Cinnamon Rolls with Heavy Cream are the classic cinnamon rolls you love but with heavy cream poured over the rolls before baking giving them an extra soft and gooey texture. They are spread with cream cheese frosting and will be your new go to breakfast or brunch recipe!
The simple addition of heavy cream to an otherwise normal cinnamon roll recipe is a TikTok trend that I ignored for a while. How much of a difference could it really make? It makes a big difference! Whether you make homemade cinnamon rolls, like I do in this recipe, or you add the heavy cream to some Rhodes frozen cinnamon rolls, Pillsbury cinnamon rolls (or any other canned cinnamon rolls) it makes the texture out of this world. I promise this cinnamon roll hack is one you don't want to miss out on!
If you're looking for more delicious breakfast and brunch recipes check out my Cinnamon Streusel Muffins, Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls, or Strawberry Pop Tarts!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- The addition of heavy cream gives you the softest and gooiest cinnamon rolls you'll ever eat. It's like having Cinnabon at home! If you want more cinnamon rolls check out my Caramel Cinnamon Rolls.
- Whether you make your rolls homemade or buy them at the store this hack will up the flavor and texture big time. You can also use homemade or store bought ingredients to make my Chocolate Brownie Pie.
- The thick layer of rich cream cheese frosting on top compliments the sweetness of the cinnamon rolls perfectly. The whipped cream cheese frosting on my Lemon Curd Cake has the same effect!
- A warm cinnamon roll is so nostalgic and comforting. I feel the same way about my Strawberry Pop Tarts.
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
- Be sure to use instant dry yeast that is not too old or your dough won't rise. I also use it in my White Bread Recipe.
- Heavy Cream will be poured over the cinnamon rolls before baking to give them the most incredible texture.
- Brown Sugar adds a warm and cozy flavor to the cinnamon rolls. It does the same to my Cinnamon Roll Pop Tarts.
- Ground Cinnamon will add flavor to our filling. Cinnamon is also used to flavor these delicious Snickerdoodle Macarons.
- Cream Cheese will add flavor to the icing and make it extra creamy. These Cinnamon Roll Pancakes also feature a cream cheese icing.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions and Variations
- If you don't want to make homemade cinnamon rolls, or don't have the time you can absolutely substitute with store bought cinnamon rolls. Whether you use the frozen ones or the canned Grands cinnamon rolls is up to you. You'll follow the instructions for making their cinnamon rolls and add the heavy cream just before baking.
- If you're not a cream cheese fan you can make a basic icing with powdered sugar, vanilla, and heavy cream instead. Like the one I use in my Strawberry Scones Recipe.
- You can brown the butter used in the icing to make these Tiktok cinnamon rolls even more indulgent. I do the same with my Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies.
This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!
Step-By-Step Instructions
STEP 1: Heat milk until warm to the touch, not hot, and pour into the bowl of a stand mixer. Sprinkle in the dry yeast. Allow to sit for about 5 minutes to allow the yeast to activate. Spray a 12-inch cast iron pan or a 9x13 pan with non stick spray and set aside.
STEP 2: Add the eggs, butter, salt, sugar, and flour. Using the dough hook, mix on low until the ingredients start to come together. Mixing slowly will ensure that the dry ingredients won’t go flying all over your kitchen. Then mix on medium speed for 5-7 minutes. At this point the dough should be smooth but still sticky, so don’t add any extra flour. (Photo 1)
STEP 3: Spray a large bowl with non-stick spray. Turn the dough out into the sprayed bowl. (Photo 2)
STEP 4: Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and set it aside in a warm place for about 30 minutes to allow the dough to rise. It should double in size. (Photo 3)
STEP 5: In a medium bowl, combine the softened butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon and mix until fully combined. Set aside. (Photo 4)
STEP 6: When the dough has doubled in size sprinkle a clean surface with flour. Turn the dough out onto the floured surface and roll into a rectangle about 12×15″. (Photo 5)
STEP 7: Dust off any excess flour, extra flour is going to make the finished product drier, and spread the cinnamon-sugar filling out to the edges of the dough. (Photo 6)
STEP 8: Starting on one of the long edges tightly roll the dough up, dusting any excess flour off of the outside as you go. (Photo 7)
STEP 9: Using a sharp knife, cut the roll into 12 pieces and place the rolls in the prepared pan. Pour the heavy cream into the pan around the cinnamon rolls. (Photo 8)
*NOTE* At this point, if you want to wait until the next morning to bake the caramel cinnamon rolls you can cover them and refrigerate them. The next morning pull your cinnamon rolls out and let them rest for about an hour before baking.
STEP 10: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees (F). Cover the rolls with a kitchen towel and allow them to rise for 20 minutes, they should double in size.
STEP 11: Once risen, place in the oven and bake for 17-20 minutes or until browned and the centers are cooked through. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before icing.
STEP 12: Using a hand mixer, combine the butter and cream cheese until light and airy. Slowly begin to add the powdered sugar, mixing well until fully combined. Add the vanilla and mix until combined. (Photo 9) Spread icing over slightly cooled cinnamon rolls. (Photo 10)
Expert Baking Tips
- Use an oven thermometer. Most ovens run either hot or cold. Using an oven thermometer ensures that you are baking your caramel cinnamon rolls at the perfect temperature.
- Weigh your ingredients. One of the most common baking mistakes that I see is measuring incorrectly, especially with flour. The best way to get accurate measurements every time is to weigh them with a kitchen scale.
- Let your dough rise in a warm room. Too cold of an environment will cause the dough not to rise as well.
- Be sure you are using fresh yeast. Yeast can expire and this will make the dough not rise.
Recipe FAQs
There could be a couple of explanations for this. The first is that your yeast could have been expired. Be sure you are using fresh yeast. The room where the dough was rising could also have been too cold. Yeast needs a warm environment to rise well.
Yes! This will work just as well and will make the process a bit faster.
I love the way this recipe turned out with homemade cinnamon rolls, but if you're in a pinch then you can absolutely use store bought cinnamon rolls and add the same amount of heavy cream just before baking.
Yes, you can make the cinnamon rolls ahead of time and hold them in the fridge for up to a day before baking.
Room Temperature: The Cinnamon Rolls with Heavy Cream can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Refrigerator: If stored correctly in an airtight container they will last up to 1 week in the fridge.
Freezer: If stored correctly in an airtight container they will last up to 2 months in the freezer.
More Recipes You'll Love
If you tried these Cinnamon Rolls with Heavy Cream or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I so appreciate hearing from you!
Recipe
Cinnamon Rolls with Heavy Cream
Ingredients
For Dough:
- 1 cup warm milk
- 2 ½ teaspoons (8 grams) instant dry yeast
- 2 large eggs
- 5 tablespoons (38 grams) butter melted, but not hot
- 4 ½ cups (540 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (99 grams) granulated sugar
For Filling:
- 8 tablespoons (114 grams) butter softened
- 1 cup (213 grams) brown sugar packed
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
For Baking:
- ⅔ cup heavy cream
For Frosting:
- 8 tablespoons (113 grams) unsalted butter
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- 2 ⅕ cup (283 grams) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
For Dough:
- Heat milk until warm to the touch, not hot, and pour into the bowl of a stand mixer. Sprinkle in the dry yeast. Allow to sit for about 5 minutes to allow the yeast to activate. Spray a 12-inch cast iron pan or a 9x13 pan with non stick spray and set aside.
- Add the eggs, butter, salt, sugar, and flour. Using the dough hook, mix on low until the ingredients start to come together. Then mix on medium speed for 5-7 minutes. The dough should be smooth, but still sticky.
- Spray a large bowl with non-stick spray. Turn the dough out into the sprayed bowl.
- Cover the bowl with a towel and set the bowl in a warm place and allow the dough to rise for about 30 minutes. The dough should double in size.
For Filling:
- In a medium bowl, combine the softened butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Mix until well combined and set aside.
For Dough:
- When the dough has doubled in size sprinkle a clean surface with flour. Turn the dough out onto the floured surface and roll the dough into a rectangle about 12x15".
- Dust off any excess flour and spread the filling out to the very edges of the dough.
- Starting on one of the long edges, tightly roll the dough up, brushing any excess flour off of the outside as you go.
- Using a sharp knife, cut the roll into 12 pieces and place in the pan. Pour the heavy cream over the rolls.
- At this point, you can cover the cinnamon rolls, refrigerate them, and make them the next morning. If you do this you will need to let the cinnamon rolls rest out of the oven for about an hour before baking.
- If you want to bake them now, preheat the oven to 375 degrees (F), cover the pan and let the cinnamon rolls rise for 20 minutes. They should double in size.
- Once risen, place in oven and bake for 17-20 minutes or until the rolls are browned and the centers are cooked through.
For Frosting:
- Using a hand mixer, combine the butter and cream cheese until light and airy.
- Slowly begin to add the powdered sugar, mixing well until fully combined.
- Add the vanilla and mix until combined.
- Spread cream cheese frosting over the slightly cooled cinnamon rolls.
Notes
- Let your dough rise in a warm room. Too cold of an environment will cause the dough not to rise as well.
- Be sure you are using fresh yeast. Yeast can expire and this will make the dough not rise.
- The provided nutrition information is an estimate. The calorie accuracy is not guaranteed.
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