The Best Homemade Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting
The best homemade cinnamon rolls made with a Japanese tangzhong paste for an incredibly soft, pillowy texture that stays tender for days. Filled with a brown sugar cinnamon butter, drenched in heavy whipping cream right before baking, and finished with a tangy cream cheese frosting that melts into every swirl. Includes an overnight make-ahead option for fresh cinnamon rolls any morning of the year.
Ingredients
For the Tangzhong Paste:
- ½ cup whole milk
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup bread flour
For the Rolls:
- prepared paste
- 3 tsp instant yeast
- ½ cup milk warmed to 100° F
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 4 Tbs butter melted
- 1 egg
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp salt
- 3-3¼ cup bread flour start with 3 and only add more if necessary
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream, warmed to use before baking
For the Cinnamon Filling:
- ½ cup butter softened
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed
- 2 Tbs cinnamon
- ½ tsp nutmeg optional but adds some pizzaz
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tsp vanilla
For the Icing:
- 4 Tbs butter softened
- 4 oz cream cheese softened
- 1½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp vanilla
- 1-2 Tbs milk
Instructions
Combine milk and yeast:
- In a sauce pan, heat 1/2 cup milk to 100-110 degrees. Use a candy thermometer to check.
- Pour into the bowl of a stand mixer and add the instant yeast to the warm milk. Let it sit for 5 minutes while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
Make the Paste:
- Meanwhile, in the same sauce pan over medium heat, combine ½ cup water, ½ cup milk and ½ cup flour and whisk until a thick paste forms. Stir constantly for 1-2 min to cook the flour out. Remove from heat.
Make the Dough:
- To the yeast and milk, add sugar, melted butter, egg, vanilla, salt and prepared paste. Mix until everything is combined.
- Add 3 cups of flour 1 cup at a time and mix to combine. Add the remaining ¼ cup gradually, only as needed, until the dough is soft, elastic, and slightly tacky but not sticky. 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!) First rise: about 1 hour, or until doubled (check at 45 minutes if you're using a warm rising spot).
Prepare Cinnamon Filling:
- While the dough is rising, combine the ingredients for the cinnamon filling in a bowl. Use a hand mixer to blend all the ingredients until combined and smooth.
Fill and Cut the Rolls:
- Once dough has doubled in size, roll out onto a floured surface into a rectangle, about 24 x 15. I like to make mine about 25" and then use a pizza cutter to trim it to 24" so the edges are straight.
- Spread cinnamon butter mixture on dough reaching all the way to the edges.
- Make 2" marks along the 24" side and using a pizza cutter, cut strips from the bottom, to the top. (You should have 12 - 2x15 strips)
- Roll each strip tightly and pinch the edge against the roll to seal.
- Place each roll in a large 9x13 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!* Second rise: 45 to 60 minutes, until the rolls look puffy and are touching, and a gentle poke springs back slowly
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 8-10 or until they are golden brown. (internal temp around 190℉)
For the Frosting:
- While the rolls bake, make your icing by whipping together the butter and cream cheese in a stand mixer or using a hand mixer.
- Add vanilla and mix until smooth.
- Add powdered sugar ½ cup at a time, mixing in between so it doesn't fly everywhere. Beat until creamy.
- Add milk 1 Tbs at a time if needed to reach desired consistency.
- Cool cinnamon rolls for about 5 minutes and then generously swirl frosting on tops of each bun.
- Enjoy!!
Notes
To prep these cinnamon rolls the night before and bake fresh in the morning:
After cutting the rolls and placing them in a greased baking dish, cover and refrigerate overnight (8–12 hours). The rolls will rise slowly in the fridge but will not double — this is normal.
In the morning, remove the rolls from the refrigerator and let them sit at room temperature for 45–75 minutes, until puffy and noticeably risen. (If your kitchen is cold, place them in an oven that’s turned off with the light on.)
Once risen, pour the heavy whipping cream over the rolls and bake as directed. Frost and enjoy warm.