Cinnamon Rolls
Soft yeast rolls with a cinnamon filling under a thick layer of flowing cream cheese frosting.
- Preparation
- 40 min
- Cook/bake time
- 28 min
- Total
- 3 hr 8 min
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 492 kcal
- Servings
- 12
- Prep
- 40 min
- Cooking & baking
- 28 min
- Resting
- 2 hr
Only 1 hr 8 min of that is hands-on – the rest takes care of itself.
Soft yeast rolls with a cinnamon filling under a thick layer of flowing cream cheese frosting. The rolls are baked close together so they support each other and rise upwards instead of outwards, which keeps them exceptionally soft. The dough can rise in the fridge overnight, giving you fresh rolls for breakfast.
Why this works
Placed closely together, the rolls only have an exposed surface on top. On the sides, they support each other and release their moisture as steam to their neighbors. This prevents a crust from forming there, keeping the pastry soft and forcing it to rise upwards instead of spreading out. Baked individually, each roll browns all around, loses more water, and becomes flatter and firmer. Dental floss cuts cleanly because it severs the dough instead of compressing it like a knife blade.
Step-by-step instructions
- 1
Kneading the dough
Mix the lukewarm milk with the yeast and sugar, and let the mixture stand for 10 minutes until it foams. Add the flour, salt, and egg, and knead for 8 minutes. Then work in the soft butter in small portions and knead for another 5 minutes until the dough is smooth, elastic, and pulls away from the bowl.
- 2
First rise
Cover the dough and let it rise in a warm place for about 1 hour until it has doubled in size. A finger test shows if it is ready: if you press into it, the indentation should spring back slowly and only partially.
- 3
Filling and rolling
Roll the dough out on a floured surface into a rectangle of about 40 by 50 cm. Spread the soft butter on it and sprinkle the mixture of brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt evenly over the top, leaving 2 cm bare along one long side. Roll the dough up tightly starting from the covered long side.
- 4
Cutting and resting
Cut the roll into 12 equally sized slices using a piece of dental floss or a very sharp knife. Dental floss does not flatten the roll. Place them close together in a greased baking dish and let them rise covered for another 40 minutes until they touch and are puffed up.
- 5
Baking and frosting
Bake the rolls at 180 °C top and bottom heat for 25 to 28 minutes until they are golden brown. Meanwhile, mix the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and salt into a smooth frosting. Spread half of it on the still hot rolls so it soaks in, and the rest when they are lukewarm.
Our best tips
- Cut with dental floss instead of a knife. This helps the rolls keep their round shape.
- Bake close together. The contact keeps the sides soft and makes them rise upwards.
- Put half of the frosting on the hot rolls and the rest later. This way, some of it soaks in and some remains visible.
Tasty variations
Overnight
After cutting, place them covered in the fridge, let them acclimatize for 45 minutes in the morning, and bake.
With pecans
Sprinkle 100 g of chopped pecans over the cinnamon filling to create a sticky bun style version.
Nutrition facts
| Calories | 492 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 7 g |
| Carbohydrates | 64 g |
| – of which sugar | 34 g |
| Fat | 23 g |
| Fiber | 3 g |
Where the 492 kcal come from
per serving
Calculated from the ingredients – how we do it
We add up reference values for every ingredient and divide by the number of servings. These assumptions are baked in:
- Reference values per 100 g – for the raw ingredient, exactly as listed.
- Tinned goods count at drained weight, bone-in meat at purchase weight: you eat about 70 per cent of a chicken thigh and leave the rest.
- Water evaporates as you cook. The energy stays in the pot, the weight does not – so the figure is per serving, not per 100 g of finished dish.
- Anything listed without a quantity – “salt and pepper” – is not counted.
A guide value, not a lab measurement: no two onions weigh the same, and fat content varies from pack to pack.
Frequently asked questions
Why are my rolls spreading out?
The dough was rolled too loosely or processed too warm. Roll it tightly and, if the dough gets soft, chill it for 15 minutes.
Can I prepare them in advance?
Yes, that is the best method. Let the cut rolls rise in the fridge overnight and bake them straight away in the morning.
How do they stay soft the next day?
Store them in an airtight container and heat them individually in the microwave for 15 seconds. Then they are almost like fresh.
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