Today’s buttermilk cinnamon rolls are easy to make, soft, tender and fluffy, with delicious gooey swirls of butter, cinnamon and sugar. There’s nothing like that first taste, that perfect swirling bite of warm, soft yeasty bread filled with cinnamon and sugar, drizzled with sweet vanilla icing. That taste that says, someone loves you enough to get up early and make cinnamon rolls. Today’s post includes lots of step-by-step photos to guide you if you’ve never made cinnamon rolls or worked with yeast dough before. Making these for Christmas morning is a tradition with my family every year!
Looking for more recipes like this one? You might also love this cardamom almond star bread, apple butter cinnamon rolls with maple icing, and Parker House dinner rolls.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
So Soft and Fluffy. Making the perfect cinnamon roll has long been a goal of mine, and I’ve carefully tested this recipe dozens of times to get it just right. The type of flour used, to varying amounts of eggs and butter, milk vs. buttermilk, and letting the dough rest rest and chill, all make a difference in the flavor and texture of cinnamon rolls.
Great Leftover. All cinnamon rolls are good when they’re hot from the oven. But I’ve long felt like most recipes were lacking in greatness, especially when it comes to the freshness of the roll by the end of the day, and particularly in the days following. So I set about to make the best ever cinnamon rolls. These are not only great fresh and hot from the oven, but also for days after.
Perfect for the Holidays. Special occasions like Thanksgiving and Christmas are the perfect occasion to make a pan of these sweet, fluffy rolls. You can even make the dough at night, let it rest and chill in the refrigerator, then shape and bake the rolls in the morning, so you don’t have to wake up too early.
High Altitude Tested. I develop all the recipes on my site for Denver’s altitude of 5,280 feet. If you’re at a lower or higher elevation, please see my FAQs for guidance on adjusting recipes for your altitude.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for the full ingredients list and instructions.
Ingredients
- Butter. Unsalted butter, in both the dough and the filling, adds richness and flavor to these buttermilk cinnamon rolls.
- Buttermilk. Buttermilk is more acidic than whole milk, and provides a beautiful rise to the dough, wonderful flavor, and tender chewy texture.
- Bread Flour. Any bread recipe that calls for yeast should be made with bread flour. Bread flour has more protein than all-purpose flour, and the protein helps with gluten development. The gluten gives the rolls a soft, chewy texture, rather than cakey or crumbly.
- Sugar. The sweetness in these rolls comes from a trio of different sugars used. A little granulated sugar in the dough, dark brown sugar in the filling, and powdered sugar for the icing.
- Salt. A pinch of coarse Kosher salt balances the sweetness.
- Nutmeg + Cinnamon. Freshly grated nutmeg in the dough nicely complements the heavy sprinkling of cinnamon in the filling.
- Yeast. You can use either instant/rapid-rise yeast or active dry yeast. I’ve included instructions for both in my recipe. The yeast is what makes the rolls rise, making them soft and pillowy.
- Eggs. This is an “enriched” dough, meaning it has a fairly high fat content from the eggs and butter. But the amount of sugar called for in the dough itself is relatively low. The result is a soft, pillowy dough that bakes into a beautifully rich-tasting roll.
- Vanilla + Almond Extracts. I used both vanilla and almond extracts in my dough, but the rolls don’t taste like almond. It’s just enough to enhance the flavor and complement the cinnamon and nutmeg, but not enough to turn this into an almond pastry.
Instructions
Making the Dough.
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the buttermilk and stir. Warm the mixture just until it reaches between 110-115 degrees F.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat. Stir in the yeast and 1 teaspoon of the sugar. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes until it begins to foam and bubble; this will let you know that the yeast is active.
TIP: If the milk mixture gets too hot, let it sit for a few minutes until it cools down to the correct temperature. It’s important that you check the temperature – if it’s too cold, it won’t activate the yeast, and if it’s too hot, it will kill the yeast.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, stir together 3 cups of the flour (reserve 1/4 cup for rolling out the dough later) with the warm milk mixture, the sugar, salt, nutmeg, eggs and extracts into a rough shaggy dough.
- With the dough hook, knead on medium/low speed for 10 minutes. The dough will be soft, sticky and loose, but don’t add more flour. Even though the dough is soft, when you scrape it out of the bowl with a spatula, you should still be able to gather it into a ball with your hands.
- Lightly spray a large bowl with nonstick spray. Place the dough in the bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and set in a warm place to rise until doubled in size, about 60-90 minutes. If your oven has a bread-proofing setting, you can use that to proof your dough. If not, let your oven preheat to the lowest setting, turn the oven off, and then set your dough inside to rise.
TIP: The chill time allows the gluten to rest and the dough to develop flavor. It’s also much easier to work with the dough when it’s cold, since this is a very soft dough, and difficult to manage without chilling it. Lastly, it saves you time in the morning! By making the dough at night and letting it chill overnight, all you have to do in the morning is quickly roll out, fill, roll up and cut the dough before baking.
- Set the bowl of dough, still covered, in the refrigerator to chill for 1-2 hours, or overnight.
- Turn the cold dough out onto a lightly floured work surface (using the last remaining 1/4 cup of flour to keep the dough from sticking). Roll your dough out into a rectangle measuring approximately 12×18 inches.
Filling and Rolling.
- Line a 9×13 pan with a sheet of parchment paper, or spray with non-stick spray. (You can even bake the rolls in a muffin pan, if you like, which keeps them nice and round, with a slight crust all around the outside and a gooey center.)
- Melt your butter and use a pastry brush to spread it evenly over the dough, all the way to the edges.In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar and cinnamon, then sprinkle that evenly over the butter.
- Roll up the dough (starting on one of the long sides) into a log, keeping it as tight as you can. Using a gentle sawing motion with a sharp, non-serrated knife, cut the dough into 12 rolls.
- Place the rolls, cut side up, in the pan. Cover the pan with a towel, and set in a warm place for 20 minutes to puff up a little, just until the rolls are touching.
Bake and Drizzle with Icing.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F.
- Bake the rolls on the center oven rack for about 22-25 minutes, until they appear done in the middle, and the top is a pale golden brown.
- In a bowl, stir together all the icing ingredients until smooth. Immediately drizzle over the hot rolls.
- Let the rolls cool for about 10 minutes and serve warm.
Recipe Variation: Orange Sweet Rolls
Orange sweet rolls are a delicious twist on classic cinnamon rolls. I spiced the dough with nutmeg, ginger and vanilla bean, filled them with orange sugar, and frosted them with orange cream cheese frosting. I recommend the “cream baked rolls” option for this variation, noted in the FAQ section below.
- Dough: Add 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger and substitute the vanilla extract with vanilla bean paste.
- Filling: Omit the cinnamon and brown sugar. Instead, rub 1 teaspoon fresh orange zest into granulated sugar, and sprinkle the orange sugar over the butter.
- Frosting. Beat together until smooth 8 oz softened cream cheese, 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 2 tbsp orange juice, 1 tsp vanilla extract, and 1 tsp fresh orange zest.
Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common baking questions, so that you can be successful in your own baking!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use whole milk or non dairy milk instead of the buttermilk?
Yes, you can use any type of milk in this recipe. But I don’t recommend skim or low fat milk, since the flavor won’t be as rich.
Should my ingredients be warm or cold when making cinnamon roll dough?
- Your eggs will be too cold if you use them straight from the fridge, and the chill could prevent your dough from rising. Let them sit out for about an hour (or place the eggs in a glass of hot water) to warm up to room temperature before adding to your dough.
- It’s very important that you check the temperature of your melted butter and warmed buttermilk. The temperature noted is not just a suggestion; it’s essential to correctly activating your yeast. Too cold, and the yeast won’t be activated. Too hot, and it will kill the yeast.
Can I make cinnamon roll dough without a stand mixer and dough hook?
- You can make the dough without a mixer and dough hook, but it will be more difficult to knead the dough by hand. Since the dough is soft and sticky, it’s tempting to add too much flour, resulting in a drier roll. If kneading the dough by hand, you might try using a Danish dough whisk instead of using your hands. You’ll also need to knead the dough by hand for about 20 minutes, compared to 10 minutes with a stand mixer, which is extremely tiring.
What kind of icing is best on cinnamon rolls?
- Vanilla Icing: This recipe makes a generous amount of vanilla icing to drizzle over your cinnamon rolls. If you like less icing, you can certainly cut the recipe in half. Almond extract or maple extract is fantastic in the icing, too.
- Orange Icing: For a delicious orange icing, try substituting orange juice for the cream. Start with 3-4 tablespoons juice and adding more as needed. Add a little orange extract, too, to enhance the flavor even more.
- Buttercream or Cream Cheese Frosting: If you like more of a buttercream frosting or cream cheese frosting for your cinnamon rolls, you can get my recipe in my Perfect American Buttercream post.
Can I bake these rolls in a muffin pan instead of a 9×13 pan?
- This recipe makes 12 good-sized rolls that fit just right in a 9×13 pan. Of course, as they bake, they squish together a little, so when you cut the rolls apart, they’re more square than round.
- I also love baking cinnamon rolls in a greased muffin pan, which keeps them perfectly round. Baked this way, each roll will have a pretty golden crust on the outside while staying soft and fluffy inside. Since the heat circulates around the individual rolls in a muffin pan, they will bake more quickly, so you’ll need to reduce the bake time by a few minutes. I baked my Cardamom Orange Cinnamon Rolls in a muffin pan, and they’re so pretty!
What are cream baked rolls?
- Pouring cream over your rolls, prior to baking, is a popular option for super gooey and soft rolls. To do this, you should slightly warm 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream to take the chill off. Just before baking your rolls, pour the warm cream over them and then bake as instructed. This will only work if you’re baking the rolls in a 9×13 pan, not in a muffin pan.
How do I reheat cinnamon rolls?
- A cinnamon roll is always best when it’s freshly baked, hot from the oven, am I right? But these are still fantastic leftover. Any cinnamon rolls that don’t get eaten right away should be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- The best way to reheat them is in a toaster oven for about 5 minutes at 300 degrees, or in your microwave for 45 seconds on 50% power.
Can the unbaked rolls be frozen?
Yes, you can assemble and cut the rolls, then freeze them until you’re ready to bake them. Unbaked rolls can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3-6 months. Let them thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then let them sit out at room temperature for several hours, or until they have started to warm and puff up, before baking them.
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Buttermilk Cinnamon Rolls
All recipes on Curly Girl Kitchen are developed for high altitude at 5,280 feet. See FAQs for adjusting to higher or lower elevations.
Equipment
- Stand Mixer with Dough Hook
Ingredients
Dough
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- ¾ cup whole buttermilk or whole milk
- 2 ¼ tsp (1 packet) instant/rapid rise yeast or active dry yeast
- ¼ cup granulated sugar, divided
- 3 ¼ cups bread flour, spooned and leveled, divided
- 1 tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- 2 large eggs (room temperature)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp almond extract (optional)
Filling
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- ¾ cup dark brown sugar, packed
- 1 ½ tbsp cinnamon
Icing
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 5-6 tbsp heavy whipping cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp almond extract (optional)
Instructions
Dough
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the buttermilk and stir. Warm the mixture just until it reaches between 110-115 degrees F.If it gets too hot, let it sit for a few minutes until it cools down to the correct temperature. It's important that you check the temperature – if it's too cold, it won't activate the yeast, and if it's too hot, it will kill the yeast.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat. Stir in the yeast and 1 teaspoon of the sugar. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes until it begins to foam and bubble; this will let you know that the yeast is active.Baker's Note: If using instant/rapid rise yeast, you can choose to skip this step of proofing the yeast in the warm liquid first, and simply add the warm liquid and the yeast to the rest of the dough ingredients. However, I like to proof the yeast every time, simply to ensure the yeast is active and not expired, before adding it to the dough.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, stir together 3 cups of the flour (reserve 1/4 cup for rolling out the dough later) with the warm milk mixture, the sugar, salt, nutmeg, eggs and extracts into a rough shaggy dough. With the dough hook, knead on medium/low speed for 10 minutes. The dough will be soft, sticky and loose, but don't add more flour. Even though the dough is soft, when you scrape it out of the bowl with a spatula, you should still be able to gather it into a ball with your hands.
- Lightly spray a large bowl with nonstick spray. Place the dough in the bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and set in a warm place to rise until doubled in size, about 60-90 minutes.If your oven has a bread-proofing setting, you can use that to proof your dough. If not, let your oven preheat to the lowest setting, turn the oven off, and then set your dough inside to rise.
- Set the bowl of dough, still covered, in the refrigerator to chill for 1-2 hours, or overnight.The chill time allows the gluten to rest and the dough to develop flavor. It's also much easier to work with the dough when it's cold, since this is a soft dough.
- Turn the cold dough out onto a lightly floured work surface (using the last remaining 1/4 cup of flour to keep the dough from sticking). Roll your dough out into a rectangle measuring approximately 12×18 inches.
Filling
- Line a 9×13 pan with a sheet of parchment paper, or spray with non-stick spray. (You can even bake the rolls in a muffin pan, if you like, which keeps them nice and round, with a slight crust all around the outside and a gooey center.)
- Melt your butter and use a pastry brush to spread it evenly over the dough, all the way to the edges.In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar and cinnamon, then sprinkle that evenly over the butter.
- Roll up the dough (starting on one of the long sides) into a log, keeping it as tight as you can. Using a gentle sawing motion with a sharp, non-serrated knife, cut the dough into 12 rolls.
- Place the rolls, cut side up, in the pan. Cover the pan with a towel, and set in a warm place for 20 minutes to puff up a little, just until the rolls are touching.
Bake
- Preheat the oven to 350 F.
- Bake the rolls on the center oven rack for about 22-25 minutes, until they appear done in the middle, and the top is a pale golden brown.
Icing
- In a bowl, stir together all the icing ingredients until smooth. Immediately drizzle over the hot rolls.
- Let the rolls cool for about 10 minutes and serve warm.
Notes
- Yeast: This recipe calls for instant or rapid-rise yeast, which does not require any proofing first, so you can just mix it right into the dough. If you only have regular active dry yeast, you should proof it first, before adding to the dough. To do this, heat your butter and buttermilk as instructed, then sprinkle the yeast, and 1 teaspoon of sugar, over the liquid. Stir in and let sit until foamy, about 5-10 minutes. Add to your dough and mix as instructed.
- Eggs: Your eggs will be too cold if you use them straight from the fridge, and the chill could prevent your dough from rising. Let them sit out for about an hour (or place the eggs in a glass of hot water) to warm up to room temperature before adding to your dough.
- 110-115 Degrees: It’s very important that you check the temperature of your melted butter and warmed buttermilk. The amount noted here is not a suggestion; it’s essential to correctly activating your yeast. Too cold, and the yeast won’t be activated. Too hot, and it will kill the yeast.
- Icing: This recipe makes a generous amount of icing to drizzle over your cinnamon rolls. If you like less icing, you can certainly cut the recipe in half. For a delicious orange icing, try substituting orange juice for the cream, starting with 3-4 tablespoons juice and adding more as needed.
- Cream Baked Rolls: Pouring cream over your rolls, prior to baking, is a popular option for super gooey and soft rolls. To do this, you should slightly warm 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream to take the chill off. Just before baking your rolls, pour the cream over them and then bake as instructed.
- Overnight Cinnamon Rolls: To get a jump-start on breakfast prep, you can make, proof and chill the dough, then roll and shape the rolls the night before. Place the cut rolls in your baking dish, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight. The next morning, take them out of the refrigerator, and set in a warm place to take the chill off, which will take about an hour, then let them puff up a bit. Bake as instructed.
Hello! Would it work to use a dough hook on a stand mixer for this? If so, how long and at what speed?
Thanks!
Yes, you can use your mixer and dough hook instead of kneading it by hand, and the time kneading will be the same. I usually knead dough on the speed setting just above “stir” which is #2 I think.
You did not include the chill time in the overall amount of time this recipe takes. Glad I double read before starting this.
Thanks for letting me know. I’ve updated that in the recipe.
This was excellent! Next time I might do a bit more brown sugar in the bread and less powdered sugar in the frosting. My fourth CGK recipe and all of them are spot on for baking in Denver 🙂 if you’re feeling adventurous, would love to see this recipe with a flaky croissant-type base.
I’m so glad you loved them, Mari! Great idea to try them with croissant dough. 🙂
Second recipe I’ve tried from your blog. They’re always a hit with my husband who has a sweet tooth. I did normal whole milk but next time I’ll splurge on buttermilk. I bet they’re 10x more tasty. I recommend your blog to anyone who is new to baking in high altitude. Thank you for sharing.
My dough wasn’t as wet, so I might have measured too much flour, but they were still delicious. I used the cream bake method, and I would recommend these for sure. It would be nice though if it also had grams or ounces. We put cream cheese frosting on these. So good!
My 4th recipe from CG and loving it. I’m at 8,200 ft in Evergreen, CO and didn’t change anything. I don’t do much with yeast but instructs were great and clear, and I was watching the temp closely with a thermometer for the butter/buttermilk part. I did a lot of testing (creamed half vs not, tried some in the muffin tin vs. pan, normal vs. cream cheese icing) and my taste testing panel (my husband and I!) both preferred the creamed rolls in the 9×13 pan over the “un”creamed or muffin tin ones (although the muffin tin ones looked much more round and pretty, they tasted too dry for us). They were perfectly cooked at 350F for 21 minutes, although I think I sliced them too thin initially, and the creamed ones were sooo moist but not doughy. For the icing, I add the 1/2 tsp of almond extract but it was a little too much for my taste, so next time I’ll do 1/4 tsp or none. Used fresh ground cinnamon for a real “level up” on the flavor and it was *chef’s kiss*. The weight measurements I used were 360 grams of bread flour for the dough, 150 grams of brown sugar for the filling, and 186 grams of powdered sugar for the frosting.
Thanks for the recipe!
The best recipe I’ve made. I have a yeast phobia so thank you for this recipe.
Going to try this in Colorado Springs. Wondering if you’ve ever made a cinnamon roll cake ?
I haven’t done a cinnamon roll cake, but it sounds delicious. 🙂
I’m giving this 5 stars because I’m sure it’s going to be great! All your other recipes have been! Just a quick question tho. In your notes, it says you can “Make and proof, then roll and shape the rolls the night before.” In the recipe itself, it says you “set the bowl of dough, still uncovered, in the refrigerator to chill for 1-2 hours, or overnight.”
Can I do it either way or is there a preferred method?
I’m from Houston and just bought a condo in Durango. Your recipes have been saving me from baking depression because I was definitely having trouble trying to convert my Gulf Coast recipes to high altitude. Thank you for all your help. Your site is lovely.
In the notes, I’ve just corrected it to read “you can make, proof and chill the dough, then roll and shape the rolls the night before”.
The dough has to be chilled before it can be shaped into rolls, because it’s too soft to work with, without chilling. Personally, I prefer to chill it overnight, then shape the rolls in the morning.
I’m so happy you’re enjoying the recipes!
Thanks for your help! I made them all in one day but chilling them for a couple of hours before rolling out and cutting. They were sooo great! I need to give them away or I’m going to eat all of them all by myself. I showed my sister how beautiful they looked over a Facetime call and she swore she could smell them, they looked so wonderful!
Hello there. Can I substitute the Instant Yeast with Instant Sourdough Yeast?
I’ve never used sourdough yeast, so I can’t say if they’re interchangeable. From what I’ve read, sourdough yeast takes much longer for the bread to rise. You may need to do some research on this before trying the substitution.
With the negative temperatures we had yesterday (I am in Morrison, CO at just under 6100), I decided to try this recipe with the leftover buttermilk I had. When I went to get the yeast out of the pantry all I had was pizza yeast, but after researching decided to try it. I did proof it and the dough turned out beautifully. We had them for breakfast and my husband who does not like sweets for breakfast loved them! He actually went back and had another one. He just said he would eat the whole tray if he could. I baked them in a muffin pan and they stayed in a nice round shape. I might try the creamed rolls another time. I was wondering though, after rolling and cutting the rolls if they could be frozen and then baked at a later time?
I’m so glad you loved them! Yes, you can freeze the unbaked rolls. Let them thaw in the refrigerator overnight, and then let them warm up at room temperature for a while until they start to puff up, before baking them.
Can these be prepared and then frozen before baking?
Hi! I love all of your recipes, not one has failed me! Have you ever made your cinnamon rolls with sourdough discard, or used sourdough starter for any of your high altitude recipes?!
Jessica, no, I’ve never used sourdough discard or starter.
OMG! These are the BEST! I also made these using 100 grams of my ACTIVE sourdough starter, instead of yeast! I followed all the same directions, they turned out just as perfect!