Pillow Soft Cinnamon Rolls (Printable)

Fluffy, buttery cinnamon rolls with swirled cinnamon sugar filling and smooth cream cheese glaze. Ideal for breakfast or special occasions.

# What you need:

→ Dough

01 - 4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast (1 packet)
03 - 1 cup warm milk (about 110°F)
04 - 1/3 cup granulated sugar
05 - 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
06 - 2 large eggs, room temperature
07 - 1 tsp salt

→ Filling

08 - 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
09 - 2 1/2 tbsp ground cinnamon
10 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, very soft

→ Cream Cheese Glaze

11 - 4 oz cream cheese, softened
12 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
13 - 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
14 - 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
15 - 2-3 tbsp milk

# Directions:

01 - In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm milk with 1 tbsp sugar. Let stand until frothy, about 5-7 minutes.
02 - Add remaining sugar, melted butter, eggs, and salt. Mix until combined. Gradually add flour, mixing until a soft dough forms.
03 - Knead dough on a floured surface for 6-8 minutes, or until smooth and elastic. Place in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
04 - Punch down dough and turn onto a lightly floured surface. Roll into a 16x12-inch rectangle.
05 - Spread soft butter for filling evenly over dough. Sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon mixture.
06 - Starting from a long edge, tightly roll up the dough. Pinch seam to seal. Cut into 12 equal rolls.
07 - Place rolls in a greased 9x13-inch baking dish. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 35-45 minutes.
08 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake for 22-25 minutes, until golden brown.
09 - While rolls bake, beat together cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and enough milk for a spreadable glaze.
10 - Let rolls cool for 10 minutes, then spread glaze over warm rolls. Serve immediately.

# Expert tips:

01 -
  • They're softer than anything you'd find at a bakery, and nobody needs to know you didn't wake up at 4 a.m. to make them.
  • The overnight option means you can prep these the night before and bake them fresh while your coffee brews.
  • Once you nail the technique, you'll find yourself making them for every gathering because they're genuinely hard to mess up.
02 -
  • Temperature matters more than time—use a thermometer to check your milk and know when your dough has actually doubled rather than guessing and either under-proofing or letting it get too puffy.
  • Soft butter for both the filling and glaze is non-negotiable; if you can't indent it easily with your finger, it's not ready, and trying to spread it will tear your dough or create lumps in your glaze.
  • Don't skip the 10-minute cooling period after baking—if you glaze them straight from the oven, the heat will cause it to separate, but if you wait too long, the rolls will be too cool and the glaze won't spread smoothly.
03 -
  • Invest in a kitchen thermometer—knowing your dough temperature and milk temperature takes away so much of the guesswork and ensures consistent, beautiful results every time.
  • When rolling out your dough, if it starts to spring back and won't stretch, let it rest for 5 minutes under a kitchen towel to allow the gluten to relax, then try again.
  • Using dental floss to cut your rolls instead of a knife prevents the spiral from compressing, which means your rolls puff up more evenly in the oven.
Go back