Who doesn’t love the smell of freshly baked cinnamon rolls wafting through the house? You can make these super easy Homemade Cinnamon Rolls with Heavy Cream from scratch in less than two hours!
This bakery-style cinnamon roll recipe with heavy whipping cream will take your breakfast or brunch to the next level. Perfect for a lazy weekend morning or a special treat, these gooey, warm, delicious cinnamon rolls are sure to become a family favorite.
Why You’ll Love These Cinnamon Rolls With Heavy Whipping Cream
Quick and Easy - This recipe takes less than 2 hours from start to finish, so you can enjoy fresh cinnamon rolls without waiting all day. In fact, this is one of our favorite recipes to make on Christmas morning. By the time we are done unwrapping all our gifts, these are ready to enjoy.
Gooey Goodness - The secret ingredient—heavy cream—makes these rolls incredibly gooey and delicious. And don't forget about the cream cheese frosting. I could practically eat it right out of the bowl!
Homemade Comfort - There’s nothing quite like homemade cinnamon rolls, and if this is your first time making them, don't be intimidated! Skip the frozen or canned cinnamon rolls and make these from scratch. This recipe is simple enough for anyone to make. You won't be disappointed.
If you're looking for more easy recipes that you can serve for breakfast, try my Banana Bread using Pancake Mix, my Brioche French Toast Casserole, or my Panera Orange Scone recipe.
Cinnamon Rolls vs. Cinnamon Buns
Cinnamon rolls and cinnamon buns, or sticky buns as some call them, are similar but have distinct differences. Cinnamon rolls are individual pieces baked in a single layer and typically topped with a creamy frosting, making them soft and gooey. Cinnamon buns, on the other hand, are baked together in a pan, resulting in a stickier, pull-apart treat with a caramel-like topping, often featuring nuts. Both are delicious, but the choice depends on whether you prefer a fluffy, frosted roll or a sticky, caramelized bun.
Substitutions
- Milk - If you prefer, you can use 2% almond milk or any other plant-based milk instead of whole milk.
- Butter - Substitute with margarine or a dairy-free butter alternative for a dairy-free option.
Variations
- Nuts - Sprinkle chopped nuts like pecans or walnuts over the filling before rolling up the dough.
- Fruit Filling - Add a layer of fruit preserves or apple pie filling for a fruity twist.
- Extra Spices - Add a pinch of nutmeg or cardamom to the filling for a spiced flavor.
Ingredients
*For specific ingredient amounts, please scroll down to the printable recipe card.
How to Make Cinnamon Rolls with Cream
Step 1. Prepare the Pan - Line a 9” x 13” baking dish with parchment paper or spray the bottom of the pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
Step 2. Warm the Milk - In a large microwave-safe bowl, heat milk for 30-40 seconds until lukewarm (between 98℉ and 105℉). Add yeast and sugar, stirring with a whisk until dissolved. Cover with a clean dishtowel and let the yeast proof for 10 minutes.
Step 3. Make the Filling - While the yeast is proofing, combine softened butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, ground cinnamon, and vanilla in a medium mixing bowl. Set aside.
Step 4. Mix the Dough - After the yeast has been proofed, whisk in melted butter, egg, and vanilla until fully combined. Add salt and flour, one cup at a time, to the wet mixture. Knead slightly until the cinnamon roll dough forms a ball. Cover the bowl with a clean towel or plastic wrap and let the dough rest for 10 minutes.
Step 5. Roll Out The Dough - Lightly flour a surface and a rolling pin. Roll the dough out to a 14” x 18” rectangle, about ¼” thick. Spread the sugar and butter mixture over the entire surface of the dough. Starting at the short side, roll the dough up tightly. Use a serrated knife to cut the dough into 12 rolls.
Step 6. Let the Rolls Rise - Place the rolls in the prepared pan, cut-side down. Cover with a clean dish towel and let the dough rise for about 50 minutes in a warm place.
Step 7. Bake the Rolls - Preheat the oven to 350℉. Drizzle the top of the rolls with heavy cream. Bake for 24-26 minutes until the tops are slightly golden brown. Cool slightly before frosting.
Step 8. Make the Frosting - In a small bowl, mix softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt with a hand mixer until smooth. Frost the top of the cinnamon rolls with homemade cream cheese icing and serve warm!
Storage and Freezing
Unfrosted Rolls - Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Frosted Rolls - Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator and eat within 3 days for the best quality.
Freezing - After cooling completely, wrap unfrosted rolls in plastic wrap and place in a plastic freezer bag for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature before reheating and frosting.
Reheating - For best results, heat individual cinnamon rolls on a microwave-safe plate for up to 30 seconds. The cinnamon rolls can be frosted or unfrosted.
Pro Tip
To make rolling out the dough easier, use a Silpat or non-stick baking mat. It grips the counter and prevents the dough from sticking.
To cut the dough into 12 rolls of similar thickness, I use the serrated knife and lightly press it into it, creating a “guide” for cutting. First, in the very middle, divide the dough in half. Then I place a mark dividing each half into half and then each half into 3 equal parts. The rolls will be about 1 inch thick.
If you don't have a serrated knife, you can cut the rolls with dental floss. To cut the cinnamon rolls, slide a long piece of floss under the rolled dough, bring the ends up, and cross them over the top to slice through cleanly. This method prevents squishing and ensures evenly cut rolls.
Notes/FAQs
Yes! You can prepare the rolls up to Step 6. Place them in the baking pan, cover them with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, let the unbaked cinnamon rolls come to room temperature and rise for about 30 minutes and drizzle them with heavy cream before baking.
Drizzling heavy cream over the rolls before baking makes them extra gooey and delicious. Pouring heavy cream over cinnamon rolls before baking keeps them moist, adds a rich, gooey texture, and enhances their flavor. It also helps create a slightly caramelized, golden-brown exterior.
Make sure your active dry yeast isn't expired. Your milk should be lukewarm (between 98℉ and 105℉) so that it doesn't kill the yeast. Make sure you let the rolls rise in a warm place.
Absolutely! You can use a simple glaze made of powdered sugar and milk if you prefer or use your favorite canned frosting.
Yes. Bake the cinnamon rolls according to the directions and cool them completely. Do not frost them. Wrap them individually in plastic wrap and store them in an airtight freezer bag or container. You can freeze unfrosted rolls for up to 3 months. Defrost them at room temperature before reheating and frosting.
Cinnamon Rolls with Heavy Cream
Equipment
- 9" x 13" baking dish
- parchment paper
- Rolling Pin
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 ¼ teaspoon active dry yeast or 1 packet
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
Filling
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup brown sugar packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup heavy cream room temperature (for pouring over rolls after rising, but before baking)
Cream Cheese Frosting
- ¼ cup unsalted butter softened
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch of kosher salt
Instructions
- Line a 9”x 13” baking dish with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large microwave-safe bowl, heat milk for 30-40 seconds until lukewarm (between 98℉ and 105℉). Add yeast and sugar, stirring with a whisk until dissolved. Cover with a clean dishtowel and let the yeast proof for 10 minutes.
- While the yeast is proofing, make the filling. Combine softened butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla in a medium mixing bowl. Set aside.
- After the yeast has proofed, continue making the dough by whisking in the melted butter, egg, and vanilla until fully combined.
- Add salt and flour, one cup at a time, to the wet mixture. Knead slightly until the dough forms a ball. Cover the bowl with a clean towel or plastic wrap and let the dough rest for 10 minutes.
- Lightly flour a surface and a rolling pin. Roll the cinnamon roll dough out to a 14” x 18” rectangle, about ¼” thick.
- Spread the filling mixture over the entire surface of the dough.
- Starting at the short side, roll the dough up tightly. Use a serrated knife to cut the dough into 12 rolls.
- Place the rolls in the prepared pan, cut-side down. Cover with a clean dish towel and let the dough rise for about 50 minutes in a warm place.
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Drizzle the tops of the rolls with heavy cream. Bake for 24-26 minutes until the tops are slightly golden brown. Cool the rolls slightly before frosting.
- In a small bowl, mix softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt with a hand mixer until smooth.
- Frost the top of the cinnamon rolls with homemade cream cheese icing and serve warm!
Rea Rae says
In direction 2 you have softened butter being added to sugars, with no mention of softened butter in Ihe ingredients. In direction 4, you're adding the melted butter listed. Please clarify.
Sorry if that was confusing! The softened butter is the 1/2 cup that is listed in the fillig ingredients. The melted butter is added to the actual dough after the yeast has proofed. I hope this helps.