This is the cinnamon roll recipe that went viral and honestly I completely understand why. These are the cinnamon rolls I wake up at 5am to make on Christmas morning every single year and the smell alone when they come out of the oven is worth every early alarm. Tall, pillowy, with that melt in your mouth soft crumb that stays tender long after they cool, a generous cinnamon brown sugar swirl, and a cream cheese frosting that melts into every layer while they are still warm. Once you make these you will never go back to a can.
There are two techniques in this recipe that make these next level and both of them are worth understanding before you start. The first is the tangzhong paste — a Japanese method of cooking a small amount of flour with water and milk into a thick paste before adding it to the dough. It sounds more complicated than it is and it takes about five minutes on the stove. What it does is lock moisture into the dough in a way that nothing else can, giving you that incredibly soft, almost cloud-like texture that stays that way for days. It is the reason these cinnamon rolls feel different from every other recipe you have tried.
The second technique is the heavy whipping cream pour right before baking. Just before the rolls go into the oven you pour heavy cream directly over the top of them and it soaks down into all the gaps and underneath the rolls as they bake. It creates the most incredibly rich, soft, almost gooey base that is absolutely decadent and completely non negotiable. Do not skip this step. It is what takes these from really good cinnamon rolls to the best cinnamon rolls you have ever had.
The overnight make-ahead option is also a game changer for Christmas morning or any time you want fresh cinnamon rolls without the full morning commitment. Assemble everything the night before, refrigerate, let them come to room temperature in the morning while the oven preheats, pour the cream, and bake. The whole thing is designed to work around your schedule so you always get a warm pan of homemade cinnamon rolls with as little stress as possible. This is the recipe worth making time for.
The secret to that irresistible texture is a Japanese-style flour paste (often called tangzhong), made with water, milk, and flour, which locks moisture into the dough and creates that chewy, melt-in-your-mouth bite. Just before baking, the rolls are drenched in heavy whipping cream, ensuring they come out rich and ultra-soft, then finished with a generous layer of tangy cream cheese frosting that melts into every swirl. One bite and you’ll understand why these cinnamon rolls are truly next level. Enjoy!
The Best Homemade Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Tangzhong Paste
- ½ cup whole milk
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup bread flour
Rolls
- prepared paste
- 3 tsp instant yeast 2 packets
- ½ cup milk warmed to 100° F
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 3 Tbs butter melted
- 1 egg
- ¾ tsp salt
- 3 ½ cup bread flour
- â…“ cup heavy whipping cream to use before baking
Cinnamon Filling
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed
- 1½ Tbs cinnamon
- ½ cup butter softened
Icing
- ½ cup butter softened
- 4 oz cream cheese softened
- 1½ cup powdered sugar
- ½ tbsp vanilla
- 2 Tbs milk
Instructions
Bloom the Yeast:
- In a sauce pan, heat 1/2 cup milk to 100-110 degrees. Use a candy thermometer to check. Pour into a mixing bowl and sprinkle yeast over the top, gently stir and let sit to bloom.
Make the Paste:
- Meanwhile, in the same sauce pan, combine, water, milk and flour and whisk until a thick paste forms. Remove from heat.
Make the Dough:
- To the yeast and milk, add sugar, melted butter, egg salt and prepared paste. Mix until everything is combined.
- Add bread flour 1 cup at a time to the mixture, stirring and allowing to incorporate between each cup. Once it’s come together, switch out the paddle for the dough hook and knead for 15 minutes. (this is where having a stand mixer comes in handy!)
- Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover and put somewhere warm for 1 hour to rise. (set your oven to 100 then turn it off and place it in there!)
Prepare Cinnamon Filling:
- While the dough is rising, combine the ingredients for the cinnamon filling in a bowl. You can spread the butter onto the dough and then sprinkle these ingredients on top of that but I prefer to mix them into the butter so I have a cinnamon butter spread that can go directly onto the dough and not worry about the spices falling out.
Fill and Cut the Rolls:
- Once dough has doubled in size, roll out onto a floured surface into a rectangle, about 25 x 15.
- Spread cinnamon butter mixture on dough reaching all the way to the edges.
- Tightly roll the dough starting at the long end closest to you and roll away from your body to the top. Press and seal dough at the end.
- Using unflavored dental floss, shimmy the floss under the dough log and bring it up, cross the floss and pull tightly to make a nice clean cut of cinnamon roll.
- Place roll in a large greased casserole dish.
- Repeat with the rest of the rolls.
- Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise for 1 more hour. *see note below for an overnight option!*
Prepare and Bake:
- Preheat your oven to 350F and pour heavy whipping cream on top of rolls.
- Bake for 15 minutes and then bump your oven up to 375 for an additional 10 or until they are golden brown.
For the Frosting:
- While the rolls bake, make your icing by whipping together butter and 1 cup of the powered sugar in a stand mixer or using a hand mixer.
- Add the cream cheese and remaining powdered sugar and vanilla and mix until you reach your desired consistency. Add up to 2 Tbs milk if you want it thinner.
- Cool cinnamon rolls for about 5 minutes and then lather icing on top.
- Enjoy!!
Comments +