Emma discovered these sourdough cinnamon rolls completely by accident when she dumped my sourdough discard into our regular cinnamon roll dough last winter. What should have been a disaster turned into the most incredible breakfast rolls we've ever made. The tangy sourdough cuts through all that sweet cinnamon filling in the most perfect way, creating layers of flavor that make people beg for the recipe.
Why You'll Love This Best Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
This sourdough cinnamon rolls recipe changed our weekend mornings forever. If you've ever been scared of Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls baking, these rolls are the perfect place to start because the dough is super forgiving. The wild yeast does most of the work while you sleep, so you wake up to dough that's ready to roll and smells like heaven. What makes these special is how the tangy sourdough balances out all that sweet cinnamon filling. Regular cinnamon rolls can be too sugary, but these have this perfect back-and-forth between sweet and tart that keeps you reaching for another bite.
These stay soft and fresh for days, unlike regular rolls that turn into hockey pucks by day two. The sourdough actually makes them better - they get more flavorful as they sit, and the texture stays perfect. Plus, you can prep everything the night before and just bake them fresh in the morning when everyone's hungry and cranky. Emma's friends always ask for "the special rolls" when they sleep over, and I love watching their faces when they take that first bite.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Best Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
- Ingredients for Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
- How To Make Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls Step By Step
- Smart Swaps for Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
- Variations
- Equipment For Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
- Storage Tips For Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
- Top Tip
- Mom's Hidden Shortcut That Actually Works
- FAQ
- Your Sunday Morning Just Got Way Better!
- Related
- Pairing
- sourdough cinnamon rolls
Ingredients for Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
The Dough Foundation:
- Active sourdough starter
- Bread flour
- Whole milk
- Large eggs
- Unsalted butter
- Granulated sugar
- Fine sea salt
Cinnamon Filling:
- Soft brown sugar
- Ground cinnamon
- Softened butter
- Vanilla extract
- Pinch of nutmeg
Cream Cheese Glaze:
- Cream cheese
- Powdered sugar
- Heavy cream
- Pure vanilla
- Lemon zest
See recipe card for quantities.
How To Make Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls Step By Step
Night Before Prep:
- Start dough 12-16 hours ahead
- Mix bubbly starter with lukewarm milk
- Watch for tiny bubbles in 15 minutes
- Add flour, sugar, salt in big bowl
- Use wooden spoons (metal tastes funny)
Dough Making:
- Crack eggs into mixture
- Add soft butter bit by bit
- Knead by hand 8-10 minutes
- Dough goes from messy to smooth
- Emma loves the "squishy" stage
Overnight Rise:
- Put in buttered bowl
- Cover with damp towel
- Refrigerate overnight
- Cold slows the yeast down
- Builds that tangy flavor
Morning Assembly:
- Remove 30 minutes before rolling
- Should smell yeasty and look puffed
- Roll into big rectangle
- Spread cinnamon butter evenly
- Roll up tight like a log
Final Steps:
- Check center hits 190°F
- Cut with dental floss (cleaner than knife)
- Place in buttered pan
- Let puff up about 1 hour
- Bake 350°F for 28-32 minutes
Smart Swaps for Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
Flour Changes:
- Bread flour → All-purpose
- White → Whole wheat pastry flour
- Regular → Gluten-free mix
- Plain → Spelt flour
Dairy Swaps:
- Whole milk → Oat milk
- Butter → Vegan butter sticks
- Heavy cream → Canned coconut cream
- Regular milk → Buttermilk
Sweet Stuff:
- White sugar → Coconut sugar
- Brown sugar → Real maple syrup
- Sugar → Honey
- Regular → Those sugar-free things
Starter Problems:
- Active starter → Old discard plus some yeast
- Fresh → Dried starter
- White → Whole wheat starter
- Plain → Rye starter
Variations
Apple Cinnamon:
- Chop Honeycrisp apples super small
- Mix right into the cinnamon butter
- Throw in extra cinnamon
- Makes them taste like apple pie
Orange Cardamom:
- Grate orange peel into the dough
- Add cardamom to the filling
- Orange cream cheese on top
- This one won at our county fair
Pumpkin Spice:
- Swap some flour for pumpkin puree
- Use pumpkin pie spice instead of plain cinnamon
- Emma begs for these starting in September
- Smells like fall in the kitchen
Chocolate Chip:
- Sprinkle mini chips before rolling
- They get all melty and gooey
- Emma's friends demolish these
- I have to hide some or none are left
Maple Pecan:
- Chop pecans into the filling
- Real maple syrup on top while warm
- Mix maple into the frosting too
- Tastes like fancy pancakes
Equipment For Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
- Big mixing bowl
- Kitchen scale
- Rolling pin
- 9x13 pan
- Sharp knife or dental floss
Storage Tips For Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
Counter Keeping (2-3 days):
- Wait until they're totally cool
- Wrap tight with plastic
- Leave on the counter
- Fridge makes them tough
Freezer Keeping (3 months):
- Cool them first or they get soggy
- Wrap each one separate
- Toss in freezer bags
- Write the date (learned this the hard way)
Warming Up:
- Microwave 20 seconds for soft
- Oven 300°F for 5 minutes for crispy
- Put fresh frosting on after warming
- Emma eats hers cold with milk
Night Before Trick:
- Make the whole thing the night before
- Cover and put in fridge
- Let them puff up in the morning
- Takes 10 minutes longer to bake
Top Tip
- Last spring, Emma made what I thought was a huge mistake that turned into our absolute favorite trick. I was busy getting the cream cheese frosting ready, mixing and tasting to get it just right, while Emma was "helping" by generously sprinkling extra cinnamon sugar all over the tops of our unbaked rolls. She was being so quiet that I should have known something was up, but I was focused on getting the frosting smooth and didn't notice what she was doing until the rolls were already sliding into the oven.
- My first thought was panic - I was worried they'd burn or taste way too sweet or turn into some kind of cinnamon disaster. Emma saw my face and got that worried look kids get when they think they're in trouble. "Did I mess them up, Mama?" she asked in this tiny voice. I told her we'd have to wait and see, but honestly, I was expecting to have to start over or at least scrape off the burnt sugar.
- But when those rolls came out of the oven, they were absolutely gorgeous. That extra cinnamon sugar had caramelized into this incredible crunchy-sweet topping that looked like it came from a fancy bakery. "Mama, I made them sparkly!" Emma announced, bouncing on her toes with pride. She was right - they looked like they had little crystals all over the top.
Mom's Hidden Shortcut That Actually Works
Here's something I don't usually admit - you can totally skip the overnight thing when life gets nuts. Last month Emma's friends showed up out of nowhere begging for Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls, and I figured out this trick that cuts the time way down without wrecking everything. Instead of waiting all night, I stuck my mixed dough in a barely warm oven (turn it on for like one minute, then shut it off). The tiny bit of warmth makes the rise happen in 3-4 hours instead of 12.
Your starter has to be really bubbly and active for this to work though. I also use more starter than usual to give it extra oomph. The rolls don't get as tangy this way, but they're still way better than those quick recipes from a box. Emma couldn't tell the difference, and her friends ate every single one. Sometimes being a mom means knowing when to break your own rules and when warm cinnamon rolls right now beats waiting until tomorrow. Just don't tell anyone I taught you this shortcut.
FAQ
Is Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls good for cinnamon rolls?
Sourdough makes incredible cinnamon rolls because the tangy flavor balances out all that sweet cinnamon filling. The wild yeast creates a softer, more tender texture than regular yeast, and the long fermentation develops complex flavors you just can't get any other way. Plus they stay fresh longer than regular rolls.
Why are my sourdough cinnamon rolls not fluffy?
This usually happens when your starter isn't active enough or you didn't let them rise long enough. Make sure your starter doubles in size within 4-8 hours of feeding before using it. Also check that you're not adding too much flour - the dough should be slightly sticky, not stiff.
Can you mix cinnamon into sourdough?
You can add cinnamon to the filling, but don't put it directly in the dough. Cinnamon can slow down yeast activity, so it's better to keep it in the filling where it won't mess with your rise. If you want cinnamon-flavored dough, add just a pinch during the final mixing.
Does cinnamon affect sourdough fermentation?
Large amounts of cinnamon can slow down fermentation a bit because it has natural preservatives that don't love yeast. But the small amount in cinnamon roll filling won't hurt anything. I've never had problems making these rolls, even when Emma goes crazy with the cinnamon.
Your Sunday Morning Just Got Way Better!
Now you know how to make incredible sourdough cinnamon rolls - from the overnight rise to Emma's sparkly cinnamon trick. These rolls prove that some of the best stuff really is worth waiting for, even if you cheat with my sneaky shortcut when friends drop by.
Want more weekend breakfast fun? Try our Easy & Quick French Toast Muffins that taste like French toast but way less messy. Need something fast? Our Easy Waffle Recipe in 30 Minutes makes crispy ones every time. For extra protein, make our Easy Cottage Cheese Pancakes that Emma calls "fluffy clouds with secret superpowers."
Share your sourdough wins! We love seeing your spiral creations and hearing about your own kitchen mess-ups and discoveries!
Rate this recipe and join our weekend baking bunch!
Related
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Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
sourdough cinnamon rolls
Equipment
- 1 Large mixing bowl
- 1 Kitchen scale
- 1 Rolling Pin
- 1 9x13 inch pan
- 1 Sharp knife or dental floss (For cutting rolls)
Ingredients
- 150 g active sourdough starter or discard
- 500 g bread flour
- 240 ml whole milk - warmed
- 2 eggs eggs
- 115 g unsalted butter - softened
- 50 g granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
Cinnamon Filling:
- 150 g soft brown sugar
- 2 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 100 g softened butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch - ground nutmeg
Cream Cheese Glaze:
- 120 g cream cheese - room temperature
- 200 g powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoon heavy cream
- 1 tbs pure vanilla extract
- 1 tb lemon zest
Instructions
- Mix sourdough starter, milk, flour, sugar, and salt
- Add eggs and butter, knead until smooth
- Let rise overnight in fridge
- Roll, fill, slice, and let rise again
- Bake and glaze warm rolls
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