This is the best cream cheese frosting for cinnamon rolls! It’s fluffy, creamy, and has the perfect balance of sweet and tangy flavors. Whip it up in one bowl, in under 10 minutes!
Why I Love This Cream Cheese Frosting for Cinnamon Rolls
- Cinnamon rolls need frosting: There are some baked goods that can go without being slathered with frosting, but cinnamon rolls aren’t one of them. This cinnamon roll frosting is the perfect finishing touch, and we all know that cinnamon rolls with cream cheese have much better flavor than the ones with a quick glaze!
- It’s tried-and-true: This cinnamon bun frosting is from my Quick 1 Hour Cinnamon Rolls recipe, so it’s a well-tested favorite. You can’t go wrong!
- It’s easy: You’ll love that this cinnamon roll frosting recipe comes together in a matter of minutes.
- It tastes amazing: You might even like it more than the Cinnabon icing recipe! It’s creamy, sweet, tangy, and the perfect complement to pillowy soft cinnamon rolls.
Tip: To make it closer to the Cinnabon frosting recipe, add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice!
Tips & Ingredient Notes
This is just an overview, click here to jump down to the full recipe card for the recipe amounts and condensed recipe instructions.
- Butter – You’ll want to use unsalted butter here, which gives you more control over the saltiness & flavor of the frosting.
- Cream cheese – Cream cheese frosting for cinnamon rolls starts with full-fat cream cheese—the kind that comes in bricks, not tubs. Low fat also works, just know that your frosting will be a bit runnier.
- Powdered sugar – This might seem like a lot, but once you mix it in, the volume decreases and helps keep your frosting thick & spreadable.
- Vanilla extract – don’t skip the vanilla!
- Salt – Just a pinch will balance the sweetness in the frosting.
Tip: Want to make a copycat Cinnabon cream cheese frosting? Use the recipe below and add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
How to Make Cream Cheese Icing for Cinnamon Rolls
- Let 4 ounces of cream cheese and 1/4 cup of butter sit at room temperature until they soften.
- Place the cream cheese, butter, 1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt in a medium mixing bowl.
- Use a hand mixer or stand mixer to beat until the frosting is smooth and fluffy, about 30 to 60 seconds.
- Slather the frosting onto cinnamon rolls, or use it however you like!
Looking for more of a glaze than a frosting? Simply add milk a tablespoon at a time until it reaches your desired consistency or use my more pourable cinnamon roll icing!
Frequently Asked Questions:
Do cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting need to be refrigerated?
Yes, if not eaten within 1-2 hours the cream cheese cinnamon rolls should be stored in the refrigerator or the frosting can go bad. While they’re best eaten right away, they can be refrigerated for a few days or even frozen (see below).
Can I freeze cream cheese frosting?
Yes, cream cheese frosting can be frozen in a zip-top freezer bag or airtight container for up to 3 months. Let it thaw in the refrigerator before you use it.
I also love wrapping the frosted cinnamon rolls individually, freezing them, then microwaving them for 20-30 seconds when ready to eat!
Can I make cinnamon roll icing without cream cheese?
Yes, you can make a buttercream frosting without cream cheese by using my cinnamon roll icing recipe! It’s more of a quick, pourable glaze.
What is the frosting on cinnamon rolls made of?
There are a variety of ways you can make cinnamon roll frosting but my favorite is definitely this recipe with cream cheese! It contains butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. If you’re looking for a cinnamon roll frosting without cream cheese, use my cinnamon roll icing.
Easy Cream Cheese Frosting for Cinnamon Rolls
The best cream cheese frosting for cinnamon rolls! It's easy to make, creamy and fluffy, and it has the perfect balance of sweet and tangy flavors.
This recipe makes enough to generously frost a 9×13 pan of cinnamon rolls.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup unsalted butter (i.e. ½ stick) softened
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened, use the cream cheese sold in a brick, not in a tub
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- â…› teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
Before you begin! If you make this, will you do me a huge favor and leave a review and rating letting me know how you liked this recipe? This helps my small business thrive so I can continue providing free recipes and high-quality content for you.
Instructions
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In a large mixing bowl, add unsalted butter (¼ cup), cream cheese (4 ounces), vanilla extract (1 teaspoon), and salt (⅛ teaspoon). Use an electric mixer to beat for 20-30 seconds until combined.
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Slowly add powdered sugar (1½ cups) and beat until combined and smooth (about 30-60 seconds). Slather on warm cinnamon rolls and enjoy!
Last Step! Please leave a review and rating letting me know how you liked this recipe! This helps my small business thrive so I can continue providing free recipes and high-quality content for you.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition is auto-calculated and for frosting recipe only; based on 16 servings. This recipe makes enough to generously frost a 9×13 pan of cinnamon rolls.
Tina says
Absolutely delicious
Barb says
My family enjoyed this
Ann says
Loved it. Not to sweet to over power the Cinnamon Rolss
Steve says
Yes, I used it! Was very similar to what I used before! I enjoyed it! Thanks for posting it!
Erik Lindquist says
I used the recipe for just the frosting. I’m type 1 diabetic so I subbed the preferred sugar with Swerve confectioners blend and added 1 tablespoon of half and half along with a few squirts of Italian lemon juice from concentrate. Yummm!yummm
Sydney says
Delicious! We doubled the recipe because we like our cinnamon rolls bathed in frosting and it worked great!
Melissa says
Lol, can’t go wrong with extra frosting! So glad you enjoyed this recipe, Sydney! Thank you for leaving a review!
Sarah says
Excellent icing!
Katherine says
I reduced this recipe to 1/4, and it was just enough to add an extra layer of icing to my Pillsbury cinnamon rolls with no leftovers. It was fabulous! And exactly what I needed!
Melissa says
I’m so glad you got this frosting to work for what you needed with reduced measurements! Thanks for leaving a review, Katherine!
Angela Cerpa says
Came out amazing thank you
Suzanne says
Fantastic frosting for our TikTok cinnamon rolls! The only tweak I made was I added about a tablespoon of cream to make the frosting a tiny bit thinner, so I could pour it over the cinnamon rolls!
Melissa says
So glad that you could customized and enjoy the frosting Suzanne.
Thank you for taking the time to leave a review.