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.
These were my first attempt at cinnamon rolls and will now be the only recipe I use!!! Perfect and better than Cinnabon for sure!! I only iced once and that was plenty for us, so next time I’ll make about 2/3 of the icing. I proofed the yeast for 20 mins and used the bread proofing setting on my oven for 90 mins for the dough, then 40 mins after slicing and putting in the pan. I added vanilla to the batter. 20 mins in my convection oven later….OUTSTANDING! Thank you for this awesome recipe!
I was trying to find a cinnamon roll recipe to make but there were so many! I stumbled upon this one and I knew I had to try it. They were DELICIOUS! I highly recommend this recipe
Perfect cinnamon rolls! I had trouble with my filling but I think it was because I ran out of butter and used margarine instead.
These were amazing! Made them for Christmas morning and they were gone in no time. Definitely a family favorite and will be making them again!
I let the rolls sit in the fridge overnight to bake in the morning and they turned out amazing!!!
I made these for Christmas morning and WOW!! They were so darned delicious! Definitely better than Cinnabon. I used to make cinnamon rolls when all the time when my kids were little, but lost track of my recipe. I found your recipe and it’s much better than anything I ever made in the past! I am going to make them for our trip to see family in south Florida over the New Year holiday! Thank you for sharing this!
They’re perfect. Thank you!
For the last twelve years I have made cinnamon buns for Christmas and the family (including grandkids) looks forward to them at our annual Christmas breakfast. However, I have not been totally pleased with the recipe I was using so searched Pinterest and found yours. It was so easy to follow your step by step directions and the buns turned out picture perfect and so very delicious. Our family all agreed these were the best ever. Thank you for clear step by step directions and for posting this recipe. This is the first review I have done and I am so glad to have a recipe I can use annually at Christmas and during the year! I must admit that I did forget to purchase the cream cheese and, although my husband went looking on Christmas morning, not one store was open (which is definitely appropriate). So I made the buns without the cream cheese and they were still the best ever….so I am out to purchase cream cheese to make them again and look forward to this addition. Thank you again for this great recipe.
I like this comment, Darla. I was happy to read that there is the way to keep the sugar from oozing out while baking :)
I already learned to cut the dough into rolls by using a string of unflavored dental floss instead of a knife :)
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I too have been tinkering my cinnamon rolls recipe lately. I use soft butter, buttermilk and instant yeast but not a lot, usually much less than what the recipe calls for. I do the filling just like you do but i add some cornstarch to it. I let the dough rise overnight in the refrigerator then take it out, let it come to room temperature, shape and let it rise again before baking. As soon as they come out of the oven i brush the outside with some melted butter and then frost. Never tried adding nutmeg but next time i will. Thanks for sharing your recipe
These are amazing! I made them for a treat for my niece’s leadership team(they loved them!). Made them a second time for the family….this is now our favorite cinnamon roll recipe!
These were awesome! Can I make these the night before and put them in the fridge and pull them out the next morning to rise?
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Delicious! Thanks for sharing!!
Looks great. Ths!no you
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Made these for Father’s Day. Amazing!!!!! I wound up having to increase the flour by almost 1 full cup (spoon flour into measuring cup method) to get the right texture of the dough. I was worried they wouldn’t turn out with all the extra flour, but they were perfect. Made them the night before and set them on counter for 30 minutes as recommended. Baked for 30 on convection setting. Was too impatient to let butter fully soften for the icing, so I added about 1 tablespoon of milk to help mix it smooth. The house smells incredible and I can’t wait to make them again!