Brown Butter Cinnamon Rolls
Cinnamon rolls elevated in all the ways: a buttermilk dough that uses the tangzhong method to make it extra soft and fluffy and a cinnamon filling made extra flavorful with brown butter.
The best cinnamon rolls ever! These are made milk bread style, with buttermilk powder to yield a fluffy bread roll. The rolls wrap around a brown sugar brown butter gooey filling that caramelizes on the bottom and gives off the best nutty aroma. These are perfect for weekend brunches or christmas morning =)
There are three different ways we’ve elevated the basic cinnamon roll recipe: brown butter adds nuttiness and depth to the filling, buttermilk powder gives us a tangy taste and a soft texture, using the milk bread tanghzhong technique really drives that super soft texture home.
Further these brown butter cinnamon rolls are baked in a heavy cream bath, to create a delicious gooey resulting roll and are topped with a brown butter cream cheese icing.
Recipe Origins
This past summer I went on a cinnamon roll baking spree; it was sometime after I posted my Strawberry Rolls and the memory of how yummy those were made me want to make ALL the rolls. I made basic cinnamon rolls (with the same milk bread method) and I found myself wanting to add more depth to the flavor; especially to the filling and icing to move beyond simply ‘sweet’.
What makes these the best brown butter cinnamon rolls
The buttermilk: Buttermilk does two jobs here: provides a little tang which is a nice contrast to the sugars in the filling and icing, but also makes it incredibly tender. Using a milk powder for bread recipes is quite common because it provides tenderness. Even more important for our purposes here: had we used fresh buttermilk, it would likely curdle during the tangzhong step. Thus buttermilk powder gives us tang, texture, and ensures we have the softest dough ever!
The tangzhong: a Japanese technique I use for almost all my enriched bread recipes. Essentially you cook together some of the flour and water, this gelatinizes the starches without gluten formation (gluten is what makes our breads tough). It is honestly, the easiest technique you can apply to any enriched bread recipe and all it takes is a pot & whisk, some flour, and liquid.
The brown butter: In these rolls, you definitely can’t miss the brown butter. It’s a big component of the filling and we’ll add some to the icing as well. You are also welcome to use in the dough as well, to really drive that brown butter yumminess home!
The heavy cream bath: While I was checking out copycat Cinnabon recipes for tricks (I have not eaten a Cinnabon since I was in undergrad but the memory is still so good!), I came across a recipe that had the most interesting step prior to baking the rolls: pouring heavy cream over the dough before it goes into the oven, from Tastes of Lizzy It’s not necessary and you will have a wonderful tray of rolls without it, but if you’ve got heavy cream on hand, I do recommend it.
Recipe Ingredients
Flour: bread flour. If you use all purpose flour this dough will be overly sticky and difficult to work with. Bread flour gives more chew and structure to the rolls. They’ll still be wonderfully soft too.
Water: we’re using tap water in the tangzhong and in the dough to bloom the yeast.
Yeast: rapid rise/instant yeast. You can also use active dry yeast.
Sugar: I use brown sugar in the dough and in the filling. If you are low on brown sugar you can sub in fine granulated in the dough.
Eggs: whole large eggs. This recipe can’t be made egg-free but if you need an eggless cinnamon roll recipe, try this one.
Oil or butter: canola oil or you can melt butter. Lately I have been browning a full cup of butter then measuring out 57g for the dough, 113g for the filling and I am usually left with about a tablespoon which I use for the glaze.
Buttermilk or milk powder: this is buttermilk or milk that has been concentrated and dried.
Salt & vanilla: fine sea salt (halve the amount if using table salt) and pure vanilla extract. In my recipe vanilla goes in every part of the roll: the dough, the filling and the glaze.
Cinnamon: ground cinnamon. For all the flavor, obviously 😉
Cream cheese: It can be spreadable or brick style but in both cases it should be room temperature so it’s easier to incorporate into the icing.
Milk or heavy cream: for icing.
How to Make Brown Butter Cinnamon Rolls
First make the cinnamon roll dough
Start by browning the butter, so it has time to cool. I tend to brown more than I need for the filling so that I have leftovers to put in the glaze. Cook the butter over medium heat in a frying pan until you see all the milk solids (panko like bits) have turned brown. Never leave it in the pan or it will burn, transfer to a bowl.
Make the tangzhong (roux) by cooking together the flour & water until thickened
Proof the yeast: add it with the water and a pinch of sugar to the bottom of the bowl, stir and let sit for 5 minutes. Once it’s foamy, you know it’s ready and safe to use
Add the flour over the yeast and the rest of the ingredients. Because the roux is hot, set it on one side and the eggs on the other (we don’t want it to ‘cook’ the eggs)
Knead until it comes together in a roux ball, about 7 minutes
Cover and set to rise until almost, but not quite, doubled in size
Fill and shape the cinnamon rolls
Combine the brown butter with the cinnamon, salt, vanilla and sugar. Then roll out the dough to about a 12 x 16 inch rectangle, and spread the filling over it
I use unwaxed dental floss to slice the dough so it doesn’t squish it. Then arrange them in a lightly greased pan.
Let the rolls rise until puffy then pour the heavy cream into the spaces between them. (note: these have overproofed! They shouldn’t be that puffy or they will shrink a bit after baking.)
Bake until golden brown – if you want to ensure they are fully baked use an instant read thermometer to check the bread, it should read 190 F.
Making Brown Butter Cinnamon Rolls Ahead of Time
This dish needs two rises, a first for the dough and a second for the assembled rolls. The first can happen in the fridge, overnight, which is what I generally do. If you’d like to do the first rise and assembly the day or night before, you can – bearing in mind that the rolls will not rise in the fridge. They will need to first come to room temperature and then rise. How long this takes will depend on the temperature of your kitchen/rising spot.
When I tried this, I found I only saved myself the time of rolling and shaping the rolls. It took me about an hour and a half – so double the rising time it would’ve taken otherwise. That said, it is possible to ‘halt’ the rolls after you assemble them. Set them in the tray (lined with parchment) and wrap them in plastic wrap (double).
If you’ve set them in the fridge overnight after filling and assembling them. Take them out of the fridge and let them warm up and rise. You’re looking for them to nearly double in size (but not fully) and for the dough to have that signature ‘poofy’ look. If you are using the heavy cream, you’ll add it right before the rolls go into the oven.
Can I halve the recipe?
The dough divides neatly into half. The only finicky part of halving this recipe will be the roux, you can either make the full amount and refrigerate half or just make half. To halve it you’ll need:
- 2 1/2 tablespoons flour plus 1 teaspoon
- 1/4 cup water or milk
- 1/4 cup water
Brown Butter Cinnamon Roll Icing
We’ll just do one browning session but make enough to use for the filling with a little bit leftover so we can add it to the icing. About a tablespoon is enough; it gives the icing shine, flecks of brown, and a complex taste that’s so much more than your average milk & sugar icing mixture. The cream cheese adds a little bit of tang to these and it’s really very hard to imagine a more perfect topping for these!
Recipe for Brown Butter Cinnamon Rolls
Brown Butter Buttermilk Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
Roux
- 240g or 1 cup water
- 40g or ⅓ cup bread flour
Dough
- 7g or 1 packet instant yeast
- 60g or ¼ cup water warmed to touch
- 3 tablespoons buttermilk powder can sub milk powder
- 100g or ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 50g or ¼ cup canola oil can also use browned butter, measure after browning
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 520g or 4 cups bread flour
Filling
- 200g or 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons cinnamon
- 113g or ½ cup browned butter see notes
- Pinch fine sea salt salt
- dash of vanilla
- 120g or ½ cup heavy cream for pouring over after they have risen
Glaze
- 1 tablespoon browned butter
- 190g or 1 ½ cups organic powdered sugar made with tapioca starch
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 tablespoon milk or heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons cream cheese
Method
- Make the roux: In a medium sized pot, combine the flour and water. Turn heat on to medium and cook while whisking until you get a thick paste, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add to the bowl of your stand mixer.
- Make the dough: Combine the water with the yeast and set aside until frothy. When the roux is no longer too hot to touch, add the yeast and water mix, as well as the remaining ingredients for the dough. Fitted with the dough hook, turn the mixer on and knead for about 7 minutes, until you have a soft, stretchy dough. Add more flour if needed (up to 1/2 cup more), dough should be sticky and will not form into a ball. Turn dough into an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Set in the fridge overnight, or for a 2 hour rise at room temperature.
- Make the brown butter: in a saucepan, add 12 tablespoons of butter, chopped. Cook on medium high until the butter foams, sputters and separates. Once it goes quiet and you can smell nuttiness and see specks of brown at the bottom of the pan, pour it into a heatproof bowl and set in the fridge for about an hour, until it is creamy but not hard (if you make it beforehand and it has solidified, melt it in the microwave).
- Make the filling: combine together ½ cup of the now set but soft browned butter, brown sugar, cinnamon salt and vanilla.
- Make the rolls: Prepare a 9×13” aluminum cake pan with parchment paper. Roll out the dough onto a well-floured surface to the size of a standard cookie sheet (so about 13×18 inches). Spread the filling over the dough, leaving a one inch border on each side. Roll the dough up from the longer side into a log. Use dental floss (unwaxed) or a sharp knife to first trim the edges, then slice it into twelve 1” size rolls. Place them in the pan and set in a warm place to rise until puffy, about an hour. If you did the first rise in the fridge this can take longer. Remove heavy cream from the fridge to allow it to come to room temperature.
- Bake the rolls: Preheat the oven to 350 F. Right before you set the rolls into the oven, pour the heavy cream over the pan – ensuring equal portioning and especially getting between rolls. Bake the rolls for about 20-30 minutes until puffy and browned.
- Make the icing: Sift the powdered sugar into a bowl. You should have leftover brown butter, add 1 tablespoon of it, the salt, vanilla, heavy cream, and cream cheese and whisk until smooth. If it’s too thick, add a bit more heavy cream. If too thin, add a bit more powdered sugar. Pour the icing over the rolls while they are still warm but not hot.
- Serving and storing: these are best served warm, within an hour after coming out of the oven. They should be stored in an airtight container and can be reheated gently in the microwave right before eating.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
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When you mention proofing the yeast in water, you write ” Once it’s foamy, you know it’s ready and safe to use.” I’m curious about what makes this “safe” as I’ve never heard of food safety concerns with yeast, whether proofed or not.
Ah, it means you’re safe knowing that it is good to use and will proof the dough.
These were quite good and the couple of leftovers were still soft the next day. The brown butter makes a difference too. thanks for the recipe!
These are amazing! They are incredibly soft, fluffy and tender even without the heavy cream bath. I had to add a little extra flour (about 20g) while kneading the dough but it was super easy to roll out after I proofed it at room temp for 2 hours. I added about a tablespoon of milk powder to the butter as it browned to amp up the browned butter flavor, and used browned butter in both dough and filling. I will definitely make these again!
what can i replace the buttermilk / milk powder with – can i omit ? i know you have said its in the notes but unfortunately i am unable to find that piece of information ?
These were a hit—I brought them to a brunch with four adults and we all ate two!
I made the dough and browned butter the night before and put them both in the fridge. I took the dough out right before I was ready to make the cinnamon rolls the next morning and found it super easy to work with on a well floured surface. I just microwaved the browned butter to get it soft. I let them rise for maybe 1.5 hours and they came out perfectly!
I did think they needed a bit more salt (but I think that’s my fault for using kosher) so Sam has finally influenced me to get sea salt instead of using Diamond kosher for everything.
I’ve been trying different cinnamon rolls to find one to make our go-to family recipe, and after making these today my husband respectfully requested I call off the search 🙂
ha, so happy you two found ‘the one’ in these Katherine!
These are genuinely the best cinnamon rolls I’ve ever eaten. They’re soft, tender, flavorful and have a strong brown butter flavor (especially if you add it to the dough). The only negative is that the dough is VERY sticky and i ended up using a lot more flour as no amount of kneading was helping.
I have made these at least 10 times now and everyone ALWAYS loves them! The best cinnamon roll recipe I’ve ever tried!
Ten!! I love it!!! thank you so much for this comment!
Have you used buttermilk in place of buttermilk powder?
It will curdle when making the tangzong. You can use milk powder if you prefer, or use milk in place of the water in the tangzong although it’s not quite the same.
Amazing!
Phenomenal rolls. You’re the best out there and it’s not even close. Everything I try from you is perfect.
This is the only cinnamon roll recipe I’ll make. I’ve tried 4 other recipes and nothing beats this one.
Always a winner! I think the recipe used to have instructions if you don’t have milk powder – for my future reference, just replace half the water in the tahzong with regular milk and bloom the yeast in milk rather than water.
Best Cinnamon Rolls EVER
I am sold on this technique. I hate cinnamon rolls whose outer ring is so tough that I always throw it away. These were the most tender cinnamon rolls I have ever made. I might be a little more aggressive with the brown butter next time, it really didn’t come through for me. Regardless, these are the most amazing and delicious cinnamon rolls I have ever made. Well done!
Wow! These were AMAZING! I have never made rolls with a milk bath, they came out soooo soft. And I love the brown butter. The one thing I might try to do (this is personal preference) is to tone down the sweetness just a bit. How would you suggest I do that?
Hi, if I do the first rise in the fridge overnight, should I let the dough sit out before rolling it out for filling?
Nope, it’ll be easier to handle. If you do find it is tough to roll let it rest for 10 minutes then roll it out.
Made these many times. My husband and son are absolutely obsessed with. So so so good
OK, I’m on my one hundredth time making these and wondering how exactly one could go about freezing these? Should I freeze the fully baked, freeze the dough after the first rise, or freeze parbaked rolls? Will any of these still lead to a good cinnamon roll?
Yuuuup. This is a keeper. My new favorite cinnamon roll recipe. Absolutely delicious. I did use an old cream cheese icing recipe I’m used to in place of the glaze just because I wanted a thicker tangy icing. It was absolutely perfect. Thank you for this!
My mom always made cinnamon rolls for Christmas morning using frozen bread dough for the roll; a cinnamon, butter and raisin filling ; topped with cream-and-powdered-sugar which bakes into a gooey glaze. This semi-homemade style recipe makes a reasonably good cinnamond roll -certainly better than anything my mom could purchase near her home but I found them tough.
I’m more of a purest than my mom was, so I started making cinnamon rolls completely from scratch. I started with a Martha Stewart recipe which was pretty good.
March of 2020, my husband was home with COVID for 6 weeks, my college-age daughter moved home, and my mom was staying with us. I needed to make bread for these people. I couldn’t get yeasts so I made my own sourdough starter, as so many of us did. I haven’t stopped making all things sourdough since. Christmas 2021-7 months after mom passed away- I hosted my sister’s family and that year I made sourdough cinnamon rolls. They were, by far, the best cinnamon roll I had ever made, and probably, the best I had ever tasted. I used the same recipe in 2022 (from Food Geek on YouTube) and I planned on making them again this year until I stumbled on this brown butter cinnamon roll recipe. Since everything I’ve made from Sam’s recipe file has been DELICIOUS, I went with this recipe and they did not disappoint!Q
I made them as written, however I missed the instructions that the dough should be sticky a”unable to form a ball” and I added more flour- staying close to the 1/2 cup max- until it formed a ball. I had a moment of panic but since it was still quite sticky to touch, I soldiered on presuming I had met one criteria so I had not destroyed the dough. sig In the end, I don’t think i did any significant damage as the rolls were very moist and soft.
I found the dough very easy to work with. I let the stand mixer do the kneading and tossed the dough into a bulking container (a Cambro 4 qt container with lid) and into the refrigerator overnight. The next morning I took the container out and put it on the counter as I made the brown butter. I let the dough warm up until the brown butter was ready which was about 80-90 min total, including cooling the brown butter in the refrigerator for an hour. The butter got too cold making it too solid. I ended up microwaving it for 13 seconds, which made it more manageable, but not too liquid.
I was delighted that the cinnamon topping is a sandy mixture, making it super easy to spread on the rolled-out dough compared to a filling that is the consistency of butter and has to be spread on to uncooperative, raw dough. The dough rolled out beautifully. The cut rolls fit perfectly into my 9×13 in pan. I put the entire pan into my proofing box and it took about an hour for them to rise.
There was a lot of groaning and oohing in the room as the first bites were taken. Everyone agreed this is by far the best cinnamon rolls to date. My family is now my sister, her hubby, their two kids and my husband and two kids and any significant others dating the kids which include my daughter’s girlfriend and my niece’s boyfriend. Since my sister doesn’t cook, I’m the host. With this recipe, A new family tradition has been born.
Another Christmas making these cinnamon rolls, and they turned out great as always! I forgot to add the cream before baking, but honestly they still were great! Made the rolls and let chill in fridge overnight. Brought them out first thing in the morning to rise (about an hour and a half) and then baked. So good!
First time making these! My favorite cinnamon rolls to buy have brown butter, but I’m currently egg free and therefore needed to make my own. I substituted the egg with plain Greek yogurt and followed everything else to a T. So, so good. Very pillowy and – juicy? Like, it’s not dry for sure! And the flavors are 100%!
Tried it yesterday the dough and filling only. Definitely a keeper this one. Was using the brown sugar, but here our brown sugar is very dark colored hence the dough become lil bit brown in color. Next will try to subs with white sugar, is it okay? is it possible to use butter instead of oil? Thankyou ????
You can definitely use granulated (and it’s also ok if the dough is dark as long as it’s rising and baking fine).
I’ve come back to these 4 years in a row now! This time, I’m using them for my baby’s 1st birthday, but I need to make a triple batch. Is it as easy as tripling this recipe?
Happy first birthday to your baby! I think it can be done but you might struggle to knead a triple batch of dough – if somehow you manage it then I’d just divide the dough into three afterwards so you are rolling out three logs to make the process easier.
Good Evening Sam!
Quick question:
1.) Type of butter you use to make the brown butter, salted or unsalted?
unsalted but you can use salted too, just reduce the amount of salt added afterwards
This is my new go-to cinnamon roll recipe. I’ve been using the milk bread recipe from the KAF website as my cinnamon roll dough for a while, and I found this recipe totally leveled up my cinnamon rolls… and I already loved the recipe I was using. .
I followed the roll and filling portion of the recipe exactly and turned the glaze into a thicker frosting with 4 oz cream cheese total and a little more powdered sugar. I love how the bit of browned butter in the frosting comes through… I thought it would get lost, but even with my doctored version of the frosting, you could taste the nuttiness. So good.
The cinnamon rolls themselves are the perfect texture and balance of flavors. It’s also the perfect amount of dough to fill up a 13×9 pan (my old recipe made a little too much, so I appreciate that!).
WOAH. These are the absolute BEST cinnamon rolls I have ever tasted! Everyone in my family even declared them to be WAY better than Cinnabon. The glaze/frosting is perfect, with that slight cream cheese flavor. The filling was SO flavorful- though I did end up making a 1.5 batch of that since I like nice full cinnamon rolls. Last of all – the dough! Using the tangzhong method made them SO soft and pillowy. I’m never making any other cinnamon rolls again! This recipe is definitely a keeper!
omg – i’m so happy to read this comment. Thank you for making my day !
These are delish and I really appreciate your tips and tricks in the post! After making these at Christmas, they are now my go-to holiday treat!
Text from my neighbor: Those cinnamon rolls were dangerously delicious. I ate two after lunch and then took a nap ???????? I can see why [husband] was worried about having those in the house!
Practically perfect in every way.
These.are.so.good. I’ve always thought cinnamon roll recipes fall short in flavor and texture but these really delivered. I think the heavy cream and brown butter make the biggest difference. I added more butter/brown sugar/cinnamon to the filling as it didn’t seem like enough. I also did more of a cream cheese frosting as opposed to a glaze but overall stuck close to the recipe. They really are well worth the time to make from scratch and this recipe far exceeds others I have tried. Thank you!
Hi Sam I’ve made these a few times and have tossed all of my other cinnie recipes! Hands down these are the best ever! Question…you say to slice into 12 one inch pieces but if we’re rolling from the 18 inch side wouldn’t they be 1.5 inches or am I misinterpreting your instructions? Thank you! They are rising once again. I love making them for everybody. So satisfying to see their reactions!
Hi noreen, I tend to trim off the edges sometimes so it ends up being just over 1 inch. Truly though whatever works for you, I like mine to fit into a 13×9″ cake pan but if you are using something different and want smaller or bigger rolls you can roll and slice differently.
These were AMAZING!! My dad, who doesn’t like desserts asked me to make them again. Everyone kept raving about the dough. I got a few people tell me they would eat the dough plain, if I turned it into a dinner roll. I have already made this recipe twice, once with the brown butter filling, and once with regular butter filling. It was a hit both times!
this is SO WONDERFUL to hear!! Whenever someone tells me they convinced someone to like something even though they generally don’t like desserts (or that specific ingredient) I feel so pleased with the recipe. Thank you!
Wow! Been wanting to make these for a while. I’ve had success with your other recipes ( red velvet cupcakes and choc chip cookies) so I trusted that this would be amazing as well!
These turned out amaaazing! They were soft, fluffy and gooey!! I think the heavy cream over the buns before the oven really helped to keep the softness. I haven’t seen this step in other cinnamon bun recipes. I love that the buns are light and brioche-like , not a dense, dry, bread like texture which I had with other recipes ( especially the day after) .
If I could change one or two things, I would maybe reduce the heavy cream over the buns by just a spoon or so. as there was quite a lot of liquid in the pan afterwards. I left in oven for 24 minutes. And took them out as it was browning a lot. But would keep it in with foil over it for another 5 minutes next time, as I felt the bottom of the buns in the middle could’ve been a bit more baked.
This is as close to the food court ‘Cinnabon/ Cinzzeo’ buns I’ve come across!! Thank you for sharing and this will definitely be a go-to recipe in our family!
What can I use to substitute canola oil?
any flavorless oil
Finally made these after having them on the to-do list forever. They are the BEST cinnamon buns I’ve ever had. So satisfying in every way – taste, texture, filling, glaze, really every way. Everyone devoured them. Can’t wait to make more. I can always count on Sam to have a recipe that goes into permanent rotation and becomes a real family keeper. Thanks again!!!
So I made a mistake and put in regular buttermilk and not the powder, and realized it after I had them rise all night…I ended up going with it, and also didn’t have heavy cream IN SPITE OF BOTH OF THESE this is one of the top 5 things I have ever EVER made and I’m obsessed like W. O. W.
I’ve been successful at making several of your other recipes gluten free— wondering if you have ever tried These gluten free and if you’ve ever had any feedback on these cinnamon rolls being done gluten free. Love your content so much!
Hi Heidi! I have no experience making gluten free bread, I’m sorry =(
Came back to say that I made these yesterday for Christmas. Actually I made them the day before Christmas, assembled them, and put them in the fridge until Christmas morning. Pulled out for their second rise and baked. I forgot the heavy cream before baking…but even with that, they are hands down the best cinnamon rolls I’ve ever had or baked. I can’t think of any cinnamon roll I’ve had at any bakery or restaurant that tops these. These are absolute perfection! I went back into my Pinterest account and deleted all other cinnamon roll recipes so I’m never tempted to make another recipe! I’m your #1 fan now, this recipe is brilliant!
Oh my goodness Jocelyn, what a review! I’m SO thrilled you found them that good! Thank you 😀
This has become my go to recipe for cinnamon rolls, everyone that eats one says it’s the best cinnamon roll they’ve ever had. I’m making it every year for Christmas morning I’ve decided 🙂 it’s THAT GOOD. Thank you for sharing your amazing recipe with the world!!!
Omg!! This was my first time making cinnamon rolls and they’re delicious! Soooo soft
Looking forward to making a small batch version
Thank you for easy to follow directions and recipe
I’m an avid baker and have been on the hunt for my perfect cinnamon roll for a while and I can FINALLY stop searching!!! I’ve even tried other tangzhong + brown butter recipes in the past but nothing will ever top these! I made them last weekend and have said to friends several times this week “omg I’m still thinking about those cinnamon buns, I need to make more” hahaha. I love how cinnamony the filling is, and that GLAZE! Usually I go with a full-on brown butter cream cheese frosting, but this glaze version has changed the game big time!!! Also, in case anyone is debating doing the same: I browned the butter the night before while the dough was mixing and left it the fridge overnight. I softened it significantly in the microwave the next morning before mixing the filling, but it was still a bit tricky to spread over the cold dough. I ended up popping the whole filling mixture in the microwave for short stints which helped it spread more easily. So it is doable to use pre-browned butter if anyone is curious! But I think next time I’ll just do it the day of as the recipe instructs 🙂 Thank you Sam for the TRULY amazing recipe!!!! Can’t wait to make these again 🙂
Ruth this is amazing to hear! I’m so flattered. Thank you for the review! I’ll add a note about doing the filling beforehand for those that plan to as well.
I am on a quest to find the BEST cinnamon roll recipe e ever. I think I found them!!! Just made these rolls today…..the browned butter and the cream added while baking are what set this recipe apart. A must make for any cinnamon roll lover (doesn’t everyone love them??)
I was browsing TikTok when I saw your recipe. I knew I had to try it! I was a little worried as I’ve never made cinnamon rolls from scratch before. it’s currently 11:28pm and my roommates have already begged me to make more tomorrow.
a true masterpiece of a recipe. thank you so much!
OMG! Delicious. I used milk in place of the water for the roux… but these are legit amazing.
I do that often too, so glad you loved them Kate!
Hi Sam, I reviewed awhile back and these are the best recipe for cinnies I’ve ever made but I have a question. You say 1/4 cup warm water, room temp but my room temp is usually about 70 degrees. Warm water added to yeast in recipes is about 105 degrees. Which should I go by? Thank you!
Hi Noreen! I haven’t taken the temperature but I think of it as ‘warm to touch’, if it’s uncomfortable to run you fingers under it then it’s too hot.
These were fantastic! I can’t believe how tender they were. We’re looking forward to making them again in the very near future.
delicious and worth the effort! The texture was not a light as other rolls I’ve made, but in a good way. They didn’t dry out the next day and everybody raves about them. Definitely will be making these again and can’t wait to add some orange zest and extract for an orange version.
The best gooey homemade rolls I’ve made – the flavors are perfect and the dough is so soft! It’s not much effort for the roux and brown butter which help put it over the top.
This recipe was a scientific masterpiece. I sat next to my husband gasping while I read every word…you’re an absolute genius! These tasted delicious and I can’t wait to make them again. Nothing about this recipe was overly sweet. I would say quite the opposite-it was perfectly balanced. I’ll be honest, it tasted just like grandma’s…but a little better! When a recipe brings someone back to their childhood…you know it’s a win. Perfect show stopper for Christmas morning. Thank you for taking the time to thoughtfully construct recipes like this & others on your blog.
Just made your cinnamon rolls and they were delicious! So moist and such a great flavor. I love using browned butter and buttermilk. Definitely the best cinnamon rolls I’ve ever made. Thank you!
These are amazing! I’ve made them a few times and they are consistently fool proof! I get no real sleep (my family are early risers so I need them in the oven by 6:30) but these are worth it for their pillowy perfection! Any bakery cinnamon rolls just disappoint me now 🤣
630! This is cinnamon roll love & dedication and I love it <3
Hi! I read the FAQ about if we don’t have buttermilk powder. When you say milk, can we use liquid buttermilk or must use regular milk? Thanks
Regular liquid milk (buttermilk can curdle when heated)
This will be taking the place of my old go to recipe for Christmas morning cinnamon rolls! They were so soft and indulgent, loved them, and received high praise that they were better than Cinnabon! Thanks Sam!
The BEST cinnamon rolls I’ve ever had! Soft and gooey perfection. Thank you for sharing this with the world 🙂
I’ve made cinnamon rolls before, but none have come close to Sam’s. They’re light and fluffy, moist and bursting with a depth of flavor without being overly sweet. They’re delicious, enticing, and simply perfect.
Best cinnamon rolls ever! It definitely felt a little finicky to make the roux and brown the butter but it was 100% worth it. My family said, “these are the best things you have ever made… and you make a lot of delicious things!” I’m definitely still trying to figure out the timing so they can be ready first thing in the morning, but that’s on me.
Made these brown butter cinnamon rolls for Christmas morning. My guys couldn’t stop eating them!! They were fantastic! The directions were easy to follow…just take some time but we’ll worth it.
This was my first time ever making cinnamon rolls and they turned out even better than I imagined! I didn’t have buttermilk powder, so I followed the notes and did 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup milk for the roux and used 1/4 cup milk to mix with the yeast. Did the first rise at room temp and then shaped the rolls and covered the pan and refrigerated overnight. Let them rise in the morning and then baked. Perfection!!
Hi Sam! I love these so much!! Can I double the recipe?
Might take your stand mixer awhile to work through the dough but it’s do-able!
These cinnamon rolls are the standard in our house. Sam has ruined me for all other cinnamon rolls. I mean, until I try her next cinnamon roll recipe. Ha! I HIGHLY recommend these!!
These are the rolls to make!! Don’t waste your time trying any other recipes, I’ve done it for you and these win! I have been on a years and years long search for the best cinnamon rolls, that even freeze well and bake to still be moist and tender and flavorful. These are the ones! I quadrupled the recipe and made them up until the second proof and threw them in the freezer before. Popped them in the fridge overnight and set in the counter in the morning while the oven preheated and they were still so delicious. Giving them as Christmas gifts this year and for years to come. No more testing cinnamon roll recipes for me. Thank you for this great recipe!
These are soooo good! Soft, rich, complex flavor. I did add more butter and cream cheese and powdered sugar to make an icing instead of glaze. I really appreciate this recipe! I have tried many many, and all lacked something. These are the keeper recipe ive been looking for!
This recipe is absolutely of the hook delicious. I always know when my husband loves something well he had 3 of these sweet rolls I had half of one, but the are my go to recipe for cinnamon rolls from this point on. Thanks for the awesome recipe.
These are delicious and a hit at work! I was hesitant going into it because I only had kefir to use as a substitute for the buttermilk powder and JUST enough half and half to bake them. I did need some extra flour, but they turned out well. I look forward to making them again when I get buttermilk powder.
Holy moly these are absolutely divine! They are so soft and fluffy. The style is the most similar to Cinnabon I’ve found so far. Thank you, thank you!
HOLY CANNOLI. These are epic. A beautiful & tender sweet yeast bread, the filling is “nutty” with the warmth and depth of the browned butter, and oooh girl, hide your husband because he’ll eat the frosting before you can use it. No one should make these. EVERYONE should make these.
Best ever cinnamon roll! Follow the recipe exactly and you will have the most perfect finished product. I’m not a very good baker and was able to pull these off!
Question… do you pour the cream over the cinnamon Rolls out just in the bottom of the pan?
Somewhat between the rolls, in the spaces. But it’s ok to get some on top of the rolls
I’ve tried a lot of cinnamon roll recipes, and I thought I found my favorite, but Sam has never steered me wrong so I gave this a shot! Also I’ve never made a milk bread before so I thought this would be a delicious way to try! This recipe is truly AMAZING. The bread melts in your mouth and is slightly chewy. The filling caramelizes perfectly. The frosting is perfect (shout out to brown butter). I made it for my family who has been eating the same recipe for decades and they loved it too. Make this recipe! If anything it’s a fun technique to brag about.
These look amazing and I can’t wait to try them. Any recommendation on how to make this an orange cinnamon roll (i.e. Pillsbury ish)
I’d do orange zest in the dough and the filling to start (rub it into the sugars to get those oils out). And maybe add some OJ in the dough too instead of the water?
I have been making my cinnamon rolls the same way for decades, but decided to change it up and WOW! These are amazing. Also, they introduced me to buttermilk powder which is a game-changer!
Hi Sam, I hope nobody already asked, but we don‘t have buttermilk powder here in Germany. Can I use buttermilk instead? And how do I add it, since it’s liquid. Thanks for the yummy recipe!
Best,
Hakeem
I’d like to know how much buttermilk to use instead of a he powder
Can i convert cups to grams and use a scale to measure ingredients instead?
So good!! I wish I could post pictures, but these were pillowy perfection. I woke up crazy early to shape them and do the second rise, but it was worth it to surprise my little boy with homemade rolls at 7am. The roux makes them so delicate and soft. I thinned out the icing quite a bit, but that is just personal preference 🙂
Sam has literally not failed me once with her recipes! I absolutely love these, the dough is amazing by itself too!
I have no problem with purchasing buttermilk. How much should be subbed for the powder and when is it incorporated?
Just made these for the second time! I definitely think having the dough chilled for rolling out, filling, and cutting is much easier. I need to get unwaxed floss for the cutting next time. My first attempt was not the prettiest but OMG soo delicious. My fiancé and I declared these will now be a holiday staple going forward. This time I formed the rolls then froze to bake for a family trip this weekend — hopefully they turn out! Can’t wait for my in-laws to try them these weekend!
Hi Sam! I’m so excited to test out this recipe! I managed to find buttermilk powder here in China so I’m thrilled about that. I’ll be making these later today/tomorrow. I have a quick question: if I do the first rise in the fridge overnight, should I let the dough come to room temperature before I start shaping and filling? Thanks so much! Really looking forward to these!
Hi Laura! You’ll shape them right away after an overnight rise. The dough is easier to work with when cold.
Hi! Excited to make these this weekend – what size pan should I be using to bake?
These are outstanding cinnamon rolls and my family loves them.
This recipe yield such fluffy tender rolls that cook beautifully all the way to the center. Doing the first dose overnight allowed me to easily have fresh hot cinnamon rolls the next morning!
FANTASTIC! I added about 3T of cream total to make it a glaze
I was hoping to get as much prepped the day before and was wondering if you could refrigerate the rolls on the second rise after rolling and cutting them? Thanks!
Heather, check the updated FAQ. Didn’t want to give advice without trying it which I did last night/today!
I love this recipe and was totally planning on making it for Christmas morning until my oven broke! Any guesses on whether this would work in a slow cooker?
Gosh, no idea. I’ve only ever made stews in my slow cooker!
These are the best rolls ever!!! My husband and I agreed that this the recipe to use from now on. One question, any thoughts on freezing the rolls before baking? I’m making a few batches for friends and wasn’t sure if it would be best to freeze them and let them bake or just bake them and let them reheat.
Hi Jamie, so glad you guys liked them so much! Good question about the dough, short answer is, I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure. Longer thoughts: I’ve seen some recipes either wrap them after the second rise to freeze or partially bake them for 15 minutes cool & freeze then have your friends complete the baking in their ovens (bake until golden). Alternatively you could fully bake them, frost, then freeze as soon as they are cool. When you hand them to your friends, frozen, tell them to preheat the oven to 250 F and ‘bake’ them for 15-20 minutes.
I made these for Thanksgiving morning and they were amazing. They were a bunch of work – I made the dough the night before and then got up early to do the rest of the steps. I also didn’t let the browned butter sit in the fridge the entire time, but they were still amazing. Chewy and gooey and a wonderful flavor. I was worried about finding the buttermilk powder, but it was there at my regular grocery store. Highly recommend if you can plan ahead!
Ali, so so glad that they worked out so well! There’s definitely quite few steps but I’m so happy to hear it was all worth it!
Hi Sam! Looks like such a great recipe cant wait to try it! May I ask why did you use bread flour instead of all purpose flour? Its hard to find bread flour where I am nowadays, so wondering if I can use all purpose flour with the same result?
Hi Doha! Bread has a higher protein content and makes the rolls a bit more chewy than a soft AP but AP is an absolutely fine swap!
A lot of work but worth it! I made these for a family trip in the mountains and they were a huge hit. I followed every step starting the night before and they turned out perfect. I’m going to make them again the week of Thanksgiving. Thanks, Sam!
That’s awesome to hear!! Thank you so much for taking the time to comment (and review!) =)
Could I use whole milk powder as substitute for buttermilk powder?
Hi Sam…well they just came out of the oven and they are so delicious!! The roll is SO tender and the brown butter gives it that little somethin’ somethin’. I love the idea of adding the cream over the top. Brilliant! My fam and friends will enjoy! Thanks so much!
Oh my! Sooo good. I followed the recipe as written, with the addition of raisins to the filling, but skipped the glaze. I did find they took longer to bake than specified, but it could be that my oven was running cold.
These were my favorite cinnamon rolls I’ve ever made, thanks for the recipe!
Hi Heather! I’m so happy to hear it, thanks for baking with me =)
I’m making these again for Christmas! Any thoughts on doing the second rise in the fridge overnight so i can freshly bake morning?
I’d love to know about the second rise as welL! THANKS!
The roux looks interesting. But I can’t find the cooking temperature for the rolls. 350 degrees F?
Hi Peggie! Yes, thank you – updated the recipe with the oven setting.
Hello,
i love cinnamon rolls and brown butter always makes everything better so I can’t wait to try this recipe!
I only have one doubt, can I substitute the buttermilk powder for milk powder? We don’t have it in Brasil!
Thank you!
Hi Amanda! Yes milk powder would be a fine substitue. You could also use milk in place of some of the water in the roux and in place of the water that’s mixed with the yeast.
these look amazing! I think that the instructions are missing the step for where to add the buttermilk powder. Also, I have a pound bag of yeast in my freezer, so don’t use packets – it’d be 2 1/4 t, right? THANKS!
Hi Sally! The buttermilk powder goes in with the rest of the dough ingredients after you add the yeast/water to the roux, as instructed. If you have a scale 7g of yeast, if not about 2 1/4 tsp sounds right.
Hi Sam, these look out of control! I have a favorite cinnamon roll recipe but this one may take the lead. I can’t wait to try it. Question, what number setting on my standing mixer should I use to knead the dough? Thanks!
Hi Noreen! Good question, all stand mixers are different but I’ll tell you how I use mine (a kitchenaid): I usually start slow then work up to about 6 and leave it kneading for a few minutes.
Can I use real buttermilk instead of the powder? I don’t think we really have that in Denmark. Thank you!
Hi Laura, scroll up to the FAQ
I’m convinced! The dough is so soft and fluffy, and it stays fresh longer! 😍 I will use this dough for all kinds of bread now!