Best Soft Cinnamon Rolls With Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

Pillowy, golden, sticky-edged soft cinnamon rolls that pull apart in warm, gooey layers and leave your whole kitchen smelling like a bakery on a Sunday morning. I started making these after one too many disappointing store-bought rolls that were dry, thin on filling, and barely frosted. These are the opposite of all that. The dough gets soaked in heavy cream right before baking, which takes the texture from simply soft to absolutely melt-in-your-mouth.

If you love cozy baking, you might also want to check out my Best Chocolate Strawberry Cake Recipe, or my Easy Fudgy Brownie Cookies Recipe for more weekend treat inspiration.

Soft Cinnamon Rolls Ingredients

Here's a quick look at the ingredients before you get started.

See Recipe Card Below This Post For Ingredient Quantities

Cinnamon Roll Dough

• Milk : Warm milk activates the yeast and adds a slight richness to the dough. Make sure it's warm but not hot, around 90°F is the sweet spot.
• Instant yeast : Gives the dough its rise and creates that light, fluffy texture. Use dried instant yeast and add it straight in with the milk and flour.
• Bread flour : Higher protein than all-purpose flour, which means more gluten and a chewier, more structured roll. All-purpose works too if that's what you have.
• Butter : Adds richness and gives the dough that tender, almost brioche-like quality. Softened butter blends in much more smoothly than cold.
• Sugar : Sweetens the dough slightly and helps feed the yeast.
• Salt : Balances the sweetness and strengthens the dough structure.
• Eggs, 3 large (room temp): Add richness, help bind everything together, and contribute to the soft, pillowy texture.
• Corn syrup : Keeps the rolls moist and soft after baking. Optional but worth adding if you want them to stay fresh longer.
• Heavy cream : This is poured over the rolls right before baking. It soaks into the dough and filling and creates the most indulgent, gooey bottom layer.

Cinnamon Filling

• Unsalted butter : The base of the filling. It spreads easily and combines with the sugar and cinnamon to make that sticky, caramelized interior.
• Brown sugar : Adds deep, molasses-rich sweetness and helps create the gooey filling that makes every layer worth eating.
• Cinnamon : Warm, spiced, and the whole reason these rolls exist. Two tablespoons gives you a strong, satisfying cinnamon flavor all the way through.

Cream Cheese Frosting

• Cream cheese : The base of the frosting, tangy, thick, and the perfect contrast to all that sweetness. Room temperature cream cheese blends without lumps.
• Unsalted butter : Makes the frosting smooth and spreadable, with a rich buttery finish.
• Powdered sugar : Sweetens the frosting and gives it body. Sifting it in helps avoid any grainy texture.
• Salt : A tiny bit of salt in frosting might sound odd but it really does make the flavors pop.
• Heavy whipping cream : Thins the frosting just enough to make it spreadable. Use less if you want a thicker consistency.
• Vanilla extract: Rounds out the frosting with a warm, sweet flavor that ties everything together.

HOW TO MAKE Soft Cinnamon Rolls

Follow each step and you'll have warm, gooey Soft Cinnamon Rolls ready to frost and eat.

1. Prepare the dough: In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the warm milk, yeast, and half the bread flour. Mix until just combined. Add the softened butter, sugar, salt, eggs, corn syrup if using, and the remaining flour. Mix until it comes together into a shaggy dough.
2. Mix the dough: Switch to the dough hook and mix on medium speed for 10 to 20 minutes, until the dough forms a smooth ball and pulls cleanly away from the sides of the bowl. It will feel sticky at first, that's normal. Keep mixing and it smooths out.
3. First proof: Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a lightly greased bowl. Cover with a clean tea towel and let it rise in a warm spot for 90 minutes, until roughly doubled in size. If your kitchen is cold, pop the bowl in an unheated oven with just the light on.

4. Make the cinnamon filling: While the dough proofs, beat together the softened butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon in your stand mixer or by hand until smooth and spreadable. It should look like a thick, fragrant paste.
5. Roll and fill: Once the dough has proofed, turn it onto a lightly floured surface and roll it out to about 18 inches wide and 8 inches tall. Spread the cinnamon filling evenly all the way to the edges, leaving a bare strip along one long edge. Brush that bare edge lightly with water or egg wash to help seal the roll. Then roll the dough up tightly from the opposite long edge, pressing gently as you go.

6. Slice the rolls: Using a length of unflavored dental floss, slide it under the log at 1.5-inch intervals and cross the ends over the top to slice cleanly without squishing. Place the cut rolls evenly spaced on a parchment-lined 13x18 inch sheet pan.
7. Second proof: Cover the pan loosely with a tea towel and let the rolls rise again for 90 minutes, until they've doubled in size and are touching each other slightly. The kitchen should smell incredible at this point.
8. Add the cream: Right before baking, slowly pour the 8 ounces of heavy cream over the top of the rolls, letting it soak down into the gaps. This is what makes them so tender and gooey.
9. Bake: Bake at 350°F for 20 to 25 minutes, until the tops are lightly golden and the internal temperature reads 200°F. The centers might look slightly underdone, that's fine, they'll firm up as they cool just a little.
10. Make the frosting: Using a hand mixer, cream together the softened cream cheese and butter until completely smooth. Add the powdered sugar, salt, vanilla extract, and heavy whipping cream. Mix until the frosting is fluffy, smooth, and spreadable. For a thicker frosting, hold back a little of the cream.
11. Frost and serve: Spread the cream cheese frosting over the warm rolls straight from the pan. The warmth makes it melt slightly into all the layers, which is exactly what you want. Serve immediately and watch them disappear.

Substitutions

• Bread flour: All-purpose flour works well here. The Soft Cinnamon Rolls will be slightly less chewy but still delicious and fluffy.
• Corn syrup: Skip it entirely if you don't have any. It mainly helps with softness over time, so same-day rolls won't miss it.
• Heavy cream for soaking: Whole milk can work in a pinch but won't give you the same level of richness and gooeyness.
• Unsalted butter: If you only have salted butter, reduce the added salt in both the dough and the frosting.
• Cream cheese frosting: If you're not a cream cheese fan, a simple powdered sugar glaze with milk and vanilla is a lighter but still delicious option.

Storing Your Cinnamon Rolls

Room temperature: Frosted Soft Cinnamon Rolls can sit covered at room temperature for up to 2 days. Press plastic wrap directly against the surface to keep them from drying out.

Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Warm them up in the microwave for 20 to 30 seconds before eating to bring back that fresh-baked softness.

Freezer: Unfrosted baked Soft Cinnamon Rolls freeze beautifully for up to 2 months. Wrap them individually, freeze, and thaw overnight in the fridge. Make the frosting fresh when you're ready to serve.

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Pairing

These are my favorite dishes to serve with Soft Cinnamon Rolls: