Milk Bread Cinnamon Rolls
These Milk Bread Cinnamon Rolls are super fluffy and perfectly sweet! This recipe includes the popular TikTok heavy cream variation as well as an overnight option! And I promise, they won't last long!
Prepare yourself for the Softest Cinnamon Rolls with Tangzhong! They’re wonderfully fluffy and perfectly sweet, thanks to a thick vanilla bean icing! Made with easy-to-follow step-by-step photos and instructions that yield perfectly delicious Cinnamon Rolls every time!
You Will Love Tangzhong Cinnamon Rolls
Pour that morning steamy cup of coffee and grab one of these Tangzhong cinnamon rolls to begin your day with! After all, no bad day has ever started with Cinnamon Rolls, especially these ones!
I have spent years trying and testing cinnamon rolls to make sure that when I finally shared this classic pastry with you, the recipe would be perfect. I love that this recipe (though long and many steps) is actually pretty easy!
Thanks to the addition of tangzhong, every bite of these cinnamon rolls is pillowy soft, deliciously moist, and satisfyingly sweet! Between their dreamy texture, cozy cinnamon filling, and vanilla frosting, I wouldn’t just save them for breakfast. Instead, enjoy them as a midday snack and even for dessert!
What Makes Cinnamon Rolls With Tangzhong Different?
Tangzhong creates a paste-like mixture from cooking bread flour with water and whole milk. Once this mixture has cooled slightly, it’s incorporated into the dough, which locks and traps lots of moisture in the dough.
This extra moisture turns to steam during baking, which in turn delivers light, fluffy cinnamon rolls. This method also keeps them light and fluffy for longer, preventing them from drying out after just one day!
This added simple step makes for a delicious texture that you just can’t get in cinnamon rolls that are made without tangzhong.
Ingredients for Milk Bread Cinnamon Rolls
Full recipe with ingredients amounts can be found towards the bottom of the post after all of the helpful tips, step-by-step photos, and more in the post that will help you make the best cinnamon rolls ever!
- Whole Milk
- Water
- Bread Flour
- Powdered Milk
- Granulated Sugar
- Instant Yeast
- Salt
- Large Eggs
- Large Egg Yolk
- Salted Butter
- Vegetable Oil
- Dark Brown Sugar
- Corn Starch
- Ground Cinnamon
- Powdered Sugar
- Heavy Cream
- Vanilla Bean Paste
The secret to the Softest Cinnamon Rolls with Tangzhong isn’t solely found in the recipe ingredients as much as it is the technique of making them. Steps such as preparing and incorporating the tangzhong, working with yeast, and allowing them to rise in a warm location of your home three times are all essential to creating the best cinnamon rolls!
As is being careful not to overwork the dough, however, ingredients such as bread flour, powdered milk, and vanilla bean paste all play a huge role in flavor and texture as well!
TikTok Cinnamon Rolls With Heavy Cream Variation
This trend has been popular all over TikTok for the last year, but it was actually my friend, Julie from Tastes of Lizzy T, who originally shared that method years and years ago – so she deserves the credit for this trick! For extra gooey cinnamon rolls, pour 3/4 cup of heavy cream over the top before covering them for their second rise. This takes them from holdable to requiring a fork to eat them!
How To Make Cinnamon Rolls With Tangzhong
- Prepare the Tangzhong by combining whole milk and water with bread flour in a small saucepan. Whisk this mixture together until smooth and cook until thick and gelatinous. Afterward, remove it from the heat and set it aside to cool.
2. Begin mixing up the cinnamon roll dough by mixing the bread flour, powdered milk, granulated sugar, instant yeast, and salt in a large bowl or stand mixer that’s fitted with a dough hook attachment.
3. Pour in the whole milk and add the large eggs along with the additional egg yolk and mix.
4. Mix in the melted salted butter and the prepared tangzhong until thoroughly combined. The mixture should resemble sticky dough.
5. Cover the dough and allow it to rest in the bowl.
6. Knead the rested dough at medium-high speed until it becomes smooth and elastic. Resist the urge to add additional flour!
7. The dough should be tacky and pliable yet not sticky when it’s ready. Turn the dough out into a large bowl that has vegetable oil in it. Rotate the dough so that it becomes oiled on all sides. Afterward, cover the bowl with cling wrap and allow it to rise in a warm location of your home.
8. Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down in the center.
9. Transfer it to a lightly floured surface. Shape the dough into a rectangular shape using your hands. Then, roll it out into a large rectangle.
10. Stir dark brown sugar, cornstarch, and ground cinnamon together in a medium bowl.
11. Line a large, rimmed baking pan with parchment paper. Then, prepare the cinnamon sugar filling by first partially melting salted butter in the microwave. Using a pastry brush, brush the partially melted butter all over the surface of the dough.
12. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture over the brushed-on butter, leaving half an inch to an inch border at one of the shorter ends. Next, use a rolling pin to roll over and press the sugar into the dough.
13. Cut the dough into 12 strips that are about 1 1/3-inch wide using a pizza or pastry cutter.
To measure the dough, I recommend using a Pastry Mat with measurements along the side or a sewing tape measure to make sure everything is even, which is important with cinnamon rolls so they are as evenly sized as possible!
14. Roll the slices of cinnamon roll dough up to create a pinwheel. To do so, start with the fully sugared end, making it fairly tight, then secure it with the exposed buttered end without sugar on it. If needed, brush more butter onto the outside of the roll to secure the end.
15. Transfer the rolls to a parchment-lined baking pan with a little space between each. To enjoy the heavy cream variation of these rolls, pour heavy cream over the top of the cinnamon rolls. If not, skip this step, cover the rolls with plastic wrap, and then allow them to rise.
16. With about 15 minutes left of rise time, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Once preheated, uncover the rolls and transfer the baking dish into the oven on the lowest rack. Bake until golden brown.
17. Prepare the icing as the rolls cool by melting salted butter in a medium bowl in the microwave. Then, whisk in powdered sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla bean paste until smooth with no lumps.
How To Ice Milk Bread Cinnamon Rolls
To ice these Milk Bread Cinnamon Rolls, I have found that using a rubber spatula or rubber spoon works better than a knife. Therefore, dip the rubber spatula into the icing and then spread it across the rolls, being sure to distribute the icing across all of them evenly.
18. Spread the icing over the top of the warm buns using a rubber spatula or spoon.
Cinnabon Copycat Cinnamon Rolls Substitutions & Variations
- Bread Flour – All-purpose flour can be used instead of bread flour. However, this swap will impact how light and fluffy the cinnamon rolls turn out!
- Vegetable Oil – Canola oil can be used in place of vegetable oil.
- Salted Butter – If you have unsalted butter on hand, that can be substituted into the recipe to replace salted butter. Additional salt will just need to be added to balance out the recipe.
- Vanilla Bean Paste – The icing recipe can be made with vanilla extract instead of vanilla bean paste. To do so, use 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract in its place.
- Cream Cheese Frosting – If you prefer cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting, feel free to skip the icing in this recipe and instead whip up a batch of your favorite cream cheese frosting to finish them off with.
- Extra Icing – Double the icing recipe for an extra gooey treat!
How To Make Soft Cinnamon Rolls Ahead Of Time
Yes, these cinnamon rolls have an overnight option that makes breakfast or brunch a breeze! To make them ahead of time, once the rolls are in the pan on step 8 on the recipe card, under the “Filling” instructions, do not allow them to rise.
Instead, cover the dish of cinnamon rolls with plastic wrap and then immediately transfer them to the refrigerator. When you’re ready to enjoy them, add 2 to 3 minutes to the baking time.
Storing Tangzhong Cinnamon Rolls
Since these Cinnamon Rolls are made using the tangzhong method, you’ll be able to enjoy their soft, fluffy texture for up to 3 days. To store them, place them in an airtight container and keep them at room temperature.
You can also freeze them for up to one month! Which makes it extremely convenient to enjoy them later!
How To Reheat Cinnamon Rolls With Tangzhong
To reheat these cinnamon rolls back up to enjoy their gooey goodness, simply pop them in the microwave or the oven.
More Sweet Breakfast Recipes:
- Air Fryer Donuts – Fluffy, crisp donuts from scratch covered sweet glaze!
- Cinnamon Muffins with Streusel Topping – Finished with a crunchy cinnamon topping!
- Blueberry Pancake Recipe – Fluffy pancakes loaded with juicy blueberries!
- Cinnamon Roll Casserole – Loaded with cinnamon, maple, pecans, and more!
- Easy Monte Cristo Sliders – A savory, sweet breakfast that hits the spot every time!
Steps
Tangzhong
Add , , and to a small saucepan and whisk over medium heat until smooth. Cook until thick and gelatinous, about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool for a few minutes.
Dough
In a large bowl or stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment, mix together , , , , and .
Add in , , and and mix for 15 seconds.
Mix in the and the tangzhong that was prepped earlier and mix until thoroughly combined and the mixture resembles sticky dough. You want the butter to be very soft, either left out overnight or slightly melted in the microwave for.
Cover the dough and let it rest in the bowl for 20 minutes.
After resting, knead for about 10 minutes at medium-high speed (speed 6 on a stand mixer) until smooth and elastic. Resist the urge to add additional flour.
When the dough is ready, it should feel tacky (but not sticky) and pliable. Add to a large clean bowl and turn your dough out into it. Rotate the dough so it’s oiled on all sides, then cover it with cling wrap and let it rise somewhere warm. It should double in size within 1 hour in a warm home or 75 to 90 minutes in air conditioning.
Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down in the center, then transfer it to a lightly floured surface. Use your hands to shape the dough into a rectangular shape, then roll it out into a 16x18-inch rectangle measuring; it doesn’t have to be exact.
Line a large 12x17-inch rimmed baking pan with parchment paper.
Filling
Partially melt in the microwave for 15 seconds, then use a pastry brush to stir and brush the butter all over the surface of the dough. Yes, we are partially melting already room temperature butter because this allows us to do a quick partial melt and stir the butter into a creamy paste-like consistency for brushing. You don't want to use all melted butter for this step because it's too thin and won't hold the filling in as well.
In a medium bowl, stir together , , and with a fork until mixed.
Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture over the butter, and leave a ½ to 1-inch border at one of the shorter ends. Then use a rolling pin to roll over and press the sugar into the dough.
Use a pizza or pastry cutter to cut the dough into 12 strips about 1⅓-inch wide with, the cuts starting from the shorter (16-inch) side of the dough.
Roll up each strip of dough to create a pinwheel, starting with the fully sugared end, making sure it's fairly tight, then securing with the exposed buttered end without sugar on it. You can brush more butter onto the outside of the roll if needed to secure the end.
Place the rolls on the parchment-lined baking pan with a little space between.
Heavy Cream Variation: If you prefer a more gooey cinnamon roll, pour ¾ cup of heavy cream over the top of the cinnamon rolls right before covering for their second rise. These rolls are very tender and soft without doing this, but this method yields a bit more of a gooey texture. Think holdable vs requiring a fork.
Cover the rolls with plastic wrap and let rise for 30 to 60 minutes. They should now be touching and crowding each other and be fairly puffy.
Overnight Instructions: Transfer the covered rolls to the refrigerator immediately after placing them on the pan for a second slow rise for 8 to 12 hours. Add 2 to 3 minutes to the bake time with this method.
With about 15 minutes left of rise time, preheat the oven to 350ºF.
Bake the rolls on the lowest rack of the oven for 22 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. When done, the center of the rolls should read 190°F on an instant-read thermometer. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool.
Icing
Prepare the icing by melting in a medium bowl in the microwave and then whisking in , , and until smooth. If you want extra gooey cinnamon rolls, you can 1.5x this recipe.
Use a rubber spatula or spoon to spread the icing over the top of the warm rolls.
Notes
You can find full step-by-step photos, variations, FAQs, and tips in the recipe post.
Nutrition
- Calories503
- Carbs72g
- Protein9g
- Fat20g
- Saturated fat12g
- Fiber2g
- Sugar35g
- Sodium260mg
Estimates per serving, when a serving size is listed.
