The World’s Greatest Cinnamon Rolls Recipe

I mixed the idea of mini egg lip balms and piano music into a recipe for Moist Cinnamon Rolls that hinges on one unexpected pantry ingredient.

You know what’s great? The little lip balms that look like mini eggs.

Piano music on a blustery day. Smiley face stickers.

Finding a ten-dollar bill in an old purse. Laughing so hard you cry.

That’s the exact weird, tiny joy I tried to bottle with The World’s Greatest Cinnamon Rolls. I wanted something that reads like a Soft Cinnamon Rolls Recipe from a place you swear is homemade, maybe even the kind folks call 5 Star Cinnamon Rolls.

I fold whole milk into the dough and finish with cream cheese frosting so every bite has a hush of tang and pure, stupid bliss.

Ingredients

• Whole milk brings fat and richness to dough, helps tender crumb and flavor
• Yeast ferments sugars, gives rise and airy texture, tiny living organism alive
• Granulated sugar sweetens, feeds yeast, adds caramel notes when baked, mostly carbs
• Unsalted butter adds richness, flakiness and flavor, provides fat for moist rolls
• Eggs bind, add protein and structure, give color and slight chew, yolks enrich
• All purpose flour supplies most carbs and gluten that trap air giving chew
• Ground cinnamon gives warm spice flavor and aroma, some antioxidants, not sweet itself
• Cream cheese frosting adds tang and creaminess, sugar makes it sweet and rich

Ingredient Quantities

• For the dough
• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast 1 packet
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter melted
• 2 large eggs
• 4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• For the filling
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
• For the cream cheese frosting
• 4 ounces cream cheese softened
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter softened
• 1 to 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt
• 1 to 2 tablespoons milk or heavy cream

How to Make this

1. Warm 1 cup whole milk to about 110 to 115°F, whisk in 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast and 1/3 cup granulated sugar, let sit 5 to 10 minutes until foamy — if it doesnt foam your yeast might be dead.

2. Stir in 1/3 cup melted unsalted butter (cooled a bit) and 2 large eggs to the milk mixture, then add 4 cups all purpose flour and 1 teaspoon salt gradually; mix until a shaggy dough forms.

3. Knead the dough 8 to 10 minutes by hand or 5 to 6 minutes in a stand mixer with a dough hook until smooth and elastic; place in a lightly greased bowl, cover and let rise in a warm spot until doubled, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

4. While dough rises make the filling: beat 1/2 cup softened unsalted butter with 1 cup packed light brown sugar, 3 tablespoons ground cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon fine salt until soft and spreadable.

5. Punch down the risen dough, roll on a floured surface into roughly a 16 by 12 inch rectangle. Spread the cinnamon-brown sugar filling evenly over the dough, leaving a small border.

6. Roll the dough tightly from the long edge into a log, pinch the seam to seal, then cut into 12 equal rolls using dental floss or a sharp knife (floss gives cleaner cuts).

7. Arrange the rolls cut-side up in a greased 9×13 inch baking pan, cover loosely and let rise again until puffy, about 30 to 45 minutes; meanwhile preheat oven to 350°F.

8. Bake the rolls 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown on top but still gooey in the center; if they brown too fast tent with foil for the last few minutes.

9. While rolls bake or cool for 5 minutes, make the cream cheese frosting: beat 4 ounces softened cream cheese with 1/4 cup softened butter until smooth, add 1 to 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar gradually, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, a pinch of salt, and 1 to 2 tablespoons milk or heavy cream to reach a spreadable consistency.

10. Spread the frosting over the warm rolls so it melts into the swirls and serve warm. Tip: for extra gooey centers bake a minute or two less, and you can assemble the night before, refrigerate, then bake in the morning.

Equipment Needed

1. Instant read thermometer, to make sure the milk is about 110 to 115 F so the yeast wakes up (trust me dont skip this).

2. Liquid measuring cup plus dry measuring cups and measuring spoons, for milk, sugar, flour and yeast.

3. Large mixing bowl, for proofing the dough and mixing the wet ingredients.

4. Stand mixer with a dough hook or a large wooden spoon and some elbow grease if you knead by hand.

5. Dough scraper or bench scraper, lifesaver for cutting dough and cleaning the work surface.

6. Rolling pin and a lightly floured counter or pastry mat to roll the dough into that 16 by 12 rectangle.

7. Sharp knife or a length of unflavored dental floss, floss gives the cleanest cuts for the rolls.

8. 9 by 13 inch baking pan and a little butter or nonstick spray to grease it, plus foil to tent if they brown too fast.

9. Hand mixer or sturdy whisk, plus a rubber spatula or offset spatula for making and spreading the cream cheese frosting.

FAQ

The World’s Greatest Cinnamon Rolls Recipe Substitutions and Variations

• Whole milk: buttermilk (use 1:1, gives a nice tang and softer crumb, if it’s thick thin with a splash of milk), 2% or skim milk (1:1, it’ll work fine), unsweetened oat or soy milk (1:1, best if full-fat for richness), half-and-half or light cream (same volume but you can cut 1 tbsp butter)
• Active dry yeast: instant or rapid-rise yeast (use about 25% less — for 2 1/4 tsp active use ~1 3/4 tsp instant, and you can mix it right into the flour), fresh yeast (about 3x the weight of active dry, crumble and dissolve in warm milk), shortcut: use store-bought brioche or crescent roll dough if you don’t want to wait for rising
• Unsalted butter (dough or filling): salted butter (1:1, just reduce added salt by ~1/4 tsp), coconut oil (solid, 1:1, expect a faint coconut note), vegetable shortening or margarine (1:1, less buttery flavor but keeps rolls tender)
• All purpose flour: bread flour (1:1, for taller chewier rolls), up to 50% whole wheat pastry flour (adds nutty flavor, may need a touch more liquid), gluten-free 1-to-1 baking blend with xanthan gum (use per package directions, texture will differ and let dough rest a bit longer)

Pro Tips

1) Proof your yeast right, dont skip it. Warm the milk so its pleasantly warm to the touch, add the yeast and a little sugar, and wait for foam. If nothing happens after 10 minutes the yeast is probably dead, toss it and start over. A good foam means stronger rise later.

2) Keep the fats and flour temps in mind. Let melted butter cool before mixing so it doesnt kill the yeast, and dont add too much extra flour while rolling or kneading. Slightly tacky dough gives the softest rolls. If you want, do a quick windowpane test to check gluten development — when it stretches thin without tearing youre good.

3) Roll and slice smarter, not harder. Roll the log fairly tight but dont squeeze all the filling out, and leave a small border at the edge so the seam seals. If the filling gets too soft, chill the rolled log 15 to 30 minutes before slicing for cleaner rounds. Use unflavored dental floss or a sharp serrated knife to cut straight, even rolls.

4) Time your bake and finish for gooey centers. Pull the rolls when they look set but still slightly underbaked in the very center, they’ll finish as they cool and stay gooey. If they brown too fast tent foil. Spread the cream cheese frosting while the rolls are warm so it melts into the swirls. For mornings: assemble the night before and refrigerate, then bake from cold adding a few extra minutes, or bake ahead and reheat gently.