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
Wondering if I could use Sourdough Starter/Discard in this recipe?
Hi Jill, We have not tested this recipe with a sourdough starter, but let us know if you give it a try.
I love this recipe and have been making it for years. I needed to try making it with a sugar substitute for health reasons . I substituted 1:1 ratio with monkfruit sweetener
For the white and brown sugar substitutes. The flavor was fine but the overall trxture was a bit dry. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Hi Nancy, the swap for monkfruit sweetener is likely the culprit here. It’s not always a 1:1 swap and can cause different results, since sugar provides moisture. For best results, you might wish to use a recipe that is specifically developed for sugar substitutes like monkfruit. Thank you!
I made this recipe 6 months ago came out excellent this time not so much dry and flat.
Hi Jennifer, perhaps your yeast has gone bad. Here’s more tips in our baking with yeast guide.
I’m sorry this recipe just doesn’t work for me. I’ve tried it twice now and the rolls just don’t rise. I’ve tried other cinnamon roll recipes that rise just fine (usually have a first rise as a dough ball, then second rise as rolls). I’m not sure what’s off in this recipe. I do use honey in the others I’ve tried, so maybe the extra sugar helps feed the yeast to rise more.
Hi Halston, many cinnamon roll recipes have 2 rises. This is a shortcut version, cutting down to just 1 rise. It’s imperative that the milk/butter mixture isn’t too hot before adding the yeast. Otherwise, it will kill the yeast and the rolls won’t rise. Did you let the mixture cool?
Made these today! Very soft, fluffy cinnamon buns! Not too sweet either!
Would make again!
I’ve tried this recipe a couple of times but the cinnamon rolls always come out dense and don’t seem to rise much.
How long can the rolls rest in the fridge before removing them, allowing them to rise and then baking ?
Hi Cate, They should rise in the refrigerator for 10-12 hours max.
I’m headed to the kitchen to try out this recipe!! I’ve always been told that sugar is needed to make the yeast bubble..does the sugar in the mixture that you pour the milk, butter and yeast mixture into fill this need? Also, I’ve always cut my cinnamon rolls with dental floss.
Hi Lois, you can definitely do it that way, like we instruct in our overnight cinnamon rolls recipe, to prove the yeast is active. This recipe for easy cinnamon rolls skips that step to simplify and quicken up the recipe a bit, but you can really do it either way. Enjoy the cinnamon rolls!
Loved this recipe
This recipe is absolutely amazing! Thank you so much! Anyway I can double it?
Hi Sarah, so glad you love this recipe! For best results, we recommend making separate batches rather than doubling.
I haven’t made this recipe yet. But I’m curious if I could use a square baking dish for this recipe? I’m new to baking so I’m not sure if the shape of the baking dish matters.
Hi Summer, a 9-inch square baking pan will work here. Enjoy!
Could I half the recipe, since I am not planning to make a lot?
Hi Prachi, while you can certainly try halving this recipe, results can become different when halving yeast recipes. For best results, we recommend making a full batch and freezing some. Hope you enjoy them!
This one was a miss for me. The buns didn’t rise and were very dense- not light and fluffy at all. Too much butter as well, they were just sitting in a pool of butter and cinnamon. So sad, I’ve tried many of your recipes and besides 1-2 all of them are perfect.
Hi Megan, we’re so sorry these didn’t turn out for you. We’re happy to help troubleshoot! Be careful to not overknead the dough, which can cause the rolls to come out dense. You can knead with a mixer for about 5 minutes, but use the bounce-back or windowpane test to ensure it’s ready (see How to Knead Dough for more details). Our Baking with Yeast Guide will also be a helpful resource to review. We hope this helps and that you’ll give these another try!
I didn’t just love these but they were very easy to make. They’re not quite gooey enough for me! I was thinking I could add more filling? Not sure how that would turn out tho. I have made LOTS of Sally’s recipes and they are usually fantastic. This one was just OK for me.
Hi Jen, were the rolls overbaked by chance? That can cause the filling to “disappear” a bit and lose some of that signature gooey-ness. However, many readers have reported success doubling the filling, so certainly feel free to give that a try. Let us know if we can help troubleshoot further, and thank you for giving these a try!
I made these yesterday and they were delicious! I shared them and received rave reviews! I would probably double the filling next time although they are delicious exactly as written! Thank you!
Simple, easy to follow recipe and the result was amazing! My family loved them. I did add some sourdough discard (50g) and mine only needed to bake for 20mins and they were perfectly soft and fluffy. Will definitely make again!
I made these last night and it was my first time ever making cinnamon rolls and it turned out great. My family loved it.
Thank you Sally for sharing such nice recipes for all of us and your recipes never go wrong. Also can I double the ingredients? Or triple them to make more rolls? The first time I made them and they’ve turned out nice! Just too much ingredients making too less rolls
Hi Laura, we recommend making multiple batches instead of doubling for best results.
Can you use buttermilk?
Yes, not a problem.
I really love this recipe thank you for it I love your recipes!
Hi Sally! Your recipes ALWAYS turn out to be AMAZING! But I’ve one problem with them…you use too many ingredients! And you FILL the with sugar!
Can this be doubled and baked in a larger cake pan or would imthe center be under baked. 1st attempt at cinnamon rolls and we loved it
Hi Lauren, for best results, we recommend baking two separate batches rather than doubling and baking in a larger pan. Glad your first attempt went well!
I think I did something wrong because when the rolls came out they didn’t barely rise and after they were done cooking the dough was kind of dry and hard and not as fluffy looking as the pictures you had on here. The flavor tasted great though! What do you think might have happened to make the dough the way it was
?
Hi Elizabeth, We’re happy to help troubleshoot. If the dough was quite hard, it sounds like there may have been too much flour in the dough. How did you measure the flour? Make sure to spoon and level (instead of scooping) to avoid packing in too much flour into your measuring cups – or use a kitchen scale. You can read more about properly measuring baking ingredients in this post. If the dough/rolls didn’t rise or didn’t rise in the oven, there could have been an issue with your yeast. Here are more tips in our Baking With Yeast Guide.
Can I use 2% milk instead of whole milk because i only have 2% right now.
Hi Hayden, yes, you can use 2% milk here.
This was easy to make and tasted great!
I have never made homemade cinnamon rolls as they always seemed too intimidating/time consuming. This recipe was easy to understand and follow (I made no changes) and the rolls were delicious! I am already planning to make them again. Thank you!
Really easy to follow, very tasty rolls !
I made this recipe early last week and am making it again today. It is super easy and they taste better than any cinnamon roll I have ever had! My family devoured them. Looks like I will have a new Sunday morning tradition!
Hello. I made these just now in a round 9″ pan. I divided the dough log into 9, with 8 rolls around the edge, and 1 in the center. They look great.
But ….they were very underbaked at the 25 min. mark at 375 F, but the tops were brown and so I tented the pan. I cooked/checked in 5-10 min. intervals after and the rolls took 45-50 min. total for the center roll to reach 195 F internally. FYI my oven is spot-on for temperature settings, as is my cooking thermometer. Next time I might up the temp. to 400 – 425 F.
Hi, I was leary about making these because my sister always told me sticky buns were hard to make and I have had difficulties with yeast for pizza in the past. I followed your instructions and it worked out really well. (I did add raisins to them and did not frost) will definitely make again.
I made this recipe last night, and my husband and kids loved them. I gave some to my brother and SIL, and they said 10/10, they are amazing. I substituted the butter for country crock plant butter, and the whole milk for goat milk (same measurements). I did have to add some milk to the dough when I was kneading it, as it was not the right consistency (possibly because of the floured surface), but it was pretty close! I also used a different icing recipe, one that uses butter (no cream cheese), and used plant butter and goat milk for that as well. My only reason for substitutions is my son can’t have dairy. But the recipe still turned out perfect!
Dry and not very tasty. Almost like a hockey puck.