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Soft homemade cinnamon bun topped with melted icing on a wooden plate beside cinnamon sticks and tea featuring fluffy pull-apart layers and gooey cinnamon sugar swirls

Soft Homemade Cinnamon Buns

These soft homemade cinnamon buns are packed with buttery cinnamon sugar swirls and topped with rich melted icing for the ultimate gooey cinnamon roll experience. Fluffy, warm, and bakery-style, these homemade cinnamon rolls are perfect for breakfast, brunch, or comforting dessert baking.
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Prep Time 3 hours 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 4 hours
Course bread, Breakfast, lunch, Snack
Cuisine American
Servings 8 servings
Calories 171 kcal

Equipment

  • Large mixing bowl
  • Measuring cups and spoons
  • Rolling Pin
  • Pastry brush
  • Small mixing bowls
  • Bench scraper or unflavored dental floss
  • 8-inch baking pan
  • Plastic wrap or kitchen towel
  • oven

Ingredients
  

Dough

  • ⅔ cup whole milk
  • 1 tbsp unsalted butter I add a an extra 1 tsp melted butter
  • 1 tbsp granulated sugar I add a an extra 1 tsp
  • 1 tsp granulated sugar for yeast
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp + 2 tsp warm water
  • ½ tsp active dry yeast
  • ½ egg large and lightly beaten
  • 1½ -2 cups all-purpose flour

Cinnamon Filling

  • 3 tbsp butter softened
  • 1 tbsp butter melted - add a bit extra if needed
  • ¼ cup brown sugar or granulated sugar
  • 1¼ tsp cinnamon ground

For the Baking Pan

  • 1 tbsp melted butter

Instructions
 

    For ultra-soft homemade cinnamon buns, let the rolls rise until they are puffy and touching before baking. Proper rising time creates fluffy bakery-style cinnamon rolls with light pull-apart layers, gooey cinnamon sugar swirls, and a tender buttery center instead of dense dough.

Notes

  • For the softest homemade cinnamon buns, avoid adding too much flour. The dough should feel soft and slightly tacky, not dry or stiff.
  • Warm rising conditions help the yeast dough double properly and create fluffy bakery-style cinnamon rolls with a light texture.
  • Unflavored dental floss works better than a knife for slicing cinnamon roll dough because it keeps the swirls round and prevents squishing.
  • If the cinnamon buns brown too quickly in the oven, loosely cover the pan with foil during the last 10 minutes of baking.
  • Brown sugar creates a richer, deeper cinnamon filling flavor, while granulated sugar gives a lighter classic sweetness.
  • Brushing the tops with melted butter before baking helps create golden homemade cinnamon buns with a soft buttery finish.
  • For extra gooey cinnamon rolls, drizzle icing over the buns while still slightly warm so it melts into the swirls and layers.
  • These homemade cinnamon rolls are best enjoyed fresh the same day but can also be reheated for a soft bakery-style texture the next morning.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 171kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 3gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.4gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 205mgPotassium: 66mgFiber: 1gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 267IUVitamin C: 0.01mgCalcium: 40mgIron: 1mg
Keyword breakfast baking recipes, buttery cinnamon rolls, easy cinnamon bun recipe, fluffy cinnamon buns, gooey cinnamon rolls, homemade cinnamon buns, recipe, soft cinnamon rolls
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