The Bakehouse Texas Super Soft Cinnamon Roll Recipe

These Bakehouse Texas Cinnamon Rolls are the ultimate cinnamon roll recipe—soft, gooey, and swirled with buttery cinnamon sugar, and of course, topped with a tangy cream cheese frosting. Perfect for weekend baking or holiday mornings (or stop by the Bakehouse one these days for a warm roll!). This step-by-step recipe will give you bakery-style rolls right from your own kitchen.

Hey, friends! The weather in Texas is thinking about cooling down, which feels like the perfect time to dream up bakery plans and test recipes. I’ve been spending my mornings out in the workshop off the garage—our soon-to-be Bakehouse Texas pop-up space—making small but mighty progress. The floors are cleared, the sink is in, there are shelves to build and walls to scrub and paint, and just this afternoon the oven was delivered (!!!). It’ll be a little while before it’s fired up, but we’re inching closer, piece by piece.

Inside the big house (that’s what I call the Victorian in Bellville), the recipe testing has been nonstop. The bakery-style (read: GIANT) chocolate chip cookie has found its final form, the Sloppy Joe Kolache feels just right, and Dad’s Sweet Potato Pie is locked in for opening day this November. But today, I want to share something timeless.  A true classic: a super soft, swirly cinnamon roll. These are the kind of rolls that will absolutely be on the bakery menu later this winter, but they’re also perfect to pull from your own oven one cozy weekend soon. I’ll be sharing more bakery updates over on Substack, and plenty of recipes here, too. For now, let’s make cinnamon rolls.

Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make this super soft cinnamon roll recipe:

• Whole Milk – Warm milk is the cozy foundation that wakes up the yeast and makes the dough rich and tender.

• Yeast – The magic maker that puffs up our rolls into big, soft clouds.

• Bread Flour – Strong enough to give structure while still yielding that pillowy texture.

• Eggs – Add richness and help the dough hold together like a dream.

• Unsalted Butter – A soft cube here, a melty swirl there—this recipe is butter from start to filling to frosting.

• Granulated Sugar – Just enough sweetness woven right into the dough.

• Kosher Salt – Balances all that sweetness and keeps the flavors in check.

• Olive Oil – A slick in the bowl and on your hands to keep the dough smooth and easy to work with.

• Cream Cheese – Tangy, creamy, and essential for that classic cinnamon roll topping.

• Vanilla Bean Paste + Lemon Extract – A fragrant combo that keeps the frosting bright and flavorful.

• Powdered Sugar – The fluffy finish that makes the frosting smooth and cloud-like.

First we mix the dough: 

Mixing the dough (you’ll see images pictured above the ingredient list) is where the magic really begins. Start with warm milk and yeast, and once that mixture gets foamy, you’ll add flour, sugar, eggs, butter, and salt. Don’t be alarmed if the dough looks a little shaggy at first – that’s part of the deal. After a good knead (the stand mixer does the heavy lifting here, though your hands will do just fine), the dough should transform into something smooth, stretchy, and just slightly tacky (but not sticky). I let the mixer run on medium speed for 8 minutes or so. You want it to feel soft and pliable but not sticky enough to cling to your fingers. Once you’ve got that, pop it into a greased bowl, cover it up, and let time and yeast work their rise.

Then we assemble the filling: 

The filling is simple but mighty. Simply stir together softened butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, a whisper of cocoa, and a pinch of salt. The butter should be soft enough to spread like frosting, and you’ll want the sugar fully moistened so the mixture becomes a thick, slatherable paste. You can imagine the texture, right? When you spread it over your rolled-out dough later, it should glide across the surface easily and cling to every inch. No loose sugar, no dry spice—just a glossy, fragrant mixture that’s ready to swirl into the heart of your rolls.

Rolling and Filling the Dough

Now comes the part that feels like playtime! Lightly flour your counter, give the dough a little punch to release the air, and roll it out into a big rectangle about the size of a baking sheet. Oh course I have a kitchen-specific measuring tape to be pretty (though not perfectly precise). Drop little bits of the cinnamon-sugar-butter paste across the surface, then use a small offset spatula (or the back of a spoon if that’s what you’ve got) to spread it into an even layer, leaving a small border along the edges. That border is your insurance policy to keep all the filling inside once you roll. Starting with the long side closest to you, roll the dough up tight like a jelly roll, keeping the log even as you go. Pinch the seam closed and flip the log seam-side down so it stays put. For the cleanest slices, grab a length of unflavored dental floss (a baker’s best trick) and shimmy it under the log, crossing the ends over the top to cut through without squishing the rolls. Twelve slices later and you’re staring at a tray of future cinnamon!

Proofing, Baking, and Frosting

Once your rolls are cut and nestled into a greased baking dish, they need a good rest before their time in the oven. Cover the pan lightly and let them rise until they’re puffed and just starting to touch, about an hour or so. This is when the yeast does its final bit of magic, giving you tall, pillowy rolls that will bake up beautifully golden. Slide the pan into a hot oven and let the rolls bake until the tops are bronzed and the centers measure about 200°F if you’re checking with a thermometer. But honestly? You’ll know they’re ready when your kitchen smells like the best corner bakery in town.

Here’s the best part: frosting. While the rolls are still warm—just cool enough that they won’t melt into mush—spread the cream cheese frosting over the top. The warmth helps the frosting ooze into every swirl and crevice, turning the rolls into a gooey, glossy dream. Don’t worry about neatness here; this is a generous, swoopy kind of frosting situation. Let the rolls cool for a few more minutes if you can stand it, but I won’t blame you one bit for pulling one straight from the pan and enjoying it while the icing is still melty.

I think you’ll love this classic cinnamon roll recipe, friends! And I can’t wait to welcome you to The Bakehouse soon! xo

The Bakehouse Texas Super Soft Cinnamon Roll Recipe

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• Author: Joy the Baker
• Prep Time: just over 3 hours with rising time
• Cook Time: 20-25 minutes
• Total Time: nearly 4 hourss
• Yield: 12 rolls 1x
• Category: bread, breakfast, brunch
• Method: baking

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Description

These super soft cinnamon rolls are the classic sweet roll of The Bakehouse in Texas—pillowy dough swirled with buttery cinnamon-sugar and finished with a tangy cream cheese frosting. They’re everything you want in a homemade cinnamon roll recipe: gooey in the center, golden on the edges, and always a favorite at the Bakehouse pop-up bakery.

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Ingredients

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For the Dough:

• 1 cup warm whole milk (100–110°F)
• 1 (1/4-ounce) packet instant or active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
• 4 1/2 cups (575 grams) bread flour, plus more as needed
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 6 tablespoons (85 grams or 3/4 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature and cubed
• 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
• 1 3/4 teaspoons kosher salt
• Olive oil (for your bowl and your hands)

For the Filling:

• 1 stick (113 grams, 1 stick) unsalted butter, very soft
• 1 cup (200 grams) packed dark brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon and 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

For the Frosting:

• 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste and ½ teaspoon lemon extract
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 1/2 cups (170 grams) powdered sugar

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Instructions

Step 1: Make the Dough

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, stir together the warm milk and yeast. Let it sit for 5 minutes until it looks a little foamy. (If it doesn’t foam, your yeast may be expired.)

Add the flour, eggs, cubes of butter, sugar, and salt to the bowl. Mix on low speed until the ingredients come together in a shaggy dough, about 1 minute. Increase the speed to medium-low and knead for 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth, elastic, and pulling away from the sides of the bowl.

If the dough is still sticky after 5 minutes, add more flour 1 tablespoon at a time until it’s just tacky and manageable and not sticking to the sides of the bowl.

Lightly grease a large bowl with olive oil. Place the dough in the bowl, turn it once to coat, cover with a clean towel, and let it rise in a warm spot for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until puffy. It doesn’t need to double, just give it room to bloom. Alternately, you can leave the dough to rise in the refrigerator overnight and let come to room temperature for 45 minutes before assembling.

Step 2: Make the Filling

In a medium bowl, mix together the soft butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, cocoa, and salt with a fork until it forms a thick, spreadable paste. Make sure there’s no loose sugar, no dry cinnamon, we want the spread smooth and slatherable.

Step 3: Roll and Fill

Lightly flour your work surface and rolling pin. Gently punch down the dough and roll it into a 12×24-inch rectangle, about 1/4 inch thick. Drop the filling in small bits across the surface, then spread it evenly with a small offset spatula, leaving a 1/2-inch border.

Starting with the long side closest to you, roll the dough tightly into a log. Pinch the seam closed and place the log seam-side down.

Use a length of unflavored dental floss to slice the log into 12 even rolls.

Step 4: Proof + Bake

Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish and line the bottom with parchment paper. Spray the parchment and sides again.

Place the rolls in the pan, cut-side up, spaced evenly. Lightly spray a piece of plastic wrap, cover the pan spray-side down, and let the rolls rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until just touching.

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden, puffed, and the center registers 200°F. Let them cool slightly while you make the frosting.

Step 5: Frost Like You Mean It

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a medium bowl with hand beaters), beat together the cream cheese, butter, vanilla, lemon, and salt until smooth and light, about 2 minutes. Add the powdered sugar and beat on low to combine, then crank it up to medium-high until fluffy and spreadable.

Spread the frosting generously over the warm rolls and let it melt into every swirl and corner. Let them cool for 10 more minutes (if you can wait) before serving.

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