Homemade Cinnamon Rolls With Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
You won’t find a better homemade Cinnamon Rolls With Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe anywhere! These are light, airy, and filled with flavor. And the best part, they are surprisingly easy to make. Even if you aren’t a yeast dough expert.
Warm cinnamon rolls are a perfect comfort food. Add some cream cheese icing, and you have a dream come true. Think Christmas morning, any time of the year! It’s partly the smell of cinnamon rolls in the air and the gooey cinnamon filling that makes them something that feels like a special occasion, but they don’t have to be.
The first time I made these, I was surprised at what an easy recipe it was to create. In this version, we are making overnight cinnamon rolls, which means you will prep the dish the night before and then the following day bake them just in time to serve.
The Key Ingredients For The Dough
- Yeast: Many people are unsure of yeast doughs, but don’t be afraid. The key is making sure your yeast is alive. The first step is to check the expiration date. The second step is to ensure your ingredients are warm, not hot, and certainly not cold. Warm milk, eggs at room temperature, etc. And finally, when you add the yeast to the warm milk, allow it to activate. Your dough rise should be perfect if it starts to foam and bubble.
- Whole Milk: Use whole milk. The fat helps in creating a richer taste. Make sure your milk is between 110° F and 115° F, any hotter or colder, and you will impact the yeast.
- Egg: The key here is to have room-temperature eggs. Remember, anything cold added to the dough might impact the yeast.
- Butter: Here, you want to melt your butter to help it combine into the dough, but let it cool slightly.
- Bread Flour: You can make this with all-purpose flour, but bread flour makes for a better dough. Trust me, I have tried both ways. Bread flour has a higher protein content and leads to more structure and a chewier texture, which is good in risen doughs.
Ingredients For The Filling
- Dark Brown Sugar: Light brown would also work, but the dark makes for a richer flavor. It’s the additional molasses.
- Butter: VERY soft butter is essential.
- Ground Cinnamon: Use your favorite, but I really like Saigon cinnamon. It has the most robust flavor.
Ingredients For The Frosting
- Cream Cheese: Ensure you soften your cream cheese, making it easier to work with. And be sure it is full-fat cream cheese!
- Powdered Sugar: Ever wonder about the difference between powdered sugar and confectioners’ sugar? The latter has added corn starch to prevent clumping, and confectioners’ sugar is best used as a topping. The starch prevents it from melting into the cake, pie, or cookie.
- Butter: No frosting is complete without butter. I prefer unsalted butter, but either is fine.
Hints For Making The Best Cinnamon Rolls With Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
Warm your milk to 110°F, and be sure to check the temperature. It’s such a pivotal step to a successful dough. Melt the butter and allow the melted butter to cool a bit before using. You don’t want to add anything too hot to the dough. And make sure your eggs are at room temperature. (Trick if you forget; fill a glass with lukewarm water and put the eggs inside; check the water every few minutes and gradually warm them up.)
I prefer a stand mixer with a dough hook for this process; it makes it much easier, but you could knead by hand. If you knead by hand, put it on a lightly floured surface and work the dough for at least 8 minutes.
The most important step is allowing the dough to rise in a large mixing bowl. Find a warm place, I use the proof setting on my oven. Also, be sure to lightly oil the sides of the bowl. I also prefer using plastic wrap over the bowl. Instead of the old-fashioned towel, plastic wrap retains the heat, and the dough rises better. The rise time is 1-1/2 to two hours.
During the first rise, prepare your baking dish. Generously butter the sides and bottom. You can also line it with parchment paper to lift the finished rolls out of the dish for presentation.
After the dough has risen, roll it out on a well-floured surface into a 14×9 rectangle. Spread the softened butter over the dough and sprinkle with the cinnamon mixture. You will tightly roll up the dough, starting on the 9-inch side. Cut into 9 equal pieces. I use a knife, but some people swear dental floss is the way to go. Place into your prepared baking dish, cover with plastic wrap again, and put in the refrigerator overnight.
In the morning, remove the rolls from the refrigerator and allow to warm up on the counter for about an hour. This is also an excellent time to get your butter and cream cheese out to warm up. You can make the homemade cream cheese frosting while the rolls bake. Either use a standing mixer or a hand mixer to make the frosting. Preheat the oven to 350° F and bake the rolls for 25 minutes. You don’t want to over-cook; you’re going for gooey cinnamon rolls, not over-baked. They should be just turning a light golden brown.
Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then cover with the frosting. You want warm rolls when you frost them; the frosting will melt a bit.
And now it’s time to enjoy these delicious cinnamon rolls. If you don’t eat them all, they store well in an airtight container for a few days (or so I have heard since I haven’t had them last that long).
Also, try my Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting.
Cinnamon Rolls With Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 packet of quick-rise or active yeast 2-1/4 teaspoons
- 3/4 cup warm whole milk
- 1 egg plus 1 egg yolk at room temperature
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar plus 1 tablespoon
- 1/4 cup butter melted and cooled slightly
- 3 cups bread flour plus more for rolling out the dough
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
Filling
- 1/4 cup butter very softened
- 2/3 cup dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 oz. cream cheese softened
- 3 tablespoons butter softened
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a small bowl, warm the milk to 110° -115° F. Mix in 1 tablespoon of sugar and sprinkle the yeast into the mixture. Allow to activate for about 5 minutes.
- In the bowl of a standing mixer, combine the sugar, egg, egg yolk, and melted butter. Add the yeast and milk mixture, then gradually add the flour and salt to the bowl with the mixer running. Using the dough hook, knead on medium speed for 8 minutes. You can also do this by hand, knead for a full 8-10 minutes.
- Transfer the dough ball to an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Place in a warm location and allow to rise for 1-1/2 to 2 hours. The dough should double in size.
- To make the filling: In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar and the cinnamon. Make sure you have softened butter ready for the next step.
- Transfer the risen dough to a well-floured surface and roll it out into a 14×9 inch rectangle. Spread the softened butter over the dough and sprinkle with the brown sugar mixture.
- Beginning on the 9-inch side, tightly roll up the dough. Place the seam side down. Cut off the ends of the roll if you like; they most likely won’t have a lot of filling.
- Cut into 9 equal pieces. You should get 9 pieces.
- Prepare a 9×9 baking dish (you can also use a 9-inch round if you prefer). Using ample butter, make sure the entire dish is coated.
- Place the 9 pieces into the pan. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. If you want, you can return to a warm location and allow it to rise again for 45 minutes, and continue with the baking on the same day.
- Remove the rolls from the refrigerator and allow to warm to room temperature for about 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350° F. Remove the plastic wrap and bake for 25 minutes, or until just slightly golden brown on the edges. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes before frosting
- To make the frosting: In a bowl of a mixer, combine the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Beat on high until smooth and fluffy. Spread over the warm cinnamon rolls and enjoy!!!
