15 Easy Cinnamon Roll Recipes You’ll Love

🌀 15 Easy Cinnamon Roll Recipes You’ll Love

Here are 15 recipes (or recipe styles) for cinnamon rolls that are relatively easy and approachable. Many of them reduce complexity (fewer rises, no yeast, shortcuts, vegan options, etc.).

#	Name / Style	Highlights / Why It’s “Easy”	Key Notes or Source
1	Easy Cinnamon Rolls (1-Rise)	Only one rise so less waiting	From Sally’s Baking Addiction — soft, fluffy, good for beginners
2	Soft & Gooey Homemade Cinnamon Rolls	Under 2 hours total	Simple dough, nice texture, silky cream cheese icing
3	Classic From-Scratch Cinnamon Rolls	The tried-and-true method	Soft dough, rich filling, good home bake basic
4	Cinnabon Copycat	“As close as you can get” version	Pillowy, rich, luscious cream cheese frosting
5	Quick Cinnamon Rolls (No Yeast)	No yeast, no proofing	Great when you want cinnamon rolls fast (≈ 40 minutes)
6	Easy Cinnamon Rolls (Using Bread Dough)	Use pre-made bread dough	Shortcut — roll, fill, bake
7	Quick & Easy / 1-Hour Cinnamon Rolls	Ready in ~1 hour	Uses tricks and shortcuts to cut time
8	Vegan Cinnamon Rolls	No dairy, no eggs	Minimalist Baker’s 7-ingredient vegan version
9	Best Homemade (“Soft + Fluffy”)	Fluffy, melt-in-the-middle	A classic enriched dough version
10	Best Cinnamon Rolls You’ll Ever Eat	Big, fluffy, make-ahead / freeze-ahead-friendly	Option to refrigerate overnight
11	Best Cinnamon Rolls (Ambitious Kitchen)	Balanced ratio, option to do overnight	Includes tips, video, etc.
12	The Best Homemade Cinnamon Rolls (Simply Recipes)	Strong classic recipe	A long-rise, enriched dough approach
13	Best Easy Cinnamon Rolls (Do-it-yourself, no mixer)	Simpler technique	No mixer, relatively fewer steps
14	Tangzhong / Extra-Fluffy Cinnamon Rolls	Using a tangzhong (water-flour roux) for softness	Adds extra “pillowy” texture via pre-cooked paste
15	Variations & Twist Rolls	Apple, pecan, bacon, cardamom, etc.	From Better Homes & Gardens list of 13+ variants

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🍽 How to Choose a Recipe (and Tips to Succeed)

Here are some tips and considerations to help you pick which cinnamon roll recipe to try and to get good results.

1. Time & patience vs. speed

• If you want a quick bake, go with the no yeast / quick / one-rise versions (like #5, #7).
• If you don’t mind waiting and want depth of flavor, try the classic multi-rise or tangzhong versions (#13, #14).

2. Ingredient availability / simplicity

• Use recipes that rely on pantry staples.
• The “using bread dough” (#6) variation is great if you already have a loaf of dough in the freezer or fridge.

3. Dietary preferences

• For vegan / dairy-free, try the version from Minimalist Baker (#8).
• For a twist, try rolls with fruit, nuts, or savory additions (see #15).

4. Do a test run

• If it’s your first time, don’t attempt the biggest batch. Start small so you can tweak things.
• Watch proofing times carefully — yeast and temperature are your friends (or enemies).

5. Icing / glaze matters

• A good cream cheese frosting or glaze can elevate even a simpler roll.
• Let the rolls cool a little before icing so the frosting doesn’t melt off too quickly.

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📸 Image Inspiration

Above are a few photos of cinnamon rolls: golden brown, soft spirals drizzled with icing, gooey centers. They show a range of roll types — classic, glazed, with swirl visibility, and close-ups.

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✅ Sample Basic Recipe (One of the Easier Ones)

Here’s a simplified version combining ideas from the “Easy Cinnamon Rolls (1-Rise)” style. Use this as a starting point and feel free to tweak.

Ingredients

• 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 2¼ tsp (one packet) active dry yeast
• ½ cup warm milk (≈ 110°F / ~43°C)
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp melted butter
• 1 large egg
• Pinch of salt

Filling

• ½ cup softened butter
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• 2 tbsp ground cinnamon

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 4 oz cream cheese, softened
• ¼ cup butter, softened
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• ½ tsp vanilla extract

Method (simplified)

1. Activate yeast: Combine warm milk, yeast, and a little sugar. Let it sit ~5 minutes until foamy.
2. Dough: In a bowl, mix flour, sugar, salt; add melted butter, egg, yeast mixture. Knead (by hand or mixer) until elastic.
3. Rise: Let dough rest / rise until doubled (~45–60 mins).
4. Roll & Fill: Roll dough into rectangle, spread butter, sprinkle cinnamon + sugar.
5. Roll-up & Cut: Roll it tight into a log and slice into pieces.
6. Second rise: Let slices rest ~20–30 mins.
7. Bake: Bake at ~180–190 °C (350–375 °F) until golden (≈ 15–20 mins).
8. Frost: Let cool a bit, then spread cream cheese frosting on top.

This is a bit of a hybrid of classic and easier styles. As you try, adjust rise times, ingredients, etc.

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Would you like me to write out full printable recipes (with ingredient lists and step-by-step) for any 3 or 5 of these, along with higher-resolution images? I can pick based on your preference (quick ones, vegan ones, or classic ones).