It all started out as a simple idea to make some quick yeast cinnamon rolls for Christmas morning. They tasted good and were fluffy and soft, but I wasn’t 100% satisfied.

That’s when I began making cinnamon rolls every Saturday. It was a quest to create the ultimate cinnamon roll recipe.

I wanted it to be quick and easy to make, and I wanted them to taste so delicious that you went back for seconds.

The ultimate stamp of approval was getting a thumbs up from my husband, who is a notoriously picky eater.

Throughout these trials and tribulations, I learned a lot. Below are a few things you need to know to make your own, drool-worthy cinnamon rolls.

How Much Flour Am I Supposed to Use??

One part of this recipe that can be a bit daunting or hard to interpret is the amount of flour this recipe uses. As you can see on the recipe card, it isn’t a set amount.

I tried so hard to find the perfect amount, but the truth is it will vary batch to batch, and kitchen to kitchen.

I’ve made these by hand, in a stand mixer, here in NYC, and in my childhood home in Seattle. Each time I use a slightly different amount of flour.

Now, the amount of flour you start with is set at 3 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour.

But as you add in your wet ingredients and the egg, a sticky dough ball forms and you will need to add in additional flour.

I add in 1 tablespoon of flour at a time as I knead the dough. You need to add enough flour to create an elastic, workable dough that you can roll out.

However, if you add too much flour you can end up with dense, chewy cinnamon rolls.

This is why it’s a range. When using my stand mixer, I usually add in about 4-6 additional tablespoons of flour. In some batches I’ve used less and in a few I’ve used the full additional 1/2 cup of flour.

Making These Quick Yeast Cinnamon Rolls: By Hand vs. Stand Mixer

My first batches of cinnamon rolls were made when I was home for the holidays, and I didn’t have a stand mixer.

This recipe can be made by hand or with a dough hook / stand mixer.

It is definitely easier to make using a stand mixer, but a little elbow grease never hurt anyone.

Whichever method you use to make the dough, just be sure to knead or mix the dough until it gets an elastic texture and pulls away from the bowl or counter.

Once you get to this point, stop and let the dough rest for about 10 minutes. This little break allows the gluten to relax bit and makes the dough easier to roll out.

If you continue to work the dough, the gluten strands can become too tight. Just like adding in too much flour, this can also lead to dense cinnamon rolls.

It’s pretty easy to sense when the dough is ready if you’re kneading by hand.

However, if you’re using a stand mixer keep a close eye on your dough to ensure you don’t accidentally overwork it.

Giving These Rolls a Bit of Height

When I think about cinnamon rolls, I want them tall. Like Cinnabon tall!

In my opinion, they should be at least 2 inches tall once they’re baked. To give these cinnamon rolls that kind of height, I roll my dough out to be 18 inches long.

Yes, I use a ruler to make sure I get the dimensions right. It also helps me cut each cinnamon roll to be the exact same size.

I didn’t go to all the effort of making homemade cinnamon rolls just to cut them different sizes and have them bake up unevenly!

To make nice and tall cinnamon rolls, I only cut 9 cinnamon rolls from the rolled dough. This means they’re 2 inches tall before they rise and bake up.

I rarely am making breakfast for more than 9 people, so this works great for me.

However, if you need to feed more people, you can cut the dough into more pieces. Just be forewarned that they will end up being shorter than mine.

The Assisted Rise

Another thing that helps these cinnamon rolls turn out soft, fluffy, and tall is an assisted rise.

This recipe uses your oven to help the yeast rise. Don’t worry, the oven is preheated at a low temperature (200 F/ 95 C) and then turned off before you place the cinnamon rolls in there to rise.

Below is a picture of my quick yeast cinnamon rolls after popping them into the oven to rise.

The cinnamon roll pan is also covered with foil to ensure no actual baking takes place.

I love this method, because in the winter my house is always cold. It’s almost impossible to find a warm spot for the cinnamon rolls to rise.

No matter what temperature your kitchen is, your cinnamon rolls are guaranteed to rise and puff up with this method.

You also know how long it will take for them to rise (about 30 minutes), rather than anxiously checking on them every 10 minutes to see if they’ve risen.

The Best Way to Cut a Cinnamon Roll: Dental Floss

Now I know this sounds weird, but I highly recommend having some floss on hand to help cut your cinnamon rolls.

Most knives don’t cut the rolls as cleanly and tend to kind of smush the cinnamon roll log.

On the other hand, if you use a piece of floss it cuts through the dough smoothly. It takes hardly any effort, and you get perfectly cut cinnamon rolls every time!!

Try it just once and you’ll never look back.

And if you only have mint dental floss on hand? Don’t worry! I tried this with mint flavored dental floss, and my husband had no clue. I also couldn’t tell 🙂

The Best Cinnamon Roll Icing

The finishing touch on any cinnamon roll has to be the cream cheese icing.

A cinnamon roll isn’t complete without its topping. While I was tempted to top these with my cream cheese buttercream, I decided to create a delicious cream cheese glaze.

I found that a glaze with a 2:1 ratio of cream cheese to butter helped the cream cheese flavor shine through.

In addition to packing this glaze with flavor, it’s also important to get the consistency right.

You want the glaze to be thick enough to spoon onto each cinnamon roll, but thin enough that it will melt over every inch of your cinnamon rolls.

This cinnamon roll icing uses powdered sugar to make it nice and sweet, then it’s thinned out with some heavy cream and vanilla extract.

Substitutions and Swaps in This Recipe

While I love this recipe just the way it is, I know you might not have all these ingredients on hand!

Below are some swaps and substitutions that can be made in this recipe.

• All Purpose Flour – I haven’t tested this recipe out with gluten free flour, but it should work if you use a good blend like King Arthur’s GF flour. Just be sure to knead the dough a bit longer to help give it structure.
• Instant / Rapid Rise Yeast – You can use active dry yeast in place of the instant yeast in this recipe, just be sure to activate the yeast with warm water and sugar before adding it, and allow the dough to rise for a bit longer (active yeast takes longer to rise than instant).
• Unsalted Butter – If you only have salted butter on hand, you can use it in place of the unsalted butter in this recipe. Just be sure to omit the salt that this recipe calls for. You can also use vegan butter in its place!
• Whole Milk – Most alternative milks work fine in this recipe, including soy, oat, and almond milk.
• Granulated Sugar – I don’t recommend changing the type or amount of sugar used in the dough.
• Large Eggs – This is an enriched dough, so it uses eggs. For best results large, room temperature eggs.
• Brown Sugar – You can use light or dark brown sugar to make the filling for these cinnamon rolls. I prefer using light in this recipe!

Tips for Making the Best Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

• Don’t add too much flour! Add in additional flour 1 Tbsp at a time, and check the dough using the finger test. When you poke the dough with your finger, it should feel tacky but not sticky. As you pull your finger away, there should be no residue on your finger.
• Use a ruler to make sure your dough is rolled out to the right size (12 in x 18 in) and cut into 9 even pieces.
• Use dental floss to easily cut each cinnamon roll rather than a knife.
• Cut 9 equally sized cinnamon rolls from your log to make sure they all bake evenly.
• Bake the cinnamon rolls in a greased square pan (mine is 8 in x 8 in).
• Try to let the cinnamon rolls cool for about 10-20 minutes, then add the glaze. This will allow it to perfectly melt over your cinnamon rolls!
• Store leftover cinnamon rolls or cinnamon rolls made ahead of time in an airtight container to keep them fresh.

Making These Quick Yeast Cinnamon Rolls in Advance

If you want to make these cinnamon rolls ahead of time, be my guest! I’m all about working ahead and making life easier.

This recipe can be made the evening before and then baked the following morning.

You can refrigerate these cinnamon rolls after they have been cut in a greased or lined pan.

Cover the cinnamon roll pan tightly with plastic wrap, making sure the seal is airtight.

If the cinnamon rolls are exposed to air, they can dry out and no one wants dry cinnamon rolls!

The morning you want to bake them, take them out 1 hour before you plan to bake them to let them rise, then follow the recipe instructions to bake.

You can also bake the cinnamon rolls, then let them cool and freeze them individually.

This is what I do with our leftover cinnamon rolls. I leave the leftover rolls unfrosted, then tightly wrap each roll in a layer of plastic wrap then foil.

I move individual cinnamon rolls from the freezer to the fridge the night before I want to eat them.

Then in the morning, I unwrap the cinnamon roll and heat it up in the microwave until it’s warm and gooey. This usually takes about 30 seconds in my microwave.

Let Me Know What You Think

If you try this recipe for quick yeast cinnamon rolls, I’d love to hear what you think! Please leave a rating and comment below.

You can also tag me on social media @chelsweets or use #chelsweets so I can see everything you’re baking up!!

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