Cinnamon rolls slathered in magical cream cheese frosting. After my first bite I said, “These are million dollar cinnamon rolls!” But really, if I was a millionaire these would be the only cinnamon rolls I would ever eat again. They’re just that good.
Now, you can use your bread hook to knead but I like to get a lithe morning workout in. I figure if I knead the dough by hand I can eat an extra roll later, right? Right.
Mmm… this frosting really is magical. I like to put it on while the rolls are still a little warm so that the frosting melts into them. No one can resist a warm cinnamon roll dripping with cream cheese goodness.
Now, you can add raisins or walnuts or neither! My papa, he loves walnuts in his brownies, cookies and definitely in his cinnamon rolls.
This was right before I set them aside to rise for the last time. I like my cinnamon rolls BIG! You can pack them in tight if you want them to rise up or you can spread them out to give them more room if you prefer a more circular roll.
Nothing is more beautiful.
Million Dollar Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
- 3 C. milk
- 1 C. oil
- ¾ C. sugar
- 4 Tbsp. quick rise yeast
- 1 ½ tsp. salt
- 5 C. flour I use half bread flour and half all-purpose
- 4 eggs
- more flour about 2 cups
- Filling:
- 1 C. butter soft or melted
- 1 1/4 C. sugar
- 1/2 C. brown sugar
- 4 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
- raisins and walnuts optional
- Magic Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 16. oz. cream cheese
- 1 C. butter
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
- 3-5 C. powdered sugar
Instructions
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1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease two casserole pans.
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2. Heat milk and oil to 125 degrees, use a candy thermometer.
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3. In a separate bowl, sift sugar, yeast, salt and flour together.
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4. Combine milk/oil and dry ingredients. (bread hook in stand mixer)
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5. Add eggs.
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6. Continue to add more flour (about 2 cups) until it becomes a soft dough.
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7. Knead for 10 minutes and then cover with a cloth and let rest for 10 minutes.
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8. Knead lightly then divide in two.
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9. Roll out each section on a floured surface into a long rectangle. Smear the surface with 1/2 cup butter (2 rectangles total 1 cup butter) and then sprinkle with your sugar-brown sugar-cinnamon mixture.
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10. Roll each rectangle up and then cut into 1-2 inch pieces.
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11. Place in your well greased pan and let rise for 30-45 minutes and bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.
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12. Frosting: Beat cream cheese, butter, vanilla extract, almond extract and brown sugar together for 3 minutes. (Beat well so that the brown sugar starts to melt into the butter.) Slowly add in powdered sugar until you reach your desired consistency. Some people prefer more of a glaze while other like a thick frosting, so add as much powdered sugar as you want!.
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13. Slather your frosting on just before serving and enjoy warm! Let that frosting melt all over the rolls 🙂
And to my most loyal reader: Haaaaaaappy Father’s Day! Aw, look at that… 20-something years later and I’m still looking up to you.
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Looks very yummy!
Here’s my favorite trick for slicing the cinnamon rolls: dental floss or thick thread. Cut a piece of floss 12-16″ long, hold one end in each hand, and slide the middle 1-2″ under the end of the rolled up dough. Cross your hands so the floss surrounds the dough, then pull the ends tight. The floss quickly and easily slices the dough without crushing it. 😀
I love that! I have heard of doing that but I’ve never tried it, maybe next time I will!
Love this tribute to your dad, Lizzy! These cinnamon rolls look amazing, and I agree that melty cream cheese frosting is the best! Thanks for the recipe!
How perfect are these! I love how fluffy these look, and that frosting is incredible, the more the better! 😉
These look soooo yummy! I am definitely going to have to try these in the near future!
xo, Jordan
braidsandbuttercream.blogspot.com
THANK YOUUUUU!!!! I just made these and i LOVE them! Thanks again for sharing, they are AMAZING
SAF instant yeast would be fine to use, right? As soon as it isn’t a million degrees hot in my kitchen, I’m turning on my oven to try these!
Yes, that will work great!
Hi Lizzy,
Have you tried making these the night before? Any ideas on how to do that? I think I would follow your instructions until you place the cut pieces in the pan, but instead of baking, I would just cover and refrigerate overnight. Allow to rise in the morning for 30 minutes before baking? Thanks!
I haven’t tried doing that, you mean letting them rest over night? These are meant to be a quick solution to overnight cinnamon roles, so I would suggest using a different bread recipe and then you can use my frosting recipe with it!
Is the measurement really 4 tablespoons for the yeast, if so how many packages is that? Thx!
Hi, on the yeast measurement, is that really 4 tablespoons, if so, do you know how many packages that would be?
It really is 4 Tbsp! I buy my yeast in the little jar, but I’m sure google can translate the Tbsp to oz for you so you know how many packages you need!
Hi Lizzy…I make cinnamon rolls all the time and they turn out perfect every time but I like to try new things too. I have 2 questions…does this make 2 dozen and also what are the measurements of your rectangles? Thank you!
Sorry…another question. Do you use 9×13 or 10×15?
Does this recipe make 24 rolls?? 12 cinnamon rolls in each 9 by 13 glass pan???
How many rolls does this recipe make? I’m assuming that your recipe yields 24 cinnamon rolls. That would be great because you could freeze twelve. Also, when you roll out your dough, how many inches? I’m looking forward to making these!
Yes, it makes about 24 rolls. I’m never super specific about the size of my rectangle but it’s always no thicker than 1/4 inch!
These look delish! Perhaps I will make some soon- like now! Thanks for posting 🙂
That’s a good thing, I hope you will add more information
I agree — it would be really helpful if you could edit your recipe to include information on how many rolls the recipe makes, the approximate size of the rectangle you roll the dough into, and the size of the pans to use.
I have been on a mission to find the perfect cinnamon roll recipe and this is definitely it! They are fresh out of the oven and by far the best cinnamon roll I’ve ever eaten! Light fluffy and fabulous. I followed the recipe exactly as written, did add the 2 cups flour suggested, and used my mixer with bread hook. I used six of the individual packages of quick rise yeast which came out exactly to the amount in the recipe. My only suggestion would be if you don’t like icing you could easily cut the icing recipe in half. Make these they are amazing!
I have tried sooooo many cinnamon roll recipes and this is BY FAR the very best!!! It’s not difficult and the results are amazing!!! It’s my all time favorite go to!!!
Hi. I love cinnamon and cinnamon buns! They look so yummy!) I made these once a long time ago, I think the recipe is similar, I should do them again! but I already have a line of your recipes, and I’ve made some many times before and will be repeating them again.
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These are the best cinn roll I have ever made. I have delete all of my cinn roll recipes. I have made them four times without changing a thing. I dough is just what I was looking for something soft and the taste is to died for. The dough raises in no time. I keep trying to make dinner rolls with dough, but my husband just keeping making the cinn rolls. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe.
What size pan please????? I want to make these soon. It needs to listed in the recipe!!