Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

These soft and tender Homemade Cinnamon Rolls have a sweet, flavorful filling and smooth frosting. Perfect for breakfast, brunch and snack, these are sure to be your new go-to!

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There's nothing quite like a warm, tender cinnamon roll with frosting oozing down into the crevices. Paired with a cup of piping hot coffee or cold glass of milk, there's just no better way to get the day started! And though making cinnamon rolls from scratch takes a little time, it's worth every single minute!

In the past, I bounced from one cinnamon roll recipe to another, hoping I'd land on the one. But I just never found one with the perfect tenderness and amount of filling. So I decided it was time to do a little research, a lotta baking aaaaand tasting, of course!

Fast forward many and many cinnamon roll variations later, I've finally got my new go-to Homemade Cinnamon Roll recipe! And lucky for you, I'm ready to share it with ya! 😉

The process of finding the BEST cinnamon roll!

It felt like a daunting task. I've made SO many cinnamon rolls where I like the flavor....or the texture....or the filling.....etc. But I wanted one that had it all! The soft, tender roll, the gooey, flavorful filling and the perfect amount of frosting.

There were a couple different theories I had in mind. I wanted to try incorporating a tangzhong, something I had recently learned from King Arthur Flour. Though I really liked how they stayed a bit more soft on days 2 and 3, I just didn't love them fresh out of the oven as much as I loved others.

And then there was the food scientist in my brain saying it needs some potato starch! Yep, mashed potatoes. Why? Because potato starch holds moisture better than wheat starch and actually helps the dough become easier to shape. So I tried a couple different variation with mashed potatoes.... things were looking up!

But then, I couldn't forget about my grandma's beloved cinnamon roll recipe. I've always LOVED her cinnamon rolls, but could never quite get them to be as perfect as she always seemed to! But when I tried hers in my kitchen, I knew exactly what I needed to do - combine a couple different recipe variations to make the ultimate cinnamon roll recipe! And that's exactly what I did! These have some mashed potatoes (good texture!), the warm milk from grandma's recipe (such good flavor!) and the ideal filling.

Ingredients Needed for Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

• Quick Rise Yeast - aka Instant Yeast
• Sugar - For the dough and the filling
• Warm Water (110-115°F to be specific!) - This is crucial in activating the yeast. Too cold and it won't activate, but too hot and it'll kill the yeast
• Milk - I would highly encourage using 2% or whole milk; used in the dough and the frosting
• Mashed Potatoes - Yes, you read that right....mashed potatoes!! Homemade or store-bought is fine; just make sure they're smooth!
• Butter - As always, I use salted butter. You'll need butter for the dough, the filling and the frosting. I never said this was a low-cal recipe! 😉
• Egg Yolk
• Salt
• Vanilla - For the dough and for the frosting
• All Purpose Flour - You'll need this for the dough and for the filling
• Cinnamon
• Powdered Sugar

How do you make Cinnamon Rolls from scratch?

Making Homemade Cinnamon Rolls really isn't hard, but it does take some time. And trust me, it's totally worth it!! First, you'll want to activate the yeast. When the yeast is mixed with the warm water (needs to be the right temp!) and a little sugar, it'll begin to get foamy and rise. See photos below.

Make the Dough

Then, it's time to make the dough. You'll mix together the warm milk, mashed potatoes, butter, egg yolk, salt, vanilla and a little bit of the flour. I like to mix it in the stand mixer as I find it much easier and more hands-off when time to knead. Next, you'll add the yeast mixture and the remaining flour.

The dough will be sticky, but will hold together once it's been kneaded for awhile. When the kneading is done, it won't necessarily form a nice ball (it's too soft for that), but when touched gently, it shouldn't be stuck to your finger. If it is, add ¼-1/2 cup more flour and knead a couple additional minutes.

Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. The dough is now ready for the first "proof" or first rise. Place the bowl in a warm place for 60-90 minutes or until about doubled in volume. See photos below.

Make the Filling

While the dough is rising, you can make the filling, which is super simple. You'll just mix the ingredients together and set aside until the dough is ready.

Once the dough is ready, dump it on a greased countertop. With greased hands (or a greased rolling pin) roll the dough into a large rectangle (about 17" x 19"). Spread the filling on top, roll it up tightly and use a piece of dental floss to cut into 12 evenly-sized rolls.

Place the rolls onto a greased 9x13" pan and cover with plastic wrap. It's now time for the second proof. The rolls will rise in a warm place for about 30-60 minutes until puffy and noticeably larger. (You can see the size different from beginning to end of proof in the photos below)

Bake the Rolls

And at last, time to BAKE! Make sure the oven is preheated before putting the pan into the oven. Bake for about 18 minutes and take a look at them. If they're a light golden brown and 190F in the center, they're done. If not, add a couple additional minutes and check them again.

Top with Frosting

I like to let the rolls cool for 15-30 minute before frosting. They're still warm enough to have the frosting melt into the rolls a bit but won't melt completely. As you'll see in the recipe, I give the option to use buttercream or cream cheese frosting. Although I love both, I guess I'm more of a purist when it comes to cinnamon rolls and stick with the more "plain" buttercream! 🙂

Why put mashed potatoes in cinnamon roll dough?

I know, I know...it seems odd. But looking at if from a science aspect, it makes sense. Potato starch can hold more moisture than wheat starch, so the addition of the mashed potatoes helps give these the BEST texture! So soft, tender and moist. Yum!

How to keep Homemade Cinnamon Rolls fresh

I've heard numerous times that people love cinnamon rolls on the first day, but then they seem to get stale. Due to the potato starch in these, they're still very good a day or two later. However, I enjoy them most after a little time in the microwave, to get that fresh-out-of-the-oven appearance and texture!!

If you plan to wait to enjoy the rolls for a few days, simply pop them in the freezer (frosted or unfrosted). Then thaw, nuke in the microwave and enjoy!!

My other favorite breakfast treats!

What can I say....I've got a raging sweet tooth! So the best breakfast in my eyes always includes something sweet! Here are my go-to's!

• Kolaches - These soft, tender pastries have a fruit filling and creamy vanilla frosting. They’re the most tempting and delicious treat for breakfast, brunch, snacking or dessert!
• Homemade Blueberry Muffins - Another classic! These are moist and tender, full of plump, juicy blueberries and topped with coarse sugar!!
• Raspberry Scones - They're crisp around the edges and soft & moist in the center with a drizzle of icing or a layer of coarse sugar on top!

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