Fluffy Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Glaze

These cinnamon rolls bake up wonderfully soft and fragrant: brown sugar and honey melt into a glossy caramel filling, while a delicate cream cheese glaze adds a cool, velvety finish. The secret to their exceptional moisture is a little cream poured straight into the pan before baking, so the bottoms turn custardy, caramelized, and never dry out.

Ingredients

For the dough

• All-purpose flour, bread flour or type 550-style flour — 5 cups | 600 g
• Warm milk — 1 1/4 cups | 300 ml
• Active dry yeast — 2 1/4 tsp | 7 g (or half a cube of fresh yeast)
• Unsalted butter, melted — 1/2 cup minus 1 tbsp | 110 g
• Powdered sugar — 2/3 cup | 80 g
• Granulated sugar — 2 tbsp | 25 g
• Vanilla — to taste
• Salt — 1 tsp

For the filling

• Unsalted butter, softened — 1/2 cup minus 1 tbsp | 110 g
• Brown sugar — 1 cup | 200 g
• Honey — 1/4 cup | 70 g
• Ground cinnamon — 2 1/2 tsp
• Cream — 1 to 2 tbsp | 15 to 30 ml (only if the filling is too thick)

For the glaze and pan

• Philadelphia cream cheese — 6 oz | 175 g
• Unsalted butter, softened — 1/3 cup | 80 g
• Powdered sugar — 2/3 cup | 80 g
• Cream — 2 3/4 to 3 1/2 tbsp | 40 to 50 ml (pour into the baking pan)

Step-by-step recipe

1. Make the sponge: add the granulated sugar (25 g) and active dry yeast to the warm milk (95 to 100°F | 35 to 38°C), stir, and let stand for 10 minutes until foamy. If using fresh yeast, dissolve half a cube in the milk with the sugar.
2. Mix the dough: add the melted butter (110 g), vanilla, powdered sugar (80 g), and salt to the sponge. Gradually add the flour and knead for 7 to 10 minutes until you have a soft, elastic dough.
3. First rise: transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place for 60 to 90 minutes, until doubled in size.
4. Make the filling: combine the softened butter (110 g), brown sugar, honey, and cinnamon into a spreadable paste. If the mixture is too thick, add 1 to 2 tbsp of cream.
5. Shape: punch down the dough and roll it into a rectangle about 14 x 18 in | 35 x 45 cm. Spread the filling evenly, leaving a 1/2 to 3/4 in | 1 to 2 cm border along one long edge.
6. Roll the dough up tightly from the long side. Cut into 12 equal rolls. A piece of kitchen twine or strong thin thread works especially well for clean cuts.
7. Prepare a 9 x 13 in | 23 x 33 cm baking dish (or a 10 to 11 in | 26 to 28 cm round pan), line with parchment, and arrange the rolls with a little space between them. Then pour 2 3/4 to 3 1/2 tbsp | 40 to 50 ml cream directly into the pan between the rolls.
8. Second rise: cover and let rise for 30 to 40 minutes, until the rolls have noticeably puffed up and are almost touching.
9. Bake: preheat the oven to 356°F | 180°C. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, until golden brown. If the tops brown too quickly, cover loosely with foil.
10. Glaze: beat the Philadelphia cream cheese with the softened butter (80 g) and powdered sugar (80 g) until smooth and creamy.
11. Serve: let the rolls cool for 10 minutes, then spread the glaze over the warm rolls and serve.

Nutritional value per roll

Item	Amount
Calories	≈ 580 kcal
Protein	≈ 8 g
Fat	≈ 26 g
of which saturated	≈ 16 g
Carbohydrates	≈ 78 g
Sugar	≈ 34 g
Fiber	≈ 2 g
Sodium	≈ 230 mg

Tips and variations

• Milk temperature: yeast works best at 95 to 100°F | 35 to 38°C. Hotter milk can damage it.
• Flour: use bread flour or a good-quality flour with strong gluten; adjust with a little extra flour if needed, aiming for a dough that stays soft and slightly tacky.
• Slicing the roll: kitchen twine gives the cleanest cut and keeps the filling from squeezing out.
• Pan: if you do not have a rectangular baking dish, bake the rolls in two round pans for a beautiful rosette shape.
• Freezing: shaped but unproofed rolls can be frozen. Thaw in the refrigerator, then let rise fully in a warm place before baking.
• Sweetness: for a less sweet version, reduce the brown sugar in the filling by 2 to 4 tbsp | 30 to 50 g; the texture will stay the same.

FAQ

Can I refrigerate the rolls overnight and bake them in the morning?

Yes. Shape the rolls, cover, and refrigerate for 8 to 12 hours. In the morning, take them out, let them come to room temperature and rise for 45 to 60 minutes, then bake as directed.

What can I use instead of brown sugar or honey in the filling?

Replace the brown sugar with white sugar or a 1:1 mix of white and brown sugar. Honey can be swapped for maple syrup or invert syrup; the flavor will change slightly, but the texture will remain the same.

If I do not have Philadelphia cream cheese, what is a good substitute?

Any spreadable cream cheese works well, as does ricotta mixed with a little butter for richness, or thick sour cream with 25 to 30 percent fat, drained of excess moisture first.