Easy Cinnamon Rolls Recipe (Almost Homemade)

These almost homemade cinnamon rolls topped with dreamy cream cheese frosting are the perfect weekend breakfast treat. Quick enough to whip up in the morning for fresh, warm rolls, or conveniently prepare the dough the night before and bake while you brew your coffee. No mixer needed—perfect for midnight cravings!

This simple cinnamon roll recipe makes just enough for a delightful indulgence, fitting perfectly into a 6-inch cake pan. Ideal for baking in both conventional and countertop ovens, these rolls always turn out golden, fluffy, and irresistible.

For more almost homemade treats, try these easy puff pastry croissants and puff pastry turnover recipe. Or, go old school with these easy homemade breakfast biscuits.

Why You’ll Love This Easy Cinnamon Roll Recipe:

• Small-Batch Convenience: Perfectly portioned for the small houselhold.
• No Mixer Required: Easy hand-mixing method anyone can master.
• Quick Prep: Dough can be prepped the night before—just bake in the morning!
• Cream Cheese Frosting: Sweet, creamy topping that takes only minutes to make.

Ingredients

• Pillsbury Grand Biscuits:  The 10.2-ounce package makes 4 perfectly sized cinnamon rolls.
• Cream Cheese:  I use an 8-ounce brick of full-fat Philadelphia Cream Cheese. Half is used for the cinnamon filling and half for the frosting.  It’s perfectly fine to use low-fat cream cheese. Bringing the cream cheese to room temperature before mixing will ensure smooth filling and frosting.  I don’t recommend using whipped cream cheese.
• Butter: I use salted butter.
• Brown Sugar: Light brown sugar lightly packed into a measuring cup.
• Vanilla Extract: McCormick is my go-to brand and is easy to find in most grocery stores.
• Powdered Sugar: Also known as confectioners’ sugar, mixes easily and helps to make a smooth, creamy frosting.
• Cinnamon: Use the freshest and best ground cinnamon. My go-to cinnamon is a Vietnamese variety from Morton & Basset. These are cinnamon rolls, so you want a nice smooth cinnamon flavor.

Enjoy a comforting, bakery-quality breakfast without any fuss. Once you try this recipe, it will become your go-to whenever a cinnamon roll craving strikes!

Looking for more almost homemade treats? Try my easy cinnamon muffins and small-batch biscuit recipes, or go classic with old-fashioned coffee cake.

Alternate Cinnamon Roll Icing without Cream Cheese

¼ cup butter, 1 ½ cups powdered sugar, ½ teaspoon vanilla, and ¾ tablespoon milk

Start with room temperature butter and cream until smooth; add in ½ the powdered sugar and mix well, then the milk and vanilla mix as you go, and last, add in the remaining sugar and mix until everything is smooth and creamy. if you want a thinner icing, just add a few drops more milk.

YOu can also skip the icing and lightly brush the tops of rolls with melted butter and sprinkle with a cinnamon sugar topping.

Instructions

Open the biscuit and knead the dough together to form a small rectangle. Roll out the dough to about a 6 x 10-inch rectangle.

In a medium bowl, mix together 4 ounces of cream cheese, 1 tablespoon of butter, ground cinnamon, and 1/2 cup of brown sugar. Use a wooden spoon to stir and smash the ingredients until smooth.

Spread the cinnamon filling over the rolled-out biscuit dough.

Roll up like a jelly roll and cut into 4 even sections. It’s a little lopsided, but that just adds the charm, right.:-). Before cutting, I scored the dough to make sure to cut evenly.

Place rolls into a parchment-lined 6-inch cake pan. Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 25-30 minutes. If you are making this the day ahead, you can cover and place it in the refrigerator until ready to bake.

While the rolls are baking, make the frosting. In a medium bowl, mix the powdered sugar, butter, and cream cheese together. Use a wooden spoon to mix until smooth, about 1 minute.

When the cinnamon rolls are baked, remove them from the oven and let them cool down to warm before spreading the frosting onto the top of the cinnamon rolls.

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Almost Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

Taste just like homemade and ready in a fraction of the time.

4.53 from 17 votes

Print (Requires Email) Pin Recipe Rate

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 rolls

1x2x3x

Author:Sydney Dawes

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 10.2 ounces package Pillsbury Grand Biscuits

Cinnamon Filling

• ▢ 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• ▢ ½ cup brown sugar
• ▢ 1 tablespoons butter softened
• ▢ 4 ounces cream cheese cut and 8 ounce package in half and use the other half for the frosting.

Frosting

• ▢ 4 oz cream cheese softened
• ▢ 2 tablespoons butter softened
• ▢ ¾ cup powdered sugar
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon vanilla paste

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit
• Open the biscuit dough package and place the dough on a lightly floured board.
• Shape the dough into a rectangle about 1/2 inch high and roll out the dough into a rectangle about 6 x 1o inches.
• Mix all the filling ingredients in a small bowl. Use a wooden spoon to mix the ingredients until smooth, about 1 minute. using room temperature ingredients makes this easier.
• Spread the cinnamon filling over the dough.
• Roll the dough like a jelly roll.
• Slice into 4 uniform pieces.
• Place on a parchment lined 6-inch cake pan and bake for 25 minutes.
• While the rolls are baking make the frosting.
• While the rolls are baking make the frosting. In a medium bowl mix the powdered sugar, butter and cream cheese together. Use a wooden spoon to mix until smooth, about 1 minute.
• Mix in the vanilla extract. Cover and set aside while the rolls are baking.
• Let the rolls cool sightly and top with the cream cheese frosting.

Nutrition Disclaimer

I am not a certified Dietitian or Nutritionist. The nutrition amounts given below is an estimate only and provided as a general guide only.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 475kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 318mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 45g

Made this recipe? Leave a comment below!

utensils and bakeware needed

• 6-inch Cake pan: My go-to are these cake pans from NordicWare. You can also bake the cinnamon rolls in a small casserole dish or 6-inch cast-iron skillet. For a single serving size, you can use a muffin pan for cute little rolls.
• Rubber Spatula: I have these spatulas from Heirloom Living in multiple sizes. The small size is great for my small-batch baking recipes.
• Pastry board: Also, a wooden cutting board can be used to roll out the dough.
• Sharp Knife to cut the dough.
• 2 bowls, one for the frosting and one for the filling.
• Wooden Spoon for mixing the ingredients.
• Rolling pin to roll out the dough. if you don’t have a rolling pin, then use a glass lightly floured to roll out the dough.
• Measuring cups and spoons.

How to freeze cinnamon rolls

Baked cinnamon rolls should be frozen un-frosted.  After cooling wrap each roll tightly in plastic wrap and place in a Ziploc bag.   When ready to eat, heat the rolls in the microwave for about 30-45 seconds in 15-second intervals.

The frosting is so easy to make, I suggest mixing it up fresh. However, if you want to freeze the frosting then portion it out in individual servings and freeze separately from the rolls.  When ready to frost heat in the microwave for a few seconds before spreading over the warm cinnamon roll.

Tips

• Butter and cream cheese should be at room temperature.
• Use a stir and smashing motion when mixing the filling and frosting to get a smooth consistency.