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These Cinnamon Rolls are the ultimate Cinnabon clone. Chewy, soft, and completely homemade. Throw out your old recipes because you’ll never need another Cinnamon Roll Recipe again! Delicious served with oven baked bacon and my Overnight Breakfast Casserole.
My FAVORITE Cinnamon Roll Recipe
Ok guys, HERE IT IS, my CopyCat Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls Recipe! I’m pretty sure this is the most anticipated recipe I’ve hyped up in a very long time–and for good reason! These Cinnamon Rolls are absolutely heavenly and I’ve been working hard, making over 200 cinnamon rolls, trying to get this recipe as delicious as possible. SO SO thrilled to be sharing this recipe with you all today!
Basic Ingredients Needed for Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls
Okay, friends, let me get you ready for this. While this list may seem a little long, it truly is the bare basics. Lots of pantry staples! Most of you will already have the main ingredients needed for Homemade Cinnamon Rolls. Here’s what you’ll need:
For the Dough
- warm water + active dry yeast– since this is an enriched dough, I like to give the yeast a head start by proofing it in some warm water.
- granulated sugar– to keep the dough sweet and help the yeast rise
- buttermilk– Out of all the ‘cloned’ recipes I looked through online, NONE of them had buttermilk!! If you search Cinnabon secret ingredient on YouTube, you’ll find the creator talking about her ingredient. She never says what it is, but buttermilk fits the bill of everything she was saying!
- egg– used for structure
- canola oil– adds a soft texture to the cinnamon roll dough
- all purpose flour+ salt– every yeasted bread product out there absolutely needs flour for the gluten (chewy texture!) and salt for flavor.
For the Cinnamon Sugar Filling
- softened butter– Cinnamon rolls are filled with ridiculous amounts of butter and my recipe is no different. It’s what makes them so good.
- light brown sugar– dark brown sugar will work here, but I prefer light.
- ground cinnamon– I love the spiciness of Saigon cinnamon, but if you have plain old cinnamon in your cupboards, use that. (Did you know that Cinnabon sources and imports their own cinnamon?)
- cornstarch– a bit of a weird ingredient for cinnamon rolls, I know, but it helps with keeping the cinnamon roll filling in the roll as they bake.
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- cream cheese -use at room temperature so it blends in perfectly with no lumps!
- softened butter (or butter)- salted butter pairs really well with the cream cheese in this frosting.
- vanilla extract– for delicious flavor!
- corn syrup– makes our frosting really shiny
- fresh lemon juice – adds a little extra zing that you can’t get from cream cheese alone.
- powdered sugar– for a non-granular sweetness that melds in beautifully to this cinnamon roll icing.
How to Make Cinnamon Rolls
The biggest thing you need to remember when making homemade Cinnamon Rolls is to have patience. Nothing about this recipe is hard per say, but there are a lot of steps. Keep with it! You can absolutely follow this recipe and end up with a pan of Cinnamon Rolls just as beautiful as mine! I give you lots of directions below, but there is a whole lot more in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1: Make the Dough
Start by proofing the yeast in warm water with a sprinkle of sugar. Next, add in half the flour, more sugar, buttermilk, canola oil and egg. Knead by hand or use the dough hook attachment on your stand mixer.
Once everything is incorporated, slowly add in more flour bit by bit until the dough pulls away from the sides and the bowl looks clean. You might not use all the flour and THAT’S OK!! The dough should be sticky but not sticky enough to stick to your fingers when touched. You might use the full 4 1/2 to 5 cups of flour or you might not. Just keep watching for these visual cues.
Knead 5 minutes on low speed. Once the dough is all kneaded, transfer dough to greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and a dishtowel and rise 2 hours or until it has doubled in size. It is a very enriched dough, so it might take longer for it to rise. That is fine and normal!
A Note About Enriched Dough
This Cinnamon Roll Recipe uses a highly enriched dough. What is enriched dough? Basically a bread dough that is made with more than just the basic water, yeast, salt and flour. The additions of butter, buttermilk, sugar and eggs make this an enriched dough. Why is that important to know? Enriched doughs inhibit yeast growth which means this dough will take longer to rise than a typical bread dough. It will grow! It will just take longer. I recommend either using rapid rise yeast or doubling your active dry yeast to get things going.
Step 2: Filling and Forming Cinnamon Rolls
Once the cinnamon roll dough has doubled in size, roll it out on a floured work surface to be a 20×30 inch rectangle…or as close to it as possible.
Stir brown sugar, cinnamon and cornstarch together in a small bowl. This will be your filling.
Spread softened butter across the flattened dough, leaving a 1-inch strip across the bottom untouched. Dump the filling onto the butter and spread it around to create an even layer. Lightly press the sugar into the butter with a rolling pin. Roll the dough towards you, ending with the plain dough on the bottom of this log.
Cut log into 2-inch cinnamon rolls and place into greased baking pans. Cover and rise 1-2 hours or until they are double in size again.
Step 3: Bake and Frost your Cinnamon Rolls
Bake at 350 degrees for 17- 20 minutes. You’re going to want to watch these so they don’t over bake. Once the tops start to brown, they should done.
While rolls are baking, make the cream cheese frosting by mixing all ingredients together until smooth and shiny.
Pro tip: If you want your frosting to look more like Cinnabon, whip it 5-7 minutes or until it lightens in color.
Once cinnamon rolls are done baking, slather on about half the frosting to the warm rolls. After they have cooled, slather them again with remaining frosting. HEAVEN!
Do these not look incredible?! Picture perfect rolls….and my house smelled amazing!! I dove face first into this entire pan and ate every last morsel. TO.DIE.FOR. Super sweet, chewy, light, fluffy, cream cheesey. Mmmm….heaven!
Cinnamon Roll FAQ’s
Yes, you absolutely can easily substitute butter for margarine in this cinnamon roll recipe. Cinnabon lists margarine on their ingredients list, so that is why I use it from time to time, but most households probably would prefer butter.
I know cornstarch is a totally random ingredient, but it helps hold the filling in the cinnamon roll instead of oozing out while baking. It still oozes, but not nearly as much. (Cinnabon actually uses a chemical/food gum to help it not ooze which is REALLY appetizing I know.)
Nope, you don’t have to use it! It does add a nice shine (and is found on that darn Cinnabon list of ingredients as well) so I like to use it, but it won’t ruin your cinnamon rolls if you simply omit it.
Cinnamon Rolls NOT rising (or rising really slowly) could be caused by a number of reasons. Your yeast was not fast-acting, your yeast was old, you kneaded in too much flour, your kitchen was on the colder side, etc. etc. If you’re really concerned about it, simply double the yeast to have some extra insurance. These rolls are made with a very enriched dough (see my note above about enriched doughs) which make it a slow rise. This is totally normal! Again, if you’d like to speed things up, simply double the yeast.
Kneading dough in a stand mixer is an efficient way to make any kind of bread dough, however, it can get *too* efficient and there is a tendency to add in too much flour. It should still stick to the bottom of the bowl, but pull away from the sides. Also, when you feel it, it should be tacky but not enough to stick to your hands and leave a residue. Kneading the cinnamon roll dough by hand is a great way to ensure the dough doesn’t get over kneaded.
Typically, cinnamon rolls stay raw in the middle for two reasons: (1) they were rolled too tightly and never had a chance to rise in the middle OR (2) they need more time in the oven to bake. How do we fix this? Roll your cinnamon rolls to be tight enough to maintain their shape, but not so terribly tight that the dough can’t rise. Practice does make perfect! Also, be sure to make your rolls in the bottom third of the oven.
Can I make Cinnamon Rolls ahead of time?
Yes, you can! Follow the directions up until letting the dough rise after filling and rolling them. At this point, you can store them in the fridge overnight if you are making them ahead of time.
To make them the next day, bring them up to room temp and let them rise before baking. (After I took the pan out of the fridge, I let them rise 4 hours. It takes a while to take the chill off.) After that, prepare the icing and follow the directions as normal.
More Sweet Breakfast Recipes!
If you enjoyed this recipe as a breakfast treat, you’re going to love my other sweet breakfast recipes! Here are some of my favorites:
- Easiest Belgian Waffle Recipe– I love a good waffle, and these are so simple to make and taste amazing!
- The Best Crepe Recipe – Seriously, the best recipe! Nearly fail-proof.
- Perfect French Toast Casserole – a great make ahead breakfast for the weekend.
- Brioche French Toast (my current favorite I am crushing on!)
- Chewy Soft Cinnamon Rolls– this recipe uses a simpler bread dough that gives a huge and puffy cinnamon roll.
So, there you have it! The Best Homemade Cinnamon Rolls! Hopefully, you’ll all find a few hours to make these! They are TOTALLY worth the wait! 🙂 Have a great day! 🙂
The Best Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
for the dough-
- 3/4 cup warm water
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast use rapid rise (*see notes below)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup buttermilk at room temperature
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup canola oil or vegetable oil
- 4 1/2-5 cups all purpose unbleached flour
for the filling-
- 1/2 cup butter softened (or margarine)
- 1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
- 2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
for the frosting-
- 2 oz. cream cheese at room temperature
- 1/4 cup butter softened (or margarine)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 tablespoon corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
Make the Dough-
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, pour in water, yeast and 1 tablespoon of the granulated sugar. Stir and proof 5 minutes.
- Once the mixture looks bubbly and frothy, pour in remaining sugar. Stir on low for 15-20 seconds. In a small bowl, measure buttermilk, oil, and egg. Whisk ingredients together until egg is incorporated to other two ingredients. Pour contents into the water and yeast mixture. Stir another 20 seconds in the mixer.
- Pour 2 cups of flour and salt into mixer and stir on low until incorporated. Sprinkle flour in by 1/4 cup increments until dough cleans the sides and bottom of the bowl. **You may not use the entire amount of flour to get to this stage. THAT'S OK! When the dough is tacky but not sticky enough to stick to your hands when touched, it's perfect. Once it has reached this stage, knead for 5 minutes.
- Remove dough from bowl, grease and replace back into same mixing bowl {since it’s practically clean anyways.} Cover with plastic wrap and a dish towel. Rise 1-2 hours or until the dough has doubled in size.
Filling and Cutting Rolls-
- In a medium-size bowl, stir brown sugar, cinnamon, and cornstarch together until combined. Set aside.
- Punch down dough. Flour a large clean table liberally with flour. Lightly flour dough as well. Roll dough out to be a 20×30 rectangle {or as close to that as possible} while moving dough around to ensure it’s not sticking to your work surface. If it’s a little short or uneven, feel free to cut off the edges to even it all out.
- Spread softened butter over dough, being sure to go right to the edges leaving a 1-inch strip untouched on one of the longer sides of dough. Dump brown sugar mixture onto the middle of the dough and spread with your hands, creating an even layer over top of the butter, still leaving that 1-inch strip of dough untouched. If you have any filling that falls off the sides of the dough, use a bench scraper to replace. Lightly press the sugar mixture into the butter using a rolling pin.
- Roll the dough up into a tight log, finishing with the plain dough on the bottom to seal the entire thing together. Cut off the uneven ends to even out the log. Score log every 2 inches and then slice your rolls using those marks. Place onto parchment paper lined, butter greased pans. 12 into a 9×13, 3 remaining into a loaf pan, or 8×8 with the small ends. Cover pans with plastic wrap and dish towels.
- Let rolls rise another 1-2 hours or until they are touching and have risen almost double. If you are not using quick rise yeast, have added too much flour or are working in a chilly kitchen, it may take 3-4 hours for your rolls to rise. My rolls always spread out more than up, so just be aware that they will most likely spread out more than up. Bake in a preheated 350 degree for 17-20 minutes, or until tops start to brown. Watch them carefully!!
Cinnamon Roll Icing-
- While the rolls are baking, whip cream cheese and butter together. Stir in vanilla, corn syrup and lemon juice. Scrape sides and mix again. Pour in powdered sugar and stir slowly until it starts to incorporate. Then mix on high for 5 minutes or until frosting starts to lighten in color. Scrape sides and mix again briefly.
- Once rolls have been removed from the oven, frost using half the amount made. Then after they have cooled a few more minutes, frost again with remaining frosting. The first frosting will melt down into the rolls and the second layer should stay put. Serve warm.
I usually don’t give credits and compliments for recipes that I could find conveniently on the internet but this recipe is beyond words Ms. Lauren. This is the first time to stop by your page but after I tried your copycat for cinnabon rolls OH BOY! WHERE IS THE SUBSCRIBE BUTTON??! ☺
Looking forward to try all of your recipes!
xo
Love this recipe the minute I saw it. I made this with my 3 yr old granddaughter. She had so much fun with me. Spreading the butter all over the dough was her favorite!!! We both especially liked the frosting at the end. Not so overly sweet with confectioners sugar. The cream cheese gave it a great flavor. Just loved it. Hats off to this recipe!!!
This recipe is not practical at all. If you want to eat something that tastes just like a store-bought cinnamon roll, just buy some. Honestly, this is a huge waste of money and not to mention, time, for something that can be made in 20 minutes. If you actually want to try a real, gourmet, cinnamon roll, use the recipe from Tasty. This website also doesn’t even use most ratings while getting the average, showing that this isn’t that great a recipe, to begin with. If you want something that tastes like a store-bought cinnamon roll, just buy some. Don’t waste your time on this.
Would LOVE to know where you’re finding a 20 minute recipe for cinnamon rolls that taste better than these. Also, Tasty typically steals bloggers’ recipes and rebrands them as their own. *The more you know*
Where do you go off being rude? I bet you work for Tasty. Their recipes actually suck. A lot of their reviews are from disappointed people. These are amazing. People like you are so pathetic talking crap to people that actually take the time to provide recipes they develop. Why did you even look for a cinnamon roll recipe? Just to complain? Lol ok, keyboard warrior.
I’ve made these rolls plenty of times and have been my go to. If you can’t do the work or even want to, them buy the chemical version
What is an alternative method to the mixer and that attachment? I dont want to spend all that money just for a recipe at the moment.
Just knead with your hands.
So can I put them in the fridge after they finish proofing for the first time before filling and cutting it after I fill and cut then put them in fridge until the next day when I warm them back to room temp?
I bought a box of cinnabon mix and it came with a pouch of cinnamon and brown sugar filling, the yeast and of course the dough mix. The direction on the box said to add to the mix: 1 egg, 1/4 cup of melted butter and 1 cup of buttermilk, raccomended, or milk. For the filling it said to use 1 stick of butter softened. I will be using this recipe but I will use just buttermilk instead of water and butter instead of oil.
How do you make these for the morning? I feel like I’ll be up all night or up super early to have them for breakfast. Tips anyone?
I made these for my wife who wanted cinnamon rolls but didn’t want to cook. I split the recipe in half to accommodate the ingredients I had and used non quick rise yeast and they turned out fantastic! I will make them again! 😁
Can I make these and freeze them and cook in the morning or make and leave in fridge overnight, cook the next morning while making the icing? Just want to make the Christmas Eve morning but won’t have a lot of time in the morning
I would make the rolls and let them proof in the fridge overnight covered with plastic wrap. Then in the morning, bring them to room temperature before baking. If you wanted to make them more than a day in advance, I would freeze them, but then they’d need several hours to defrost, rise and then bake.
It really deserve the best rating..thabk you so much for sharing recipe of this cinnamon rolls..i tried si many and this one stand out…even better feom rolls that i used to buy on one of nice bakery around dubai…i really love it. GOD BLESS YOU!
Sorry for typo error…but thank you so much!
Having never worked with yeast before, my son and I decided to take the leap. The instructions were well written and easy to follow. These turned out great! Thanks for a great recipe that we can make a family tradition for holiday breakfast!
Best recipe every. Followed directions to a T and it came out perfect. Soft, pillowy, and delicious. All the little tips, cornstarch in the sugar, buttermilk in the batter, using the rolling pin to secure the filling…helped this recipe to be successful. Only change I would make next time is to roll it out a little smaller, fewer layers.
Hello, I have to say that I have tried at least 5 other recipes before and now I’m completely sure this one is the closest to the original. Than you for the research, I replaced margarina for butter and it is perfect.
I live in 🇨🇭 where is uncommon to find cinnamon rolls and now I can bake it at home.
Really greatful
Yikes, what if I can only find 2% buttermilk???
It should probably work fine!
I made these last week and they were so good everyone is asking me to make them again. My question is if I double the recipe do I need to do anything different other than doubling the ingredients? I’m also making them ahead of time so they will be in the refrigeratorOvernight. Thank you for your help!
The only thing you’ll have to do is double the size of roll you make, or divide the dough in two and roll up two seperate logs. Also, be sure to bring your rolls to room temp before baking to ensure an even bake!
I bake at 350 degrees for 17 minutes, the bread is evenly cooked and looks delicious. Baking time is extremely important, So must be constantly monitored. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Hands down THE BEST cinabon-like cinnamon rolls reicpe out in the internet!! After trying two other recipes that were meh and ok, this one was absolutely FANTASTIC!!!
I wanted to bake these as minis so I split the dough in half and stretched each to 21cm x 76cm, then cut 2.5cm each log. It delivers 48 well-sized minis. Bake for about 12min.
@Laura, thanks so much for this recipe; those withput cinabon around (in the UK) thank you!!
PS: for those complaining about the use of margerine.. just use your healthy butter (and get over it).
Just discovered this recipe and will definitely be making it for company this weekend…they look scrumptious (can hardly wait).
These are truly amazing. I read the recipe this morning, spent the day making them, followed the recipe and instructions exactly, and they are really really incredible.
I am from NJ in the US, but currently live in Paris, France. You can find a croissant on every corner but not a good cinnamon bun anywhere. I was craving something amazing. I went to three different places to get what was supposed to be, “the best cinnamon bun in Paris”…….Honestly they all were not great, not at all what i was craving, and so my wife to me to make my own. I came across this recipe, liked the logic Lauren followed, and i did exactly as she did (only using butter instead). The result was insane!!! Craving satisfied…
I can’t wait to make these for friends.
Thank you!!!
I have been searching for the perfect cinnamon rolls recipe and I’m glad I found yours! I tried your recipe yesterday and it was absolutely AMAZING! I wish I could insert pictures because they were beautiful ✨ Thank you so very much for the perfect recipe Lauren 💛
Yep there the best !
Going to try these for Christmas!
Just made these to celebrate the arrival of our baby girl. Perfect for this hungry breastfeeding mama!
General conference cinnamon roll go to! A must try!
This is my go to recipe for cinnamon rolls! They are so yummy and my kids love them!
I’ve made the cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning for the past two years. They are delicious and we look forward to them every year. One of my Christmas morning traditions !
This is my go to Cinnamon Roll recipe! Sooo good! So easy to make! Thank you so much for sharing!
These are THE BEST! The lemon juice in the frosting is genius!
This is our favourite recipe!! Better than Cinnabon! I like to double the frosting for extra dipping 😛
I’ve made these a ton of times. Actually better than Cinnabon, imho. Always a family favorite, and always gone within a day or two!
Your pics are so pretty, I can almost smell these beauties. Thanks for all the hard work that goes into your recipes. I trust your site because of it!
These are the bomb! I have made them a handful of times and get rave reviews from everyone that eats them! A keeper for sure!
My first comment on a recipe! Lauren, you nailed it! They are the prettiest things I’ve ever baked! Absolutely delicious!! I agree, totally worth the wait.
Hi… I am asking myself if I can let the dough in the refrigerator all night and baking it in the morning… Thank you in advance
Yes, you can refrigerate the dough and roll and assemble in the morning!
Do you know why they call it active dry yeast? Because its actice when it’s dry, meaning proofing the yeast isnt necessary, you can just add it in with the dry ingredients. That could be the reason why your rise times are so long. Your wasting all the power of the yeast on just plain old water.
If you are more comfortable adding your yeast into your flour, then go for it. You are right…its called active for a reason. But if you’re a novice, proofing it first is a great way to ensure your yeast will work before adding all the ingredients, making your dough and waiting hours on end only to find out it was your yeast that was the problem.
THESE ARE AMAZING!!!! THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR HARD WORK!!
Your recipe calls for 4 1/2 to 5 cups of flour, but your directions call for 2 cups. So confused.
You start off mixing in 2 cups of flour and then add in little by little to get the dough consistency you want (which when all is said and done should be a total of 4 1/2 to 5 cups of flour.)
This is a family FAVORITE!! This recipe is also the reason cinnamon rolls Christmas morning became a family tradition in my fam. Thank you! My little girl absolutely loves these, hubby too ❤ Also, every time I make these, everyone asks for your recipe. I just can’t say enough, thanks!! Mmmm
Have you ever doubled the recipe. Think it will be ok. Going to use this for my bacon maple rolls.
Awesome recipe! Thanks a lot !
Quality cinnamon is another important part of the real bun. I didn’t think there was enough cinnamon in this recipe but the dough was amazing! I also thought the use of corn starch was a great idea but I don’t think it adds much value. Butter/ margarine melt long before the starch can come to the right temp to start to bind everything. Definitely an idea worth exploring. Thank you for the recipe!
[…] broiler worked and how fast my dough rose using the bread proofing function. I’m so making cinnamon rolls just to see how fast they’d be done […]
What do you think the difference is between using oil in the dough vs. butter. I just did an internet comparison of many different “clone”recipes and yours is the only one that uses oil in the dough.
I have been trying to make a “Cinnabon cinnamon roll” at home for many years and have tried many different recipes and can tell you that none even come close to yours in terms of duplicating the Cinnabon experience. You really have hit a grand slam with this recipe. I will also say we had a bit of good luck using what apparently was the right amount of flour (a tad less than called for in our case) and baking them for just the right amount of time in our old oven. The glaze recipe perfectly topped off the recipe. I have been recommending your recipe/link to anyone who will listen. Thank-you for your research 🙂
These were absolute perfection for Mother’s Day brunch. I am never making another cinnamon roll recipe again. The buck stops here. THANK YOU!
I made these last weekend and they were wonderful! Only issue I has was that it took forever to roll them out to almost the right size. The dough kept springing back towards the middle. Maybe I let them rise too long? mixed it too much? they ended up tasting just fine so that was good anyway. Next time I will use rapid yeast as I only had regular to use this time and the rise times were quite a bit longer. Thanks for all the work on this great recipe……..it’s a keeper!!
[…] love cream cheese frosting. I love it on cake, on cupcakes and especially cinnamon rolls. A lot of cream cheese frosting recipes tend to come out too thin and look horrible spread on a […]
How do you get the rolls to not rise up and sort of unravel? Every time I make cinnamon buns they taste great but they aren’t flat/even on the top. They turn into pyramids!
These are AH-MAAAZING. I totally made them vegan though by using vegan butter, almond milk and a flax egg. This is the second year I’m making them for Thanksgiving! Totally a tradition now for me!
[…] My Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls […]