Soft, towering, gooey-in-the-middle cinnamon buns with brown butter cream cheese glaze. The bun the holidays ask for, and the bun a slow Sunday deserves. Make them tonight, bake them tomorrow morning.
There's a particular quiet that settles over the house when cinnamon buns are in the oven. The kitchen smells like every good memory of childhood at once. The first person to wake up gets to eat the bun in the middle, which is why Sunday cinnamon buns are a family bargaining tool that nobody fully admits to.
These are the buns we make for Christmas morning, for snowy weekends, for anyone moving into a new house. The overnight option means you can mix and shape Saturday night, slide the pan into the fridge, and have warm buns on the counter Sunday before anyone else is awake.
What you'll need
9 generous buns
- 500 g (4 cups) bread flour or strong all-purpose flour
- 60 g (¼ cup) granulated sugar
- 10 g (1¾ tsp) fine sea salt
- 8 g (2¼ tsp / 1 packet) instant yeast
- 250 g (1 cup) lukewarm whole milk
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 60 g (¼ cup) softened unsalted butter
- Cinnamon filling: 100 g (½ cup) softened butter, 150 g (¾ cup) brown sugar, 2½ tbsp ground cinnamon, ½ tsp salt
- Brown butter cream cheese glaze: 60 g (4 tbsp) butter, browned and cooled · 110 g (½ cup) cream cheese, room temp · 100 g (¾ cup) icing sugar · 1 tsp vanilla · pinch of salt
Flour notes
Canadian bakers — Robin Hood Best for Bread or Five Roses gives the right structure. Standard Canadian AP at 13% works equally well.
US bakers — bread flour preferred. King Arthur Bread Flour or Gold Medal Better for Bread give the soft-yet-structured crumb cinnamon buns need. AP at 10.5% gives a tighter bun.
The brown butter glaze is non-negotiable. Browning the butter (5 minutes in a saucepan, swirling, until amber and nutty-smelling) takes a regular cream cheese frosting from good to memorable. Skip it only if you must.
The method
Mix the dough · 5 minutes
In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk flour, sugar, salt, and yeast. Add milk, egg, and softened butter. Mix with the dough hook on low until a shaggy dough forms.
Knead · 8 minutes
Knead on medium-low for 8 minutes until the dough is smooth, elastic, and pulls cleanly from the bowl. By hand: 10 to 12 minutes. The dough should feel just slightly tacky, not sticky.
First rise · 1 to 1.5 hours
Cover. Rise in a warm spot until doubled — 1 to 1.5 hours. In a cold winter kitchen use a turned-off oven with the light on.
Make the filling · 3 minutes
While the dough rises, beat the soft butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt together until smooth and spreadable. Set aside at room temperature.
Roll out · 4 minutes
Tip the risen dough onto a lightly floured counter. Pat into a rough rectangle, then roll out to about 30×40 cm (12×16 inches), with the long side facing you. Try to keep the corners square — even thickness gives even spirals.
Spread and roll up · 4 minutes
Spread the cinnamon filling over the entire surface, leaving a 2 cm border along the top long edge. Starting from the bottom long edge, roll the dough up tightly into a log, ending seam-down. Pinch the seam closed.
Slice and pan · 4 minutes
Use a piece of dental floss or a very sharp knife to cut the log into 9 equal pieces (about 4 cm thick). Floss gives cleaner cuts. Place the buns cut-side-up in a buttered 9×9 inch pan, with a little space between each — they'll spread.
Second rise · 45 to 60 minutes (or overnight cold proof)
Cover loosely. Rise at room temperature 45 to 60 minutes until puffy and the buns are touching. Overnight option: cover the pan and refrigerate 12 to 16 hours. In the morning, let warm at room temperature 60 to 90 minutes before baking.
Bake · 25 to 30 minutes
Preheat oven to 180°C / 350°F. Bake until deep golden brown — 25 to 30 minutes. The middle bun should look fully set in the centre. Internal temperature 95°C / 203°F.
Glaze and serve · 10 minutes
While the buns bake, brown the butter for the glaze: melt in a small saucepan, swirling, until amber-coloured and nutty-smelling, about 5 minutes. Cool to room temperature. Beat the cooled brown butter with cream cheese, icing sugar, vanilla, and salt until smooth. Spread generously over warm (not hot) buns. The glaze should melt slightly into the swirls. Serve immediately.
Climate notes
Cold winter kitchens: first rise stretches to 90+ minutes; second rise to 75 minutes. Overnight cold proof is genuinely the best option — flavour is deeper and Sunday morning is easier.
Hot summer kitchens: the dough moves fast and the filling melts. Refrigerate the rolled log for 15 minutes before slicing if it's too soft to cut cleanly.
Make-ahead bake: bake fully, cool, freeze unglazed. Reheat covered in foil at 150°C for 15 minutes; glaze fresh.
Variations
- Pecan-maple sticky buns. Skip the glaze. Pour 60 g melted butter + 60 g maple syrup + 60 g brown sugar + 100 g toasted chopped pecans into the bottom of the pan. Place the rolled buns on top. Bake. Invert immediately onto a serving plate while warm — the syrup runs down through the buns.
- Dark chocolate babka-style. Replace the cinnamon filling with 200 g of dark chocolate chopped + 80 g softened butter + 50 g sugar. Roll up, slice, and pan as usual.
- Cardamom buns (kanelbullar-inspired). Reduce cinnamon to 1½ tbsp and add 1½ tbsp ground cardamom. The Swedish cousin — fragrant, floral, less sweet.
- Cream cheese-stuffed. Spread 200 g sweetened cream cheese over the dough rectangle, then layer the cinnamon filling on top. Roll, slice, bake. The cream cheese pockets are unforgettable.
Storage
Cinnamon buns are at their absolute peak within 30 minutes of glazing. After that, store covered at room temperature for 2 days; reheat individual buns 20 seconds in the microwave or 5 minutes in a 150°C oven.
These freeze beautifully unglazed. Cool fully, wrap pairs in foil, freeze in a freezer bag. Reheat at 160°C for 12 to 15 minutes from frozen, glaze fresh.
If you must store glazed buns: wrap loosely in a breathable linen bag — plastic makes the glaze sweat. Reheat briefly to refresh the texture.
Common questions
Why are my cinnamon buns dry?
Two likely causes. Either you over-baked them — pull at 25 minutes when the centre is just set, not 35. Or you used too little filling; the cinnamon-butter mixture is what keeps the swirls moist. The recipe here errs generous on filling for that reason.
Can I make these the night before?
Yes — and they're better. Complete the rolling and slicing, place in the pan, cover, and refrigerate 12 to 16 hours. In the morning, pull them out and let warm at room temperature 60 to 90 minutes until puffy. Bake. The cold proof develops flavour and makes the morning much easier.
How do I make these without a stand mixer?
Knead by hand for 10 to 12 minutes after the initial mix. The dough should be smooth, elastic, and just tacky. The texture is exactly the same; the work is more.
Can I make a vegan or dairy-free version?
Yes. Replace milk with oat milk, butter (in dough and filling) with refined coconut oil or plant-based butter, egg with 60 g extra oat milk + 1 tbsp ground flax, cream cheese with vegan cream cheese (Daiya, Tofutti, or Kite Hill all work). The buns are excellent.