Easy Cinnamon Roll Recipe • Longbourn Farm

Name: Easy Cinnamon Rolls
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 4 cups flour (all purpose); 1 teaspoon salt; 1 tablespoon yeast; 2 teaspoons sugar; 1 egg; 2 tablespoons butter (melted); 3/4 cup milk; 1 cup water (see note); 1 cup brown sugar; 2 tablespoons cinnamon; 1 pinch salt; 1/2 cup butter (one stick stick, softened); 2 ounces cream cheese (softened); 3 tablespoons butter (softened); 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 2 cups powdered sugar; 1/4 cup milk

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From start to finish you can have these cinnamon rolls in your tummy in about an hour. This recipe for homemade cinnamon rolls is the BEST because it’s so simple and delicious.

Baked and iced homemade cinnamon roll on a white plate.

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Cinnamon rolls are one of my favorite treats. Probably because I love bread (that’s no secret)! These rolls are soft and fluffy with the perfect ratio of cinnamon filling and bread.

The filling is flavorful without being too gooey, creating the perfect balance between bread and filling. I’m not a fan of gooey cinnamon rolls, so these are perfect for me. Topped with a homemade cinnamon roll icing recipe made of cream cheese and butter, these rolls are irresistibly good!

You will love this 1 Hour Easy Cinnamon Roll Recipe

This recipe is super simple, and there are just a few resting times that are less than 20 minutes so you can make As stated earlier, these cinnamon rolls are pretty fast to prep and make so they can be enjoyed at breakfast or brunch without having to set your alarm too early in the morning.

This yeast dough doesn’t have a long rise time, just a few moments of rest here or there to let the glutens relax, which is perfect for preparing the next step and cleaning up any messes made along the way too!

Simple Cinnamon Rolls Ingredients

For the dough, you will need:

All-purpose flour
Salt
Yeast
Granulated sugar
Egg
Melted butter
Milk
Water

For the filling, you will need:

Brown sugar
Cinnamon
Salt
Softened butter

For the icing, you will need:

Softened cream cheese
Softened butter
Vanilla extract
Powdered sugar
Milk

For the exact measurements needed, please see the recipe card below.

How to make Cinnamon Rolls

For the Dough

In a large mixing bowl combine the flour and other dry ingredients with a whisk and then create a well in the center.
Add in the wet ingredients (egg, butter, milk, and water). Mix until combined. I use a wooden spoon to stir it together.
Add in the remaining cup of flour and mix to combine. The dough should look wet and shaggy.
Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead until it comes together and is smooth. This should take about 6-8 minutes if doing it by hand or about 4 minutes if using a stand mixer and dough hook attachment.

Adding yeast to dry ingredients for homemade cinnamon rolls.

Adding egg to wet ingredients for homemade cinnamon rolls.

How to knead bread dough by hand:

Kneading by hand is super easy, but it can take a few minutes of your time to do. That time is just added love.

How to knead bread dough by hand:

Flour your surface well.
Flour the top of your dough.
Form your dough into a ball.
Press your palm into the top of the dough.
Fold the dough back on itself.
Press your palm into the dough.
Repeat, checking the flour level of your surface as you go.

You’ll know that your dough is kneaded enough when the dough is smooth and elastic, meaning that you can poke it with your finger to make an indent into the dough and it springs back to fill in the gap.

Pressing the dough out for kneading homemade cinnamon roll dough.

Folding dough back on itself for kneading homemade cinnamon rolls.

For the Filling

In a small bowl combine the sugar, cinnamon, and salt.
Roll your dough out into a large rectangle about ¼ of an inch thick.
Spread the softened butter over the top of the dough, making it as even as possible over the dough.
Sprinkle with your cinnamon-sugar mixture. I like to press the cinnamon-sugar mixture into the dough a little bit to make sure it sticks.

Spreading butter onto rolled out dough for homemade cinnamon rolls.

Sprinkling cinnamon sugar mixture onto rolled out dough spread with butter for homemade cinnamon rolls.

Assembly

Roll up your sugar-covered dough starting from one long side of the rectangle and working your way towards the other. I DON'T pinch the ends of the dough, I find that it makes cinnamon rolls with centers that pop up way too high.
Cut the dough into 12-15 evenly sized pieces. This is most easily done by dividing the dough into 4 pieces and then each of those into 3 or 4 more pieces. I usually make marks in my dough so that I can cut even-sized cinnamon rolls, this is important for making sure they bake evenly.
Place your rolls into a greased baking dish. If you like soft edges you’ll want the rolls to be placed ½ an inch apart so that when they bake the rolls expand and touch, creating softer sides. For harder sides, place the rolls 1 ½ inches apart so that they don’t touch (or don’t touch as much) when baking.
Cover your rolls and allow them to rest for 15 minutes.
Bake uncovered in the oven at 350 degrees F for about 20 minutes. The tops will just barely start to turn golden brown and the centers of the cinnamon rolls will be cooked through.

Rolling dough up for homemade cinnamon rolls.

Cutting dough for homemade cinnamon rolls.

For the Icing

Combine your cream cheese and butter until smooth.
Add in the vanilla and mix well.
Add in half of the powdered sugar and milk. Mix again until smooth.
Add in the remaining powdered sugar until you have reached your desired consistency. I like my icing to be thick but pourable.
Pour the icing over the rolls as soon as they are removed from the oven. I like to ice these as soon as they come out of the oven that way the icing melts down into the rolls and they become even more glorious.

Pouring icing over the top of the cinnamon rolls.

Tips for Simple Cinnamon Rolls

The amount of water needed can vary. This is due to many factors including location, weather, and altitude. So even if you don’t move from one place to another, the results can always vary based on weather alone. The good news is that if too much water is added, more flour can be added as well to help reach the proper consistency.
Side Dishes. Cinnamon rolls are great on their own but also great with simple side dishes like fresh fruits or other breakfast favorites (bacon, eggs, ham steaks, etc). If you’re in the midwest you might even try serving chili and cinnamon rolls as a meal. In fact here are a few of my chili recipes to pair up with this recipe.

Can I make these Easy Cinnamon Rolls ahead of time?

People also ask me frequently if they can make this recipe the night before. The answer is yes, just stop shy of placing the rolls in the oven. After cutting the rolls and placing them into your prepared baking dish, cover the dish with plastic wrap and place the rolls in the fridge for up to 8 hours.

The next morning, place the baking dish on the counter to rest as the oven preheats. Then bake as directed. This overnight cinnamon roll recipe tastes just as great as if it were baked the same day, but without the early morning prep work!

Easy Cinnamon Rolls FAQs

Can I freeze cinnamon rolls?

Yes, these rolls can be frozen and baked later. Simply place them into a disposable baking dish and cover them with foil when you get to the step to let them rest before baking.

Freeze for up to 3 months. Then place the cinnamon rolls into the fridge overnight and let rest on your counter for about an hour in the morning as the oven preheats. Bake as directed.

What causes Cinnamon Rolls to be tough?

If you find that your cinnamon rolls are too tough, a good reason can simply be because you added in too much flour. Too high of flour to wet stuff ratio will cause your rolls to dry out or become tough.

Can you over-rise cinnamon rolls?

Yes, letting your rolls rest for several hours on the counter or for more than 8 hours in the fridge can result in over risen cinnamon rolls. The results will still taste great but the texture will be dense cinnamon rolls that didn’t rise properly.

What type of flour is best for cinnamon rolls?

For this recipe, all-purpose flour is best. If you wanted to use bread flour, that would make the cinnamon rolls a bit taller when they rise. I do not recommend using wheat flour as that will change the texture and crumb of the cinnamon rolls drastically.

Why Are My Homemade Cinnamon Rolls So Dry?

Your homemade cinnamon rolls may be dry for a couple of reasons. First, if the dough was too dry the cinnamon rolls will bake up dry. The dough should be slightly sticky and elastic. If it is cleaning the sides of the electric mixer completely and not sticking to the bottom, it is too dry.

Second, you could be over baking the cinnamon rolls. Cinnamon rolls are done when the tops are just lightly golden. The internal temperature will read 190-200ºF on an instant-read thermometer.