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When our kids had a bake sale coming up, I wanted to make something that would stand out on the table and disappear just as quickly. These homemade Oreo Cinnamon Rolls were the perfect choice. They were soft, fluffy, packed with cookies-and-cream flavor, and topped with a thick Oreo frosting that made them nearly impossible to resist.
The combination of crushed Oreo cookies, warm cinnamon, and a rich homemade dough creates a bakery-style cinnamon roll that’s every bit as indulgent as it looks. One little trick takes these rolls over the top: pouring warm heavy cream over them just before baking. It keeps them incredibly soft and gives them that slightly softer center everyone loves.
If you love Oreo desserts, be sure to save my Easy Oreo Cheesecake recipe while you’re here!
Whether you’re baking for a holiday breakfast, birthday brunch, church gathering, or simply looking for a fun weekend baking project with the kids, these Oreo Cinnamon Rolls are guaranteed to be a hit. If you enjoy homemade breakfast treats like my Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Rolls, Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits, Cinnamon Sugar French Toast Sticks, or Hotel-Style Waffles, this recipe deserves a spot on your baking list.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Soft, fluffy homemade dough made completely from scratch.
- Loaded with real Oreo cookies in both the filling and frosting.
- The warm heavy cream trick creates bakery-style gooey centers.
- Two frosting options so you can choose your favorite.
- Perfect for holidays, birthdays, bake sales, and weekend breakfasts.
- Makes a beautiful make-ahead dessert or special breakfast.
- Easy enough for beginner bakers.
- Kids love helping crush the Oreo cookies.
Ingredients
Dough
- Whole milk
- Instant yeast
- Granulated sugar
- Eggs
- Salted butter
- Vanilla extract
- Salt
- All-purpose flour
- Before Baking: Heavy Cream
Oreo Filling
- Butter
- Brown sugar
- Oreo cookies
- Cocoa powder
- Ground cinnamon
- Salt
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Cream cheese
- Butter
- Powdered sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Salt
- Heavy cream (or milk)
- Oreo cookies
Vanilla Buttercream
- Butter
- Powdered sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Salt
- Heavy cream (or milk)
- Oreo cookies
Equipment Needed
Stand Mixer – Makes kneading the dough effortless while developing a soft, elastic texture.
Rolling Pin – Helps roll the dough into an even rectangle for consistent swirls.
Mixing Bowls – You’ll need separate bowls for the dough, filling, and frosting.
9×13 Baking Dish – Produces evenly baked cinnamon rolls with soft centers.
Unflavored dental floss – The cleanest way to slice cinnamon rolls without compressing the spiral. It keeps the layers neat and defined.
Instant Read Thermometer – The easiest way to know your cinnamon rolls are perfectly baked. Look for an internal temperature of 190–192°F.
Silicon Baking Mat – This mat is a must for measuring out even rolls. I like to roll my dough out on it and not have to worry about a dirty counter top, then I use the printed ruler to keep my rolls uniform.
Rubber Spatula – Makes spreading the frosting smooth and effortless.
How to Make
Making homemade cinnamon rolls is much easier than most people think, and the results are well worth the extra time. Start by activating the yeast in warm milk with a little sugar before mixing in the eggs, butter, vanilla, and flour.
As you knead the dough, you’ll notice it become smooth, soft, and elastic. Resist the temptation to add too much flour—the dough should feel slightly tacky rather than dry. That soft dough is one of the secrets to light, fluffy cinnamon rolls.
Allow the dough to rise until doubled in size. If your kitchen is cool, you can speed up the process by briefly warming your oven to 200°F for a couple of minutes, turning it off, and placing the covered bowl inside. This simple trick works wonderfully for almost any homemade yeast dough.
The filling combines butter, brown sugar, crushed Oreo cookies, cocoa powder, and cinnamon into a rich cookies-and-cream mixture that spreads easily across the dough.
Roll the dough tightly into a log, then use unflavored dental floss to slice even rolls without flattening them. It’s one of my favorite baking tricks and gives much cleaner cuts than a knife.
After the second rise, slowly drizzle warm heavy cream over and between the rolls before baking. Don’t skip this step. The rolls absorb the cream while baking, creating incredibly soft, gooey centers that stay moist even after cooling.
Bake until the center rolls reach an internal temperature of 190–192°F. This ensures they’re fully baked without becoming dry.
While the rolls cool slightly, prepare either the Oreo Cream Cheese Frosting or the Oreo Vanilla Buttercream. Both are delicious, but the cream cheese version adds a slight tang that balances the sweetness of the Oreo cookies beautifully. Spread the frosting over the warm rolls so it melts gently into every swirl.
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
PrintOreo Cinnamon Rolls
Soft homemade Oreo cinnamon rolls made with all-purpose flour, crushed Oreos in the filling, warm heavy cream before baking, and a rich Oreo cream cheese frosting.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Rise Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 16-20 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 50 minutes
- Yield: 12 rolls
- Category: Breakfast, Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Dough
- ¾ cup whole milk, warmed to 110°F
- 2¼ tsp instant yeast (1 packet)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ¼ cup salted butter, melted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp salt
- 3 – 3½ cups all-purpose flour, divided
Oreo Filling
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 cup finely crushed Oreo cookies (about 12-15 cookies)
- 1 tbsp cocoa powder
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
Before Baking
- ¼ cup warm heavy cream
Choose your frosting option:
Oreo Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3 cups sifted powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 2–3 TBSP heavy cream
- 8 Oreo cookies, finely cruhed
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
- 4 tbsp softened butter
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- 3 cups sifted powdered sugar
- 2 TBSP heavy cream (or milk)
- 8 Oreo cookies, finely cruhed
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, or the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the warm milk, yeast, and sugar. Let sit for about 5 minutes.
- Add the eggs, melted butter, vanilla, and salt. Mix until combined.
- Add the flour gradually, starting with 2 ½ cups, adding up to ½ cup more flour as needed, a little at a time, until a soft, slightly tacky dough forms.
- Knead for 5–7 minutes with your dough hook, or 8-10 minutes by hand or until the dough is smooth and elastic.
- Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled, about 1–1½ hours.
- To speed up the rise, preheat your oven to 200°F for 2 minutes, then turn it off. Place the covered dough in the warm (not hot) oven and let it rise for 30–45 minutes, or until doubled. This trick works well anytime you’re making yeast dough.
- In a small bowl, mix the softened butter, brown sugar, cocoa powder, crushed Oreos, cinnamon, and salt until combined.
- Roll the dough into a large rectangle, about 12×18 inches.
- Spread the Oreo filling evenly over the dough.
- Roll the dough up tightly and cut into 12 rolls.
- I like to use unflavored dental floss to mark the dough into 12 equal rolls, then use the floss to slice through the dough without squashing it. (See the video in the post.)
- Place the rolls in a greased 9×13 baking dish. Cover and let rise for 45–60 minutes, or until puffy.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Slowly drizzle the warm heavy cream over and between the rolls.
- Bake for 16-20 minutes, or until the centers reach 190–192°F.
- Let the rolls cool for 10–15 minutes before frosting.
- For the Cream Cheese frosting, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add powdered sugar, vanilla, salt, and heavy cream as needed. Fold in the crushed Oreos.
- For the Vanilla Buttercream frosting, Beat the butter until light and creamy. Mix in the vanilla, powdered sugar, salt, and heavy cream until smooth. Fold in the crushed Oreos.
- Spread the frosting over the warm rolls and serve.
Notes
Do not add all of the flour at once. Add slowly – the dough should be soft and slightly tacky, not dry.
For the cleanest slices, use unflavored dental floss to cut the rolls. (See video in this blog post)
The heavy cream should be warm, not hot, before pouring over the rolls.
For a smoother frosting, crush the Oreos very finely
Overnight Cinnamon Rolls
To make these ahead of time, prepare the rolls through shaping and place them in the greased baking dish. Cover tightly with plastic wrap or a lid and refrigerate overnight (up to 12–16 hours). The next morning, remove the rolls from the refrigerator and let them sit at room temperature for 45–60 minutes, or until puffy. Drizzle the warm heavy cream over the rolls just before baking, then bake as directed. This is a great option for holiday mornings, brunches, or busy weekends.
Storage
Cream Cheese Frosting: Cover and refrigerate for up to 5 days. For the best texture, warm individual rolls in the microwave for 15–20 seconds before serving.
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting: Store covered at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerate for up to 5 days. Warm individual rolls in the microwave for 10–15 seconds if desired.
Freezing
Freeze unfrosted cinnamon rolls for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, warm until heated through, then frost before serving.
If freezing frosted rolls, freeze individually until firm, then wrap well and store for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Recipes That Pair Well With This
These recipes make a delicious breakfast or brunch spread:
- Hotel-Style Waffles
- Cinnamon Sugar French Toast Sticks
- Classic Bakery Style Cinnamon Rolls
- Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits
- Classic Sausage Gravy
- Homemade Hot Chocolate
- Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
- Almond Buttercream Frosting
- Classic Cream Cheese Frosting
More Recipes to Try
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake
- Texas Roadhouse Honey Butter
- Easy Meringue Cookies
- The BEST Soft & Chewy Rice Krispie Treats
- Best Snickerdoodle Cookies Ever
- Bakery-Style Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Easy Homemade Cornbread
- Easy Homemade Breadsticks
- Homemade Pizza Dough
Tips for Little Helpers
Kids love helping with this recipe! Let them:
- Crush the Oreo cookies.
- Stir together the filling ingredients.
- Spread the filling over the dough.
- Help roll the dough into a log.
- Sprinkle crushed Oreos over the finished frosting.
- Count the rolls while cutting them into equal pieces.
Tips for Success
- Use warm milk around 110°F so the yeast activates properly.
- Don’t over-flour the dough. It should remain soft and slightly tacky.
- Allow both rises to finish completely for fluffy cinnamon rolls.
- Warm the heavy cream before pouring it over the rolls.
- Bake until the center reaches 190–192°F.
- Frost while the rolls are still warm so the frosting melts into every swirl.
- Crush the Oreos finely for a smoother filling and frosting.
FAQs
Can I make these the night before?
Absolutely. Assemble the rolls, cover tightly, and refrigerate overnight after shaping. Let them sit at room temperature for about 45–60 minutes before baking the next morning.
Why do you pour heavy cream over the rolls before baking?
Warm heavy cream is absorbed into the dough while baking, creating incredibly soft, tender cinnamon rolls with gooey centers similar to those found in many bakeries.
Can I use all-purpose flour?
Yes. This recipe was developed using all-purpose flour. Be careful not to add too much flour—the dough should remain soft and slightly tacky.
Do I have to use cream cheese frosting?
No. The Oreo Cream Cheese Frosting adds a wonderful tang, but the Oreo Vanilla Buttercream is equally delicious if you prefer a sweeter frosting.
How do I know when the cinnamon rolls are done?
The most accurate way is with an instant-read thermometer. The center rolls should register 190–192°F.
Storage
If using the Oreo Cream Cheese Frosting, store the cinnamon rolls covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Warm individual rolls in the microwave for 15–20 seconds before serving.
If using the Oreo Vanilla Buttercream, the rolls can be stored covered at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerated for up to 5 days.
Freezing Instructions
Freeze unfrosted cinnamon rolls for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, warm until heated through, then frost before serving.
You can also freeze frosted rolls individually for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
Variations
- Use Golden Oreos for a vanilla cookies-and-cream version.
- Add mini chocolate chips to the filling for extra chocolate flavor. (I love this version!)
- Sprinkle additional crushed Oreos over the frosting before serving.
- Drizzle with melted white chocolate for a bakery-style finish.
- Swap the cream cheese frosting for the Oreo Vanilla Buttercream if you prefer a sweeter topping.
- Add a teaspoon of espresso powder to the filling to deepen the chocolate flavor without making the rolls taste like coffee.
Final Thoughts
These Oreo Cinnamon Rolls quickly became one of my favorite homemade cinnamon roll recipes. They have everything you want in a special breakfast treat—soft, fluffy dough, a rich cookies-and-cream filling, gooey centers, and plenty of Oreo frosting. Whether you’re making them for a holiday morning, a bake sale, or just because your family loves Oreos as much as mine does, they’re guaranteed to disappear quickly. Once you try the warm heavy cream trick, you may never make homemade cinnamon rolls any other way.
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