Skillet cinnamon rolls are sweet, buttery, and delicious. The soft and fluffy dough is filled with a sweet cinnamon sugar filling and topped with a homemade cream cheese glaze that takes these rolls to the next level. These cinnamon buns are easy to prep, freezer-friendly, and a family favorite. We love making them in a skillet because we end up with larger rolls just like Cinnabon.
Why You'll Love Skillet Cinnamon Rolls
- The soft and fluffy dough. When it comes to cinnamon rolls, it's all about that soft and fluffy dough — and these rolls do not disappoint. They are golden brown on outside with the fluffiest pillowy dough and a moist and tender centre.
- The sweet cinnamon filling. It doesn't get more classic than a simple cinnamon sugar filling to give these skillet cinnamon rolls their iconic taste. When you tear apart these rolls, you’ll be indulging even before you take that first bite.
- The homemade cream cheese glaze. The homemade glaze is ready in just a couple of minutes with a few ingredients. It complements these cinnamon rolls so well and can be spread over top of them or served on the side.
- Easy to make ahead. Give yourself a few hours to make these skillet cinnamon rolls in one day or prep everything in advance and pop them into the refrigerator overnight and bake them first thing in the morning. I mean, what is better than freshly baked cinnamon rolls for breakfast or brunch?
Ingredients and Substitutions
To make these delicious Skillet Cinnamon Rolls, you will need the following ingredients (full quantities in recipe card below):
- all-purpose flour
- instant yeast
- salt
- granulated sugar
- milk
- butter
- egg
- cinnamon sugar filling - butter, sugar, and cinnamon.
- cream cheese icing - made with cream cheese, milk, honey (or maple syrup), and confectioners' sugar. You can also make a simple glaze with just confectioners' sugar and water.
Use room temperature ingredients
When it comes to baking, being precise will result in success. Be sure to use room temperature ingredients (milk, butter, and cream cheese). Allow your ingredients to sit out on the counter for about an hour before you get to work.
Equipment
You will also need a kitchen scale (and/or measuring cups and spoons), mixing bowls, rolling pin, and a 10-inch skillet or other baking pan.
How to Make the Best Skillet Cinnamon Rolls
First, prepare the dough.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, yeast, salt, and sugar until evenly combined. Add in milk, butter, and egg. Stir well with a spatula until no dry flour is visible. Make sure to scrape off any remaining flour off the sides of the bowl.
Then, knead the dough.
Transfer the dough mixture onto a clean and dry surface. Knead the dough for 5 minutes until it turns into a soft and smooth dough ball. Because of the high fat content (butter and milk) in this recipe, the dough is much softer to knead by hand. You can also knead the dough on medium speed in a stand mixer for 10 minutes until smooth.
Tips for Kneading Dough
- How to knead dough: Knead the dough by pushing it down and outward using the palms of your hands. Fold the dough in half toward you and press down. Repeat this motion by pushing the dough down and outward, and then folding over towards you. This helps build up gluten strength in dough that is responsible for making the bread fluffy.
- How to test if dough is well-kneaded: A well-kneaded dough is smooth and can hold its shape. You can test the dough by giving it a firm poke with your finger. The indentation should bounce right back. If it doesn’t bounce back and stays like a dimple, keep kneading for a few more minutes.
Finally, let it rise (first rise).
Transfer the dough back into the mixing bowl, lightly grease the dough ball with a little bit of oil and cover with a lid. Let it rise at room temperature for 1 hour or until it doubles in size.
How to Shape Cinnamon Rolls
- Place the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Use a rolling pin to roll it into a rectangle measuring about 18x12-inches.
- Spread the softened butter evenly over the surface of the dough, leaving a 1-inch border on all sides.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together sugar and ground cinnamon. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the butter.
- Roll up the dough tightly into a log and pinch the end edges to seal.
- Use a knife or bench scraper to cut the rolled log into 8-12 even pieces (depending on the size of your skillet or baking pan), about 2-inches thick. Arrange the rolls into a greased skillet.
Second Rise
Cover the skillet with plastic cling wrap and let it rise (second rise) for 30-45 minutes or until the rolls almost double in size.
- Optionally, you can let the rolls rise slowly in the refrigerator overnight and bake it the next morning in a preheated oven.
How to Bake Cinnamon Buns
Bake in a 350F preheated oven for 25-30 minutes until the tops are golden brown. Let the cinnamon rolls cool down for 10 minutes before icing or serving.
How to Make Cream Cheese Icing for Cinnamon Rolls
The cream cheese icing is ridiculously easy to make. Simply combine softened cream cheese, milk, honey, and icing sugar in a bowl and use a whisk or spoon to mix until smooth. Then, spread the cream cheese icing over the cinnamon rolls and serve.
How to Serve
Serve these Skillet Cinnamon Rolls for breakfast, dessert, or a snack. I like including it on a weekend brunch spread along with some other favorites such as:
- Egg and Potato Breakfast Casserole
- Blueberry Pancakes
- Spring Vegetable Frittata
- Carrot Cake Muffins
- Triple Berry French Toast
- Green Smoothie Bowl
- Fruit Salad
Storing and Freezing Instructions
- Make ahead instructions: You can prepare these skillet cinnamon rolls up to a day in advance, following the recipe up until the second rise. Then, allow the rolls to rise slowly in the refrigerator overnight and bake it the next day in a preheated oven for fresh cinnamon rolls in the morning.
- How to store: To keep cinnamon buns fresh and moist, store them in an airtight container or covered in plastic cling wrap at room temperature for up to 2-3 days. Wait until the cake has cooled down to room temperature before storing to avoid it from getting soggy. You can also store them in the refrigerator for up to one week, but they will firm up.
- How to freeze: Cinnamon rolls are also freezer-friendly! Wrap them tightly in plastic cling wrap and in an airtight container or freezer bag and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, allow them to thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
- How to reheat: Enjoy cinnamon rolls at room temperature, or reheat them in a 300 F preheated oven or air fryer for 5-10 minutes until warmed through. You can also reheat them in the microwave for 30-60 seconds.
More Baked Goods
- Lemon Sweet Rolls
- Cinnamon Roll Twist Bread
- Blueberry Cinnamon Rolls
- Star Bread
- Cinnamon Raisin Challah Bread
- Easy Butter Croissants
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Recipe
Skillet Cinnamon Rolls
- Total Time: 3 hours
- Yield: 8 large rolls
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Soft and fluffy skillet cinnamon rolls are filled with classic cinnamon sugar and topped with homemade cream cheese icing. Sweet, buttery, and delicious.
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 500 grams all-purpose flour (4 cups)
- 6 grams instant yeast (2 teaspoons)
- 3 grams salt (½ teaspoon)
- 25 grams granulated sugar (¼ cups)
- 240 grams milk, at room temperature (1 cup)
- 60 grams butter, softened at room temperature (¼ cup)
- 1 egg
For the cinnamon filling:
- 60 grams butter, softened at room temperature (¼ cup)
- 50 grams sugar (½ cup)
- 8 grams ground cinnamon (1 tablespoon)
For the cream cheese icing:
- ½ cup cream cheese, softened at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1 and ½ tablespoons honey (or maple syrup)
- 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar (or more to taste)
Instructions
Prepare and proof the dough (first rise):
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, yeast, salt, and sugar until evenly combined.
- Add in milk, butter, and egg. Stir well with a spatula until no dry flour is visible. Make sure to scrape off any remaining flour off the sides of the bowl.
- Transfer the dough mixture onto a clean and dry surface. Knead the dough for 5 minutes until it turns into a soft and smooth dough ball. Because of the high fat content (butter and milk) in this recipe, the dough is much softer to knead by hand. You can also knead the dough on medium speed in a stand mixer for 10 minutes until smooth.
- Transfer the dough back into the mixing bowl, lightly grease the dough ball with a little bit of oil and cover with a lid. Let it rise at room temperature for 1 hour or until it doubles in size.
Shape the cinnamon rolls (second rise):
- Place the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Use a rolling pin to roll it into a rectangle measuring about 18x12-inches.
- Spread the softened butter evenly over the surface of the dough, leaving a 1-inch border on all sides.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together sugar and ground cinnamon. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the butter.
- Roll up the dough tightly into a log and pinch the end edges to seal.
- Use a knife or bench scraper to cut the rolled log into 8-12 even pieces (depending on the size of your skillet or baking pan), about 2-inches thick. Arrange the rolls into a greased skillet.
- Cover the skillet with plastic cling wrap and let it rise (second rise) for 30-45 minutes or until the rolls almost double in size.
- Optionally, you can let the rolls rise slowly in the refrigerator overnight and bake it the next morning in a preheated oven.
Bake the cinnamon rolls:
- Preheat the oven to 350 F.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes until the tops are golden brown. Let the cinnamon rolls cool down for 10 minutes before icing or serving.
Make the cream cheese icing:
- Combine softened cream cheese, milk, honey, and icing sugar in a bowl and use a whisk or spoon to mix until smooth.
- Spread the cream cheese icing over the cinnamon rolls and serve.
Notes
Make ahead instructions: You can prepare these skillet cinnamon rolls up to a day in advance, following the recipe up until the second rise. Then, allow the rolls to rise slowly in the refrigerator overnight and bake it the next day in a preheated oven for fresh cinnamon rolls in the morning.
How to store: To keep cinnamon buns fresh and moist, store them in an airtight container or covered in plastic cling wrap at room temperature for up to 2-3 days. Wait until the cake has cooled down to room temperature before storing to avoid it from getting soggy. You can also store them in the refrigerator for up to one week, but they will firm up.
How to freeze: Cinnamon rolls are also freezer-friendly! Wrap them tightly in plastic cling wrap and in an airtight container or freezer bag and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, allow them to thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
How to reheat: Enjoy cinnamon rolls at room temperature, or reheat them in a 300 F preheated oven or air fryer for 5-10 minutes until warmed through. You can also reheat them in the microwave for 30-60 seconds.
- Prep Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Desssert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
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April says
Best cinnamon rolls ever! Made this for the December cooking challenge. #cookingAOT