BEST Cinnamon Rolls Recipe

This is the BEST cinnamon rolls recipe with a SECRET INGREDIENT in the dough to make them super soft and fluffy. There’s plenty of butter, brown sugar and cinnamon on the inside, with a sweet cream cheese frosting on the outside of these homemade cinnamon rolls. Simply to die for!

Mom’s Best Cinnamon Rolls Recipe

I grew up eating these amazing homemade cinnamon rolls. They are the SOFTEST and BEST cinnamon rolls EVER! And there’s a reason (or should I say, special ingredient) for that. But I’ll tell you more about that in a minute.

I remember when I was little, I would watch my mom make these fluffy cinnamon rolls. I simply could not wait for them to be done. It felt like forever, but it was well worth the wait because they are seriously amazing.

Honestly, I still can’t wait for them to be done, even as an adult, but you can’t rush perfection! They are THE BEST soft and fluffy cinnamon rolls you will ever eat!

What You’ll Love About This Recipe:

• A super soft dough made with fairly common ingredients.
• Plenty of butter, cinnamon, and brown sugar inside for maximum flavor.
• A quick and easy cream cheese glaze on top that melts into the crevices of each swirl.
• The cinnamon rolls can be made the night before and baked the next day.
• The cinnamon rolls may also be frozen before or after baking. Making them great for gifting!

Of course, the best cinnamon rolls require love and patience because they take time, but they are worth the wait!

I can’t take credit for this recipe, but my sweet mom can. Thank goodness for family recipes that you can count on and pass on down to your children. If you are looking for fluffy cinnamon rolls that will be soft every time, then you are in luck! This is the recipe for YOU.

The Secret Ingredient

All of the ingredients in this recipe are typical of an enriched yeast dough, except for the secret ingredient.

The secret ingredient is… mashed potatoes. YEP! You heard me right. Mashed potatoes. Unseasoned of course.

Why on earth would you put mashed potatoes in your cinnamon rolls? “When bread contains potatoes… the potato starch molecules make it harder for the wheat starches to crystallize, keeping the bread fresh and soft for a longer period of time.” (Source)

If you’ve ever had potato rolls, you know just how soft they are. I even use this potato dough for my orange rolls. Who wouldn’t want softer, longer lasting baked goods?

Prepare the Mashed Potatoes

For this fluffy cinnamon rolls recipe, you can boil a potato and mash it up. Or you can use instant potatoes. Just mix hot water with the dry potato flakes and let it sit for a few minutes.

You will need 1/2 cup of mashed potatoes total. I prefer using instant potatoes because it’s fast and easy.

Prepare the Milk and Yeast Mixtures

NOTE: Full measurements and instructions are found in the recipe card at the end of the post.

Next you will scald milk. This is a tried and true technique that yields the fluffiest breads.

Scalding milk is heating the milk almost to a boil (more like a light simmer) until a skin of congealed proteins forms across the top, which generally happens once it reaches 170 degrees Fahrenheit. Be sure to use a heavy bottomed pan, so it doesn’t burn.

• Scald the milk. Then add the butter, sugar, and salt. Stir until dissolved and then allow the mixture to cool to 120˚F before proceeding with the recipe. (NOTE: Yeast dies at 138 degrees Fahrenheit.)

While the scalded milk is cooling, prepare the yeast mixture.

• Stir together the warm water (110˚F), yeast, and granulated sugar. Set aside until yeast bubbles/blooms.

Make the Dough

Now it’s time to make the dough. I like to use my Bosch Mixer for breads. A KitchenAid works well too. Because this is a softer dough, I recommend using a stand mixer, but if you must, you can knead it by hand too.

• Beat an egg and place it in a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment.
• Add the mashed potatoes, the (cooled) scalded milk, and the bloomed yeast.
• Turn the machine on low and add the flour, 1 cup at a time, until 4 cups have been added.
• The dough will be sticky, but make sure it is moving around the bowl well. Add more flour 1 Tbsp at a time, as needed. Increase the speed to medium and knead for 5-10 minutes.

Allow Dough to Rise

• Empty the sticky dough into a greased bowl.
• Cover the bowl with plastic wrap that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray and let rise for 1 hour, or until double in size.

How to Make the Cinnamon Rolls

After the dough has had sufficient time to rise, it’s time to make the best cinnamon rolls.

1. Empty the rested dough onto a floured surface. Sprinkle the top with flour and pat the dough flat. Using a floured rolling pin, roll the dough into a rectangle, be sure to lift the dough periodically to make sure it is not sticking to the countertop; dust with flour as needed. Roll dough about 1/2-inch thick, which will be about 14-inches wide by 18-inches long.
2. Spread softened butter over the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch bare along one of the longer edges.
3. Sprinkle the brown sugar over the butter and spread evenly with your hand.
4. Sprinkle the cinnamon evenly over the brown sugar. May smooth cinnamon evenly with hand, if desired.

Rolling and Cutting the Dough

• Roll the dough into a log from the long end with the filling towards the long end that was left bare. Once you reach the bare edge, lift it up and fold it over the top of the log. Pinch the seams together.

• Cut the rolls into 12 even pieces, about 1.5-inches thick, by placing a piece of (plain, unflavored) dental floss under the rolled dough. Lift the ends of the floss, criss-cross them over the top of the dough, and pull in opposite directions to cut through the dough and filling. NOTE: Using floss helps keep the rolls round compared to cutting with a knife.

FYI: You can make up to 15 cinnamon rolls with this recipe if you roll the dough a little larger/flatter. All 15 rolls will still fit onto a half sheet pan. Cutting the dough into 12 pieces makes slightly bigger cinnamon rolls.

Rise and Bake

• Place the cut cinnamon rolls onto a greased baking sheet. (I use a half sheet pan; 13×18-inches.) Pat the tops lightly to make sure everything is even and flat.
• Cover loosely with plastic wrap that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray, and rise for 1 hour, or until double in size.
• Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20-25 minutes or until browned on top and the dough is fully baked. Check the dough where the rings of the cinnamon-sugar are.

TIP: The bread is done when a thermometer probe reaches 190-200˚F when inserted into the thickest part of the dough.

NOTE: I use a 13×18-inch (half sheet) pan to allow the cinnamon rolls to get big. I haven’t tried baking them inside of a 13×9-inch pan.

Make the Frosting

Of course the best cinnamon rolls recipe requires an equally delicious frosting. This quick cream cheese frosting is easy to make. It’s light and fluffy, and melts into the rolls beautifully, without disappearing completely.

Make the cream cheese frosting while the fluffy cinnamon rolls are baking.

1. Beat the cream cheese and butter in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer until creamy and smooth.
2. Add 1 cup of powdered sugar and the vanilla. Beat for 1 minute.
3. Add another 1 cup of powdered sugar and 1 Tbsp of milk. Beat 1 minute.
4. Add more milk, 1 Tbsp at a time, beating well after each addition, until the desired consistency is reached.

Serving and Storing

While the cinnamon rolls are still warm from the oven, spread the cream cheese icing over the rolls with a spatula. Serve while still warm!

• Storing: Cover and store rolls at a controlled room temperature (68-72˚F) for up to 2-3 days, or in the fridge for up to 5 days.
• Leftovers: Nuke leftovers in the microwave for 20-30 seconds, if desired.

Baking Tips and Information

Here are my tips and information to help you achieve the best soft cinnamon rolls:

Use Quick Rise Yeast: Quick rise or instant yeast will help the cinnamon rolls rise faster compared to active dry yeast.

Activate Yeast in Warm Water: Warm water should be between 105-115˚F to activate the yeast. It’s best to use an instant read thermometer to determine this. You’ll know the yeast is activated when little bubbles start to appear. TIP: I mix sugar in with the yeast and water to help “feed” it, and make it grow even better.

Scald the Milk: Heating milk deactivates the proteins in milk whey that can keep gluten from forming properly. Bread needs gluten to help the dough rise by trapping gas bubbles during fermentation and gives bread its unique texture. Remember to allow the milk to cool down to at least 120˚F before using with the yeast mixture.

Flour Surface And Rolling Pin Well: This cinnamon roll dough it soft and sticky. Make sure to use plenty of flour on your surface and rolling pin. Lifting the dough periodically as you roll to add additional flour as needed, to prevent sticking.

Use Softened Butter: Using softened butter for the filling helps the brown sugar and cinnamon stick better, compared to using melted butter. This will also prevent the filling from leaking out before baking. TIP: Remember to use your hands to spread the brown sugar and adhere it to the butter well.

Soft Cinnamon Rolls: Place the rolls close together so they have that soft, pull-apart texture.

Make-Ahead and Freezing Instructions

• To Make-Ahead Overnight: After cutting the rolls, place them on a greased baking sheet, and cover with sprayed plastic wrap, then refrigerate overnight and bake in the morning. *If rolls need more rise time, remove from and fridge and allow rolls to rise at room temperature until double in size, then bake as directed.
• To Freeze Before Baking: Freeze filled and cut rolls directly on a pan lined with parchment paper and covered with a layer of greased plastic wrap, followed by a layer of foil. Allow dough to thaw in the fridge overnight and continue rising at room temperature, if needed, before baking. May also quick freeze the rolls for 3-4 hours and transfer them to a freezer-safe zip-top bag, if desired. Place individually frozen rolls onto a greased baking sheet, cover with sprayed plastic wrap and allow to rise before baking.
• To Freeze After Baking: Do not cover with frosting! Allow cinnamon rolls to cool completely. Then cover the entire pan with plastic wrap and foil. May freeze individually wrapped cinnamon rolls inside of a freezer-safe bag. Defrost cinnamon rolls at room temperature.
• Freezing the Frosting: You can freeze the cream cheese icing separately in a freezer safe zip-top bag with the air squeezed out. This is nice because you can cut off a corner and pipe it over the cinnamon rolls. Thaw the frosting in the fridge overnight or use your hands to warm it up, if frozen in a bag.

We hope you love this recipe as much as our family does!

If You Make This Recipe, Please Rate and Review it in the Comments Below. THANKS!

*Originally published 3/20/12. Photos and post updated October 2022.