These Perfectly Wonderful Cinnamon Rolls really are the best cinnamon rolls recipe, in my opinion !! I just love this recipe and have been using it for years. It makes lots, so it has been perfect for bridal and baby shower brunches, family gatherings or anytime you need a lot!! Whenever I make these we give plates away to our friends and neighbors and always have plenty for our family too. I usually make them in the morning and they are warm out of the oven by afternoon for an after school snack or dinner time (they are really yummy for dinner with a hearty stew or chili in the winter or a salad in the summer). I have also made them before I go to bed and then set them on top my freezer in the garage to rise all night. Then I just pop them in the oven in the morning. Do not overbake them! They are just barely golden when they are done–so don’t expect them to be too browned. Also, I place mine on a cookie sheet spaced apart, not touching. These really are amazingly delicious! Mmmmm–soooo good!!
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Perfectly wonderful Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 c. milk
- 2 cubes butter (1 cup)
- 2 pkg yeast (4 ½ tsp)
- 1/3 c. warm water
- 1 1/3 c. sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 beaten eggs
- 8–9 c. flour
Filling:
- 1/2 cup softened butter (1 cube)
- Granulated Sugar
- Cinnamon (lots)
Butter Cream Glaze:
- 1/2 cup softened butter (1 cube)
- 1 tsp vanilla
- dash of salt
- dash of cream of tarter
- 1 1/2 lbs powdered sugar
- scalded milk or cream
Instructions
- Heat milk and 2 squares of butter together until butter is melted. Cool and set aside. (Or, melt butter separately and add to warmed milk so the mixture is not so hot and doesn’t have to cool so long.) Mix yeast and warm water; let stand 5 minutes. Add cooled milk, 1 1/3 c. sugar, 1 tsp salt, 4 beaten eggs. Add 4 c. flour and mix and gradually add 4 additional cups flour. You may have to add extra flour after 8 cups – just add a little at a time if needed to get the right consistency so the dough can be handled. However, you may be fine with 8 cups. Dough should be firm but sticky. Cover with cloth and put in a warm place, and raise 1 ½ to 2 hours. Dough should nearly be doubled in size. Divide dough in half and empty onto floured surface and knead a little. Roll dough into rectangle, about ½ inch thick. (Do not roll it out too thin.) To this half of dough, spread on ½ square of softened butter, completely covering dough. Then sprinkle a coating of sugar over entire piece of dough. Then a layer of cinnamon. Be generous with the cinnamon; this is what makes it tasty. Roll into long roll, pinch edges together and slice with dental floss. Place on a cookie sheet covered with a silpat or parchment paper. Do same thing to second half of dough. Cover with a clean dishtowel (or saran wrap sprayed with cooking spray) and put in warm place, free of drafts, for 2 to 5 hours to raise–just depends-but the should be double in size. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes or until barely browned. Remove from oven and let set for 5 minutes. Drizzle with glaze while still warm. Makes 3-4 dozen.
Glaze Instructions:
- Add all together…adding milk a little at a time, alternately with the powdered sugar until desired consistency is reached. For cinnamon rolls, it needs to be a little thinner than regular icing.
Can you freeze these? before or after baking?? I cant wait to try these 🙂
oh darn, I can’t believe that I missed this message so long ago–but yes you can definetly leave the cream of tarter out! That is just how I got the recipe–but I ran out once and left it out and it was just fine!
Thanks! I’m making them now then!
They are both great recipes– but this one is my favorite:)
Okay Melanie, someone may have already asked this but are these better than the other recipe “Mom’s Cinnamon Rolls”? I’m not sure which to make first!
And I have never used regular sugar in my cinnamon rolls! I do like the brown sugar caramelly taste. I made some of your cinnamon rolls and used regular sugar and I think I liked them better. The brown sugar made them too sweet for me. I could only eat half a roll. Thank you so much for your website and all the great recipes!!!
First off thanks for sharing so many wonderful recipes…I love your website!!! I do want to ask what kind (brand) of yeast you use? I use a instant yeast and for my rolls and cinnamon rolls and I never have to do the first rising. I just shape the rolls and then let them rise. I want to try your recipe and was wondering if that was a key or important step in the process. Thanks a bunch!
Hi Leslie,
I have never used brown sugar in my cinnamon rolls–but I think it would be great!! It would probably add a carmeley taste to the rolls! Let me know if you do try brown sugar in the recipe. Happy Baking:)
I am going to make these tonight for conference tomorrow. When you use sugar in the filling, do you use brown sugar or granulated sugar? I have always used brown sugar in other cinnamon rolls.
These look absolutely delicious! I think I’ll have to try them out for one of our Conference breakfasts! And maybe I’ll have to give them a test run first. 🙂 And quick question… do you use white sugar or brown sugar in your rolls? I’ve always used brown, but this sounds like you use white.
These were FANTASTIC!!!! It was the first time I have ever made cinnamon rolls and I had no trouble with them! Will definitely be making them again. Thank you for a wonderful recipe.
n82,
1) this recipe makes 3-4 dozen depending on how you cute them. I usally have 3 dozen because we like ours kind of big:) And I have never halved this recipe, I usually just give away the extras:) I think it should work though! If you don’t have a big mixer like a Bosch then halving the recipe would be a lot easier, espcially when it came to kneading!
2) For the glaze it says scalded milk–this is an old recipe and I don’t think you necessarily have to scald it. I usually just heat maybe 1/2 cup up in the microwave–but you just add it maybe a tablespoon or two at a time until you get the consistency that you want. Does that help? Hope so!
I am planning on making these soon, I have 2 questions though:
1) How many rolls does this recipe make? Would halving it work?
2) For the glaze it says to use scalded milk or cream, how much am I meant to use?
Thank in advance.
I just have to let you know that I baked these for my family today and got RAVE reviews! Thank you so much for sharing. 🙂
AND…I posted about them on my blog. They were that good.
Blessings,
Camille
Dear Anonymous,
This recipe is one that I got and baked (pictured) when I lived in Utah. So it should work great in Denver. I am not sure what went wrong. The dough is soft but pretty firm. Makes sure you put in enough flour. Honestly the rolls are not really tall. They are wider, but I would not say flat. I love this recipe and I really hope they work perfectly for you next time! If you have more questions you can email me at melandboys@gmail.com. Good luck and happy baking:)
Ok, so I love to bake cinnamon rolls, but I tend to have this problem where they don't rise up, as much as they spread out. I made your recipe and they were amazing, they just ended up really flat and wide. Do I need more flour? I'm in Denver and I know hi-altitide baking is more difficult, but I was hoping you might have a few tips for me. Thanks in advance!! I love your blog!
Man Oh Man…your recipes NEVER dissapoint! Huge fan of this site thanks to my sister who linked me here! Made these cinnamon rolls over the weekend and they are amazing!
LOOKS SOOOO YUMMY!! CAN I MAKE THE CINNBUN NOT AS A CAKE BUT AS A REAL CINNABUN? IS THE DOUGH RIGHT FOR IT?? LOOKS DEEEEEELICIOS!
made your rolls today, will let them rise til very early morning and then bake them for my Sew-In, will let you know what the ladies thought and how they tasted ….
thanks again for sharing …
I am going to make these for a Mother's Day Brunch at 10am. If I have the rolls ready to go before bed, are you saying to let them rise in a cool place overnight? I'm a little new to yeast breads. Thanks.
I am getting ready to pop these into the oven. I can already tell that this is a good recipe by the feel of the dough. Very easy to work with and soft as a baby's butt! That's how you know a dough is good. Thanks for the extremely easy and scrumptous recipe.
I don't have Cream of Tartar on hand and want to make these tonight!
Would it work without it?
Thank you for your kind response. I do love your sight!
I have made many things! successfuly I might add!
Yet these just seemed like they needed much more flour. The second half I did add alot more flour when rolling out and they were not as soft and flat when rising the last time and worked better.
I also think one could make kolache's out of this dough, it is a touch sweet.Thank you for sharing all your recipes! Oh and your mother is beautiful I thought she was a sister! he he
Angela
Hi Angela,
I am so sorry that they did not work 'perfectly' for you! I do use at least 8 cups of flour–but I also get my dough to be the perfect texture by adding more flour if necessary. The dough should not be too sticky. It should be soft and elastic. Make sure your using fresh yeast. You could add a little flour –by sprinkling it under and on top of the dough if it is very sticky. Does any of this help?? Email me at melandboys@gmail.com if you need more help!
I am not sure what went wrong. I put the 8 cups of flour that you said but they turned out very flat and the dough was not right.
Was more flour supposed to be added during the rolling? They are sill fine, but if you can help me. Thank you!
Angela
They are rising as I type, we will see how they worked! Thank you!!
Angela
I just found your blog today and I am so excited to try some of these recipes. Especially this cinnamon roll one. I have tried so many over the years that just have not worked out. I will be studying your blog the rest of the night. I have already found a couple that I already use on a regular basis!
Linnea
thank you very much for sharing this recipe! i made a batch and my family loved it ! been trying a number of cinnamon recipes in the past and i think yours is the best 🙂
Hello, Iam saving this recipe to try, since I just made other cinnamon rolls the other day. Iam on a quest to find a soft yummy cinnamon roll, perhaps this is it? These look delicious.
These are awesome!! Melanie is famous for these cinnamon rolls around here!
I knew if I looked on your blog I’d find the perfect recipe to serve at book club! Can’t wait to try these tomorrow & about a dozen other recipes for dinner this month too! Yum! Thanks 🙂
Paula,
I am so glad you and your family liked them! They are a favorite at our house to!
I have never made anything from scratch that required yeast. I have been trying something new in the kitchen everyweek now for about 6 months. So when I saw this recipe I said thats it! It was so much fun making and turned out soooo good. My family said that it was better than cinnabuns. Hey!! Thanks for the great recipes.
The 4 1/2 tsp is the total amount of yeast I use. I never buy the packets since I do so much baking. I am assuming that is how much is in 2 packets. I hope you love these rolls as much as we do!
Those look SO yummy! But I have a ? for you. Is the 4 1/2 tsp. of yeast the amount that each package has, or the total amount between the 2 packages? I hope you answer me soon, cuz I can’t wait to try them!
Ohhh I will be making these little babies this week. Yummy! They look sooooo good.
This is the best cinnamon roll recipe. I’ll vouch for it. I would pass up a thousand krispy kremes and cinnabuns for these. 🙂 And they are so yummy later in the microwave for 9 seconds. Perfect recipe.
I’ve been looking for a good cinnamon roll recipe for the past 15 years. I can’t wait to try this one. One question, though. I was just wondering what the dash of cream of tartar does for the frosting? I haven’t seen that in a frosting before.
Thanks for sharing all your yummy recipes!
Melanie, these look delicious! I’m a sucker for fresh, hot cinnamon rolls! I could easily eat these every single day for breakfast!!
Sorry I will change that–a square is one cube. I think this is an old recipe from someones Grandma.
What’s a square of butter?
I love how you space them apart so they aren’t touching each other. I am definitely trying these – I need a good recipe for cinnamon rolls!