Best Ever Soft and Fluffy Cinnamon Buns

Soft, fluffy and full of cinnamon goodness. These cinnamon buns are better than Cinnabon!

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These cinnamon buns are the absolute BEST! I have never had a bad batch yet. They are big, soft, fluffy, and full of cinnamon goodness. Below I will take you step by step and tell you all the tips and tricks to creating the best ever cinnamon rolls!

Step 1: Make your dough.

Active Dry Yeast is the key feature here. Don’t be afraid of it! It really is so easy, it’s hard to get wrong.

You are going to measure out your milk, 1 cup, and get it room temperature (about 105F).

Tip: use whole milk! Or at least 2% milk.

To do that just put your milk in a microwave safe bowl and microwave it for 45 seconds. Then stir in 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon of yeast into it. Then let it sit for 5 minutes. You want it to bubble up, see the picture below for what you are going for.

After you see it foam, you are going to stir in the rest of your ingredients.

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 6 tablespoons of salted butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Mix it until it is combined. Then you are going to fold in your flour.

Tip: If you have a stand mixer, use your dough hook! It will make life so much easier. But of course you can fold it in yourself with a wooden spoon.

Step 2: Knead your dough.

After it has mixed it’s time to knead your dough! This is fun, I promise! It’s a good way to get your anger out.

To knead dough, you are going to empty out your dough onto a floured surface.

Tip: The less flour added the better!

It will probably be sticky, and that’s okay. Add a sprinkle (and by that I mean a SPRINKLE, you do not need a cup) to the dough.

To knead dough you are going to press it down firmly with your palms, like as hard as you can! Then you are going to grab the far edge and pull it towards you, folding the dough over itself. Then repeat, and repeat!

You are going to knead the dough for at least 5 minutes.

Tip: Always knead your dough before you let it rise!

The reason we are doing this before we are letting it rise, is it helps build more gluten into your dough. Which creates the most delicious buns!

Step 3: Let your dough rise.

After you knead your dough, put it in a large bowl. Cover it with a damp warm towel and let it rise for an hour.

Step 4: Make your cinnamon filling.

While your dough is rising, in a medium bowl mix 1 cup of brown sugar and 2 1/2 tablespoons of cinnamon together. Set aside.

Step 5: Roll out your dough

Once your dough has doubled in size, it’s time to roll it out into a rectangle shape.

Tip: On a well floured surface, press your dough down to release the air, and with your hands press and form it into a rectangular shape.

This makes it so much easier to roll out into a rectangle shape! Now roll it out to about a 24″ x 12″ rectangle about, 1/4″ thick. If your dough is sticking to your rolling pin, add a sprinkle of flour.

Step 6: Add your filling.

Tip: Put a layer of melted butter on your dough, then sprinkle your cinnamon sugar on top. Then MESSAGE it into your dough.

You heard me, get messy with it. This is my biggest tip to keeping your filling from spilling out of your cinnamon roll. You are going to message it into your dough! See the picture below for what I mean.

So what you will do it melt 6 tablespoons of butter. Brush a layer of it (about half of your butter mixture) onto your dough.

Then sprinkle your cinnamon sugar mixture on top. Be generous. Then massage it in with your hands. Add more butter on top, and keep messaging.

Step 7: Roll it up!

Roll up your dough, it is important to get a tight roll! I recommend pulling the dough towards you and gently pressing down as you roll it. Pinch together the dough where the ends meet.

Step 8: Cut it up!

Cut your log into 12 pieces. Use a very sharp knife to do so.

Step 9: Second rise

Place your cinnamon rolls into four rows of three in a 9×13 baking dish. Let them rise for half an hour, they will rise and tough each other, but that is totally okay!

Step 10: Bake!

Bake your rolls at 350F for 10-20 minutes.

Step 11: Icing.

This part is optional, but I mean who can say no to icing on a cinnamon bun!?

You are going to use one package of room temperature cream cheese (8oz) and 1/4 cup of room temperature salted butter and cream them together using a mixer. Then you will add 2 cups of powdered sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract.

Tip: Ice your cinnamon buns the moment they come out of the oven!

This will let the icing pour into all the crevices and be so delicious.

And there you have it you have cinnamon buns! I promise the more you make them, the easier it gets.

How to make cinnamon buns ahead of time:

There are a few ways to make these ahead of time, see below:

Refrigerate the dough after the first rise (step 3).

Just simply place the cinnamon roll dough in a large bowl and tightly cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate it over night. The next day, let it come to room temperature, and continue on from step 3.

Refrigerate assembled cinnamon rolls to bake the next day

Tightly wrap the assembled but not risen (up to step 8), cinnamon rolls with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

In the morning remove the plastic wrap and let them come to room temperature and complete their second rise, then bake according to the recipe.

Freeze assembled cinnamon rolls.

Tightly wrap the assembled, but not risen (up to step 8) cinnamon rolls in plastic wrap and cover with tin foil, or a lid to the baking dish.

Place the cinnamon rolls for up to 1 month in the freezer.

To bake, removed the cinnamon rolls and let them come to room temperature overnight to complete their second rise, then bake according to recipe.