These are the most amazing Cinnamon Rolls you'll ever make! They are soft, fluffy, filled with cinnamon and brown sugar, and smothered in a delicious cream cheese frosting.
I have had my fair share of bad cinnamon rolls recipes, and when that happens, it is not a fun time. It's probably the reason it took me years to actually like cinnamon rolls. I used to think they were just too sweet with a dry dough. Turns out I just needed to try a good one, and once I did, I was sold. So I started experimenting with amazing cinnamon rolls recipes on the interwebs and some were amazing, while others were terrible. Eventually I figured out that the type of cinnamon rolls that I like are big, fluffy, filled with filling, and smothered in delicious cream cheese frosting. Having fluffy and soft cinnamon rolls was non-negotiable.
Then, years ago, I stumbled on a recipe that used milk bread dough, and I have never looked back. I have never made amazing cinnamon rolls a different way ever again. I've experimented with my recipe over the years and I think I've mastered my cinnamon rolls recipe, to the point that my husband does not want me sharing. But we don't gatekeep here; we share the knowledge!
What is Tangzhong?
Tangzhong (also known as milk bread) is a an Asian method that pre-cooks part of the liquid and flour of the recipe into a roux-like consistency. It helps the dough mixture absorb more liquid, which then yields a softer dough, making it last longer.
Ingredients for the Amazing Cinnamon Rolls Recipe
Tangzhong Paste
- Bread Flour
- Milk
Yeast Mixture
- Milk
- Active Dry Yeast
- Sugar
Cinnamon Rolls Dough
- Bread Flour
- Sugar
- Eggs
- Salt
- Melted Butter
- Softened Butter
Cinnamon Rolls Filling
- Melted Butter
- Brown Sugar
- Cornstarch
- Cinnamon
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Melted Butter
- Softened Cream Cheese
- Powdered Sugar
- Vanilla Extract
- Salt
- Splash of milk, as needed
What Makes These Cinnamon Rolls Amazing?
Several things!
Tangzhong Paste - Using this Asian Bread-Making method yields a much softer cinnamon rolls dough that will last for days! Trust me! The roux that you create will help the dough absorb even more liquid without comprising the dough.
Bread Flour - Bread flour is wonderful for, well....bread! It has a higher protein content which then yields more gluten. It can also absorb more liquid than regular all purpose flour, and we are all about that in this soft and fluffy amazing cinnamon rolls recipe!
Softened Butter - This cinnamon rolls recipe uses melted butter in the first part of the dough kneading. Then we add in softened butter and knead the dough for another 10 minutes. Doing this enriches the dough even more, creating a much more moist and soft dough!
All three of these techniques create the best Soft and Fluffy Cinnamon Rolls Recipe!
How to Make Soft and Fluffy AmazingCinnamon Rolls Recipe
Step 1: How to Make Tangzhong Paste
Weigh out your flour and milk and and add them to a sauce pan or small pot.
Next, place the pan on medium heat and whisk to combine, then continue whisking until it forms a roux-like consistency.
Place the Tangzhong paste in a bowl and set it aside to cool.
Step 2: Yeast Mixture
In a small bowl, add warm milk, activated yeast and sugar and mix. Set aside for 5 to 10 minutes until the yeast activates and becomes foamy.
Step 3: Cinnamon Rolls Dough
Combine bread flour, sugar, eggs, melted butter, salt, yeast mixture and Tangzhong paste in the bowl of a standing mixture and knead using a dough hook for at least 10 minutes. Then, slowly add the softened butter and knead for at least another 10 minutes. The mixture should look like the picture below. The dough should be smooth and silky.
Place the dough in an oiled bowl and let proof for at least an hour.
Step 4: Filling and Shaping Cinnamon Rolls
Filling for Cinnamon Rolls
Add melted butter, brown sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon and combine until it forms a paste.
Shaping Cinnamon Rolls
Once doubled in size, roll out dough on a floured surface into a large rectangle (around 18X15 or so).
Spread the filling all over the dough until it covers the surface.
Starting from the long side, roll the dough tightly until you reach the end.
Using a knife, or a string of unflavored dental floss, cut into 12 equal pieces.
Place them on a greased 15x10 sheet pan. Cover and let rise for 50 minutes to one hour.
Step 5: Baking Cinnamon Rolls
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Place the baking sheet in the oven and let cook for 20-25 minutes. Halfway through, if you feel like the cinnamon rolls are starting to brown too much, place a sheet of aluminum foil on top so that the rolls can bake but not burn.
Step 6: Making Cream Cheese Frosting
Combine melted butter, softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla extract and salt and mix until smooth. If you feel like it needs thinning, add a splash of milk.
Step 7: Frosting the Cinnamon Rolls
Once out of the oven, frost immediately and enjoy!
Tips to Make the Best Soft and Fluffy Cinnamon Rolls Recipe
- Weigh your ingredients. There's no way around it. Using a kitchen scale will yield the most accurate measurements for both dry and liquid ingredients called for in this recipe.
- Don't skip the tangzhong method! It may seem daunting if you've never tried it before, but don't skip it. It's incredibly important and absolutely worth it!
- Don't skimp out on the kneading time. Kneading the dough develops the gluten, and creates the soft and silky dough.
- Don't add more flour! At first, you'll be tempted because it will look as though the dough is wet and not coming together, but that is why it's so important to knead, knead, knead! Let the dough knead for at least 10 minutes. Add the softened butter, then knead again for 10 minutes and it should all come together perfectly!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Why is the recipe mostly in grams?
My favorite way to measure my ingredients for almost all recipes is using a scale. This particular recipe I find best when I use the absolute exact measurements, especially the flour to milk ratio. Because of that, I prefer that this recipe be measured out using a scale, so I did not give an option for cup measurements as that can really change the recipe if not measured correctly.
Do I have to use the Tangzhong method?
With this recipe, yes! It was tested out specifically with this method, and it is so important to achieve that soft and fluffy cinnamon rolls that will stay delicious for days.
Can I knead the dough by hand?
Absolutely, but be prepared to use a lot of elbow grease. It will probably take much longer than 10 minutes per kneading process, so just be warned!
Recipes You May Like
- Potato and Egg Breakfast Buns
- Sweet Brioche Buns with Cream Cheese and Lemon Curd
- Homemade Bagels
- Honeycomb Bread
If you Try these Soft and Fluffy Cinnamon Rolls Recipe, be sure to leave a review to let me know!
📖 Recipe Card
Soft and Fluffy Cinnamon Rolls Recipe
Equipment
- 1 15x10 Baking Sheet
- 1 Kitchen scale
Ingredients
Tangzhong Paste
- 100g whole milk
- 25g bread flour
Yeast Mixture
- 212g whole milk 110°
- 1 package active dry yeast 7g
- 1 teaspoon sugar
Cinnamon Rolls Dough
- 485g bread flour
- 70g granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoon unsalted butter melted
- 3 tablespoon unsalted butter softened
Filling
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted
- 1¼ cup (250g) brown sugar dark or light
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoon cinnamon
Cream Cheese Frosting
- ¼ cup unsalted butter melted
- 6 oz. cream cheese softened
- 1⅓ cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- splash of milk as needed to thin out icing (may not need any)
Instructions
Tangzhong Paste
- Add milk and flour (measured out correctly) into a sauce pan over medium heat.
- Whisk the mixture until it comes together and thickens (see image in post). Remove from heat and add to a bowl and let cool.
Yeast Mixture
- Combine warm milk, yeast, and sugar in a bowl, stir and let sit for at least 5 to 10 minutes until the yeast activates and foams.
Cinnamon Rolls Dough
- In the bowl of a stand mixture, add bread flour, sugar, eggs, salt and melted butter, yeast mixture, and Tangzhong Paste. Using a hook attachment, knead the dough for at least 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, slowly add in the softened butter, then knead for another 10 minutes until the dough is soft, elastic and as pictured in the post.
- Add the dough to a greased bowl, cover and let rise for at least an hour until doubled in size.
Filling
- In a bowl, combine the melted butter, brown sugar, cornstarch and cinnamon. Mix and set aside.
Shaping the Cinnamon Rolls
- Grease a sheet pan (15X10) with melted butter and set aside.
- Flour your surface and roll out the dough into a rectangle (about 18x15 or so). It doesn't have to be perfect, but generally in the shape of a rectangle and a pretty large one.
- Spread the filling and coat it all over the rolled out dough.
- Roll the dough, starting from the long end. Roll it as tight as you can get it until it's completely rolled out.
- Using a knife (or to get cleaner slices, unflavored dental floss), cut into 12 even slices. I like to trim the ends before doing this so I can get the cleanest slices.
- Line the cinnamon rolls on the baking sheet and cover loosely with saran wrap and let rise for 50 minutes to an hour.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- In a bowl, combine melted butter, softened cream cheese, pondered sugar, vanilla extract and salt and stir or mix until combined. If needed to loosen it a little, add a splash of milk. Set aside until ready to use.
Baking the Cinnamon Rolls
- Preheat the oven to 350° F.
- Bake the cinnamon rolls for 20-25 minutes. Depending on your oven, you might need to cover the rolls with aluminum foil halfway through baking so the inside can cook but to prevent the outside from burning.
- If you aren't sure if the cinnamon rolls are baked through, you can use a cooking thermometer to check for doneness. The thermometer should read 190° or above.
- Once cinnamon rolls are out of the oven, smother in cream cheese frosting and enjoy warm!
Storing the Cinnamon Rolls
- These cinnamon rolls will keep for a few days. Make sure to keep them covered well at room temperature. You can eat them at room temperature or heat them for about 20 seconds in the microwave.
Zakia says
These came out so fluffy and tasted so good I didn’t really want to share. I want to try to make more with some raisins. Its the perfect recipe!
Hakima says
Thank you for the review, Zakia! I'm so happy you liked the recipe. It's my absolute favorite cinnamon rolls ever! 🙂
Shehana says
Hands down the best cinnamon roll recipe! delicious, soft, fluffy rolls and the best part is they stay soft. The cream cheese topping isn't too sweet and just adds to the overall decadance. These didn't last more than two days at my house. Thank you Hakima for another keeper of a recipe!
Kris says
Hey
I posted yesterday but the comment seems to have gone...
I followed the recipe and they turned out really light and fluffy - but the dough was a bit 'wet' and wouldn't come together even though I kneaded in the kitchen aid for over 15 mins - any ideas why?
Thanks
Kris
Hakima says
Hi Kris, I'm glad they turned out light and fluffy. This dough is meant to be tacky, so it is a more of a wet dough, but it shouldn't be sticky. Basically, if you press the dough with your finger, there shouldn't be any dough that sticks to your finger. It's a very silky dough. If it was too wet and sticky, There's a lot that could happen, so I'm not sure why it was still wet for you. Did you use bread flour instead of all purpose? If you used all purpose flour, you would have naturally needed to add more flour because it doesn't absorb as much liquid as bread flour. Other things that could have affected the dough:
-The environment: How humid or dry your kitchen is can change the results.
-How large or small your egg yolks.
-Adding a little too much liquid.
Sometimes it takes a little longer than 10-15 minutes to knead. I made this same recipe a couple weeks ago and my dough needed longer to knead. If after a while it is too wet, I usually add a tbsp of flour and let it knead some more. If more flour is needed, I usually add it in 1 tbsp increments so that it doesn't get too dry.
I hope these tips can be helpful for the next time. Thank you so much for the review and the feedback! I truly appreciate it.
Darlene Williams says
I don't ever leave comments but this time is a first....these r the best rolls I've ever tasted. Amazing, thank u for the recipe
Hakima says
Thank you for the review, Darlene. These are my favorite cinnamon rolls ever, and I'm so glad you tried out the recipe. I appreciate it! 🙂
Sofia says
Oh my goodness, these are the softest and best-tasting cinnamon rolls I have ever baked. The cream cheese frosting balances out the sweetness of the rolls perfectly. The filling is gorgeous and gooey. This recipe is seriously underrated!
Hakima says
Oh, thank you for giving this recipe a try. It's truly my FAVORITE! I make it every chance I get. I'm so glad you got to experience it. Thank you, Sofia! 🙂
Betty says
I really wanted to make a recipe with tangzhong and this was one of the first results that popped up. Made these immediately and they were a HUGE HIT! There were absolutely none left to store away. This recipe will be on repeat. I can't even explain how I feel about them. I wish I could give a million stars.
Hakima says
Aw, thanks for the review, Betty! I truly appreciate it. These truly are the best cinnamon rolls I've ever had and I will stand by it forever. Thank you for trying it out. 🙂