The “Absolute Best Cinnamon Roll Recipe” You Can Make at Home, According to Reddit

There’s nothing like the comfort of a homemade cinnamon roll. One warm, fluffy bite, you feel like you’re swirled up inside of it.

But, if you’re going to commit to the labor of love that is making cinnamon rolls from scratch, you want to be 100% sure you’re working with the best recipe out there. One Reddit user decided to do the baking community a favor and research the matter, posing this question to the online world: “Hey Reddit, what is the absolute best cinnamon roll recipe I can make at home?”

The response? “These... by FAR!,” with a link to our recipe for Clone of a Cinnabon. 

Sure, the internet may lie every once in a while, but we think this is the absolute truth. 

Our Clone of a Cinnabon recipe has been a site favorite for over a decade, proving its place in our breakfast Hall of Fame. It has almost 7,000 5-star ratings and over 5,000 rave reviews, and some cinnamon roll fans claim their holiday mornings wouldn’t be complete without it. 

“This is the only recipe I use for cinnamon rolls,” said one Allrecipes member. 

We like to think these cinnamon rolls taste as good as the ones from the Cinnabon bakery, but some claim they’re even better. 

“This recipe is absolutely remarkable!” one Allrecipes member raved. “They tasted better than ones we used to buy at the mall. Making a batch now for the weekend, I’m looking forward to a warm bun with a great cup of tea for our breakfast treat!”

Why Is This Recipe the Best?

This recipe gives you everything you want in a cinnamon roll: a light and fluffy dough, icing that is “absolutely to die for”, and plenty of sweet cinnamon flavor swirled throughout. 

Users have called this recipe “easy to make,” “10-stars,” and “simply amazing.” Heck, if it claims to be an exact copy of one of the best cinnamon rolls in the bakery game, it has to be pretty good.

But, best of all, this recipe takes much of the intimidation out of an “advanced” baking project, letting bakers at every level serve freshly baked cinnamon rolls for any special occasion. You can even let the kids help out. “So easy and fun to make—great for getting little kids involved too,” shared Allrecipes member Kate Kelly.

To make the process even easier, you can let the prepared rolls rest in a greased pan (covered) overnight. The next morning all you have to do is bake them in a preheated oven, and they’re ready in no time. 

“The unbaked rolls also freeze well,” shared Allrecipes member COCONUTPALM. “The night before, simply put the pan into the fridge. In the morning, they're ready for the oven. Easy and great to have on a cold morning. I was a little concerned that they didn't look doubled before I baked them this way, but they rose perfectly in the oven. Sure beats having to get up 3 hours before breakfast!”

How to Make the Absolute Best Cinnamon Roll Recipe

As we mentioned before, these do take a little bit of time, but luckily, you can trust that this recipe is worth every minute. The original recipe calls for a bread machine to make the dough, but you can use a mixer with a dough hook (or just your own two hands) to make rolls just as delicious. 

To make the dough without a bread machine, dissolve a packet of active dry yeast in a large bowl with warm milk with a 1/4 cup of sugar. Let it stand for 10 minutes until foamy, then add the eggs, margarine, and remainder of the sugar and combine. Finally, add the bread flour and salt and mix with a dough hook or by hand until a soft dough ball is formed.

Cover the bowl of dough with a moist kitchen towel, then put it in a warm place (or warm oven turned off) for an hour, until the dough has doubled in volume. 

Now, turn the dough onto a floured surface. Cover it with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let it rest for another 10 minutes. Roll out the dough into a rectangle shape, about 16x21 inches in size. Spread the dough with softened butter, then sprinkle cinnamon sugar over top. 

Starting at the longer end, gently roll the dough into a log, slice it into 12 pieces, then arrange them in a 9x13-inch glass baking dish. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes, then bake at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes (or at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes, according to some reviewers) Set the pan on the lower rack to bake. 

Meanwhile, prepare the icing by beating together confectioners' sugar, butter, cream cheese, vanilla, and salt until creamy. Spread this goodness on top while the rolls are still warm, and serve immediately.

“Don't skimp on the cinnamon, brown sugar, butter, or topping,” the Reddit user insisted.

Some Allrecipes users have tried using all-purpose flour in place of bread flour with just as much success. They've also recommended giving the rolls an egg wash or heavy cream coating before baking for a beautifully golden color.

Now, we think it’s time you join the other bakers who have been making this cinnamon roll recipe year after year—because once you find the best, it’s hard to get better.

Get the Recipe: Clone of a Cinnabon