These homemade cinnamon rolls are incredibly soft, tender, and filled with a buttery cinnamon sugar swirl, then finished with a smooth cream cheese glaze. They’re easy to make from scratch and perfect for cozy mornings, holidays, and special family moments.

Why You Will Love This Recipe

You’ll love this cinnamon roll recipe because it creates bakery-quality rolls right at home with simple ingredients. The dough is soft and fluffy, the filling is rich and gooey, and the cream cheese glaze melts beautifully into every warm roll. This recipe is perfect for make-ahead mornings, weekend baking, and sharing with loved ones.

Homemade Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Glaze

There’s something truly special about homemade cinnamon rolls baking in the oven. The warm scent of cinnamon, butter, and sugar fills the kitchen and instantly creates a feeling of comfort and anticipation. These are the kinds of recipes that turn an ordinary morning into a memorable one.

This recipe was designed to create soft, fluffy cinnamon rolls without complicated steps. The dough is easy to work with, forgiving for beginners, and rises beautifully, resulting in rolls that are tender and pillowy rather than dense.

Cinnamon rolls are more than just a breakfast treat. They’re a celebration food—perfect for holidays, birthdays, weekend brunch, or slow Sunday mornings when you want to slow down and enjoy something homemade.

The filling is a classic combination of melted butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon. As the rolls bake, the sugar melts into the dough, creating a gooey, caramelized swirl that stays moist and flavorful even after cooling.

What truly sets these cinnamon rolls apart is the cream cheese glaze. Slightly tangy, perfectly sweet, and ultra-creamy, it balances the warmth of the cinnamon filling and melts effortlessly into the rolls while they’re still warm.

This recipe is ideal for making ahead. You can prepare the rolls the night before, let them rise, and bake them fresh in the morning. That makes them perfect for holidays like Christmas morning, Easter brunch, or special family gatherings.

Because the rolls bake quickly at a slightly lower temperature, they stay soft and tender instead of drying out. The result is a cinnamon roll that tastes just as good on day two as it does fresh from the oven.

These cinnamon rolls are also a wonderful way to create traditions. Many families associate cinnamon rolls with special mornings, and this recipe is simple enough to become a regular favorite.

Whether you’re serving them for breakfast, brunch, or dessert, these rolls always feel indulgent and comforting without being overly complicated.

If you’re looking for a reliable, crowd-pleasing cinnamon roll recipe that delivers bakery-style results at home, this one is guaranteed to become a staple in your kitchen.

Servings & Time

• Servings: 12 cinnamon rolls

• Prep Time: 25 minutes

• Rise Time: 1 hour 45 minutes

• Bake Time: 14 minutes

• Total Time: About 2 hours 25 minutes

Ingredients

Dough

• 1 cup warm milk

• 1 tablespoon instant dry yeast

• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 3 tablespoons salted butter, softened

• 1 large egg

• 3 cups all-purpose flour

Filling

• 1/2 cup salted butter, melted

• 1 cup brown sugar

• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

Cream Cheese Glaze

• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened

• 1/4 cup salted butter, softened

• 1 to 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 to 2 tablespoons milk

Instructions

Dough

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine warm milk, yeast, sugar, salt, butter, and egg.

2. Add flour and mix on low speed using a dough hook.

3. Increase to medium speed once dough begins to form. Add flour as needed until dough is soft, slightly tacky, and pulls away from the bowl.

4. Transfer dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.

Assembly

5. Grease a 9×13 baking pan.

6. Punch down dough and roll into a 12×18-inch rectangle.

7. Brush with melted butter.

8. Mix brown sugar and cinnamon, then sprinkle evenly over butter.

9. Roll dough tightly lengthwise into a log.

10. Cut into 12 equal slices using dental floss or a sharp knife.

11. Place rolls in prepared pan, cover, and let rise 30–45 minutes.

Baking

12. Preheat oven to 325°F (165°C).

13. Bake rolls for about 14 minutes, until lightly golden on top.

Glaze

14. While rolls bake, beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy.

15. Add powdered sugar and vanilla, then milk until glaze reaches drizzle consistency.

16. Frost rolls while warm. Serve immediately or allow to cool.

Tips

• Milk Temperature: Warm, not hot, to activate yeast properly.

• Soft Dough Is Key: Slightly tacky dough ensures fluffy rolls.

• Overnight Option: Prepare rolls, refrigerate overnight, bake fresh in the morning.

• Storage: Store covered at room temperature or refrigerated for up to 5 days.

• Reheating: Warm briefly in the microwave for a fresh-baked feel.