One Hour Cinnamon Rolls

It never fails that on any given Saturday or Sunday, my kids ask for Cinnamon Rolls for breakfast. And, it never fails that I always forget to plan ahead when it comes to weekend breakfast or brunch. But, with these ready in One Hour Cinnamon Rolls, they can be whipped up and ready in no time.

And this is not a cinnamon roll recipe that comes out of a can either. These are made start to finish in about an hour. Can I get a woo-hoo for being a weekend breakfast hero?!

Why you’ll love this recipe

• No one can resist these gooey cinnamon rolls slathered with a thick layer of the best cream cheese icing
• Homemade dough is so much better than the kind in a can and way easier to make than you think
• Total time from start to finish is only an hour. There’s no need to prep the dough ahead of time or make the night before
• Sweet cinnamon sugar filling surrounded by addicting soft, buttery rolls means you can’t eat just one. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!

Homemade Cinnamon Rolls ready in one hour

That's right, you read that correctly. These homemade cinnamon rolls are made from scratch, baked, smothered in cream cheese icing and ready to be devoured in one hour flat.

They're like miracle cinnamon rolls, that's what they are. The trick to these is instant yeast, which requires much less proofing time than active dry yeast. You could always go the cinnamon rolls in a can route, but... Lemme count the ways this homemade 1 hour cinnamon rolls recipe is way better:

1. You make them yourself so you know exactly what goes into them
2. You don't have to worry about popping that scary cardboard tube of cinnamon rolls open with a knife or a spoon. I cringe just thinking of that pop
3. You get to decide exactly how much cream cheese icing gets slathered all over your warm, fresh-out-of-the-oven 1 hour cinnamon rolls. You won't become another victim of the there's-not-enough-icing-for-everyone-so-use-it-sparingly pre-made version
4. Your house will smell like a bakery and your family will sing your praises for at least a week. And, it wouldn't be hard to set out some fluffy self-rising flour pancakes with 100% maple syrup topping them to go with this breakfast either
5. These can also be called lazy cinnamon rolls. You don't have to think ahead and prepare anything the night before! You can wake up on a lazy weekend morning, prepare these, stick these simple cinnamon rolls in the oven and instantly become the mom/dad/sister/brother/aunt/uncle/best friend who makes delicious homemade sticky cinnamon buns for breakfast - hero status, I tell ya

Putting this simple Cinnamon Rolls recipe together

To make these easy cinnamon rolls with cream cheese icing, start by mixing the dough and letting it rest for a few minutes while you make the filling. The filling is a simple mixture of cinnamon and sugar which you'll sprinkle on top of a layer of butter. Mmmmmm!

When the dough has rested, roll it out into a rectangle, spread the butter on top then sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar mixture. Roll it up from the long end, pinch the seams, and cut into 11-12 individual rolls.

Allow these to rise for 25 minutes then bake. When they're baking, mix up the cream cheese icing (the very best part and really the only reason I make cinnamon rolls to begin with).

I like to slather as much of the cream cheese icing on top when the cinnamon rolls are still very warm. Some of it will melt and that's perfectly okay! This recipe makes plenty of icing to keep everyone happy.

Ingredients & substitutions

For the dough:

• Milk: I think whole milk makes the fluffiest rolls. Substitute lower-fat or non-dairy milk if you like. Or make cinnamon rolls with heavy cream for an even richer treat
• Butter: use unsalted so you can add salt separately and get just the right amount
• All-purpose flour
• Granulated sugar
• Salt: I recommend kosher salt 
• Yeast: the key to quick cinnamon rolls is instant yeast. Check the expiration date to make sure it’s fresh. If it’s old it may not activate and rise properly
• Egg: for the best results, take it out of the fridge for at least a half hour before using it to allow it to warm to room temp. This will ensure it blends easily into the dough

For the filling:

• Brown sugar: use either dark or light brown sugar
• Granulated sugar 
• Ground cinnamon
• Unsalted butter: you’ll want it very soft (but not melted) so you can easily spread it across the dough

For the frosting:

• Cream cheese: let it soften on the counter for at least 30 minutes so it’s easy to blend
• Unsalted butter: soften it at room temp along with the cream cheese
• Vanilla: pure extract makes the best icing for cinnamon rolls
• Powdered sugar: whip with the cream cheese and butter for light-yet-deliciously-rich frosting
• Whole milk: use to thin the icing as needed, one tablespoon at a time. Substitute with any milk of your choice

How To Make Cinnamon Rolls with cream cheese icing

Step 1

Start by making the dough. Add the milk and butter to a small saucepan over low heat. Stir for a few minutes until the butter is melted and the milk feels warm. If you have a digital thermometer you can hang it on the side of the pan to check the temp as the liquid warms. It should be around 110°F. If it’s too hot, let it cool for several minutes.

Step 2

Combine 3 cups flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl.

Pour the warm milk and melted butter into the bowl of a stand mixer. Sprinkle in the yeast and stir with a spatula to combine.

Step 3

Add the flour mixture and egg to the yeast mixture. Use the dough hook attachment to mix everything together on medium-low speed for about 5 minutes. If the dough sticks to the sides of the bowl add more flour ¼ cup at a time. You’ve added enough when the dough pulls away from the bowl and begins to form a ball. You shouldn’t need more than 3 ½ cups of flour in total.

Step 4

Grease a bowl with vegetable oil. Take the dough out of the bowl and gently form it into a ball. Add it to the greased bowl and cover with a damp towel. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes.

Step 5

While the dough rests, pour the cinnamon and sugars for the filling into a small bowl. Whisk until combined then set aside.

Grease a pie plate or 9 x 13-inch baking dish with butter or cooking spray. Or line the pan with parchment paper and set aside.

Step 6

After the dough has rested for 10 minutes, turn it onto a lightly floured surface. Sprinkle some flour on a rolling pin before rolling the dough into a 14 x 9-inch rectangle. 

Spread the softened butter across the surface of the dough. Then sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar mixture.

Start at the long edge and roll the dough up tightly. Pinch together the seam to seal it.

Cut off the two ends of dough with a piece of dental floss (see Pro Tip below) so the edges are even. Cut the rest of the dough into 12 rolls of equal size.

Place cinnamon rolls in prepared dish. Cover the rolls with a damp towel and let the dough rise for 25 minutes in a warm place.

Step 7

Make the cream cheese frosting while the rolls are rising. Whisk the butter and cream cheese together until smooth. Add in the vanilla.

Whisk in the powdered sugar. If the mixture is too thick, add one tablespoon of milk at a time to reach the desired consistency. Set aside

Step 8

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Uncover the rolls and bake for 15-20 minutes. You’ll know they’re done when they are golden brown and cooked through.

Step 9

Cool the rolls on a wire rack for a minimum of 5 minutes. Frost the warm rolls with icing and serve. 

Pro Tips 

• In the first step, you need to warm up a mixture of milk and butter until the butter is melted. Before moving on to the next step, it's very important to make sure the milk has cooled down to 110 degrees F. You do not want to add your yeast to the milk/butter mixture if it's too hot. This will certainly kill your yeast and any chances of becoming the weekend breakfast hero your family is rooting for. Yeast is sensitive in that it needs a warm, not hot, environment in which to bloom and give life to your dough. I highly recommend using a digital thermometer to get an accurate read on the temperature of your milk before adding the yeast to it. The thermometer is inexpensive and if you order one today, I'm sure Amazon Prime will have it to you before the weekend is here!
• Once you have rolled your dough up with the filling, it's easiest and best to use unflavored, unwaxed dental floss to cut the dough into individual rolls, preventing the dough from getting squished down. To cut dough with dental floss, simply break off a piece of floss about 12 inches long. Very carefully slide the middle of the floss under the dough to the place where you want to cut. Pull the ends of the floss up and cross over the top of the dough, as if you were about to tie a knot. Give a quick tug on both sides of the floss to cut all the way through the dough. This is the best method for not squishing down your dough while cutting it. If you do not have dental floss, use a sharp knife and press down gently to avoid misshapen rolls
• To get a good rise on your cinnamon rolls in a short time, I recommend placing the covered pan in a slightly warm oven. You can warm up your oven in a couple of ways: 1) turn the oven on for exactly 1 minute to 350 degrees F then turn off and place the pan inside or 2) simply turn on the interior oven light while the rolls are proofing inside. Either of these methods provides a just-warm-enough environment in which to allow the buns to rise

FAQs

Do cinnamon rolls have to rise twice?

These quick cinnamon rolls use instant yeast, which means the rolls only need to rise once. If you use traditional yeast, also called active dry yeast, the rolls do need to rise twice and will take longer to make.

How to make air fryer cinnamon rolls

Preheat the air fryer to 350ºF. Line the air fryer basket with parchment paper and place cinnamon rolls on top, spacing them apart to allow the air flow on all sides. Air fry for 8-9 minutes. Top with icing while they're still warm

*please note, air frying times may vary depending on your brand of air fryer. Keep an eye on the cinnamon rolls while they're baking to test for doneness

How to reheat a cinnamon roll

You can easily reheat cinnamon rolls in the oven. First preheat the oven to 350°F. Then place the leftover rolls in an oven-safe dish covered with aluminum foil and heat for 10-15 minutes.

How to reheat cinnamon rolls in air fryer

Preheat the air fryer to 350ºF. Line the air fryer basket with parchment paper and place cinnamon rolls on top, spacing them apart to allow the air flow on all sides. For cinnamon rolls without icing, lightly spread some softened butter on top of each roll. Air fry for 3-5 minutes and serve

*please note, air frying times may vary depending on your brand of air fryer. Keep an eye on the cinnamon rolls while they're reheating to test for doneness

How to freeze cinnamon roll dough

After placing the formed rolls of dough in the pan, cover them tightly with plastic wrap and aluminum foil and freeze. When you’re ready to eat, remove the frozen cinnamon rolls from the freezer and let them thaw and rise. Remove the plastic and foil before baking.