These easy cinnamon rolls from scratch are perfect for yeast beginners because they only require 1 rise. Each cinnamon roll is extra soft with the most delicious cinnamon swirl! The rolls freeze beautifully, so this is a great make-ahead recipe, especially for planning ahead for holidays or the next time you need a special breakfast. Choose from a few easy icing flavors to top the warm & gooey rolls.
This recipe is brought to you in partnership with Red Star Yeast.
I originally published this recipe in 2013 and have since added new photos, a video tutorial, and a few more success tips. I also added one additional step to the recipe that yields even softer, fluffier rolls. This is reflected in the printable recipe below.
This easy cinnamon roll recipe is one of the most popular recipes on my website, for good reason.
These are classic, homestyle cinnamon rolls. It took me lots of recipe testing trial-and-error to develop quick cinnamon rolls that maintain all the flavor and texture of traditional overnight cinnamon rolls. But THIS. IS. IT. And I promise, making these easy cinnamon rolls is 100x more satisfying than that feeling you get from popping open a store-bought can of ready-to-bake rolls.
Here’s Why You’ll Love These Easy Cinnamon Rolls
- All the deliciousness of traditional homemade cinnamon rolls, but in half the time
- Soft and fluffy
- Gooey cinnamon sugar swirl
- Only 1 rise time
- Easy enough for yeast beginners
- Great make-ahead, freezer-friendly recipe—making it an excellent addition to your menu of Easter brunch recipes!
Lately, I’ve had even more success with the dough when I let the yeast dissolve in the warm milk/butter mixture, instead of whisking it into the dry ingredients. The rolls turn out even fluffier and softer, and I know you’ll appreciate that, too! The recipe below includes this small change.
Here’s what some readers are saying about this recipe:
One reader, Kristine, commented: “This recipe is perfect in every way. It is simple to execute and requires a very reasonable amount of time. … The best part for me, however, is that they tasted just like my grandmother’s cinnamon rolls. I have her recipe but it requires hours and hours and I rarely have that kind of time. Tasting these warm from the oven brought back a flood of happy memories and made me feel like I was right back in her kitchen. ★★★★★“
Another reader, Lana, says: “I admit, I was very skeptical about my cinnamon rolls rising in 90 minutes. And I was nervous about making cinnamon rolls because I didn’t think that I could make anything close to what my grandma used to make. But I’ve made other recipes from your site and have been successful so I gave it a try. Let me say, the cinnamon rolls are amazing! And easy! ★★★★★“
Just like grandma used to make! Is there a better compliment than that? I doubt it.
Yeast Beginners Rejoice: Only 1 Rise!
Do you love homemade cinnamon rolls, but are nervous to bake with yeast? You’re not alone! But if you’re curious about learning how to bake with yeast, this recipe is a perfect one to start with. No yeast cinnamon rolls are quick and tasty, but the Fluffiness Factor (I should trademark that) is simply unparalleled when it comes to yeast rolls vs. no-yeast rolls.
Unlike these homemade overnight cinnamon rolls that require hours of rise time, plus a 2nd rise after the rolls are shaped, this easy cinnamon rolls recipe requires only 1 rise, for just 60–90 minutes. And, honestly, they’re every bit as delicious. Bakery-style perfection for beginners!
Are You a Yeast Beginner?
This Baking with Yeast Guide is a wonderful starting point for yeast beginners. I answer many common yeast FAQs in easy-to-understand explanations, so you can learn about the basics before beginning.
Key Ingredients to Use for the Dough
Here’s my #1 tip: I recommend using a strong and dependable yeast. Platinum Yeast from Red Star is a premium instant yeast, which cuts down on rise time. Its careful formula contains natural dough strengtheners and makes working with yeast simple. And simple is always good, right? See recipe Note if using active dry yeast instead.
Here’s the rest of the lineup of ingredients for this rich dough:
- Flour: Flour provides the dough structure. All-purpose flour is best for these cinnamon rolls. You could also use bread flour—the rolls will be chewier.
- Sugar: You need white granulated sugar in the dough, both for flavor and to feed the yeast.
- Salt: Flavor.
- Whole milk: Whole milk is ideal for the richest-tasting cinnamon rolls. Buttermilk works just as well without any changes to the recipe. Many readers have successfully substituted nondairy milks. In a pinch, you can use low-fat milk, but avoid using nonfat milk.
- Butter: This is a rich dough, meaning it has fat to help guarantee softness.
- Egg: Like butter, egg promises a softer, richer dough.
These Step-by-Step Photos Will Help
The first step is to mix your dry ingredients together in a big bowl and this includes the flour, sugar, and salt. After that, warm the milk and butter together, and then whisk in the yeast until it has dissolved. Then you know it can start working its magic in your dough!
Pour this mixture over the dry ingredients, add the egg and then mix everything together. You do not need a stand mixer for this recipe, though you could certainly use one if desired.
Transfer dough to your work surface (below, left), and then knead by hand for 3 minutes until a soft dough forms (below, right). If you’re new to yeasted doughs, my how to knead dough post and video can help with this step.
Let the dough rest for 10 minutes as you prepare the filling—this gives the dough’s gluten a chance to settle and relax, which will make rolling out much easier.
3 Ingredient Filling
- Butter: Use super-soft butter for the filling—not too hard, not too melty. If the butter is too hard, it won’t be easy to spread it evenly over the soft dough. If it’s too melty, it will seep into the dough, and we don’t want that either. Butter that’s had time to soften to room temperature should be just right. If you forgot to get it out of the fridge earlier, here’s my trick for how to soften butter quickly.
- Brown Sugar: Using brown sugar in the filling gives these cinnamon rolls an extra-delicious depth of flavor.
- Cinnamon: You can’t have cinnamon rolls without it!
Roll out the dough and then top with softened butter and the brown sugar & cinnamon mixture.
Many readers have asked about using different fillings. Try using this raspberry cake filling instead—it’s delicious! Or if you love lemons, these lemon sweet rolls use this same dough.
Roll up the dough and then use your sharpest knife to cut into 10-12 rolls.
Why Are My Cinnamon Rolls Not Fluffy?
There are a lot of variables that go into the consistency of dough, even down to the weather and humidity. But the most common reason cinnamon rolls don’t turn out fluffy is because the dough didn’t have enough time to rise. In this particular recipe, with only 1 rise, it’s imperative the shaped rolls double in size in step 5 below. See the next photo? You want a pan of puffy-looking rolls even before baking.
Additionally, be sure to add only as much flour as you need to make a workable dough. This is a soft and tacky dough and it’s not supposed to be tough and hard. Too much flour will give you stiff, dense, dry cinnamon rolls.
Arrange your rolls in a lightly greased 9-inch or 10-inch pan. I appreciate that this recipe makes a slightly smaller batch than most other cinnamon roll recipes.
Here are the rolls before and after rising. This is the only rise! They’re ready to bake after they have nearly doubled in size.
Why Do My Cinnamon Rolls Rise Unevenly When Baking?
Sometimes the centers of the cinnamon rolls can pop up whack-a-mole-style while baking. This is caused by either rolling them too tight, or if the pan is too small/crowded. It’s happened to me many times before. But this is really easy to fix! Pull the pan out of the oven and use the back of a spoon to gently press the overly risen parts back down.
You Have Options for the Icing
I use the same luscious cream cheese icing here that I use for raspberry sweet rolls. It takes just a couple quick minutes to make, and you only need cream cheese, a little butter, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla extract. For something even easier, try a vanilla (or even coffee) icing like we use on coffee cake. Simply whisk confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract, and a little milk or strong coffee together until smooth. The video tutorial in the recipe below shows both icing options.
Spread or drizzle your icing on the warm rolls before serving—both icings seep right into every gooey swirl! The finished rolls pictured above have cream cheese icing, and here is the vanilla icing batch:
These easy cinnamon rolls from scratch are completely irresistible and they take half the time. If you’re looking for that perfect cinnamon roll recipe that doesn’t require 4+ hours, this is the winner.
Success Tips for Making the Best Cinnamon Rolls
- Don’t add more flour than you need. You can add a little more flour to bring the dough into a knead-able consistency, but adding too much will give you dense, dry rolls.
- Don’t kill the yeast. If your butter/milk mixture is too hot, it will kill the yeast and you won’t really notice until you’re far into the recipe… when the rolls won’t rise! Keep the temperature warm to the touch, around 100–110°F (38–43°C). An instant read thermometer is a handy tool for this baking recipe and many others.
- Use your sharpest knife to cut the rolls, so they don’t squish down.
- Use the correct size pan. This recipe makes 10–12 rolls, which fit in a 9- or 10-inch pan. If the pan is too small, they’ll be overcrowded. You can use a 9- or 10-inch pie dish, round cake pan, or square baking pan. If you want larger rolls, check out this recipe for jumbo cinnamon rolls!
- Let the rolls rise in a warm, draft-free environment. Here’s my favorite trick: Preheat your oven to 150°F (66°C), then turn it off. Cover the shaped rolls with aluminum foil and place the pan inside the warm oven. Leave the oven door cracked open for about 30 minutes, then close it and let them finish rising (another 30–60 minutes) in the oven with the door closed. Just don’t forget to take them out of the oven before you preheat it to bake them!
Easy Cinnamon Rolls (from scratch)
- Prep Time: 1 hour, 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours, 5 minutes
- Yield: 10-12 rolls
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These easy cinnamon rolls are perfect for yeast beginners because they only require 1 rise. You have a few options for toppings. The recipe below includes a simple cream cheese icing, but we also love these with the coffee icing or vanilla icing that’s included in the recipe Notes below.
Ingredients
Dough
- 2 and 3/4 cups (344g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled), plus more as needed
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (180ml) whole milk
- 3 Tablespoons (43g) unsalted butter
- 2 and 1/4 teaspoons Platinum Yeast from Red Star or any instant yeast (1 standard packet)
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
Filling
- 3 Tablespoons (43g) unsalted butter, extra softened
- 1/3 cup (67g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
Cream Cheese Icing
- 4 ounces (113g) full-fat block cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 2 Tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 2/3 cup (80g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Make the dough: Whisk the flour, sugar, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.
- Combine the milk and butter together in a heatproof bowl. Microwave or use the stove and heat until the butter has melted and the mixture is warm to the touch (about 110°F/43°C, no higher). Whisk in the yeast until it has dissolved. Pour mixture into the dry ingredients, add the egg, and stir with a sturdy rubber spatula or wooden spoon OR use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment on medium speed. Mix until a soft dough forms.
- Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface. Using floured hands, knead the dough for 3-5 minutes. You should have a smooth ball of dough. If the dough is super soft or sticky, you can add a little more flour. Place in a lightly greased bowl (I use non-stick spray), cover loosely, and let the dough rest for about 10 minutes as you get the filling ingredients ready.
- Fill the rolls: After 10 minutes, roll the dough out in a 14×8-inch (36×20-cm) rectangle. Spread the softened butter on top. Mix together the cinnamon and brown sugar. Sprinkle it all over the dough. Roll up the dough to make a 14-inch log. Cut into 10–12 even rolls and arrange in a lightly greased 9- or 10-inch round cake pan, pie dish, or square baking pan.
- Rise: Cover the pan with aluminum foil, plastic wrap, or a clean kitchen towel. Allow the rolls to rise in a relatively warm environment for 60–90 minutes or until double in size. (For a tiny reduction in rise time, see my answer to Where Should Dough Rise? in my Baking with Yeast Guide.)
- Bake the rolls: After the rolls have doubled in size, preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Bake for 24–27 minutes, or until lightly browned. If you notice the tops are getting too brown too quickly, loosely tent the pan with aluminum foil and continue baking. If you want to be precise about their doneness, their internal temperature taken with an instant read thermometer should be around 195–200°F (91–93°C) when done. Remove pan from the oven and place pan on a wire rack as you make the icing. (You can also make the icing as the rolls bake.)
- Make the icing: In a medium bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese on high speed until smooth and creamy. Add the butter and beat until smooth and combined, then beat in the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla until combined. Using a knife or icing spatula, spread the icing over the warm rolls and serve immediately.
- Cover leftover frosted or unfrosted rolls tightly and store at room temperature for a day or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: This dough can be made the night before through step 4. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest in the refrigerator overnight. The next morning, remove from the refrigerator and allow to rise in a warm environment, about 1 hour. Continue with step 6.
- Make Ahead Instructions – Freezing: You can freeze the rolls for up to 3 months, and I recommend a few different methods. The first method is to freeze them after shaping, before they rise (before step 5). Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then let rise for 1.5–2 hours at room temperature before baking. The second method is to par-bake the risen rolls for 10 minutes, let cool completely, then cover and freeze. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking. Finish baking at 375°F (190°C) for around 15 minutes. You can also freeze fully baked rolls. See How to Freeze Cinnamon Rolls for more details about all of these methods.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Electric Stand Mixer or Glass Mixing Bowl with Silicone Spatula/Wooden Spoon | Rolling Pin | 9- inch Round Cake Pan, 9-inch Pie Dish, or 9-inch Square Baking Pan | Instant Read Thermometer | Cooling Rack | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) for icing | Icing Spatula
- Yeast: I highly recommend instant yeast. If you only have active dry yeast, you can use that instead. Active dry and instant yeast can be used interchangeably in recipes (1:1). Active dry yeast has a moderate rate of rising and instant dry yeast has a faster rate of rising; active dry yeast will take longer to raise the dough.
- Milk: This recipe used to call for 1/2 cup (120ml) milk and 1/4 cup (60ml) water. The rolls taste much richer using all milk, and that is what I recommend. Whole milk or even buttermilk are ideal for this dough. If needed, you can substitute 3/4 cup (180ml) lower-fat or nondairy milk.
- Coffee Icing (or Vanilla Icing): Whisk 1 cup (120g) confectioners’ sugar, 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, and 2–3 Tablespoons (30–45ml) strong brewed coffee together until smooth. Or swap milk for coffee for regular vanilla icing. Drizzle over warm rolls.
- Reference my Baking with Yeast Guide for answers to common yeast FAQs.
Reader Comments and Reviews
I added double the butter, cinnamon and sugar and I could barely taste the cinnamon. The rolls, themselves, turned out ok. If I use this recipe again, I’ll quadruple the cinnamon and maybe even add some to the dough.
I thought of adding cinnamon to the dough too as I found the rolls a bit bland, but cinnamon would interfere with the yeast’s ability to raise since cinnamon is anti-fungal. I guess that is why I have only seen recipes add cinnamon to the filling.
Absolutely perfect cinnamon rolls. Easy and delicious. I added extra filling ingredients because I love them. I made powdered sugar/milk icing because I needed the cream cheese for Sally’s bagel recipe ;). Next time I’m adding pecans. Made these this morning (Christmas day!). Started at maybe 5:30 am and we had breakfast at 9:00ish. Finished Sally’s bagels from an overnight rise while I made the cinnamon rolls. Breakfast was indulgent and delicious! Thanks Sally!
I’ve made this recipe many times and it always comes out perfect. Soft and fluffy.
Thank you so much for this recipe. My family loves cinnamon rolls and I’ve been unable to find a place locally that has the kind of rolls we like and I don’t like the flavor of the Pillsbury dough. So I finally decided to make homemade rolls and I’ve never baked anything with yeast before! These turned out fantastic. The only change I made was to put about a cup of confectioner’s sugar in the frosting vs. 2/3 cup, as it was a little too cream cheesy for my tastes. I also added some cinnamon to the frosting. The family loved the rolls. These will become a holiday tradition!!
Rolls were way over done :(. I needed to do 350 and less time in my oven. Also prefer a classic icing than cream cheese.
Intermediate baker here! It would be beneficial to have more thorough instructions on tbe cutting and arranging of the rolls (size of cuts, spacing of rolls). Mine are rising now so I have my fingers crossed on them turning out. Thanks!
Easy breezy fluffy excellent roll. Thank you so much because I needed something last minute.
I loved these!! My husband was so impressed. Next time I think I’ll ass more filling to emphasize more flavor. Such great rolls in less than two hours thank you.
This recipe was so easy to make that I was skeptical of how they’d turn out…But man was I wrong. I’ve been craving a soft ginger molasses/gingerbread cookie for a while. WOW these hit the spot and then some. My partner was hesitant about them, because he doesn’t like gingerbread too much, but even he ate almost the whole first batch on his own. I whipped this up in about 10 minutes, and chilled the dough in between like I do when I make snickerdoodles, so it stayed firm when I rolled them into a ball. Some of the best cookies I have ever made, so fast and easy. I would recommend these to anyone.
These came out so nice. I didnt use a cinnamon sugar filling. I wanted to make them like Pillsbury hot cocoa rolls. So i used cocoa powder and sugar and browned the butter. I then made a marshmallow icing. They came out so fluffy and soft.
If I keep the rolls unbaked overnight and then bake them right before I need them would the texture of the rolls change?
Hi Neli, you can definitely do that! See the notes for make ahead instructions.
I have made this recipe about 6 times for my family. I needed a quick recipe one day when I forgot to prep dough the night before for our “Cinnamon Roll Sundays”. Now, I use this recipe pretty exclusively. I’ve made a few adjustments for my environment, and I’ve also baked them without the rise (I used the heavy cream method used with store bought rolls) and they were still fluffy and delicious. This is a very forgiving recipe and definitely good in a pinch. Thank you for sharing it!
This is not a good recipe. The dough didn’t rise at all, probably because the yeast didn’t proof. I know better, but followed your instructions anyway. My advice to anyone reading this: Don’t take this ‘one rise’ shortcut. Find a good unabridged recipe and use that one instead.
Here are my traditional cinnamon rolls if you’d like to try those instead! It’s odd the yeast didn’t work at all. Most yeast these days (active dry or instant) do not technically need to be proofed. I wonder if the milk/butter mixture was too hot, and killed the yeast. Thanks for trying the recipe though!
I absolutely agree – I am a beginner myself however I do know that yeast needs to be proofed . This recipe tends to be a hot mess I’m trudging through it but definitely not for the beginner- especially the print version .
I had the same issue. My dough didn’t rise at all. I remade the recipe but let it rise die an hour and it rose after that. I used instant yeast for mine both times.
Hi! Just Made these right now and just finished baking them. I will serve them on Christmas Day at lunch. Do you suggest I drizzle the cream cheese frosting on now once they cool down or should I do this right before serving at Christmas Day lunch? Also, what is the best way to warm them up again? Microwave or oven? Thanks a lot, lovely recipe!
Hi Adriana, I would warm them up, covered, in the oven for a few minutes and then add the glaze/icing fresh right before serving.
When I was making the dough, it was not soft nor sticky. It was actually a little on the stiff side? Anyways, I kept kneading the dough for about 5 minutes and continued to follow the recipe instructions. I honestly did not have much faith in these. But these actually turned out pretty good! Baked for exactly 24 minutes and they are perfect!
Very good! For the GF people, I used 2 1/4 cup of cup4cup and 1/2 cup Mochiko sweet rice flour. Doubled the filling as others suggested and baked at 350F. Very good and tender and soft.
Great recipe I’m going to make these for Christmas Eve so that my family can cook them the rest of the way on Christmas day. Do you recommend a half bake option and they cook for another 15 minutes the next day or do I do a full back and offer them to reheat for 10 minutes? I’m sure this was asked before but with all the pop-up ads it’s impossible to get through all the comments thank you for your help
Hi Michelle, see the recipe notes for make ahead instructions. Enjoy!
My question is once you remove from oven do you leave rolls in baking dish to completely cool? I’m having a problem with the sweet rolls sticking to the pan. Novice baker, tips please.
Hi Jo, there will be some sticking no matter what because of the sugary filling. Leave the rolls in the pan as they cool. You can serve them warm right out of the pan though.
Hi Sally! Sally here! What can be said about doubling or tripling this recipe?
Hi Sally, rather than doubling this recipe, here is our cinnamon rolls recipe that fits perfectly in a 9×13-inch pan. Hope you enjoy it!
My dough doesn’t seem to be rising after being in the fridge overnight. I had some extra rolls that didn’t fit in the pan so I let those sit out and ride last night then I baked them (quality control and all that haha) and they rose fine. Any idea on what may have happened?
Hi Jenny, how long have they been at room temperature? It will take some time for them to come to room temperature and begin to rise again.
Hi Sally! Can I premake through step 4 24 hours before I plan on finishing? Or is that too much time in between?
Hi Katie, we do not recommend extending the make ahead instructions to 24 hours, as it can cause the rolls to over rise and then collapse during baking.
I was wondering if I could substitute frozen raspberries for the filling. I know you have a raspberry sweet roll but this recipe doesn’t take as long to make.
Hi Rece, you can use the filling from our Raspberry Sweet Rolls in this recipe.
Hi Sally! I love your recipes! I don’t have whole milk, can I use 2% for the dough instead? Will it be all right?
Hi Callie, the dough won’t be quite as soft and rich, but 2% milk will work in a pinch. If you can wait until you have whole milk on hand, we highly recommend it!
perfect recipe! super delicious
I like all the combination of ingredients you have but something is wrong with the dough. The ratio of flour to liquids is off. I’ve made a lot of dough in my life and this is toooooo sticky. I love using your recipe but I have to add several tablespoons of flour to make it come together. I know humidity comes into play but I’m in California. Humidity is not an issue. This recipe is perfect if I add a few tablespoons of flour to my bread maker. I wanted to stick to the wall but then pull away. That’s my version of perfect dough. I love this recipe thank you but I have to make that small modification to make it perfect and workable so I can roll it out.
I had the same problem, sticky dough. What did you do to fix this problem.
I want to make these for Christmas morning and don’t have time to make the night before. Can the make ahead instructions be done 24 hours ahead of time? Or would you recommend I fully make them on Dec 23 or 24, put them in the fridge and reheat the morning of Dec 25, OR freeze the 23rd and follow those instructions for reheating on Dec 25?
Hi Emily, we do not recommend extending the make ahead instructions to 24 hours, as it can cause the rolls to over rise and then collapse during baking. Either method that you have proposed works well—it really depends on how much work you’d like to do on Christmas morning. Hope they’re a hit!
There’s 33 pages of comments, so I didn’t review them all, so I apologize if this has already been answered. Every article and all the package instructions I find on instant yeast say to add it to the dry ingredients. Yet, this recipe specifies instant yeast yet says to mix it with warm liquid until it dissolves. I’ve been doing it the way the recipe says, but I wonder why. Why does this particular recipe call for mixing instant yeast with liquid instead of with the dry ingredients? It seems to work (although it takes many minutes of whisking to get it to dissolve) — my only problem with the recipe is having to add more flour because it’s too sticky to knead. But I wonder why it’s necessary.
Hi George, you can certainly mix the yeast right in with the dry ingredients, but we’ve had even more success with the dough when we let the yeast dissolve in the warm milk/butter mixture, instead of whisking it into the dry ingredients. The rolls turn out even fluffier and softer this way. You might find our Baking with Yeast Guide a helpful resource, too. Hope this helps!
Has anyone tried this with gluten free cup for cup flour?
Very disappointing. Followed all the instructions, left them in for 24 minutes at 375 and somehow the tops were burnt to a crisp and the middle was borderline not cooked enough. As for the taste, not sweet at all and I could barely taste the cinnamon.
I’m not the author, but I found it helpful to loosely cover/tent with aluminum foil to prevent it from browning too quickly.
The roll is indeed easy and delicious! It will make you look like a super star! The only thing I changed is that I put in about double the filling.