These are the kind of cinnamon rolls that make people stop talking mid-bite. Super soft, loaded with cinnamon sugar, and that cream cheese icing melts right into everything. No bread machine—just a little time and totally worth it.
The most important thing is not to kill your yeast. Your milk should be 110 degrees. That’s like baby bottle warm, not scalding hot. A thermometer is good. You can watch the video on my Instagram page to see what your yeast should look like. It usually takes about ten minutes.
Total Time: ~3 hours
Servings: 12 rolls
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 cup warm milk (110°F)
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ⅓ cup margarine, melted (or butter)
- 4 ½ cups bread flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup white sugar (divided)
- 2 ½ teaspoons yeast
Filling
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- 2 ½ tablespoons ground cinnamon
- ⅓ cup butter, softened
Icing
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- ¼ cup butter, softened
- 1 (3 oz) package cream cheese, softened
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon lemon extract or just a pinch of fresh lemon zest.
Instructions
1. Activate the yeast
In a small bowl:
- Combine warm milk, yeast, and 1 tablespoon of the sugar
- Let sit 5–10 minutes until foamy
2. Make the dough
In a large bowl:
- Mix eggs, melted margarine, and yeast mixture
- Add remaining sugar and salt
Gradually add flour:
- Mix until a soft dough forms
3. Knead
- Turn dough onto a floured surface
- Knead for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic
(Or use a stand mixer with dough hook for ~6 minutes)
4. First rise
- Place dough in a greased bowl
- Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled (about 1–1.5 hours)
5. Shape the dough
- Punch down dough and let rest 10 minutes
- Roll into a 16×21-inch rectangle
6. Add filling
- Spread softened butter over dough
- Mix brown sugar + cinnamon, then sprinkle evenly
7. Roll and cut
- Roll tightly from the long edge
- Cut into 12 rolls
8. Second rise
- Place in greased 9×13 pan
- Cover and let rise 30–45 minutes until puffy
9. Bake
- Preheat oven to 400°F
- Bake 15–18 minutes until golden brown
10. Make icing
- Beat all icing ingredients until smooth and creamy
11. Finish
- Spread icing over warm rolls
- Let it melt in slightly, then serve
Rumbly in my Tumbly 