The Best Cinnamon Roll Recipe (Tangzhong Method)

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These homemade cinnamon rolls are soft and fluffy, with a vanilla frosting that has just the right amount of cream cheese. They come together quickly and stay soft for days! The secret is the tangzhong method--a quick, two-minute flour-and-milk paste that locks in moisture and keeps the dough easy to work with.

I’ll be honest--I’ve spent way too much time on this recipe. There are so many delicious cinnamon roll recipes out there, and I didn’t want to share mine unless it could compete with the best. After lots of tweaking, I’ve finally perfected it. Now that it’s ready to try, you'll have to let me know what you think!

What is the Tangzhong method?

The tangzhong method is a Japanese technique used to make breads and rolls extra moist. All it requires is cooking a little bit of flour with water or milk into a thick paste before adding it to the dough. This paste absorbs more liquid than raw flour, which helps the dough keep its moisture and stay soft longer.

I know what you may be thinking, why make cinnamon rolls even harder? Here's the thing--making this paste takes 2 minutes MAX, and is so worth the effort. You'll notice a significant difference in your cinnamon rolls, so don't knock it 'til you try it!

I also like to pour a little bit of heavy cream on top of my cinnamon rolls. The cream soaks into the dough and steams it while baking, making the rolls perfectly soft and fluffy. Both of these techniques together make the perfect cinnamon roll!

The EASY way to roll cinnamon rolls

One of the biggest challenges in making cinnamon rolls is shaping them properly. After spreading the cinnamon-sugar filling, many people roll the dough and then struggle to cut it evenly using a knife or unflavored floss.

Here’s an easier method: after spreading the filling, use a pizza cutter to slice the dough into strips, then roll each strip into a spiral. That’s it—quick, simple, and perfectly shaped rolls every time!

Ingredient Notes

Room temperature & warm ingredients: Pay close attention to the temperature notes for the ingredients. Temperature has a huge impact on yeast, and if either too hot or cold, your dough will struggle to rise.
Instant dry yeast: Even though instant yeast doesn't need to be proofed, I still do it in this recipe to get the dough to rise faster. Active dry yeast works if that's all you have, but keep in mind that the dough will take longer to rise.
Vanilla extract: I like to add vanilla extract to the filling because it adds a little bit of extra richness to that part of the rolls.
Heavy whipping cream: Pouring a little bit of heavy whipping cream on top of the rolls before baking helps to lock in some extra moisture. The key to great cinnamon rolls is soft, hydrated dough. However, I don't use quite as much heavy cream as some other recipes do--I find that ¼ cup keeps the rolls soft but not soggy.

How to Make the BEST Cinnamon Rolls

The Tangzhong Method

First, add some all purpose flour and milk to a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly until a thick paste forms, it should only take about 1-2 minutes. Once the paste is thickened, remove it from the saucepan and set it aside for later.

Make the Dough

Add the melted (and cooled) butter to your standing mixer, as well as the slightly warm milk and sugar. After making sure that the ingredients are slightly warmer than room temperature (not too hot or the yeast won't activate), add the instant dry yeast and stir it in. Then let it sit for about 10 minutes to activate.

Though instant yeast doesn't need to be proofed (added to warm liquid and sugar), doing so in this recipe will speed up the rise of your dough.

Next, add in the eggs and tangzhong paste, mixing on medium speed with the paddle attachment. Then add the flour and salt, and mix on medium speed until the dry ingredients are just barely mixed in. Let the dough sit for about 3-4 minutes so that the dry ingredients can absorb the moisture in the dough.

Switch out the paddle for the knead attachment and mix on medium speed for about 3-4 minutes. Check the dough about halfway through to determine if you need an additional ?-¼ cup of flour. The dough should be soft and tacky, but shouldn't completely stick to your fingers when worked with.

Spray a large bowl with oil, add the dough and cover with a cloth for the first rise (until doubled in size). The dough will rise best in a warm environment (72° Fahrenheit or higher). It should take about 1-1.5 hours.

Tip: Turn your oven on to its lowest setting (usually around 170-175° Fahrenheit) for one minute. Turn the oven OFF, and place the covered bowl of dough inside the oven while it rises. This is the easiest way to control the temperature without having to heat your entire house.

Make the Filling

Stir together the brown sugar and cinnamon in a medium-sized bowl. Then add the softened butter (NOT melted) and vanilla extract, then stir until evenly mixed.

Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a large rectangle, about 20x15 inches (size doesn't matter much here--but keep in mind that the wider the rectangle, the taller your cinnamon rolls will be, and the taller the rectangle, the more spiral your cinnamon rolls will have). Evenly spread the filling on the rolled out dough, covering it completely.

The easiest way to shape the cinnamon rolls is to cut the dough into 12 strips using a pizza cutter, and then roll each strip into a spiral. If you'd like to roll the entire rectangle of dough and then slice into individual rolls with a knife or unflavored floss, that works too.

Use cooking spray to oil your glass 13x9 pan. Evenly place each spiral into the pan, tucking the end piece under the spiral (this keeps them tucked nicely while baking). Cover with a cloth and let rise to double.

Bake the Rolls

Once the rolls are double in size, pour the heavy cream (room temperature) over the top of the rolls. Bake the cinnamon rolls at 350° Fahrenheit for about 22-27 minutes. Check the rolls at 20 minutes--if the rolls are browning too fast, cover them with tin foil.

When checking if the cinnamon rolls are done, the center of the middle rolls are a good indicator. I like to use a food thermometer so that I don't overbake them--they should reach an internal temperature of about 190° Fahrenheit.

cinnamon rolls before baking, drizzled in heavy cream

Frost the Cinnamon Rolls

In a medium-sized bowl (using a handheld mixer) or in a standing mixer (whisk attachment), mix together the cream cheese and butter until creamy. Add in the vanilla extract and heavy cream, mixing until smooth. Then gradually add in the powdered sugar and mix until smooth.

Let the cinnamon rolls cool for about 15 minutes before frosting them. Don't wait until they've completely cooled off though--frosting the rolls while they're still warm lets the frosting melt down the sides and into the cinnamon rolls, which I highly recommend!

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Tangzhong really make a difference?

It really does! Cooking a little flour with milk (the tangzhong) helps the dough absorb more liquid, keeping the rolls soft, fluffy, and moist.

Can I use active dry yeast instead of instant dry yeast in cinnamon rolls?

Yes, you can. I will warn you, active yeast does take longer to rise--so make sure to factor in some extra time when using it.

Should you pour heavy cream over your cinnamon rolls before baking?

Always! That last step of pouring cream over the rolls makes a noticeable difference in both softness and richness.

Is it better to bake cinnamon rolls in a glass or metal pan?

A glass pan will heat the rolls more slowly, giving them an even bake. A metal pan heats quicker, so the edges will turn out more crisp. Because I prefer my cinnamon rolls to be soft and gooey, I usually opt for a glass pan.

Other Dessert Recipes

If you loved these cinnamon rolls, here are a few other popular recipes I think you'll enjoy:

Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies

Caramel Churro Cheesecake Bars

Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

Mom's Famous Cinnamon Bread

If you try out these tangzhong cinnamon rolls or any of my other recipes, I’d LOVE to hear about it. You can leave a comment below the recipe, or if you post a picture on Instagram, be sure to tag me! Getting any feedback on my recipes is both rewarding AND helpful as I write and edit recipes in the future.

Now get baking, and enjoy!