I had a craving for cinnamon rolls…so I found your recipe… Uhm…it is easy and the best.
I especially love the recipe for the dough it is simple and easy and you don’t have to be a scientist to figure it out. Also you do not have to search for ingredients for a special spice that you have to climb Mt. Everest for with a sherpa that would take a month… :) I use this dough for other rolls as well…I made some raspberry sweet rolls today and they were perfect.
Thanks for sharing and making cooking/baking fun, easy and delicious again :)
These were AMAZING!!! Waay better than Cinnabon. This is the only cinnamon roll recipe I’ll be using from now on.
Hi Grace,
Fantastic! I’m so glad you liked them :)
So, so glad I stumbled on these. Made the dough last night and baked this morning. Perfection! I did finely chop half of a giant Special Dark Hershey’s candy bar and sprinkled on the dough before rolling. Then I added just a couple of drops of almond extract to the frosting. Viola – Mexican chocolate cinnamon rolls! Hubs definitely approves! Thanks for posting!
I made these for Christmas morning breakfast too! Actually I made them on Christmas Eve Eve. Since I have a small family, one pan lasts us for several days, so we had breakfast prepared for the whole holiday weekend. I love this recipe, so much so that I actually shared the link on my own site. Thanks!
Hi there-
I plan on making these on Christmas Eve to have for Christmas morning, so I want to put them in fridge and go through step #6. My question is, do I need to let them rise before I put them in fridge? Or do I just cover them and put them in there and they will rise even in the cold? I’m used to working with yeast/breads but I have never ventured into the “day before/refrigerate” zone, lol :)
Thanks!
I make mine the evening before and let rise overnight and pop them in the oven in the morning. I found that we had to wait to long if I let them rise in the fridge. I put them in a place that is not as warm if I were doing this normal since I am giving it more time. Hope this helps.
Hi DeAun,
I plan to make mine tomorrow morning up until they are cut and in the pan. Then I will place them in the fridge to chill the rest of the day and overnight They will continue to rise slowly… And some people even feel a long cold rise produces a better texture. On Christmas morning I will set them out about 30-45 minutes before baking. I find they bake more evenly when they are not super cold. Hope this helps. Merry Christmas!
I plan on making these tonight but I was wondering if I could half the recipe? Or would that mess things up?
Hi Alexis,
Yes, you can definitely half the recipe. Happy Baking! :)
Could I make these in a bread machine.
Hi Pam!
Sorry, I’ve never actually tried that. Any takers on this question?
I love Cinnabon so I’ll have to make this recipe and be the taste tester lol
These turned out amazing!!!!! I made like 40 small sized ones and poured the icing all over them then stored them in a Tupperware. The only thing I changed was I put the filling mixture in the microwave to melt the butter so the filling was more of a liquid sauce I smothered all over the dough. They honestly turned out so awesome!!!!! Thanks for the recipe. Also the dough seemed really fluffy when I was rolling it out and I was worried because it was kinda hard to handle but it puffed up even more on the oven and made them so delicious. When I opened the oven door to take them out I actually said “Omg!!!!” yay!
YAY!!! Thanks for coming back to share Sarah. I’m so glad you liked them!
Hi! Did you just follow the recipe exactly and cut the roll into 40 rolls or did you double the recipe and still cut them a little smaller? I want to make more smaller ones too!
These look wonderful and I want to try them out for Christmas brunch. How would you suggest altering them to make mini rolls (so that everyone gets a taste without filling up too much)?
Hi Briana!
Try cutting the dough into 2 smaller rectangles and making half-sized rolls. Then bake for 15-20 minutes. :)
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