CinnamonRolls365
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Beginner's Easy Cinnamon Rolls

“I've never baked with yeast in my life, is there a recipe that won't punish me for not knowing what I'm doing?” That's one of the most common first posts in the group.

This is the recipe we hand to first-timers. No tangzhong, no cold fermentation, no judging whether your yeast foamed enough. Instant yeast goes straight in with the flour, and every rise comes with a visual cue so you go by how the dough looks and feels, not the clock. Nothing fancy, just a classic cinnamon roll that's hard to mess up.

Prep
2 hr 35 min
Bake
25 min
Yield
12 rolls

Ingredients

Dough

  • 4½ cups (540g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
  • ⅓ cup (67g) granulated sugar
  • 2¼ tsp (1 standard packet) instant yeast
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 cup (240ml) milk, warm (like bathwater, not hot)
  • ⅓ cup (76g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
  • 2 large eggs

Filling

  • ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1⅓ cups (295g) packed brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp ground cinnamon

Vanilla Glaze

  • 1 cup (120g) powdered sugar
  • 1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2½ tbsp milk, to thin

Instructions

Make the dough

  1. In a large bowl or stand mixer, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, instant yeast, and salt. Because this is instant yeast, it goes straight in with the dry ingredients, no separate proofing step needed.
  2. Add the warm milk, melted butter, and eggs to the dry ingredients. Mix with a dough hook (or wooden spoon, then your hands) until it comes together into a shaggy dough.
  3. Knead on medium-low speed (or by hand on a floured counter) for 8–10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and soft. It should feel slightly tacky to the touch: that's normal, resist the urge to add much more flour.
  4. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with a towel or plastic wrap, and set in a warm spot (an oven with just the light on works well). Let rise until roughly doubled in size and it holds a dent when gently poked, about 1 to 1½ hours. Don't worry about the exact time; just watch for the size and the poke test.

Fill, shape, and second rise

  1. Gently punch down the dough. On a lightly floured surface, roll it into a rough 12×16-inch rectangle; it doesn't need to be perfect.
  2. Mix the softened butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon together into a spreadable paste. Spread it evenly over the dough using a spatula or clean hands, leaving a small bare strip along one long edge.
  3. Starting from the long edge covered in filling, roll the dough into a tight log. Pinch the seam closed. Slice into 12 rolls using dental floss (slide it under the log, cross the ends over the top, and pull) or a sharp serrated knife if you don't have floss.
  4. Arrange the rolls in a greased 9×13-inch baking pan, cover loosely, and let rise in a warm spot until puffy and touching, about 30–45 minutes.

Bake and glaze

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) toward the end of the second rise. Bake for 20–25 minutes, until golden brown on top. If you have an instant-read thermometer, the center should read about 190°F, but golden-brown color alone is a perfectly good guide.
  2. Let the rolls cool for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk together the powdered sugar, melted butter, vanilla, and milk until smooth.
  3. Drizzle the glaze over the warm rolls and serve.

Baker's tips

  • Rise times are guidelines, not deadlines: a cold kitchen might take longer, a warm one less. Go by how the dough looks and feels, not the clock.

  • No stand mixer? Everything here can be mixed with a wooden spoon and kneaded by hand for about 10 minutes instead.

  • Once you've nailed these, the community-curated pillar recipe is the natural next step: same idea, with the techniques our group swears by.

    See the pillar recipe

  • Prefer a thicker, tangier topping than the glaze? Swap in one of our other frostings, they all fit this recipe.

    See all 3 frosting options

Questions about this recipe

Why won't my dough rise?
Check your yeast's expiration date first: expired yeast is the #1 reason dough won't rise. The other common culprit is milk that was too hot: anything over about 130°F kills the yeast, and the dough won't rise at all. A cold kitchen just means a slower rise, not a failed one, so give it more time.
How warm should the milk be?
About 110°F, roughly like bathwater. If it's comfortable to hold a finger in, it's right. If it feels hot, let it cool a few minutes before adding it, or you risk killing the yeast.
My dough feels sticky, did I do something wrong?
No, it's supposed to be soft and a little tacky. Don't add extra flour just because it sticks slightly to your fingers; a dry, stiff dough is what makes dense rolls. Only dust in more flour if the dough is genuinely unworkable.
Do I need a stand mixer?
No. Mix everything with a wooden spoon until it comes together, then knead by hand on a floured counter for about 10 minutes. It's a workout, but the result is just as good.