14 Best Homemade Cinnamon Roll Recipes With Variations

Want to switch up your usual Sunday morning breakfast with something sweet?

These amazing cinnamon rolls recipes will help you get started and any of them will be a fit with the family

Here are the ones I love:

Best Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

I think I traded in my buns of steel (if I ever had any) for buns of cinnamon

I have to admit though, this recipe messes me up. In a good way

Like in a… “I’m gonna make these for my family but then accidentally eat most if not all of them to myself and say it was an accident” kind of messed up ?

I’m going to say it, these are the perfect cinnamon rolls. I wouldn’t change a THING about this recipe

They’re soft, fluffy, and gooey all at the same time. They melt in your mouth when they are still warm. The dough, glaze, and filling in this recipe are all homemade and the turn out is to die for

The store made cinnamon rolls really have nothing on these and the two hours it takes to make them will change your life. I’ll try other recipes, but I don’t think I’ll ever buy store bought cinnamon rolls when I have this recipe on hand

Roll it with love!

Instant Pot Recipe

Source: Lamberts Lately

Remember when the instant pot first came out?

If you don’t… Sorry, now I feel ancient and uncomfortable. But it TOOK OFF! I went right out and bought one and it’s been one of the best kitchen appliances I purchased to date

Plus, I’m so happy we have Pinterest because I have found so many instant pot soup, dinner, chicken, and even DESSERT recipes that come out to perfection

The instant pot is such a good family appliance. It’s so much easier to make recipes in bulk that can feed a family for the week, meal prep, and when you’re cooking something yummy the smell radiates throughout your home

Can you imagine the smell these cinnamon rolls with an instant pot give off? I don’t need to light a candle for days!

Plus, letting the cinnamon rolls sit in the pot gives the dough a fluffy turnout that is absolutely to die for

These are the perfect Sunday morning breakfast or Christmas recipe. And they are cream cheese cinnamon rolls, which are my personal favorite kind. The glaze is thicker and creamier than other bases

I wouldn’t miss out on this one if I were you!

Cinnamon Roll Cake Recipe

Source: Eating on a Dime

Growing up my parents hardly ever went out together

“Date nights” were few and far between. My dad was a doctor, and my mom a nurse and to make it so we ever had to go to daycare my dad worked nights for EIGHT years…

Which is like, 25 years in night shift time. I do remember, however, about 3-4 overnight trips they took together and our babysitter was none other than my Italian grandmother Ortincia

Don’t you dig her name? She was a strict Italian woman

When the street lights came on outside is when we needed to be inside, we ate whatever she made, and no TV. But come Sunday morning my grandma cooked up a MEAN coffee cake

I wasn’t used to having cake for breakfast and I remember thinking as a good that someday when I grow up and am a mommy I’m going to make cake for my kids every now and again

So behold, coffee cake with a ooey gooey cinnamon roll twist!

You can’t just have any cake for breakfast, it has to be something you’re in the mood for that fits a breakfast theme

Coffee cake sure, but cinnamon roll cake? I thought cinnamon rolls couldn’t get any better but they do with this!

Don’t be scared off by the long list of ingredients on this recipe. Almost all of them are household items. It only takes 30 minutes to whip this up and you end with a decadent, moist, cinnamony, amazing breakfast cake

Plus, your house will smell like heaven and your kids will be ecstatic

Cake for breakfast? I think so!

Homemade Pancakes

Source: Midget Momma

No other type of pancake stacks up to these cinnamon roll cakes, and that’s a guarantee!

These pancakes are actually a Christmas and Easter morning tradition in our home, and I’m excited for them all year long

We eat our big holiday meals a little later in the day, closer to 4 pm instead of 2 pm, and these fill us up the perfect amount because by late afternoon we are ready to indulge!

I’m trying to think of a way to describe these so that you understand how FLIPPING (get it ?) awesome they are. They’re homemade and not boxed, so the pancakes themselves are extremely fluffy. Clouds in heaven type of fluffy

They are made with cinnamon and sugar swirls, so… Yum. The cream cheese glaze is sweet, and essentially melts in your mouth while you are eating them with your fork

These are less messy, and you can top them with syrup if you even feel the need to. I mean for crying out pancakes these have the taste of a sweet glazed cinnamon roll and the texture of a fluffy pancake what else could you possibly want?

With this recipe, your favorite pancake topping will be two additional pancakes ?

Gluten-Free Cinnamon Rolls

Source: This Vivacious Life

If you’ve been reading my posts for a while then you know my nephew suffers from some serious allergy issues

He is allergic to most meats, gluten, and dairy. I have watched my sister and her husband take on this challenge with positive hearts, motivating attitudes, and an extreme amount of patience and practice with recipe’s

They’ve paved the way for me to always do my best to include a gluten-free recipe in all of my posts but not just any gluten-free recipe

I will experiment with several until I find one that is just as good as originals, and one that everyone will enjoy with the gluten sensitive loved one in their life. There are plenty of reasons to go gluten-free for more than just allergy purposes, and I try to be supportive for any dietary or food preferences

Why Are They The Best?

There’s a reason they call these gluten-free cinnamon rolls the best, and fluffiest gluten-free rolls around because they TRULY ARE

The secret lies in the technique of making these. She found that you just can’t get enough filling inside the rolls unless you first freeze the brown sugar and butter into a block, and she was right

It changes everything about the recipe and turns the rolls themselves into soft, fluffy, and full of ooey gooey deliciousness

You can’t taste the difference, and since even the flour is home made, some might even say these are better than originals! And remember, anyone who gives you a fresh cinnamon roll out of the oven is a friend for life

Be that friend!

Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

Source: Thriving Home Blog

So I’ll be honest. I’m kind of a crazy cooking lady…

My husband is really polite about my cooking tendencies, but I know I get to him at times. When we go to events I tend to look really closely at what other moms bring to the table, or after dinner at a new restaurant I’ll rant and critique, and I even get really down on myself after new things I bake or make

To every pro in a person there’s always a con, right?

Well, I had a full on toddler meltdown at Meijer a couple of months ago. I wanted a bread machine, I just wanted one

There are so many recipes I’ve seen using them, and my mom has one and she makes the best homemade rolls that I know I could customize and make even better

My husband legitimately told me no which made me angrier. I whined, ignored him, I may have even cried on the way home? It was kind of a blackout, which if you know me you know when I get mad enough I just kind of lose it ?

The next day he wrote me a really cute note explaining to me that I do enough, maybe even too much, and I don’t need to feel like I have to get a bread machine to be the best. I remember at the end it said “use your mom’s, you’re a superstar, love you”

If you’re looking for a happy ending, here is not the place. I went out and got a bread machine the next day, my husband is mad, and it’s AWESOME!

If you have a bread machine or have tasted what comes out of them then you know. They are just the best. THE BEST

Which is what kind of makes these cinnamon rolls… The best

They’re fluffy, moist, flavorful, filling, and easy to make if you have a bread machine. I’m obsessed with making these on Saturday mornings for my kids because they make the house smell amazing and they aren’t as much work as other rolls

My husband has ignored recipe’s I’ve made in the bread machine to prove a point but even he can’t get enough of these

Moral of the story, go out. Get a bread machine. Make these. Your husband will forgive you lol

Easy Cinnamon Roll French Toast Casserole

Source: All Things Mamma

There’s a reason, actually, a ton of reasons why this cinnamon roll french toast casserole made the list of best cinnamon roll recipes

The video posted on the casserole itself has over 134 million views… Why?

First of all, there are only SEVEN, SEVEN ingredients total used for this casserole. If you find any other cinnamon roll recipe with only that many ingredients that taste as good as this one does please let me know because from the research I’ve done, extensive by the way, that’s about as good as it gets

Secondly, it tastes absolutely amazing! From the top to the bottom of the casserole there is syrup, the glaze is sweet and creamy, and the cinnamon rolls are moist

These also only take 30 minutes preparation, are not messy to make, and can even be frozen afterward. It feeds 12 people, so bringing it to a weekend sports tournament for your kids or church event would be perfect!

If you or your kids specifically french toast lovers than you need to get on this recipe ASAP!

Mug Cake

Source: Kirbie Cravings

Did anybody else go through a mug cake phase?

Takes me riiiiight back to college. College was hard, for a lot of reasons. Classes were hard and at times I was wondering why I was even at school when I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life

Waiting in the snow at the bus stop was hard… No dad, I didn’t walk 10 miles uphill both ways but I was freezing cold and walking to class in any Michigan weather condition

I went to school, worked, and was still broke. Grocery shopping was a nightmare. Anything healthy I wanted fed too many people and would go bad, and I always had to pick and choose and sacrifice one item for another

That’s where mug cake recipes came in!

In my prime mug cake baking, I was finding two and three ingredient healthy meals that taste like dessert and could indulge a little even when I couldn’t afford that Ben and Jerry’s, or didn’t see a point in making an entire batch of brownies nervous I would accidentally eat them all

If you’re looking for a craving killer or to indulge a little bit but not too much, mug cakes are the thing for you. The best thing about this recipe?

It tastes like an actual cinnamon roll, and a good one too

My favorite part about this is how the cinnamon swirls separate pieces of cake, just like they do for cinnamon rolls, so you can actually pull this apart and eat it with your hands if you wanted to

Plus, there’s one and that’s all, so you don’t have to be worried about overeating and your waistline will thank you later

Where was this recipe while I was in college?

Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls Recipe

Source: A Few Shortcuts

You will love this strawberry cinnamon roll recipe berry much!

I’ve kind of been doing something like this my entire life and I didn’t even know it! My parents loved cinnamon rolls

Don’t get me wrong, I’m a fanatic too (hence this post), but they went from homemade every Sunday to homemade now and again as more of a treat and store made every other time

I’ll be honest, the store made kind does get boring after awhile. When my mom was in a rush and would bring the dried out store cinnamon rolls home, I knew she was doing it to be nice and wouldn’t complain, plus my mom made SO many things homemade

Instead, I found a way to improvise. I would grab a cinnamon roll, put a couple of spoonfuls of homemade strawberry jam on my plate, and dig right in. It made the cinnamon rolls sweeter, more unique, and berrylicious

This recipe is that, but better!

These strawberry cinnamon rolls have actual gooey strawberries oozing from the center, and it’s topped with a decadent cream glaze too!

They only take about an hour and a half to make but will be absolutely worth the time and preparation. These kind of remind me of a strawberry jam filled donut, but with a cinnamon sweet twist

I can’t get enough of these!

Lemon Rolls

Source: Love From The Oven

Sometimes you just need some lemon aid to make everything better. I love lemon desserts

I think there’s something to be said about shaking it up with some lemon flavors, especially during the spring and summer months

Lemon is just…It’s clean, it’s refreshing, and as long as the flavor isn’t overpowering it makes for a sweet and decadent dessert

These. Lemon. Rolls. Are. everything. The secret to these?

Lemon pudding mix!

I never knew how much of a game changer sprinkling something as easy and as cheap as lemon instant pudding mix over dough would be. And don’t even worry, the homemade sweet and decadent cream cheese frosting combined with the lemon and cinnamon flavor is something out of this world!

This is so delicious and absolutely perfect for a spring breakfast, mother’s day dessert, or sunshiney summer morning

These rolls are my main squeeze!

Overnight Caramel Pecan

Source: Mom On Timeout

What do you guys think about nuts in your dessert?

I’ll be honest, I’ve never been the biggest fan of it. I am EXTREMELY particular about a dessert with nuts

Interesting enough, my favorite dessert of all time is homemade nut rolls that my mother in law makes. So when I tell you I’m nuts about these pecan cinnamon rolls it’s kind of a big deal

These are absolutely delicious! With a caramel cinnamon roll icing and then stuffed with pecans and raisins it’s a taste that’s so good that it’s almost indescribable. Sweet, decadent, crunchy, moist, all at once

If you’re a fan of nuts in your dessert, and honestly even if you’re not I highly suggest trying this out, it’s nuts!

30 Minute Cinnamon Sugar Knots

Source: I Heart Eating

To be honest, whenever I’m looking around for new recipes to try out on my family and friends anytime that I see a “30 minute” anything, especially a dessert, ESPECIALLY a dessert like cinnamon rolls, I question it

I question it so much that I have to try it out myself. It’s like I convince myself that it can’t be that good because of how quick it is. Some types of food sure but dessert, nah

I’m swallowing my pride a little in saying this but these… are. that. good.

Homemade cinnamon knots, I think yes

They taste like a mixture between a homemade cinnamon roll and an elephant here which in my opinion is a great combination

Don’t let the long list of ingredients fool you, they are all household appliances that I’m almost certain you have. In the time you would go to the store and pick out your dried out cinnamon rolls, these could be in the oven

I strongly suggest saving your gas and taking 30 minutes out of your day for these!

Cake Mix Red Velvet Cinnamon Rolls

Source: The Soccer Mom Blog

I LOVE valentine’s day, sue me. And it’s not because I want materialistic things on valentine’s day, or because I need my husband to take me out to dinner

In fact, I hate the valentine’s day dinner crowd and we’ve started a tradition where my husband cooks me the only thing he’s better at cooking than me, steak ?

What I love about valentine’s day is well, love. I love going to the supermarket and seeing the young men buying their girlfriends flowers, and all of the balloons and desserts out

Trust me, I haven’t always had the best valentines days but I’m not bitter because celebrating love is one of the best things in the world. I never understood what isn’t to love about love

These are a MUST MAKE on valentines day for you’re butter half

They are a gorgeous red color, smothered in luscious cream cheese icing, and the rolls will melt right in your mouth. The best part about these? EASY

They use a red velvet box cake mix which diminishes about 10 steps, and if you know me I won’t post about box mixes if they aren’t just as good as all of the homemade recipe

Show somebody with nice buns you love them this valentine’s day!

Crock Pot Cinnamon Roll Casserole

Source: Wishes N’ Dishes

The holidays are the best time of the year, but for this mommy, they are also a complete and utter nightmare…

I know I can’t be the only one who loses my sh** this time of year, right?

I mean there’s like 18 desserts I have to make for 12 holiday parties, including parties for my kids, work parties, my husbands work parties (because he can only make brownies and he burns them every. time.), etc

Then, I have to take my kids Christmas lists, make sure they get to Santa on time, make a Christmas dinner, buy presents, I mean seriously I’m sweating over here thinking about it

Sometimes you just need a shortcut and this recipe has been an absolute lifesaver, especially during the holiday season

The best part about this recipe aside from the obvious crock pot part?

This Cinnamon Roll Casserole uses store-bought cinnamon rolls. That part of the baking is already taken care of and the additions that make it so good are simple. It only cooks for a couple of hours, so you can easily whip it up in the morning and cook it while preparing your other breakfast food

I guarantee nobody will think anything about this is store bought because they soak in cream cheese glaze, and are way way way too moist and perfect to be store bought

I am all about this CasserOLL for the holidays!