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World's Best Cinnamon Roll Dripping with Frosting
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World's Best Cinnamon Rolls Recipe

These cinnamon are quite a bit of work, but they're worth it. I just made them and my daughter literally said, "Dad! These are way better than the Cinnabon we had!"
Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time25 minutes
Dough rising1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time2 hours 55 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12
Author: Go Sweet Fox

Equipment

  • KitchenAid Mixer with dough hook and paddle
  • 9 x 13 baking dish
  • Rolling Pin
  • Small mixing bowl

Ingredients

The Cinnamon Roll Dough Ingredients

  • 1 C Milk Warm but not hot
  • 2¼ tsp dry yeast
  • 5 T Butter (I use unsalted) melted
  • ½ C Sugar
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 2 Large eggs room temperature
  • 4 C Flour (may need extra)

The Cinnamony Filling

  • 1 C Brown Sugar
  • 2 T Cinnamon
  • 1/2 C Butter Softened
  • ½ C Milk warm but not hot

Cinnamon Roll Frosting

  • 8 oz Cream Cheese
  • 5 T Butter softened
  • 1 tsp Vanilla
  • 3 C Powdered Sugar

Instructions

Making the Dough Ball

  • Ensure that the milk is warm, but not hot. If it is over 135°F, it will kill the yeast.
  • Pour the milk into the KitchenAid bowl and add the yeast. Allow the yeast to proof, if not using instant yeast.
  • Melt the butter (see notes in post below).
  • Add the melted butter, sugar, salt, and eggs to the bowl. Mix with a whisk until combined.
  • Add the flour to the bowl and mix using the dough hook. Start on slow so that you don't launch the flour all over the place (learned the hard way).
  • Allow the dough hook to knead the dough. You may need to slowly add additional flour (possibly up to another ¼ to ½ cup. The dough is supposed to be somewhat sticky. I add flour just until the dough barely stops sticking to the bowl.

Allowing the Dough to Rise

  • Now that your dough ball is formed, the next step is to allow it to rise. To do this, you want the dough to sit in a warm environment in a bowl and with a cover that it will not stick to.
  • There are two options for the bowl.
    Option 1: use a separate bowl lightly sprayed with cooking spray (so the dough doesn't stick to the sides).
    Option 2: remove the dough from the KitchenAid bowl, spray that bowl with cooking spray, and put the dough back. I use option 2 just because I don't want to have to clean another bowl later.
    Whichever option you choose, lightly dusting your hands with flour will help keep the dough from sticking to your hands as you handle it.
  • Cover the bowl with a cloth or a cellophane (spray the cellophane if using that).
  • If you need a warm place, you can start your oven and let it warm up for a minute or two--just long enough to make it a warm and cozy place for your dough. Then turn it off and place bowl inside.
  • You want to dough to double in size, approximately. Check on it after 30 minutes. It could take up to an hour.

Preparing the Cinnamon Rolls for Baking

  • Once the dough rises, the next step is to flatten out the dough in a large rectangle (24in x 15in), top it with the cinnamony filling, roll it up into a large cinnamon roll log, and then cut it into the actual cinnamon rolls for baking. So here we go.
  • Prepare a large, flat surface by lightly dusting it with flour (to avoid sticking).
  • Place the dough in the middle of your prepared surface. I like to form the ball into a rough rectangle before I start rolling it out.
  • Using a roller lightly dusted with flour, roll the dough out until it is approximately 2 feet and 1¼ feet (or 24 X 15 inches).
  • Spread the softened butter across the entire dough surface.
  • In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar and cinnamon together.
  • Spread the brown sugar and cinnamon mix over the butter, completely covering the dough. Keep in mind that the center of the cinnamon roll will be the edge where you start rolling, so if you like the center of your cinnamon rolls to be extra cinnamony, make sure your first fold includes a good portion of the cinnamon mix.
  • Roll the long end of the rectangle into a large log (like rolling up a sleeping bag sideways).
  • It may help to get the rolling going if you use a scraper or spatula to run underneath the dough.
  • Cut the cinnamon roll log into 12 equal slices. It should be about 2 inches per cinammon roll.
  • Place the rolls in a 9x13 dish, prepared with cooking spray.
  • Cover the dish and allow the cinnamon rolls to rise for about 30 minutes. Some recipes say to allow it to double, but once they look a little fluffier, they are good to bake.
  • Preheat the oven to 375°F.
  • Prior to baking, even pour the warm milk over the cinnamon rolls.
  • Bake for 22-25 minutes, until they are a light golden brown color.

Making the Cream Cheese Frosting

  • I use the KitchenAid bowl for this, so make sure the bowl is clean.
  • Add the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla to the bowl. Mix until smooth.
  • Add the powdered sugar. Add a cup at a time on low speed to avoid mess.
  • If you find you want the frosting to be thicker, add more powdered sugar. If you want to thin it out, add milk, 1 tablespoon at a time.
  • Once the cinnamon rolls are done baking, spread the frosting throughout and enjoy!