• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
The DIY Mommy
  • Decor
    • All Home Decor
    • Room Makeovers
    • DIY Camper Renovations
    • Simple Decorating Tips
    • IKEA Hacks & Decor
  • Crafts
    • All Crafts
    • DIY Gifts
    • Cricut Crafts
    • Dollar Store Crafts
    • Upcycling Ideas
    • Knitting & Crochet
    • Sewing
    • Macrame
    • Woodworking
  • Recipes
    • All Recipes
    • Baking
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
    • Snacks
    • Drinks
    • Dessert
  • Clean & Organize
  • Life
    • All Life
    • DIY Business & Blogging
    • Travel on a Budget
    • DIY Kids Activities
    • Fashion
    • Health & Beauty
    • Shopping
    • Randoms
  • Printables
  • Shop My Home
    • Our Home
    • Our Camper
    • Our Little Lake house
  • Lake House
  • Podcast
  • About
    • About The DIY Mommy
    • Terms of Service
    • Privacy & Cookie Policy
    • Disclosure Policy
    • Sign up for my Newsletter & Get Free Stuff!
    • Link Parties
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home Decor
    • Room Makeovers
    • DIY Camper Renovations
  • Crafts
    • DIY Gifts
    • Cricut Crafts
    • Upcycling Ideas
    • Dollar Store Crafts
    • DIY Sewing
  • Clean & Organize
  • Recipes
  • Free Printables
  • Life
  • Our Little Lake House
  • Shop Our Home
  • Podcast
  • About
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Bake the Best Cinnamon Buns Ever (A Clone of a Cinnabon Recipe)

    Published: Mar 27, 2020 · Modified: Dec 11, 2021 by Christina Dennis · This post may contain affiliate links · This blog generates income via ads · 26 Comments

    These rich, gooey cinnamon buns are the best cinnamon buns ever! They are very similar to the ones you might find at the mall, and they're sweet, moist and delicious. Enjoy this "clone of a Cinnabon" recipe!

    (This recipe was first published here in October 2012 and has since been updated with new photos. The buns in the aqua dish are made with ½ whole wheat flour.)

    Best Cinnamon Buns Ever - Clone of a Cinnabon Recipe   

    There are some things a person like me should only make once every few months. By "a person like me", I mean the type of woman that tends to get addicted easily to cakey and bready things. A cakey thing with sweetness and spice? EVEN MORE ADDICTING.

    Best Cinnamon Buns Ever - Clone of a Cinnabon Recipe

    This cinnamon bun recipe truly makes the best cinnamon buns I've ever tasted. Be warned: I recommend you bake these when you know there will be other equally-as-addicted-to-cinnamon-buns types around when they're done so that you do not eat the majority of the pan yourself. 

    Best Cinnamon Buns Ever - Clone of a Cinnabon Recipe

    I'm sure they are about half my recommended caloric intake for any given day, but they're darn delicious and a tasty treat every so often!

    This cinnamon bun recipe tastes exactly like Cinnabon! So delicious!

    This recipe is based off of the very popular "Clone of a Cinnabon" recipe from allrecipes.com, but I've altered it a little and I make them without a bread machine. Are you ready for ooey-gooey comfort food at its absolute best?

    Best Cinnamon Buns Ever - Clone of a Cinnabon Recipe

    The Best Cinnamon Buns Ever (A Clone of a Cinnabon Recipe)

    Ingredients:

    • 1 cup warm milk
    • 2 ½ tsp. yeast
    • 2 eggs at room temperature
    • ⅓ cup margarine, melted
    • ½ cup white sugar
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 4 ½ cups all purpose flour (OR use 2 ½ cups whole wheat flour + 2  cups all purpose flour)
    • 1 cup dark brown sugar
    • 2 Tbsp ground cinnamon
    • ⅓ cup butter, softened
    • 3 oz. cream cheese
    • ¼ cup butter
    • 1 ½ cups icing sugar
    • 1 tsp vanilla
    • ¼ tsp salt

    Directions:

    Dissolve the yeast in the warm milk and let stand for 5-10 minutes to "proof" (yeast will bubble and float to the top - this tells you that your buns will rise later!).

    Mix in eggs, margarine, sugar and salt. Mix in flour a cup at a time with a spoon, then by hand.

    Bake the Best Cinnamon Buns Ever by The DIY Mommy

    Knead the dough for about 5 minutes until it forms a smooth, round ball. Place in a greased bowl, cover and let it sit in a warm place for an hour or two until it's almost doubled (I have a "proof" feature on my convection oven, so I just pop that on and place the dough inside to rise!).

    Bake the Best Cinnamon Buns Ever by The DIY Mommy

    Roll the dough out to a 17" by 22" rectangle. In a small bow, mix the brown sugar & cinnamon together. Spread the softened butter on it, then sprinkle it with the brown sugar & cinnamon mixture, making sure it's spread evenly and reaches to all of the edges.

    Bake the Best Cinnamon Buns Ever by The DIY Mommy

    Roll the dough up (starting on one long side) tightly, patting as you go. Cut it into 12 equally(ish) sized slices and place in a greased baking dish. Let them rise again until they are about doubled.

    Bake the Best Cinnamon Buns Ever by The DIY Mommy

    Bake them at 400 degrees F for 15-20 minutes (I like to underbake them a little for the gooeyness factor). While they are baking, make the cream cheese icing by whipping together the cream cheese, butter, icing sugar, vanilla and salt.

    Bake the Best Cinnamon Buns Ever by The DIY Mommy

    You'll want to ice these babies as soon as they're out of the oven so that the icing can melt and drip down into the buns. Then, eat one right away too and tell yourself: "I'm only going to eat just this one!" *wink!*

    Bake the Best Cinnamon Buns Ever (A Clone of a Cinnabon Recipe)
     
    Recipe Type: Dessert
    Prep time: 2 hours 30 mins
    Cook time: 15 mins
    Total time: 2 hours 45 mins
    Serves: one dozen
    These cinnamon buns taste just like the ones you'd buy at Cinnabon. They're sweet, gooey, and so decadent!
    Ingredients
    • 1 cup warm milk
    • 2 ½ tsp yeast
    • 2 eggs at room temperature
    • ⅓ cup margarine, melted
    • ½ cup white sugar
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 4 ½ cups all purpose flour (OR use 2 ½ cups whole wheat flour and 2 cups all purpose flour)
    • 1 cup dark brown sugar
    • 2 Tbsp ground cinnamon
    • ⅓ cup butter, softened
    • 3 oz cream cheese
    • ¼ cup butter
    • 1 ½ cups icing cugar
    • 1 tsp vanilla
    • ¼ tsp salt
    Instructions
    1. Dissolve the yeast in the warm milk and let stand for 5-10 minutes to "proof" (yeast will bubble and float to the top - this tells you that your buns will rise later!).
    2. Mix in eggs, margarine, sugar and salt. Mix in flour a cup at a time with a spoon, then by hand.
    3. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes until it forms a smooth, round ball. Place in a greased bowl, cover and let it sit in a warm place for an hour or two until it's almost doubled (I have a "proof" feature on my convection oven, so I just pop that on and place the dough inside to rise!).
    4. Roll the dough out to a 17" by 22" rectangle. In a small bow, mix the brown sugar & cinnamon together. Spread the softened butter on it, then sprinkle it with the brown sugar & cinnamon mixture, making sure it's spread evenly and reaches to all of the edges.
    5. Roll the dough up (starting on one long side) tightly, patting as you go. Cut it into 12 equal sized slices and place in a greased baking dish. Let them rise again until they are about doubled.
    6. Bake them at 400 degrees F for 15-20 minutes (I like to underbake them a little for the gooeyness factor). While they are baking, make the cream cheese icing by whipping together the cream cheese, butter, icing sugar, vanilla and salt.
    7. After the buns are out of the oven and cooled for 15 minutes, ice.
     
    3.5.3208

    This cinnamon bun recipe tastes exactly like Cinnabon! So delicious!

    « Make an Easter Basket Garland with Scrap Fabric
    5 Tips for Working at Home with Kids »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Emily

      June 23, 2013 at 12:59 pm

      I found that they were undercooked after 15 minutes, so I left them in for 20 minutes, which caramelized the butter/cinnamon/sugar (sooo good!) I also added 1/4 tsp nutmeg to the filling for some added flavour. My hubby and I both loved them! This is now my "go-to" recipe!

      Reply
      • Christina Dennis

        June 23, 2013 at 1:58 pm

        I love the nutmeg idea, Emily! I'll have to try that next time. I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe and thanks so much for your comment!

        Reply
    2. julie

      March 30, 2015 at 6:35 am

      I made these this weekend for a family brunch and EVERYONE LOVED THEM! Thanks for a wonderful recipe. 🙂

      Reply
      • Christina Dennis

        April 07, 2015 at 9:57 pm

        I'm glad they were loved! THanks so much for visiting!

        Reply
    3. Bobbi V

      May 18, 2018 at 9:36 pm

      Oh so good! I can't enjoy underbaked dough so I leave mine for the full 20min. And a trick I picked up from the all recipes site is to put half the frosting on right away while the buns are hot so it melts down into them. Then once they're cooled spread the remainder of the frosting and it will stay ontop. Hands down my favorite, thank you for a wonderful recipe!!

      Reply
      • Lindsay - The DIY Mommy

        May 20, 2018 at 8:41 am

        So glad you like it!!

        Reply
    4. krissy

      April 28, 2019 at 8:57 am

      thank you so much for this! i don't have a bread machine, so this was super helpful! can i just say how shocked i was that it tasted SO like a cinnabon! i'm definitely bookmarking this and making it for holidays! ps i thought i totally messed it up, because i measured out 4.5 cups in grams (the google said 120g is one cup of flour) instead of using actual cups. my dough was SO sticky, but maybe that's how sweet doughs are? either way, phenomenal!! thanks again!!

      Reply
    5. Joslyn

      September 06, 2019 at 9:19 pm

      Can butter be used instead of margarine?

      Reply
      • Sarah - The DIY Mommy

        September 07, 2019 at 3:21 pm

        I don't see why not... Christina has only made it with margarine but I can't imagine why it wouldn't work with butter.

        Reply
    6. Monika

      March 31, 2020 at 3:02 pm

      Christina, I just baked your cinnamon rolls. I modified them a bit, added plum jam, sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar. They are delicious. The smell rises throughout the house. Thank you for the recipe. Greetings from Poland, from Warsaw. Monika

      Reply
    7. Jhuls | The Not So Creative Cook

      April 08, 2020 at 10:37 am

      Omg!! These look amazingly delicious!! Thanks for sharing at Fiesta Friday party!

      Reply
    8. Tanja

      April 10, 2020 at 11:13 am

      Hi Christina, what if you use fresh yeast, how much would that be? Thanks a lot! Want to try these for Easter Sunday. I love your channel by the way. Tanja

      Reply
      • Sarah - The DIY Mommy

        April 12, 2020 at 11:35 am

        I'm not too sure what you mean by fresh yeast, but I usually use 2 1/2 tsp of active dry yeast.

        Reply
    9. FELICIA

      April 10, 2020 at 8:24 pm

      Can these be made the night before? Would I leave them on the counter to rise again or refrigerate?

      Reply
      • Sarah - The DIY Mommy

        April 12, 2020 at 11:34 am

        I think you could, though we've never tried. I'd refridgerate them overnight and then take them out for at least an hour or until they've risen again.

        Reply
    10. Shannon

      May 20, 2020 at 5:56 am

      This recipe was great! But is it just me or did it not say when to add the milk yeast mixture to the flour? I add it in between cups of flour. It turned out great anyway. Thanks!

      Reply
      • Sarah - The DIY Mommy

        May 20, 2020 at 4:24 pm

        After it get's foamy, you add in everything from Step 2 🙂

        Reply
    11. Bee Gee

      June 06, 2020 at 5:31 am

      a friend shared this recipe to me...it's so good!!! thank you so much...

      Reply
    12. Celine Hunke

      August 03, 2020 at 11:20 am

      Can this be made with quick yeast?

      Reply
      • Sarah - The DIY Mommy

        August 05, 2020 at 1:24 pm

        I've only tried it with Active Dry Yeast... I just googled it and supposedly you can use them interchangeably except for "instant" yeast can be mixed into the dough. If you try it, less us know how it work out!

        Reply
    13. Donna

      December 16, 2020 at 8:27 am

      Is there any reason you couldn't make the dough in the breadmachine? I have one, and find it useful for mixing and kneading the dough.

      Reply
    14. Madeleine

      November 29, 2021 at 3:02 pm

      Can you keep them in the fridge for a day or so before baking them? Will they stay risen? I'd like to make them in advance and then bring them to someone else to bake.

      Reply
    15. Hayley

      December 22, 2021 at 5:03 pm

      These look great! Do you have a guess of how long they take to double in size? I am planning to make for Christmas brunch and want to ensure they will be ready in time. Thanks!

      Reply
    16. Chrystal

      January 14, 2022 at 12:25 pm

      I have a fresh packet of active dry yeast and I couldn't get the yeast to blossom in warm milk at all. I tried 4 times. I usually activateyeastin water with no problems. Is there some secret I don't know? The dough was reallytough to work with too.

      Reply

    Trackbacks

    1. A Handmade Christmas: Sew a Ruffled Apron with a Heart Applique | The DIY Mommy says:
      November 19, 2012 at 8:01 am

      [...] pretty little ruffled apron is done! Now, go bake some cinnamon buns or give the apron to your bestie as a cute Christmas [...]

      Reply
    2. Postpartum Fitness Tips from a Girl Who Hates to Exercise | The DIY Mommy says:
      March 12, 2015 at 12:56 pm

      […] Instead of saying that I’ll never touch a cinnamon bun again in my life (yeah right – these are my favourite ones ever), I’m telling myself to avoid sugars & processed foods 80% of the time and indulge once […]

      Reply

    What do you think? Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Welcome!

    Christina Dennis, The DIY Mommy

    I'm Christina and I'm sharing budget-friendly DIY & decor ideas to create a cozy home and life you love!

    Read more about me

    Latest Posts

    • Gutting the tiny cabin (and what we found!)
    • Peonies 101: How to Grow Them, Store Them & Get Ants Off Them!
    • Modern Rustic Basement Makeover with Hidden Storage Ideas

    What's my home decor style?

    Discover the home decor style that best fits your personality and lifestyle. This two-minute quiz is going to give you the direction you need to start the big, bold room makeovers that you've always wanted to try!

    Find out now!

    Archives

    Latest YouTube Video

    [youtube]https://youtu.be/MjDoqQFoj9g[/youtube]

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclosure Policy
    • Terms of Service

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2009 - 2022 The DIY Mommy. "The DIY Mommy" is a registered trademark.