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Indulge in soft, fluffy pudding cinnamon rolls made with instant pudding mix for extra moisture and flavor. These easy homemade rolls are rich, tender, and topped with a sweet glaze—perfect for breakfast, brunch, or holiday baking.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe!
If you’re a cinnamon roll lover like me, you are going to fall head over heels for these. The secret ingredient—pudding mix—makes the dough incredibly soft, tender, and almost melt-in-your-mouth delicious. These rolls stay perfectly fluffy and moist, even the next day.
But let’s be honest… the real star here is the frosting. It’s made with brown sugar and has a rich, caramel-like flavor that takes these cinnamon rolls to a whole new level. If your favorite part of a cinnamon roll is that gooey, sweet topping (same here!), this recipe absolutely delivers.
Honestly, the frosting is so good you might be tempted to eat it by the spoonful—but trust me, paired with these soft, pillowy rolls, it’s pure perfection. This is the kind of recipe that feels special enough for holidays but easy enough to make any time a cinnamon roll craving hits.
Ingredients Needed
- All Purpose Flour
- Active Dry Yeast
- Instant Vanilla Pudding
- Sugar, granulated, brown and powdered sugar
- Heavy Whipping Cream
- Milk
- Butter, salted
- Eggs
- Cinnamon
- Salt
How To Make Vanilla Pudding Cinnamon Rolls
- Combine milk and pudding in a mixer and beat for 2 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes or until it thickens slightly.
- Dissolve yeast in warm water. Let sit for 5 minutes to allow yeast to proof.
- Add in 1/2 cup butter, eggs, sugar, salt and 2 cups flour.
- Mix on medium speed for 3-4 minutes.
- Add in pudding mixture and beat until smooth.
- Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough, it will still be slightly sticky.
- Place dough onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic and not sticky.
- Place dough in a greased bowl, turning to grease top and cover and let rise in a warm place until double. About 1 hour.
- Punch down dough and turn onto a floured surface. Divide dough in half and roll out each section to a 17 x 12 rectangle. Brush with 2 Tbsp.melted butter, each half with 1 Tbsp.
- Mix together brown sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over dough. Roll up dough, jelly roll style. Cut each roll into 16 slices. Place slices from each roll into a greased 13 x 9. You will need two 13 x 9 pans.
- Cover and let rise until double, about 30-45 minutes.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
- Combine the brown sugar, cream and butter In a large saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes.
- Remove form heat and beat in powdered sugar until creamy.
- Frost rolls while warm.
Tips from leigh Anne
- Use instant pudding mix Make sure you’re using instant pudding, not cook-and-serve. It blends easily into the dough and is the secret to those ultra-soft, tender rolls.
- Don’t add too much flour The dough should be soft and slightly tacky, not stiff. Adding too much flour will make your rolls dense instead of light and fluffy.
- Let the dough rise until doubled Be patient with the rise time. A full rise gives you that pillowy texture you want in a great cinnamon roll.
- Roll evenly for consistent baking Try to roll your dough into an even rectangle so your rolls are uniform in size and bake evenly.
- Use dental floss to cut the rolls Slide unflavored dental floss under the dough and pull it across the top to cut clean slices without squishing the rolls.
- Don’t overbake Bake just until the tops are lightly golden. Overbaking will dry them out and you’ll lose that soft, gooey texture.
- Frost while warm Spread that amazing brown sugar frosting on while the rolls are still warm so it melts slightly into all the swirls—this is what gives you that caramel-like goodness.
- Make ahead option After shaping the rolls, cover and refrigerate overnight. Let them come to room temperature and rise slightly before baking the next day.
- Reheat for that fresh-baked feel Warm leftovers in the microwave for 15–20 seconds to bring back that soft, just-baked texture and gooey frosting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I taste the pudding mix in the cinnamon roll?
I don’t think so. The pudding mix doesn’t add a strong flavor—it just makes the rolls incredibly soft, moist, and tender.
What flavor of pudding mix should I use?
Vanilla is the most common and works perfectly, but you could also try butterscotch for an extra rich, caramel-like flavor.
Can I freeze pudding cinnamon rolls?
Absolutely. You can freeze them baked or unbaked. For unbaked rolls, freeze after shaping, then thaw and let rise before baking. For baked rolls, reheat gently before serving.
Why are my cinnamon rolls not as soft as I expected?
This is usually due to adding too much flour or overbaking. Keep the dough soft and slightly sticky, and pull them out of the oven as soon as they’re lightly golden.
How should I store leftover cinnamon rolls?
Store them covered at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Warm them slightly before serving for the best texture.
There’s just something special about a pan of warm cinnamon rolls fresh from the oven, and these truly take it to the next level. With their soft, pillowy texture and that rich, caramel-like brown sugar frosting, they’re the kind of treat that feels both comforting and a little indulgent. Whether you’re making them for a holiday morning, a weekend brunch, or just because you’re craving something sweet, this is a recipe you’ll come back to again and again—because once you try them, ordinary cinnamon rolls just won’t compare.
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Pudding Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
- 2 cups milk
- 1 3.4 oz. pkg instant vanilla pudding or butterscotch pudding
- 2 .25 oz. pkgs active dry yeast
- 1/2 cup warm water 110-115 degrees F
- 1/2 cup butter melted
- 2 eggs
- 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 7-8 cups all purpose flour
- 2 Tbsp melted butter
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 2 Tbsp butter, melted
Frosting
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup butter, cubed
- 2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- In a mixer bowl, combine milk and pudding and beat for 2 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes or until it thickens slightly.
- I large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water Let sit for 5 minutes to allow yeast to proof.
Frosting
- Add in 1/2 cup butter, eggs, sugar, salt and 2 cups flour. Mix on medium speed for 3-4 minutes.
- Add in pudding mixture and beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough, it will still be slightly sticky.
- Place dough onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic and not sticky.
- Place dough in a greased bowl, turning to grease top and cover and let rise in a warm place until double. About 1 hour.
- Punch down down and turn onto a floured surface. Divide dough in half and roll out each section to a 17 x 12 rectangle. Brush with 2 Tbsp.melted butter, each half with 1 Tbsp.
- Mix together brown sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over dough. Roll up dough, jelly roll style. Cut each roll into 16 slices. Place slices from each roll into a greased 13 x 9. You will need two 13 x 9 pans.
- Cover and let rise until double, about 30-45 minutes.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
- While cinnamon rolls are baking, make frosting.
- In a large saucepan, combine the brown sugar, cream and butter. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes. Remove form heat and beat in powdered sugar until creamy. Frost rolls while warm.
Tips & Notes:
- Use instant pudding mix Make sure you’re using instant pudding, not cook-and-serve. It blends easily into the dough and is the secret to those ultra-soft, tender rolls.
- Don’t add too much flour The dough should be soft and slightly tacky, not stiff. Adding too much flour will make your rolls dense instead of light and fluffy.
- Let the dough rise until doubled Be patient with the rise time. A full rise gives you that pillowy texture you want in a great cinnamon roll.
- Roll evenly for consistent baking Try to roll your dough into an even rectangle so your rolls are uniform in size and bake evenly.
- Use dental floss to cut the rolls Slide unflavored dental floss under the dough and pull it across the top to cut clean slices without squishing the rolls.
- Don’t overbake Bake just until the tops are lightly golden. Overbaking will dry them out and you’ll lose that soft, gooey texture.
- Frost while warm Spread that amazing brown sugar frosting on while the rolls are still warm so it melts slightly into all the swirls—this is what gives you that caramel-like goodness.
- Make ahead option After shaping the rolls, cover and refrigerate overnight. Let them come to room temperature and rise slightly before baking the next day.
- Reheat for that fresh-baked feel Warm leftovers in the microwave for 15–20 seconds to bring back that soft, just-baked texture and gooey frosting.
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Nutrition Facts:
Cneryl says
Frosting
Add in 1/2 cup butter, eggs, sugar, salt and 2 cups flour. Mix on medium speed for 3-4 minutes.
Is this correct?
Leigh Anne Wilkes says
There is no flour or eggs in the frosting.
Brenda Barry says
Best ever
Lorri Rogers says
My grandmother used to make a similar recipe using butterscotch pudding instead of the vanilla pudding. The filling was brown sugar and coconut, then a brown sugar frosting (I think). Have you ever made any of the butterscotch rolls or have a recipe?
Leigh Anne says
I haven’t but it sounds delish!
Chelan Allen says
Hi Leigh Anne! I’m making these right now, and 6 cups flour (measured by weight and worked in the Kitchen Aid) left me with a soupy mess. I’ve seen a variation on this recipe before, and it called for eight cups. I added the extra two cups, and now I have a soft, slightly sticky dough, which is exactly what I want. I can’t wait to get these finished and try that caramel frosting!
ruthie says
I will definitely be making these! Just a weird question -on the recipe under “cuisine” it is listed chicken? ( why do I notice random things like that – and maybe there is a really good reason:))
Leigh Anne says
Thanks for catching that – just clicked on the wrong thing! I’ve got it fixed now.