Get ready to make the ultimate sticky cinnamon rolls, dripping with homemade caramel sauce that soaks into every layer as they bake.

The aroma alone will put you in a good mood, but wait until you take a bite. Soft, fluffy rolls swirled with cinnamon and drenched in gooey caramel are perfect for breakfast, brunch, or dessert. These caramel cinnamon rolls bring an extra dose of indulgence to any moment.

Sticky cinnamon rolls with gooey caramel sauce being dripped over the top.

Here is Why This Cinnamon Sticky Buns Recipe Works

That Gooey Caramel Sauce: This isn’t just any caramel. This is sticky, gooey, soak-into-every-layer caramel. It’s the secret to rolls that practically melt in your mouth.

Soft and Fluffy Dough: Light, tender, and packed with buttery flavor. Let’s just say these rolls know how to show up.

Simple Ingredients, Big Flavor: No need to hunt down fancy ingredients for these cinnamon buns. You’ve probably got most of what you need in your kitchen already!

Perfect Anytime Treat: Breakfast, brunch, dessert—or hey, treat yourself at midnight. There’s no wrong time for these caramel-kissed cinnamon rolls.

Ingredients used to make the dough for gooey cinnamon buns. — for the dough

Ingredients used to make the cinnamon filling and the caramel sauce. — for the dough

The Ingredients

Dairy: Milk, eggs, butter, cream
Pantry: Bread flour, all-purpose flour, sugar, light brown sugar, corn syrup, vanilla extract
Pantry Spices: Cinnamon, salt
Baking Essentials: Instant dry yeast

Mixing the wet ingredients for the cinnamon bun dough. — combine the wet mixture

Adding the dry ingredients to the bowl to make the dough. — combine the wet mixture

Cinnamon Roll Variations

Salted Caramel Rolls: Stir in ½ cup chopped pecans to the filling and sprinkle a pinch of flaky sea salt over the caramel sauce before baking the gooey cinnamon rolls.

Chocolate Hazelnut Cinnamon Rolls: Add ¼ cup cocoa powder to the filling and one cup chopped hazelnuts just before rolling them up.

Apple Cinnamon Caramel Rolls: Add 1 cup finely diced apples to the filling and a dash of nutmeg for a fall-inspired twist that pairs perfectly with the sticky caramel.

These sticky cinnamon buns are delicious on their own, but to take them to the next level, try spreading them with our cinnamon maple cream cheese frosting.

Combining the ingredients for caramel sauce in a saucepan. — add the ingredients for the sticky sauce to a pan

Cooking sticky caramel sauce on the stove. — add the ingredients for the sticky sauce to a pan

Tips for Success

Make sure your eggs and butter are at room temperature for easier mixing and a lighter dough. It is especially important to use softened butter.
If the dough feels too sticky, add a little more flour, one tablespoon at a time, until it’s smooth and soft but not overly sticky.
Spray the baking pan with non-stick spray.
If you don’t have a large enough baking dish, you can use a couple of cake pans.
For clean, even slices, use unscented dental floss instead of a knife to cut your rolls. Wrap the floss around the dough, cross the ends, and pull to slice.
After baking, let the rolls cool slightly before inverting onto a platter. This allows the caramel to set slightly and cool down so it doesn’t burn you.
Don’t skip the second rise! Allowing the rolls to double in size after shaping gives them an extra soft texture.
There will be some extra caramel sauce in the baking pan. Scoop that out before the pan cools down then drizzle it on top of the sticky buns.

Spreading the cinnamon butter filling onto the dough. — spread the filling over the dough

Dough spread with cinnamon-sugar filling, being rolled into a log. — spread the filling over the dough

Storage

At Room Temperature: Place the cinnamon sticky buns in an airtight container or cover tightly with plastic wrap, and store at room temperature for up to 2 days.

In the Refrigerator: For longer storage, transfer the rolls to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days. Before serving, reheat briefly in the microwave or oven to soften.

Freezing: To freeze, wrap each roll individually in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer-safe bag. They’ll keep well in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Reheating from Frozen: To reheat, let rolls thaw at room temperature, then microwave for about 20-30 seconds or warm in a 300°F oven for 10 minutes.

Warm cinnamon rolls with caramel sauce dripping down the edges.

The Best Homemade Caramel Cinnamon Rolls

These sticky caramel cinnamon rolls bring all the cozy vibes, from soft, buttery layers to that gooey caramel sauce soaking into every swirl. Perfect for brunch or dessert, this is a recipe you will want to keep on hand.

Sticky caramel cinnamon rolls on a plate.

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Drizzling caramel sauce over a sticky cinnamon roll.

Caramel Cinnamon Buns

These cinnamon rolls bake in a bath of caramel sauce that oozes all over them. The caramel sauce makes them sticky, gooey, and oh, so delicious. You're going to need a fork to eat these!

The recipe has a rich buttery dough, with a soft, tender texture similar to what you’d find in a classic brioche dough, but without the extra steps. I used an easy, non-traditional method where all the ingredients, including the butter, get mixed together at once. It’s a simpler process that delivers amazingly decadent results!

You can mix the dough by hand, with a mixer, or with a bread maker.

4.88 from 41 votes

Print Pin Video Save

Prep Time: 30

Cook Time: 30

Total Time: 1

Servings: servings

Calories: 493kcal

Author: Dahn Boquist

Ingredients

Tender Buns

1 cup warm milk (227 grams)
3 eggs room temperature
½ cup butter, softened (4 ounces; 113 grams)
¼ cup sugar (50 grams)
¾ teaspoons salt
2-¼ teaspoons instant dry yeast
3-½ cups bread flour (420 grams)
1-¼ to 2 cups all-purpose flour (150 to 240 grams)

Cinnamon Roll Filling

½ cup light brown sugar packed (110 grams)
¼ cup sugar (100 grams)
½ cup butter, softened (4 ounces; 113 grams)
1-2 tablespoons cinnamon

Sticky Gooey Caramel Sauce

½ cup (4 oz or 113 g butter)
1 cup light brown sugar, packed (220 grams)
¼ cup sugar (50 grams)
⅓ cup corn syrup (113 grams)
2 tablespoons water
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup cream (170 grams)
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Make the Tender Dough:

You can mix the dough by hand, with a stand mixer, or in a bread machine: Combine the milk, eggs, butter, sugar, salt, and instant yeast. The butter will look clumpy and the mixing method may seem a bit different but it works.
Add the bread flour and 1-¼ cups of the all-purpose flour. Mix by hand or with the stand mixer or bread machine. If you are using a bread machine turn the machine to dough setting. You may need to help the ingredients blend together in the first minute of mixing by stirring the edges with a spatula.
If the dough is too sticky, gradually add the rest of the all-purpose flour. Continue to knead for 10 to 15 minutes until the dough is soft and smooth. (See the video to see the texture of the dough).
Place the dough in an oiled boil. Cover and let rise for 1 to 2 hours. It will get puffy and almost double in size.
While the dough is mixing and proofing, make the cinnamon filling and sticky caramel sauce below. Set them aside until ready to use.

Cinnamon Filling

Mix the brown sugar, granulated sugar, butter, and cinnamon together until they form a paste. Set aside at room temperature until the dough is ready to roll out.

Sticky Caramel Sauce

In a large saucepan, combine the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, corn syrup, water, salt, and cream. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and simmer for 3 minutes.
Remove from heat, stir in the vanilla extract and pour into a 13 by 9-inch baking pan. Set aside until the cinnamon rolls are ready to be placed on the sauce. The sauce will thicken as it cools down.

Make the Rolls and Bake them:

Place the dough on a clean, floured work surface. Roll the dough out to a 16 by 24-inch rectangle.
Spread the cinnamon roll filling over the dough.
Starting at the long end, roll the dough into a 24-inch long log.
Using a sharp knife, slice the log into 12 slices. If you do not have a very sharp knife then you can use dental floss or thread to wrap around the log then pull the ends to cut the roll without squishing it.
Place the rolls on top of the caramel sauce in the pan then cover loosely with a dish towel and let sit in a warm place for an hour until almost doubled in size.
Pre-heat the oven to 350°. Uncover the rolls and bake for 22 to 28 minutes until golden brown.
Allow the rolls to cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes then run a knife around the inside edge of the pan to loosen the rolls from the edge. Invert the pan onto a platter so the sticky gooey sauce is on top, be certain the pan is not too hot when you do this or the caramel sauce will burn you.
Serve warm.

Notes

The baking time will vary depending on how packed the rolls are when you put them in the baking pan. If the rolls are packed in tight, it will take longer for the centers to bake.