My Mom’s Cinnamon Rolls
My Mom’s cinnamon rolls are the best out there, in my totally unbiased opinion. Made with simple ingredients, a few tricks and a lot of love.
Nothing reminds me of home quite like a pan of freshly baked cinnamon rolls (besides homemade bread). My mom’s cinnamon rolls will always taste better when she makes them, but I do the best I can. She let me share this incredible recipe with you guys and you definitely won’t be sorry if you make them.
Read through for all of our best tips and tricks to making the perfect, most delicious cinnamon rolls!
What You’ll Need
Equipment
- Stand mixer: My mom and I both use a Bosch universal stand mixer.
- Rolling pin
- Half baking sheet pan: Plus a smaller 9×9 pan for the extras.
Ingredients (Rolls)
- Whole milk
- Salted butter
- Sugar
- Salt
- Instant yeast
- Eggs
- All purpose flour
- Brown sugar
- Cinnamon
Ingredients (Frosting)
- Cream cheese
- Whole milk
- Vanilla
- Salt
- Powdered sugar
How To Make Them
- Start the dough: In a large microwave safe bowl, add milk, butter (cut into smaller cubes), sugar and salt. Microwave for about 4 minutes, until butter is melted (don’t boil).
- Proof the yeast: Activate the yeast by mixing warm water, sugar and yeast in a glass measuring cup.
- Mix the dough: Once the butter mixture is melted, add to your stand mixer, making sure to scrap the sides to get all the sugar off. Crack eggs into the same bowl, scramble, and add to mixer. Pulse mixer a few times to combine. By this time, the yeast mixture should be activated/growing – add to the mixer. Add about 3 cups of the flour, start the mixer on high speed and start timer for 15 minutes. Gradually add in the last 3 cups of flour while it’s mixing.
- Rise: Once timer is done, check dough to make sure it’s not too sticky – if it is, add a bit more flour and mix until you can touch it with your finger and it doesn’t stick all over. Careful not to add too much flour – you still want the dough to be soft. Carefully place dough into a large, greased plastic bowl and cover with plastic wrap to rise for 45-50 min (until double in size).
- Roll out dough: Place dough onto a lightly greased counter (Crisco works great) and start to form into a rectangle. Roll out with a rolling pin into a long rectangle (~10in wide, 32in long).
- Form the rolls: Add melted butter, sugar, brown sugar and cinnamon evenly onto the dough, leaving a 1/2in space on the far side (for pinching together). Gently begin tucking/rolling the dough and pinching the seam at the end. Use a piece of unflavored dental floss to cut the rolls, then dip each side in butter and place on the baking sheet. Baking sheet will get 20 and the 9×9 pan gets about 10 rolls.
- Rise again: Cover with plastic and let rise another 45-50 minutes, until double in size.
- Bake: Bake at 375F for 17-20 min, or until risen and tops are golden brown. (Bake the 9×9 pan for less time, about 12 min, checking often).
For The Frosting
- Mix it all together: Add softened cream cheese, milk, vanilla and salt to the stand mixer and mix, scraping sides as needed. Continue mixing while you add powdered sugar.
- Frost: Let rolls cool slightly before frosting each one. Enjoy!
Tips
- Scrape the bowl: Scrape the sides and bottom of bowls when you’re adding ingredients. Most importantly, the bowl of sugar, milk, butter and salt, since the sugar will sink to the bottom. Get all that sugar outta there so the rolls taste right! My mom’s favorite spatula is this skinny spatula from pampered chef.
- Plastic bowl for dough: A large plastic bowl is great to let the dough rise in because it won’t cool the dough down like metal.
- Flour: The Wheat Montana premium all purpose flour usually doesn’t need extra after mixing. With other flours, you may need to add a bit more so the dough isn’t too sticky.
- Dough consistency: You want the dough to be soft, but not sticky. If the dough is sticky, add a little bit of flour at a time until you can touch it without it sticking all over your fingers.
- Foil to protect your oven: Place a large piece of foil underneath your pan before baking to keep any sugary stickiness from getting on the bottom of your oven.
- Name brand cream cheese: Philadelphia cream cheese is more expensive but boy is it the best for the frosting.
To Store
Cover extra cinnamon rolls with plastic wrap and store at room temp up to 3 days. Store in the fridge up to a week.
You’ll Also Love
Lastly, please leave a rating and review down below if you try my Mom’s cinnamon rolls! It was so nice of her to take the time to teach me her recipe and let me share it with you all. Hope you enjoy! ♡
My Mom’s Cinnamon Rolls
My Mom's cinnamon rolls are the best out there, in my totally unbiased opinion. Made with simple ingredients, a few tricks and a lot of love.
Equipment
Ingredients
Dough
- 2 cups whole milk (480 g)
- 1 stick salted butter (1/2 cup)
- 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp sugar divided
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup warm water (120 g)
- 2 tbsp instant yeast
- 2 large eggs
- 6 cups all purpose flour (912 g)
Rolls
- 3/4 cup melted butter divided
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- sprinkle cinnamon
Cream cheese frosting
- 8 oz Philadelphia cream cheese room temp
- 1 1/2 tbsp whole milk
- 1 tsp vanilla
- dash salt
- 5 1/2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- In a large microwave safe bowl, add milk, butter (cut into smaller cubes), 1/2 cup sugar and salt. Microwave for about 4 minutes, until butter is melted (don't boil).
- While that's microwaving, activate the yeast by mixing warm water, 1 tbsp sugar and yeast in a glass measuring cup.
- Add melted butter mixture to your stand mixer, making sure to scrap the sides to get all the sugar off. Use the same bowl to scramble the eggs and add to mixer, pulsing a few times to combine. By this time, the yeast mixture should be activated/growing – add to mixer.
- Add in 3 cups of the flour and start the mixer on high speed (start timer for 15 minutes). Gradually add in the last 3 cups of flour while it's mixing.
- Once timer is done, check dough to make sure it's not too sticky – if it is, add a bit more flour. Carefully place dough into a lightly greased large plastic bowl and cover with plastic wrap to rise for 45-50 min (until double in size).
- Place dough onto a lightly greased counter and start to form into a rectangle. Use a rolling pin to roll into a long rectangle (~10in wide, 32in long).
- Spread 1/4 cup melted butter, sugar, brown sugar and cinnamon evenly onto the dough, leaving a 1/2in space on the far side for pinching together. Gently begin tucking/rolling the dough and pinching the seam at the end.
- Use a piece of unflavored dental floss to cut the rolls, then dip each side in 1/2 cup melted butter and place on the baking sheet. Baking sheet gets 20 and the 9×9 pan gets about 10 rolls.
- Cover with plastic and let rise another 45-50 minutes, until double in size. Bake at 375F for 17-20 min, until risen and tops are golden brown. Bake the 9×9 pan about 12 min, until risen and golden brown.
Frosting
- Add softened cream cheese, milk, vanilla and salt to the mixer and mix, scraping down sides as needed. Leave mixer on and gradually add the powdered sugar.
- Let rolls cool slightly before frosting. Enjoy!
Notes
- Flour:My mom uses the Wheat Montana premium all purpose flour which she finds doesn’t need extra after mixing. With other flours, you may need to add a bit more so the dough isn’t too sticky.
- Dough consistency: You want the dough to be soft, but not sticky. If the dough is sticky, add a little bit of flour at a time until you can touch it without it sticking all over your fingers.
- Foil to protect your oven: Place a large piece of foil underneath your pan before baking to keep any sugary stickiness from getting on the bottom of your oven.
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