Simple Savory & Satisfying: Only the Best Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

All it took was one bite and the husband was already asking me to make them again (despite the full pan we still had). Forget about those cans of cinnamon rolls you can buy at the grocery store. The dough is always dry and tasteless. If you're going to indulge in a cinnamon roll, really indulge with something sweet and buttery and gooey. It requires a bit more work than popping open a can, but it is so worth it.

Cinnamon Roll Recipe adapted from here.
Cream Cheese Frosting recipe adapted from here.

Ingredients:
Dough

1/4 -ounce package yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup scalded milk
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
3 1/2 to 4 cups flour

Filling

1/2 cup butter,melted (plus more for pan)
3/4 cup brown sugar (plus more for pan)
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

Frosting
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 tablespoon milk, optional

Directions:
In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water; set aside. In a large bowl, combine milk, sugar, butter, salt, and egg. Add 2 cups of flour and combine until well incorporated. Pour in yeast mixture. Gradually add in remaining flour until the dough becomes easy to handle. Knead dough on a floured work surface for 5 to 10 minutes (this can also be done with the hook attachment on a standing mixer). Roll dough into a ball and place in a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel. Allow dough to rise until it doubles in size, about 2 hours.

When it doubles in size, punch down the dough and roll it out into a 15x9-inch rectangle on a floured work surface. Spread softened butter (from the list of filling ingredients) over the dough. Mix cinnamon and sugar together then sprinkle over buttered dough.

Start at the 15-inch side and roll the dough into a log, pinching the edge together to seal. Cut the log into 12 sections.

Grease the bottom of a baking pan with butter then sprinkle with sugar (if desired). Transfer the cinnamon rolls to the pan, placing them close together. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let the dough rise for 1 hour.

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Bake rolls for 25 minutes or until the rolls are lightly browned.

While the rolls bake, make the frosting. In a large bowl, whip cream cheese, butter, and extract until creamy and well combined. Gradually add powdered sugar. If your frosting is too thick, add milk and stir.

You can either wait until cinnamon rolls are completely cooled to frost or you can let them cool slightly then frost. This will cause your icing to melt a bit, but there is nothing better than a warm cinnamon bun in my book.