Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Icing
Cinnamon rolls start from a soft, enriched yeast dough made with milk, eggs and butter. It is rolled out thin, spread with soft butter and a thick layer of brown sugar and cinnamon, then rolled up, cut into 12 spirals and baked side by side, so the rolls rise into each other and stay tender at the edges. The cream cheese icing goes on while they are still warm and melts slightly into the swirls. The dough needs two rises, up to 2 1/2 hours in all. For an early start on a holiday morning such as Christmas, shape the rolls the night before, chill them in the pan and bake them when you get up.
Published
- Prep Time
- 35 mins
- Cook Time
- 25 mins
- Rise and cool
- 2 hrs 40 mins
- Total Time
- 3 hrs 40 mins
- Servings
- 12 rolls
How do you make Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Icing?
Knead 500 g flour, 7 g instant yeast, 50 g sugar, 1 tsp salt, 240 ml warm milk, 2 eggs and 75 g butter, then let the dough double. Roll it to 40 x 30 cm, spread with 75 g butter, 150 g brown sugar and 2 tbsp cinnamon, and cut 12 rolls. Rise 45-60 minutes, bake at 180°C (350°F) for 22-28 minutes and ice warm.
- Total time
- 3 hrs 40 mins
- Calories
- 455 per serving
- Protein
- 7 g
- Yield
- 12 rolls
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Method
- Baking
Ingredients
Dough
Filling
Cream cheese icing
Equipment
Stand mixer with dough hook (optional) · 23 x 33 cm (9 x 13 inch) baking pan, or two 23 cm (9 inch) round pans · Rolling pin · Serrated knife or unflavoured dental floss · Hand mixer or wooden spoon · Instant-read thermometer
Quick Directions
Warm the milk
Heat the milk in a small saucepan or in the microwave until it is lukewarm, about 40°C (105°F).
Make the dough
In a stand mixer bowl or a large bowl, whisk the warm milk, sugar, yeast, eggs and softened butter together.
First rise
Shape the dough into a ball, put it in a lightly greased bowl, cover and leave it somewhere warm for 1-1 1/2 hours, until doubled in size.
Get the filling and pan ready
Mix the brown sugar, cinnamon and a pinch of salt in a small bowl.
Roll out and fill
Press the air out of the dough and roll it out on a lightly floured counter into a 40 x 30 cm (16 x 12 inch) rectangle, with a long side facing you.
Roll up and cut
Roll the dough up snugly from the long side nearest you and pinch the seam closed.
Second rise
Cover the pan and leave the rolls for 45-60 minutes, until puffy and pressing against each other.
Bake
Bake for 22-28 minutes, until golden brown on top and a roll in the centre of the pan reads about 88°C (190°F) on an instant-read thermometer.
Make the icing
While the rolls bake, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth.
Ice and serve
Let the rolls cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then spread the icing over them so it melts slightly into the swirls.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Every step for making cinnamon rolls with cream cheese icing, written out in full.
Warm the milk
Heat the milk in a small saucepan or in the microwave until it is lukewarm, about 40°C (105°F). Milk much hotter than this can kill the yeast, so let it cool if it overshoots.
Make the dough
In a stand mixer bowl or a large bowl, whisk the warm milk, sugar, yeast, eggs and softened butter together. The butter will stay in small lumps, which is fine. Add the flour and salt and mix into a shaggy dough. Knead with the dough hook on medium-low speed for 6-8 minutes, or by hand on a lightly floured counter for about 10 minutes, until smooth, elastic and only slightly tacky. Add more flour 1 tbsp at a time only if the dough sticks to your hands.
First rise
Shape the dough into a ball, put it in a lightly greased bowl, cover and leave it somewhere warm for 1-1 1/2 hours, until doubled in size.
Get the filling and pan ready
Mix the brown sugar, cinnamon and a pinch of salt in a small bowl. Grease a 23 x 33 cm (9 x 13 inch) baking pan, or two 23 cm (9 inch) round pans.
Roll out and fill
Press the air out of the dough and roll it out on a lightly floured counter into a 40 x 30 cm (16 x 12 inch) rectangle, with a long side facing you. Spread the very soft butter right to the edges, leaving a 1 cm (1/2 inch) strip bare along the far long edge. Scatter the cinnamon sugar evenly over the butter and press it in lightly with your hands.
Roll up and cut
Roll the dough up snugly from the long side nearest you and pinch the seam closed. Trim the ragged ends, then cut the log into 12 pieces about 3 cm (1 1/4 inch) wide with a sharp serrated knife, or slide a length of unflavoured dental floss under the log, cross the ends over the top and pull. Set the rolls cut side up in the pan in 3 rows of 4, or 6 to each round pan.
Second rise
Cover the pan and leave the rolls for 45-60 minutes, until puffy and pressing against each other. Heat the oven to 180°C (350°F) for the last 20 minutes. To bake them the next morning instead, skip this rise: cover the pan tightly and refrigerate it for 8-16 hours, then leave it at room temperature for 60-90 minutes, until the rolls are puffy, before baking.
Bake
Bake for 22-28 minutes, until golden brown on top and a roll in the centre of the pan reads about 88°C (190°F) on an instant-read thermometer. If the tops brown too fast, cover the pan loosely with foil for the last 10 minutes.
Make the icing
While the rolls bake, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Beat in the powdered sugar, vanilla and a pinch of salt until light and fluffy. If the icing is too stiff to spread, beat in milk 1 tsp at a time.
Ice and serve
Let the rolls cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then spread the icing over them so it melts slightly into the swirls. Serve warm.
Recipe Tips
- Active dry yeast works too. Use the same 7 g, stir it into the warm milk with a pinch of the sugar and wait 5-10 minutes until foamy before adding the other dough ingredients. The rises may take a little longer.
- Keep the dough soft. Too much flour gives dense, dry rolls, so add extra only a spoonful at a time and stop as soon as the dough no longer sticks to your hands.
- Use very soft butter for the filling. It spreads without tearing the dough, while melted butter tends to run out of the rolls in the oven.
- Rising times depend on the room. Go by how the dough looks, doubled for the first rise and puffy for the second, rather than by the clock.
Variations
- Pecan cinnamon rolls: scatter 75 g (3/4 cup) chopped toasted pecans over the cinnamon sugar before rolling up the dough.
- Orange cinnamon rolls: add the finely grated zest of 1 orange to the filling and use orange juice instead of milk to loosen the icing.
- Simple glaze: skip the cream cheese icing and whisk 180 g (1 1/2 cups) powdered sugar with 2-3 tbsp milk and 1/2 tsp vanilla, then drizzle it over the warm rolls.
- Extra-soft rolls: pour 120 ml (1/2 cup) warm whipping cream over the risen rolls just before baking. It soaks into the bottoms and cooks down with the filling into a sticky sauce.
Nutrition (per serving)
| Calories | 455 |
|---|---|
| Protein | 7 g |
| Carbs | 66 g |
| Fat | 18 g |
| Saturated fat | 11 g |
| Fibre | 2 g |
| Sugar | 33 g |
| Sodium | 270 mg |
Estimated from the listed ingredients; values vary by brand.
Related Recipes
Storing & Reheating
- Fridge
- Cover iced rolls and refrigerate them within 2 hours, since the icing contains cream cheese. They keep for up to 4 days. Un-iced rolls keep, covered, at room temperature for up to 2 days.
- Freezer
- Freeze baked rolls without icing, wrapped well, for up to 3 months, and freeze the icing separately in a container. Thaw both overnight in the fridge. Shaped, unbaked rolls can also be frozen in their pan for up to 1 month: thaw them overnight in the fridge, let them rise at room temperature until puffy, then bake.
- Reheat
- Warm a single roll in the microwave for 15-20 seconds, or warm un-iced rolls, covered with foil, in a 160°C (325°F) oven for 10-12 minutes before icing them.
Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Icing FAQs
Can I make cinnamon rolls the night before?
Yes. Shape the rolls, put them in the pan, cover tightly and refrigerate for 8-16 hours. In the morning, leave the pan at room temperature for 60-90 minutes, until the rolls look puffy and are touching, then bake at 180°C (350°F) for 22-28 minutes.
How long do cinnamon rolls need to rise?
The dough needs 1-1 1/2 hours to double after kneading, and the shaped rolls need another 45-60 minutes to turn puffy. A cool kitchen slows both rises, so judge by how the dough looks rather than by the clock.
Why are my cinnamon rolls dry or hard?
Dry cinnamon rolls usually come from too much flour in the dough or from overbaking. Weigh the flour if you can, keep the dough soft and slightly tacky, and take the rolls out as soon as they are golden and a roll in the centre of the pan reads about 88°C (190°F).
Why did the filling leak out of my cinnamon rolls?
Filling leaks when the butter was melted instead of softened, when the log was rolled loosely, or when the seam was not pinched closed. Use very soft butter, roll the dough up snugly and pinch the seam firmly. A little caramelized filling on the bottom of the pan is normal.
Can I freeze cinnamon rolls?
Yes. Freeze baked rolls without icing, wrapped well, for up to 3 months, and freeze the cream cheese icing separately. Thaw both overnight in the fridge, warm the rolls covered in a 160°C (325°F) oven for 10-12 minutes, then ice them.
Disclaimer
- Nutrition information is an estimate based on the listed ingredients. It changes with the brands, portion sizes and swaps you use.
- Read ingredient labels for allergens and for diet claims such as gluten-free or vegan. Products and their ingredients can change.
- Cooking times are a guide, since ovens, air fryers and slow cookers all run differently. Use a food thermometer and cook meat, poultry and fish to the safe internal temperatures in government food safety guidance.
- This recipe is general information, not medical or nutrition advice. If you have an allergy, a health condition or a special diet, check with a qualified health professional.
