Ingredients
For the dough:
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 stick (113 grams) unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup (57 grams) sour cream or plain yogurt, at room temperature
- 1 envelope (2 1/4 teaspoons) instant yeast*
- 1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 2 egg yolks, at room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 cup to 4 1/4 cups (508 to 540 grams) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 1 1/2 teaspoons fine salt
For the filling:
- 1 stick (113 grams) unsalted butter, completely softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup (150 grams) packed light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon fine salt
For the icing:
- 2 cups (250 grams) powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup whole milk
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
Make the dough:
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In a small saucepan, heat the milk and butter until the butter melts. Remove from heat and stir in the sour cream until smooth. Let cool until lukewarm (about 110°F).
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In the bowl of an electric mixer, use a spatula to combine the milk mixture with the yeast, sugar, egg, egg yolks, and vanilla until well combined. Add in half of the flour and the salt and stir with the spatula until combined. Fit the mixer with the dough hook and gradually add the remaining flour until a dough begins to form. Only add as much flour as you need to form the dough. Knead at medium speed until the dough is very soft, smooth, pliable, and doesn’t stick to the sides of the bowl, about 8 to 10 minutes. If the dough is unbearably sticky add more flour 1 tablespoon at a time. Only add as much flour as needed to create a smooth dough.
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Lightly grease a large bowl. Shape the dough into a ball and place in the greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
Make the filling:
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While the dough rises, add filling ingredients to a medium mixing bowl. Beat with a hand held electric mixer on medium-high until very well combined, about 3 minutes.
To shape the dough:
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Punch down the risen dough and turn out onto a lightly floured work surface. Use a rolling pin to shape the dough into a 16x12-inch rectangle, long side facing you.
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Spread the filling mixture all over the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border at the far edge. Brush the border with water to help seal. Roll the dough up, pulling with your hands to keep it tightly rolled until it’s an even log shape. Press the border to seal. Trim the edges. Lightly flour the roll.
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Grease a 13x9-inch baking dish or two 9-inch pie pans. Cut the roll into 12 equal pieces using a sharp serrated knife or unflavored dental floss. Place the rolls cut side up in the prepared baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
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MAKE AHEAD: Allow the shaped rolls to rise until they’ve grown in size by about a quarter. Refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Allow to come completely to room temperature and continue to rise until doubled in size, about 2 hours, before baking as directed below.
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Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°Bake the rolls until lightly golden brown, 22 to 25 minutes.
For the icing:
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While the rolls bake, combine the icing ingredients in a small mixing bowl until a smooth pourable icing forms.
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Spread over hot rolls immediately after they come out of the oven. Serve warm the day they’re baked.
Recipe Notes
*You can use active dry yeast in place of the instant yeast. Add it in with the warm (110°F) milk and butter mixture and a teaspoon of the sugar and allow it to proof for 5 to 10 minutes, or until foamy.
Tessa, can this recipe be used for making the rolls using the traditional Swiss Rolls method —- Bake the batter flat , roll up . When cooled. unroll and put in filling then cut. it would be less messy. TQ
No, I don’t believe that would work at all.
My first time ever making cinnamon rolls! They are incredible as I shared with friends who loved the soft gooey centers of the rolls. I have never made bread or worked with yeast and with your detailed directions I feel like a pro. Thanks so much for a recipe that I cannot wait to make again!
Amazingly delicious and gooey and simple. I tried freezing some as well and they turned out just as good as the fresh. Thanks Tessa!
These did not last long enough to snap a picture, sorry! I have practiced with several different recipes for cinnamon rolls. These were by far, head and shoulders above the rest. We tested them out on our Sunday school class of experts and they couldn’t stop raving about them! I love all of the testings you have done, I love that I can freeze them raw and have fresh rolls ready in short time. Thank you so much for your hard work!
Wow what timing! My husband wanted to make cinnamon rolls this weekend, so this challenge is perfect timing. He is not a very experienced baked, but found these to be pretty easy and they look fantastic! He felt confident making them and even though he’s new to yeast, they were perfect! Whipped them up this morning and now enjoying with our coffee and tea. So much better than store-bought, too.
Perfect timing! My husband just asked to make cinnamon so the challenge couldn’t have come at a better time. He’s a pretty new baker, but the instructions were straight forward and they came out perfectly! He whipped them up this morning and we’re enjoying them with our coffee and tea. So much better than store bought, too! These will be on repeat!
I don’t know if it is the recipe, the instructions or both but these were by far the best cinnamon rolls I’ve ever made!
SO GOOD! Everyone just lived them. The pan didn’t last a day.
TESSA!! I’ve made a LOT of cinnamon rolls and most have been pretty good, some of them delicious. But these? This is the dough I’ve dreamed of. It’s absolutely unreal how light and tender they are. I took the ends that I cut off and rolled them in more filling, braided them, and baked them as a cinni mini wreath, drizzling them with icing.
Once again, a great recipe! I make homemade coffee cakes, etc. for my husband’s breakfast and this recipe is on my list of fun ones to make. He doesn’t know how good he has it!
I’d absolutely make these again! The instructions were easy to follow and the finished product was delicious! My boys loved them! I tried the vanilla icing, but next time I am going to make the cream cheese topping.
Easy recipe to follow! Looks amazing! Tastes delicious!
Absolutely stunning. Best I have ever eaten. Easy to make and easy to eat. Definitely deserves more than 5 stars!!
Loved it! Would def make again!
These are absolutely delicious and have the most beautiful, soft texture.
I’ve never made bread before, but this recipe was so easy that I felt like an accomplished baker!
I typically use my bread machine for dough. Would this recipe do well in a machine?
These rolls turned out so perfect! They are fluffy and gooey. They did not last long in our house. This recipe is definitely going to become a regular.
These rolls were very goey however I didn’t make a glaze
Sooo delicious ! Thank you
Do you need another cinnamon roll recipe? You. Need. This. One! It is fluffy, buttery, and gooey (in a good way). In one word – addictive.
Do you need another cinnamon roll recipe? You. Need. This. One! It is fluffy, buttery, and gooey (in a good way). In one word – addictive.
Made these today and they are definitely worth the wait. I took advantage of the Florida heat and proofed these on my front patio and they look amazing and taste even better. They dont have an over yeasty taste like recipes I have tried in the past these are delicious from the dough, filling and frosting. I even love that the frosting doesn’t use cream cheese. These are definitely a keeper recipe. My kids and husband loved these as well. And didnt mind the wait.
These were very tasty, and quite easy to make.
Sooo good! The recipe was so easy to follow. I’ve many cinnamon rolls and this recipe is very similar to my mom’s so I loved it!!
Fluffy and a great breakfast idea !
My family said these are by far the best cinnamon rolls I’ve made!!
I loooove cinnbons!
I made these but I made them into 2 giant cinnamon rolls with a caramel sauce on top!!! So good
I made these into giant cinnamon rolls with caramel.they’re absolutely delicious!
One word…Amazing!!! Honestly the best cinnamon bun recipe I’ve ever made. It rivals Cinnabon which makes some pretty incredible cinnamon buns. Thanks for creating such a wonderful recipe.
So delicious and easy
Winning recipe. This recipe was easy to make and delivered a soft dough that was oh so delicious. A friend even claimed they were the best they ever had. Winning recipe for sure.
This recipe is a keeper! Very tender moist dough. Good balance of brown sugar and cinnamon. I used cream cheese frosting which I think is the best… YUMMY!
This was soooo goeeyyy sooo yummyyyy.. oh my God, the sour cream really made a tons of difference. I’ve searched far and wide for the best cinnamon roll recipe, but none has turned out as soft and chubby as this one! I would definitely be making these again!
amazing
perfect recipe ! i like them more without icing, icing for me is super sweet, filling is AMAZING ! <3
Amazing!!
These were amazing! They were moist, sweet, soft and every bite was bursting with ooey-gooey cinnamon glory! I’ll definitely make this again!
So easy, so fluffy, and so amazing. A must.
Very easy and family loved it
Wow! Absolutely the best thing entire from homemade cinnamon rolls. I’ve tried several recipes and they this is absolute favorite. Next time I will try the cream cheeses icing burn i love that’s it hasn’t a fast easy icing option as well. Absolutely delicious. I’ll make it again soon!
I loved how soft the rolls turned out!
Amazing flavors. Time-consuming, but not difficult. Really enjoyed them with breakfast and shared some with my neighbors!
My family and I love these cinnamon rolls!!! They are so soft and gooey! The cinnamon flavor is all there in the best possible way!!! The recipe is easy to follow so I’ll definitely be making these again
My family loves these cinnamon rolls. We will definitely be making this recipe again!
I made the recipe vegan by omitting the eggs and using almond milk and vegan butter— they hit the spot!
I tried the method of putting in the fridge overnight and then baking in the morning. I think I should have baked them right away. Flavor was ok but they didn’t rise very much even after taking them out of the fridge for a couple hours. I’ll stick with my Gma’s recipe and I do like a cream cheese frosting better. Personal preference of course.
Overall these were great, but the dough for the rolls themselves could have used a little more flavor. But, we enjoyed them as a special treat! I was proud of myself for baking something for the first time with yeast!
This recipe turned out so well! My family loved it because the dough had great taste and texture. The cinnamon was wrapped throughout the roll and the icing was so creamy and sweet!
My family loved these cinnamon rolls! They were so good. The dough had a great taste and turned out so light. The cinnamon was spread throughout the roll and the icing was creamy and sweet!
This is definitely my new fave recipe for cinnamon rolls. Soooo gooood!
super easy to follow and tastes amazing in the end!
1. Can I use almond milk instead?
2. With the Active yeast, do I add with the milk and butter before the sour cream?
3. Is there a video of making them?
Thanks Tessa!
Hi Susie! You can use almond milk, but since it has a lower fat content the final texture won’t be as rich. Whole milk works best. You can add the active dry yeast either way, but it’ll activate faster with just the milk. No video for this particular recipe.
Absolutely delicious.
It was a recipe that was super easy to follow so even I could do it haha.
The roll was so soft and fluffy. Everyone loved it.
My new go to recipe from now on.
Absolutely delicious.
The recipe was super simple to follow and I had all the ingredients.
It was soft and fluffy and everyone loved it.
Second time ever making cinnamon rolls. Easy to follow recipe and the house smells like fall! Perfectly soft, fluffy and ooey gooey!
This was easy to follow. I had all ingredients on hand as well. I wanted to make it into mini rolls because I wanted to share with my co-workers. They were a big hit!
It turned out amazing, it was not too sweet, with gooey stuffing and soft bread. loved it!
it turned out amazing, not too sweet, the inside was gooey and the bread was soft. I almost ate the whole thing and it was 10 oclock at night!
These were so easy to make and very delicious. I’d never made cinnamon rolls before so I was very intimidated but the recipe was easy to follow and had me feeling like a pro! I don’t have a bowl mixer so I had to knead by hand and they still turned out amazing.
I love cinnamon rolls! I also love that this recipe gives you the option to start them one day and finish the next.
Do you think this would still be good without the eggs? I have egg replacer, but I know real eggs add to the richness, and don’t want to ruin this if it won’t be good without them. I recently discovered I am allergic to eggs
Oh no! I’m really unsure how they’d be without eggs.
These were absolutely delicious! They were so easy to make! I can’t wait to make another batch.
These cinnamon rolls were so easy to make! I baked them in muffin liners so it was easier to share with friends and family!
Can these be made ahead and frozen? If so what would I need to do
Can you do this without a stand mixer and dough hook?
These rolls are so delicious and tender and gooey! I made them for my hubbys birthday and he and his Co-workers loved them!
These cinnamon buns are quite perfect. Not to hard to make, dough just excellent! Hoping to win the heart of my boyfriend with your recipe Tessa!
I’ve made my fair share of cinnamon roll recipes—this one is exceptional! Just the right amount of sweetness and cinnamon paired with a soft, tender roll. Perfection!
I love this recipe because it is not overwhelmingly sweet.
Wow! This taste amazing. I’ve been searching a great recipe for cinnamon rolls and this is the one! I like to warm it up a little bit in the microwave and have a great cup of coffee xoxo greetings from Puerto Rico
BEST. CINNAMON. ROLLS. EVER. SIMPLE.
Love all of the recipes that you post. This is my first entry so I’m super excited. ❤️ Cinnamon rolls are my favorite to make. I make them for family, friends, and coworkers. ❤️
I use to use a copycat Cinnabon cinnamon roll recipe but after trying this recipe i will never use the Cinnabon recipe again. This recipe is everything cinnamon rolls should be!
It was a bit too long to make every weekend, but everyone loved it! Great recipe!
It was a great recipe. I ended up making it during the week and dethawing it overnight. It went over so well with everyone. I wouldn’t make them every week… It’s a lot of effort, but every once and a while it will made for a great treat!
These cinnamon rolls turned out great! I even followed the “make ahead” instructions (which I have never done before), so I was worried they wouldn’t rise properly. However, they were perfectly light & fluffy after baking!
Delicious! My entire family loved them!
These are the most amazing Cinnamon rolls I have ever made! Your instructions are easy to follow and I can’t wait to bring them to a family event. Love, love, love them!
Easy to make!
I made half the recipe with my 3 year old so very easy to make and very yummy!
Delicious!
We enjoyed the cinnamons rolls but sadly they didn’t turn out soft or pillowy as described. I’m sure it wasn’t an error somewhere along on our part but we really did enjoy the flavors and thought it wasn’t a good first attempt.
“Cinnamon rolls five stars” is the text my husband sent after trying these! I made them yesterday and put them into the refrigerator for the second rise. They turned out perfect! I was always reluctant to use yeast, but this recipe was really easy. I’ll definitely be making this again!
The dough was so soft! Stays moist after baking. Will definitely make again.
Absolutely delicious!
Delicious. My husband wants me to make it again
Sooo gooey and delicious
10/10 will make again
You gotta make this!!❤
My husband has always doubted that homemade cinnamon rolls could be anything but the rock hard, flavorless ones served to him as a kid. I have finally proven him wrong thanks to this recipe! I made it the night before and followed the instructions for next-morning baking and it worked very well. Easy recipe resulting in rich yet fluffy rolls with the perfect cinnamon level in the filling. I will ABSOLUTELY make these again and next time try this in two 9-inch pie dishes to bake one batch and freeze the other.
Does anyone have a good cream cheese icing recipe?
Yay! There’s a cream cheese icing recipe in the pink box in the blog post above 🙂
Fantastic recipe resulting in rich yet fluffy rolls with the perfect cinnamon filling. I made these the night before and baked them in the morning according to the instructions with no issues. I will absolutely make these again! Any recommendations for making a cream cheese icing?
Our whole family loved the cinnamon rolls! They were very easy to make. I made them the night before and baked them in the morning before school.
I have always wanted to make cinnamon rolls but have been afraid. I made these yesterday and they came out GREAT!!! My family LOVED them and they were very easy. The recipe was easy to follow and we couldn’t wait to eat them. VERY tasty and definitely adding to my recipe collection.
Made these with my sister for my family one weekend when I was home from school and to say they were a hit would be an understatement. The dough was PERFECT and I made them with Tessa’s cream cheese frosting instead of just the glaze: incredible. Thinking about them now has me ready to get the flour and butter out right this minute.
I’ve made hundreds of cinnamon rolls looking for what I wanted and I think this might finally be it. Soft and luscious. Turning the filling into a whipped paste? Genius.
I’ll made them again without question.
These are some of the best cinnamon rolls I’ve ever made! Great flavor but not too sweet. Big and soft. The icing was yummy and not too rich. I will definitely make these again! Thanks for the recipe!
I’m an amateur baker but am always willing to try new things! I followed this recipe as best as I could and they turned out BEAUTIFUL! So happy I found you Tessa, thank you!!
I’ve been baking for 1-2 years myself. Did you have a hand mixer for this or did you have a stand mixer with a dough hook like the recipe says? I’m wondering if anyone had success with a hand mixer / hands.
These cinnamon rolls are Deeeelish!! So scrummy and gooey and somehow, not too sweet. I make them all the time and EVERYONE loves them ❤️
Love these cinnamon rolls! I make them every week and EVERYONE loves them! ❤️
The dough for these Cinnamon Rolls is absolute perfection! It smelled so good while proofing, was so soft, and EASY to work with. I gave it 4 out of 5 stars only because I like my cinnamon rolls with extra cinnamon filling, so next time I will do 1.5 times the recipe. All in all, AMAZING!!
The best cinnamon rolls I’ve ever eaten. Pretty easy to make even when kneading by hand, and so delicious! My roommates loved them.
Easy to make and absolutely delicious! I loved making them with my family
Gooey and soft cinnnamon rolls
Yummiest cinnamon roll ever made
These are fantastic! I made them ahead of time for a beach trip and froze them to bring. I went for hen cream cheese frosting, which is amazing and the rolls themselves are absolutely delicious. Go-to cinnamon roll recipe here!
Loved how simple this recipe was to make. It was my first time using yeast with much success ! Give it a try super yummy, my kids loved them.
Great recipe a must try really good.
I have made plenty of cinnamon roll recipes over the years – many have been great, but I am always searching for the perfect cinnamon rolls. And these rolls are the best I have EVER made! They are tender and buttery, with a perfect gooey center and pillowy dough. A tip for cinnamon roll newbies: when the dough is sticky, don’t add too much flour. Just keep kneading until it becomes smooth and less sticky. Adding too much flour will make them dry and tough!
Absolutely delicious! This is my new go to recipe for holidays and brunch gatherings!!
Loved making these! Easiest to follow and who doesn’t love a gooey center?
My husband loves these! I have made them 5 times this month!
My husband loves these!! I have made them at least 5 times this month!
I love this recipe! I have made it over 5 times the last month!
These were so good!! I personally have quite the sweet tooth so I added more sugar than the recipe calls for (1/2 cup granulated sugar and a full cup brown sugar instead of the 1/4 cup and 3/4 cup respectively) and they turned out great! The vanilla flavor really stands out and was so nice. I already want to make them again!
Great recipe! I made these the overnight version and they turned out fantastic. Also made the cream cheese frosting. Thanks for your recipes!
Sooo gooey and yummy!!!
Really simple and tastes great. The whole family approved!
I’m from Kansas originally so a big pot of chili means cinnamon rolls! First time trying a new recipe and I think this will replace my old standby! So easy to make and the rolls were so fluffy. My family LOVES them!
When I was waiting for the rolls to bake I thought to myself “I don’t think I’ll be doing these again… To complicated…” But oh boy…. When I finished…. THe look, the smell, THE TASTE! I’ll definitely be doing this recipe again!!
Absolutely gorgeous! Soft and delicious
Tessa,
This is an awesome recipe. I made it without icing (my kids don’t like icing 🙁 sorry!). It was still so delicious! Perfect pairing with coffee this morning. I think this’ll go into my proven recipe folder
Excellent recipe! It was really delicious and it was easy to make. I did it the make ahead way. My kids don’t like icing on cinnamon rolls so skipped that. Otherwise followed the recipe as it is.
Amazing recipe! So soft and gooey. Easy instructions to follow for a beginner working with yeast.
Love it so soft and fluffy just the right amount of sweetness and cinnamon.. Thank you so much for the recipe..
These puffed up beautifully & tasted gooey & delicious!! Thanks for another great recipe 🙂
These were so good, was worried I wasn’t making it right since I had to keep adding flour to get it into a ball but it proofed up so much and I added some apples into the filling too. Will definitely make this again.
Wow these were some of the best I’ve made!!!! The dough turned out amazing, so fluffy and soft. I mean it melted in your mouth. My husband ate three in a row haha so they must have be good
Absolutely obsessed with this recipe!!!
Soft and fluffy!!!
Super easy and straightforward to make. I made mine the night before, so they were hot and fresh in the morning. My only negative is that the dough wasn’t sweet enough. I would add more sugar to the dough. Otherwise, this is my new go to recipe!!
So simple and delicious! Thank you!
I always tend to have serendipitous cravings for warm, pillowy, thick cinnamon rolls, but am never satiated by the overly sweet rolls from the stands in the mall and never made them at home because it seemed a bit intimidating for a sporadic baker as myself. But with these easy to follow instructions, this is a recipe I will definitely keep coming back to, especially to keep that heavenly aroma wafting throughout my home. I’m always my harshest critic, but I was really pleased with how great these came out for my first time. It checks all the boxes for that tender, buttery, cinnamon-spiced, melt-in-yo-mouth center with the indescribable mouth-feel that every cinnamon roll should have.
I’ve never had success with yeast before! Easy and delicious.
I made these for the day after thanksgiving breakfast. The family loved them! They are perfectly gooey and delicious. Worth the time and effort.
Absolutely delicious, I made them for my friends and they LOVED them! I’m making them again for sure.
Hi! I love all your recipes but unfortunately I’m now allergic to gluten and i have to modify everything 🙁
Can I sub 1:1 gf all purpose flour in this recipe? I have King Arthur brand. Thanks!
Any luck with doing this? I have the Bob’s Red Mill brand and was curious how yours turned out…
can I add 2/3 cup mashed potatoes to the dough??
I love adding some to my dough recipe as it makes a huge difference
can I add 2/3 cup mashed potatoes to the dough??
I love adding some to my dough recipes as it makes a huge difference
I haven’t tried!
Is it better to bake these cinnamon rolls in a glass, stoneware or alumiñum metal pan? Thanks so much!
I prefer glass or stoneware for a gentler heat to keep them gooey! Metal may dry out the edges more.
This is just the most beautiful recipe! They are so so good! Just in time for Christmas! Thank you
I made these on Christmas eve for Christmas morning, refrigerating overnight and they were absolutely AMAZING. Everyone said they were the best treat they had all year. This was my first time ever making cinnamon rolls and I was extra careful to follow all the instructions which were easy for a beginner like me.
The rolls I made today turned out amazing. However, I wondered, because my rolls took 30 minutes to rise both times. ! hour all together. It didn’t really impact anything, I was just wondering.
Can this recipe be doubled if making 24 cinnamon rolls and can these also be made 48 hours instead of 24 hours?
I cannot say AMAZING enough times!!! Have made this several times and it is by far the best!!! I just tried King Arthur’s recipe and NOPE, didn’t come close to yours.. THANK YOU!
That makes me so happy to hear!! Thanks for sharing 🙂
My family just went bonkers over these! Worth the time and the wait. Ridiculous good!
What’s the differences between the different cinnamon roll recipes? Which one is closest to Cinnabon with respect to texture? I like the softness. Thanks!
What are the differences between the different recipes? Which would me most similar to Cinnabon in terms or texture or even softer? Thanks!
I made these recently and they were amazing!!!! The recipe is super easy to follow with guaranteed results!
Very tasty. I wish I’d frozen some of it, since we can’t eat 12 rolls, even though we want to cause they taste so good! I wasn’t sure if I’d added enough flour because the dough was very slack, but I think it was alright. And I maybe should have left it in the oven for a couple more minutes. But it was still great and I’d make it again.
My go to cinnamon roll recipe! I’ve made them a few times mainly with sour cream but more recently had greek yogurt to use. I prefer using the sour cream, but still tasty both ways! perfect for late morning brunches at home
This recipe makes me WANT to spend the time making cinnamon rolls, because it is SO, SO good! (I feel like I’ve searched my whole life for an easy-ish at home cinnamon roll recipe that turns out this soft and buttery and delicious) I’m a fan of the gooey chocolate version too! This most recent time that I made them the centers popped up/out while baking, I’m wondering why that might be? I followed the recipe, didn’t change how I did it from the last time… could it be that they were rolled too loosely?
Amazing! Will make again. Thank you
Is it a deal breaker to make this without sour cream or yogurt? I can’t find any atm.
So good! Soft and gooey goodness, made for great leftovers as well.
Excellent recipe. Shared with other family members and they made them too!
These were absolutely wonderful! I had been wanting to try to make homemade cinnamon rolls for a while and finally decided to do it with this recipe. It did not disappoint!! Even though it takes some time and patience, these are WORTH IT!!! So so delicious and way better than store bought. So soft and full of cinnamon. I would 10/10 make these again!