These Buttermilk Cinnamon Rolls are gooey and tasty, with just the right amount of tartness. The buttermilk makes them light and fluffy. These are the finest things to wake up to since they are covered with cream cheese frosting. You can make them the night before and bake them in the morning.

Is it a family tradition to eat cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning? They have turned into one for us! They may take a little longer than other recipes, but they are definitely worth it.

These buttermilk cinnamon buns are the best thing to wake up to on a holiday morning and any other day. You don’t need a particular reason to cook cinnamon rolls at home, but making these will feel like one! Here are some reasons why you will love these buttermilk cinnamon rolls:

They taste like classic cinnamon rolls with a twist. This recipe isn’t quite like the classic, but adding buttermilk gives it more flavor and makes the cinnamon rolls even lighter and fluffier. Buttermilk’s acidity helps break down the gluten and proteins, which makes your cinnamon rolls so soft! More baked items should definitely include buttermilk in them.
You can make it ahead of time. If you want to prepare cinnamon rolls in the morning, they can be a lot. A lot of waiting. But you can have these ready a day ahead of time, so all you have to do is let the rolls rise one last time before you bake them. You don’t have to get up at the crack of dawn!
This is a relatively easy and uncomplicated recipe for cinnamon rolls. I have always found the recipe for cinnamon rolls to be hard. But I think this buttermilk cinnamon bun recipe is quite straightforward in its own way and hard to mess up. So even someone who is just starting out can learn them!

Ingredients for the recipe:

For the rolls with cinnamon:

Buttermilk is the main thing that makes these fluffy cinnamon rolls different from others. Buttermilk will give the rolls a sour taste and make the dough soft and fluffy. I have used both regular and low-fat buttermilk, and they both performed well. You can create your own buttermilk if you can’t find any, or you can use whole milk in a pinch. The taste will be a little different, though.

instant yeast: for optimal results, use “instant active yeast.” Using instant active dried yeast can save you a lot of time while making the dough and letting it rise.
Salted butter: I like salted butter best for this buttermilk cinnamon bun recipe. It makes the taste more complete. You could use unsalted, but I think it tastes better that way.
Sugar: White sugar is needed to make the dough for the cinnamon rolls.
Salt: Either table salt or sea salt will work.
Eggs: big eggs that are at room temperature
flour: all-purpose flour that has been spooned and leveled. If the dough is too sticky, you might want to add more flour when you roll it out or knead it.
Brown sugar: You can use light or dark brown sugar, depending on what you want.
Cinnamon: your favorite kind of cinnamon, and don’t hold back!
Heavy cream: Use this to brush the tops of your cinnamon buns before baking. If you like, you can use whole milk instead.

To make the cream cheese frosting:

Salted butter: Again, we like salted butter better. That’s alright if you use unsalted. Just add a little salt to the icing.
For the finest flavor and texture in the dish, use full-fat cream cheese.
Vanilla: It’s better to use vanilla extract than counterfeit vanilla. If you want to change the taste a little, you may add a little maple extract or even almond extract.
Powdered sugar: Change the amount of this ingredient to get the thickness you want.

Ingredients

For the dough:

◯ 1 cup of buttermilk, heated to 90°F
◯ 1 pack of immediate active yeast, which is 0.25 oz or 2 1/4 tsp, is also called “rapid rise.”
◯ Salted butter, 1/2 cup, extremely soft or a little melted
◯ 1/3 cup of white sugar
◯ 1/2 tsp of salt
◯ Two big eggs
◯ 4 c all-purpose flour, plus more if you need it
◯ ¼ cup of heavy cream or full milk to brush on the tops

For the filling:

◯ 1/2 cup of extremely soft salted butter
◯ 1 1/4 cups of brown sugar
◯ 2 T cinnamon

Frosting with Cream Cheese:

◯ 5 T softened salted butter
◯ 4 ounces of cream cheese
◯ 1 tsp of vanilla extract
◯ 1 ½ to 2 cups of powdered sugar

Instructions in Steps:

I’ve included a number of pictures to help you make this recipe. After making it a lot, I think it’s pretty foolproof. I hope you can make it easily too!

Step 1 – Preparing the Dough:

First, warm up the buttermilk a little bit. You DO NOT want to cook the buttermilk too much because it may curdle. I cook it on low over the stove till it reaches 85°F, then I take it off the heat so it doesn’t go past 90°F when it curdles.
Put the warm buttermilk in the bowl of a stand mixer, add the instant yeast, and whisk everything together. Let it settle for about ten minutes. It will start to bubble and foam, which means it is ready to use.
Add the sugar, soft butter, and room-temperature eggs to the yeast mixture. Use the paddle attachment on medium speed to mix until everything is smooth and well combined. If you observe small clumps, don’t worry. The butter may clump together a little bit because the temps are different.
Add the flour and salt and mix until everything is mixed in. Take off the paddle attachment from the mixer and put on the dough hook. On low speed, knead the dough for 5 to 7 minutes. Add extra flour, about 1 to 2 teaspoons at a time, if the dough is very sticky and sticks to the sides of the bowl. You can knead the dough by hand if you don’t have a stand mixer.
Put the dough in a big bowl that has been coated with oil. Put the dough in a warm place and cover it with a towel. It should get twice as big.

Step 2 – Forming the Cinnamon Rolls:

Put the dough on a surface that has been lightly floured. To make it easier to roll out, you might start to mold it into a rectangle. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin until it is about 24 inches long and 16 inches wide. It doesn’t have to be perfect, I swear.
Spread the butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon mixture over the dough with a rubber spatula. Here, a spoon will also work. You don’t have to cover the whole thing. I normally leave a border that is a little less than half an inch wide.
Start rolling the dough from the 24-inch side and keep rolling until you have a tight log. Try to roll the dough tightly, but not too tightly, because the centers may pop up when you bake them.
You can cut the ends off the dough if you want, or you can leave them. If you cut the ends off, you can use unflavored dental floss or a sharp knife to cut the cinnamon rolls into pieces that are about 1 3/4 inches long. Before I cut, I prefer to make a mark where it is.
Put the cut-up buttermilk cinnamon rolls in a greased metal or glass baking pan that is 9 by 13 inches. If you want, you can line the pan with parchment paper.
Cover the rolls and let them sit in a warm place until they are about twice as big. It could take around an hour. You may make it go faster by turning on the oven for two minutes and then turning it off. Put the rolls in the oven, and they should rise in 30 minutes.

Step 3 – Baking:

Preheat the oven to 350°F when the cinnamon rolls have grown twice as big. Brush the tops and sides of the rolls with heavy cream (or whole milk) while the oven is heating up.
Check the buttermilk cinnamon rolls after 20 minutes and then modify the time as needed. They should bake for around 25 minutes. The tops of the cinnamon rolls should be golden brown, and the core roll should be about 190°F to 200°F. You can also take out the middle cinnamon roll and check to see if it is not too wet and gooey, which means it is not baked.

Step 4 – Make the frosting using cream cheese:

Make the cream cheese icing while the cinnamon buns are baking. If you don’t like cream cheese icing, you can use a different kind of icing.

Mix the softened butter and cream cheese together until they are smooth.
Add the vanilla and mix well.
Add the powdered sugar a little at a time until you get the right consistency. Some people like their icing thin, while others like it thick. Do what works for you!

Step 5 – Frost your cinnamon rolls with buttermilk:

When you frost your cinnamon buns, make sure they are still warm but not too hot.
Let them cool for 5 to 10 minutes. Then, put the same quantity of cream cheese icing on top of each cinnamon bun.
Let it sit for a minute or two. This will make it very easy to disseminate.
After the icing has warmed up a bit, use a knife or an offset spatula to spread it over the top of the rolls and let it drip down the sides.
This creates a lot of cream cheese frosting, which I love. If you like, you can be a little extra careful when icing these.

How to do it

Get the Dough Ready:

To begin, warm the buttermilk a little. Put it on the stove on low heat until it reaches about 85°F. Then take it off the heat so it doesn’t go over 90°F when it curdles. You may also microwave it in 20-second bursts at half power.
Put the warm buttermilk in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the instant yeast on top. Then, use a whisk to stir them together. Let it settle for 7 to 10 minutes. It will start to bubble and froth, which means it is ready to use.
Add the eggs, soft butter, and sugar that are at room temperature to the yeast mixture. Beat on medium speed with the paddle attachment until everything is smooth and well mixed. (If you see small clumps, don’t worry. The butter may clump together a bit because the temps are different.)
Add the 4 cups of flour and salt and mix until everything is well combined. Take the paddle attachment off the machine and put the dough hook on instead. On low speed, knead the dough for 5 to 7 minutes. Add extra flour, about 1 to 2 teaspoons at a time, if the dough is very sticky and sticks to the sides of the bowl. When the dough is ready, it should be tacky and flexible but not sticky. It should also form a nice smooth ball. You can knead the dough by hand instead of using a stand mixer.
Put the dough in a big basin that has been greased with oil. Put a towel over the dough and let it rise in a warm place. It should get twice as big. (You can set your oven to 350°F to preheat it and let it warm up for 2–3 minutes before turning it off. Then, let the dough rise in the warm oven.)

Put the cinnamon rolls together:

For the filling, mix together the very soft butter, cinnamon, and brown sugar.
Put the dough that has risen on a surface that has been lightly floured. To make it easier to roll out, you might start to mold it into a rectangle. Roll the dough out to be about 16 inches wide and 24 inches long with a rolling pin. It doesn’t have to be perfect.
Spread the butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon mixture over the dough with a rubber spatula, leaving a border of about half an inch.
Begin rolling the dough from the 24-inch side to make a tight log. Make sure to roll the dough tightly, but not too tightly, otherwise the centers may pop up while baking. If you want, cut the ends off.
If you took off the ends, use unflavored dental floss or a sharp knife to cut the cinnamon rolls into pieces that are approximately 1 3/4 inches long. If you didn’t cut off the ends, use a sharp knife to cut them into pieces that are 2 inches long. Before I cut, I prefer to make a mark where it is.
Put the cut-up cinnamon buns in an oiled metal or glass baking pan that is 9 by 13 inches. (If you’re making it overnight, seal it up and put it in the fridge here.)
Put a cover on the rolls and let them sit in a warm place until they are about twice as big. This could take an hour. You may make it go faster by turning on the oven for two minutes and then turning it off. Put the rolls in the oven, and they should rise in about half an hour.

Bake:

Set the oven to 350°F. Brush the tops and sides of the rolls with heavy cream (or whole milk) while the oven warms up.
Check the buttermilk cinnamon rolls after 20 minutes and then modify the time as needed. They should bake for around 25 minutes.
When the tops of the cinnamon rolls are golden brown and the core roll’s internal temperature is between 190°F and 200°F, they are done. You can also take out the central cinnamon roll and check to see if it is not too wet and gooey, which means it is not baked.

Make the Cream Cheese Frosting:

Mix the softened butter and cream cheese together until they are smooth.
Add the vanilla and mix well.
Add the powdered sugar slowly until you get the right consistency.

Frost your cinnamon rolls with buttermilk:

Let the cinnamon rolls cool for 5 to 10 minutes after baking.
Then, put the same quantity of cream cheese icing on top of each cinnamon bun.
Let it sit for a minute or two. This will make it very easy to spread.
After the icing has warmed up a bit, use an offset spatula or knife to spread it over the rolls and let it drip down the sides.
Serve the cinnamon rolls right away.

You can keep leftover cinnamon rolls for one to two days at room temperature or in the fridge for up to five days.

How to Make Overnight Cinnamon Rolls:

Making these cinnamon rolls overnight is quite straightforward. Do everything as directed until you cut the buttermilk cinnamon rolls and put them in the pan that has been prepared.

Don’t let them rise once they’ve been put in the pan. Instead, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, cover it, and put it in the fridge for up to 24 hours.

Take the rolls out of the fridge the next morning, approximately an hour before you plan to bake them. Let them warm up and then rise. After then, all the other directions are the same!

Notes and tips for the recipe:

It’s okay if the mixture of buttermilk, butter, and eggs looks curdled. The first few times I made these cinnamon rolls, they scared me. The combination may look a little curdled, but that’s probably just because the butter is getting a little clumpy because the buttermilk and butter are at different temperatures. In the end, your dough will still look smooth.
You don’t need a stand mixer to prepare this cinnamon roll dough. You will have to knead the dough, which will take a little more work, but you can still do it. Knead the dough for the cinnamon rolls until it is smooth and your finger can go through it without becoming stuck. It should be a touch sticky but not too much.
To keep the tops of the cinnamon rolls from getting too dark as they bake, you can cover them with aluminum foil. To keep the tops of your rolls from getting too brown, lightly tent a piece of foil over them after about 12 minutes of baking and bake until they are done.
The time it takes for your dough to rise may change depending on how cool your house is. Look for a particularly warm place in your home. A place near a vent, in a warm (but not on) oven, or another nice position for the shortest duration.

Where to put it:

You may technically leave these buttermilk cinnamon rolls out at room temperature for 1–2 days, but I think it’s preferable to put them in an airtight container in the fridge for 4–5 days and then reheat them before you eat them.

Notes

Putting things away:

You can also freeze cinnamon rolls that have been made and frosted. Let the cinnamon buns cool all the way down. Put them in a single layer on a plate or in a pan and freeze them for about 1–2 hours. Then, move them to a container that is safe for the freezer. For the greatest results, use wax paper to separate the layers.
Don’t worry if the buttermilk, butter, and eggs seem like they are curdled. The first few times I made these cinnamon rolls, they scared me. The combination may look a little curdled, but that’s probably just because the butter is getting a little clumpy because the buttermilk and butter are at different temperatures. In the end, your dough will still look smooth.
You don’t need a stand mixer to prepare this cinnamon roll dough. You will have to knead the dough, which will take a little more work, but you can still do it. Knead the dough for the cinnamon rolls until it is smooth and your finger can go through it without becoming stuck. It should be a touch sticky but not too much.
To keep the tops of the cinnamon rolls from getting too dark as they bake, you can cover them with aluminum foil. To keep the tops of your rolls from getting too brown, lightly tent a piece of foil over them after about 12 minutes of baking and bake until they are done.
The time it takes for your dough to rise may change depending on how cool your house is. Look for a particularly warm place in your home. A warm (but not on) oven, a vent, or similar nice place for the shortest duration.

Nutrition information

Calories: 494kcal, Carbs: 78g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 25g, Saturated Fat: 15g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 91mg, Sodium: 333mg, Potassium: 141mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 29g, Vitamin A: 798IU, Vitamin C: 0.3mg, Calcium: 81mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so it should only be used as a rough guide.