Cinnamon Rolls

5 from 15 votes

Homemade Cinnamon Rolls are the absolute best! Scratch made ooey gooey brioche dough wrapped in a cinnamon filling and topped with cream cheese icing. YUM.

Prep Time45

Cook Time25

Resting Time2 45

Total Time3 55

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Author: Krissy Allori

Equipment

Ingredients

For the brioche dough:

1 cup whole milk warm (about 110 degrees F)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 ounce active dry yeast one packet
3 large eggs slightly beaten
3 1/4 cups all purpose flour (additional flour might be needed, see instructions)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
vegetable oil spray

For the pan:

1/4 cup butter melted
1/4 cup heavy cream
5 tablespoons brown sugar

For the filling:

1 cup brown sugar packed
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup butter very soft

Cream cheese frosting for cinnamon rolls:

8 ounces cream cheese softened
1/4 cup unsalted butter softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup heavy cream

Instructions

To make the brioche dough:

Heat 1 cup whole milk in small pot over low heat until it reaches about 105-110°F. Remove from heat. Stir in 1/4 cup granulated sugar and sprinkle 1/4 ounce active dry yeast on top. In about 5 minutes or so, your yeast should start to look slightly foamy. If there's no reaction at all, your yeast might be bad.
Mix the 3 large eggs into the milk mixture.
Add 3 1/4 cups all purpose flour and 1 teaspoon kosher salt to the bowl of a stand mixer. With the paddle attachment on and the mixer running on medium low speed, slowly add the milk/egg mixture until everything is combined. With the mixer still running, add 1/2 cup unsalted butter one tablespoon at a time until fully mixed. Scrape bowl to ensure everything is well incorporated. Remove paddle and attach dough hook. Use dough hook to knead the dough on medium speed for about 5-10 minutes. The dough should start to look very smooth and stretchy. If dough is still wet and not pulling away from the sides of the bowl, continue to add flour (1 tablespoon at a time) until the dough comes together into one smooth and sticky ball.
Use vegetable oil spray to coat the bottom of a new bowl. Transfer dough to bowl. Dough should be very sticky, so use a silicon scraper to get it all out of the stand mixer bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours.

Coat bottom of pan:

Combine melted 1/4 cup butter, 1/4 cup heavy cream, and 5 tablespoons brown sugar in the base and up the sides of an 11x17 baking dish. Set aside. Alternatively, you can use an extra large oven safe skillet like I did to melt the butter over low heat. Then add the heavy cream and sugar, mix, and set aside.

Prepare the filling:

While the dough is chilling, mix together the sugars (1 cup brown sugar and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar), 2 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon (or my preferred pumpkin pie spice), and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Mix in very soft 3/4 cup butter. Mixture should look like a thick paste.

Prepare the cream cheese frosting:

Also while the dough is chilling, make the frosting. Combine the 8 ounces cream cheese and 1/4 cup unsalted butter in the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the whisk or paddle attachment, blend on high speed until fully mixed, light, and fluffy.
Add the 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/4 cup heavy cream. Mix on low. Once incorporated, increase the mixing speed and beat to combine until light and fluffy.

To prepare cinnamon rolls:

Remove dough from refrigerator. It should have risen while chilling. Spread a thin layer of flour onto a clean working surface. Transfer dough to floured surface, an knead a few times. Use enough flour to prevent dough from sticking.
Roll dough into a large rectangle that's about 12 inches by 18 inches and uniform thickness. Dough will be very elastic, so you might have to get creative and use both a rolling pin and your hands to stretch. It will want to pull back, but keep at it.
Dump filling mixture on top of dough and use fingers to spread across entire surface.
Roll the dough into a log. Starting at the long edge, roll all the way to the end and finish with the seal side down. At this point I like to use my hands to shape the log into a more uniform shape (sometimes parts are skinnier than others).
To slice the rolls, use a sharp serrated edge knife and cut slices that are about 1-1 1/2 inches thick. The filling will stick to the knife, so before each cut, coat the knife with flour.
Place the rolls in your prepared pan.
Cover pan with plastic wrap and allow to rise for about 45 minutes.

To bake the cinnamon rolls:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Cook in preheated oven until golden brown on top and the internal temperature of the dough reaches 190°F (this is important because they may look done but could still be doughy in the center). Total cooking time may range from 20-25 minutes or so depending on your oven, but be sure to trust the thermometer over recommended cooking time.
Remove cooked rolls from oven and add frosting when the rolls are still warm to the touch.
Serve warm and enjoy!

Notes

Dough rise: If your house temperature is 70°F or warmer, they will rise perfectly on the counter. If your house is colder, you may need to preheat your oven to the lowest possible temperature and as soon as it's warm, turn it off and open the door. Once the inside of the oven feels warmer than your kitchen (but not hot enough to melt the plastic wrap), place the covered rolls in the slightly warmed oven and allow them to rise in there.
Oven rack: Place the cinnamon rolls in the center of your oven. If they are too high, the tops will get too browned while the bottoms are under cooked.
Check doneness: Use a thermometer to ensure the center of the dough reaches 190° F. You can't trust how done they look and must verify the doneness using an accurate thermometer for best results.

Nutrition