Sheet Pan Cinnamon Rolls

The BEST Sheet Pan Cinnamon Rolls ever! They are fluffy, pillowy soft, gooey, packed with brown sugar and cinnamon, and slathered with a cream cheese frosting. Perfect for entertaining and can be made overnight/make ahead!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 30

Rising time 2

Total Time 2 50

Servings rolls

Calories 495kcal

Author Tawnie Graham of Kroll's Korner

Ingredients

For The Yeast Mixture

2 1/4 cups whole milk, warmed to 110°F
2 Tbsp. active dry yeast (3 standard packets is ~2 Tbsp. so 3 packets = perfect)
1/4 cup granulated sugar

For The Dough

1 cup unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature, whisked
2 large egg yolk, room temperature, whisked
8 cups bread flour, or all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled, plus up to ~1/2 more as needed and for dusting 125 grams = 1 cup flour.
1 Tbsp. kosher salt

For the baking sheet

1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

For The Filling

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups dark brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 cup heavy cream, warmed (optional) you may not need all this cream, just use your best judgement!

For The Frosting

12 oz. full-fat cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
1 Tbsp. vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract is OK.

US Customary - Metric

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Instructions

Note: Feel free to bake these cinnamon rolls in any pan you'd like, not just on a sheet pan. You can use 2, 9-inch round cake pans, 9x9 inch square baking dishes, or 8x11 or 9x13 inch baking dishes.
Bloom the yeast: add the yeast, warm milk, and sugar to a bowl and gently stir. Allow to sit for about 10 minutes, or until foamy on top.
2 1/4 cups whole milk, warmed to 110°F, 2 Tbsp. active dry yeast (3 standard packets is ~2 Tbsp. so 3 packets = perfect), 1/4 cup granulated sugar
Make the dough: add the melted butter, sugar, eggs, egg yolks, salt, and yeast mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk together. Gradually begin to stir in the bread flour. Stir with a wooden spoon until combined. It will look like a very shaggy dough.
1 cup unsalted butter, melted, 3/4 cup granulated sugar, 3 large eggs, room temperature, whisked, 2 large egg yolk, room temperature, whisked, 8 cups bread flour, or all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled, plus up to ~1/2 more as needed and for dusting, 1 Tbsp. kosher salt
Knead: Add the dough hook, and knead for ~10-15 minutes (kind of a long time, I know, but trust the process 😋) on medium speed or until the dough is soft and smooth and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. It will be a little tacky, but that's OK we want that. If it's overly sticky, add 1 Tbsp. flour at a time and knead again.
First rise: Lightly grease a large bowl with baking spray and place the dough in the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap (you can also spray the plastic wrap with baking spray so when the dough rises, it doesn't stick to it) and place a warm, damp towel on top. Rise on the counter or in a warm place for 1 1/2 - 2 hours or until the dough doubles.
Prep the baking sheet: spread 1/4 cup softened butter all over the bottom of a standard half baking sheet (18x13-inch) and sprinkle with 1/2 cup brown sugar over the top. This makes the bottom of the cinnamon rolls gooey and delish! Set aside.
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened, 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
Divide the dough: Punch the dough down and turn the dough out onto a clean & lightly floured work surface. Using a bench scraper, divide the dough in half. Since we're working with a lot of dough I find it easiest to split it in half.
Roll it out: Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the first portion of dough out into a 12x15 inch rectangle, ~1/4 inch thick. If the dough springs back when trying to roll out, allow it to rest for 10 minutes and then roll again.
Add the filling: Spread the softened butter onto the dough, leaving about a 1/2 inch border. Then mix the brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl, sprinkle this all over the butter, and press/rub it into the butter.
1 cup unsalted butter, softened, 2 cups dark brown sugar, packed, 1/4 cup ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
Cut into strips: using a ruler, make notches at ~1.25-inch intervals, then slice into strips using a pizza cutter, resulting in ~10-12 strips of dough. Roll up each strip and place the cinnamon roll on the prepared sheet pan (or baking dish of choice). Try to place the cinnamon rolls not directly against the edges of the sheet pan. This will allow for room to rise and also help prevent spillage over the sides when baking. Repeat these same steps with the other portion of the dough. It's okay if they don't look perfect, we're all doing our best, right?!
Second rise OR refrigerate overnight: 1. For the second rise option, loosely cover with a piece of foil, and rise again for about 30-60 minutes, or until nearly doubled in size. 2. For the overnight option: cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. (You can stick toothpicks in the cinnamon rolls and place the pastic wrap on top so the plastic wrap doesn't touch the rolls). When ready to take out in the morning, remove the plastic wrap and allow rolls to rise. This could take anywhere from 30 minutes to 1 1/2 hours, depending on the temperature in your kitchen. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Optional heavy cream: I have made these cinnamon rolls with and without the heavy cream. They are delicious either way so if you don't have the heavy cream, no worries. If you do, warm the heavy cream until lukewarm. Once the rolls have risen, pour the heavy cream over the top of the rolls right before you place them in the oven.
1 cup heavy cream, warmed (optional)
Bake: You can see the light at the end of the tunnel at this point! Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the tops are golden brown. Avoid overbaking so they remain pillowy. They should reach an internal temperature of about 195°F. If you notice the tops browning too quickly, tent the top with a piece of foil. Pro tip: line the bottom rack in the oven with foil too just in case anything drips over the sheet pan.
Make the frosting: Beat the cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer until smooth. Add in the remaining ingredients and beat again until smooth.
12 oz. full-fat cream cheese, softened, 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened, 3 cups powdered sugar, 1 Tbsp. vanilla bean paste
Enjoy (the best step): Spread on top of warm rolls and enjoy them right away because you just made the best homemade cinnamon rolls and should be proud! 🥳 Cover any leftovers and store in the fridge for up to 5 days.

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Notes

Instant yeast: to substitute instant yeast, skip the first step of blooming the yeast and mix the yeast with the flour, sugar, and salt before adding that to the stand mixer with the warm whole milk, eggs, and melted butter.
Storage:
- Room temperature: store frosted or unfrosted cinnamon rolls in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Re-warm in the microwave until soft and gooey again, ~15-45 seconds. The cream cheese frosting has sugar, which acts as a preservative and prevents the frosting from spoiling as quickly, which is why it can be kept at room temperature.
- Refrigerator: store the frosted or unfrosted rolls tightly covered or in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Re-warm in the microwave.
- Freezer: To freeze the baked cinnamon rolls, allow them to cool completely, tightly cover, and then freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then rewarm and enjoy. You can freeze the shaped but unbaked Sheet Pan Cinnamon Rolls in the pan, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap, for up to 1 month. Defrost overnight in the fridge, then allow to rise again at room temperature. Once doubled in size, proceed with the recipe as written.

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