What size pan do I need?

A standard rimmed half-sheet pan, about 18x13 inches. If you only have 9x13 dishes, split the batch between two of them.

Can I halve this recipe?

Yes — halve everything and bake about 12 rolls in a 9x13 dish, reducing the bake time slightly.

How do I keep a big batch baking evenly?

Arrange the rolls in an even grid, rotate the pan halfway through, and check that a center roll reaches 190°F before pulling it.

Sheet-Pan Cinnamon Rolls

Name: Sheet-Pan Cinnamon Rolls
Prep time: 155 min
Cook time: 26 min
Total time: 196 min
Yield: 24 rolls
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 cup warm whole milk (about 110°F); 4.5 tsp instant yeast; 0.5 cup granulated sugar; 0.66 cup unsalted butter, melted; 2 eggs large eggs; 8 cup all-purpose flour; 2 tsp fine salt; 1 cup unsalted butter, very soft; 2 cup packed brown sugar; 0.25 cup ground cinnamon; 0.5 tsp fine salt; 8 oz cream cheese, softened; 0.5 cup unsalted butter, softened; 2 cup powdered sugar; 2 tsp vanilla extract; 0.25 tsp fine salt

A big-batch cinnamon roll recipe spread across a half-sheet pan — two dozen soft rolls that bake evenly and feed a crowd.

a big batch of cinnamon rolls on a large metal sheet pan (AI-generated editorial image) — Image: CinnamonRollsRecipe.com · AI-generated editorial (Flux)

Total time: 3 hr 16 min
Bake: 26 min
Yield: 24 rolls
Level: intermediate

The quick answer

Double a standard enriched dough, roll it long, and cut about 24 rolls arranged across a rimmed half-sheet (18x13-inch) pan. The wide pan bakes a big batch evenly in one go — ideal for feeding a crowd. Bake at 350°F for 22–28 minutes until the centers reach 190°F.

When one 9x13 pan won't cut it, go wide. Spreading the rolls across a rimmed half-sheet pan lets you bake two dozen at once, and the extra surface area means every roll gets its own golden top instead of steaming into its neighbors. It's the format for holiday mornings, brunch potlucks, and bake sales — one dough, one pan, one trip to the oven. The rolls sit close enough to stay soft on the sides but spaced enough to bake through evenly, and a full sheet of warm cinnamon rolls under a blanket of frosting is hard to beat.

a cinnamon roll from a sheet pan batch on a plate (AI-generated editorial image) — The soft, pull-apart crumb you're after.

Ingredients

Make

rolls

Dough

2 cupswarm whole milk (about 110°F) — warm, not hot
4½ tspinstant yeast — two packets
½ cupgranulated sugar
⅔ cupunsalted butter, melted — cooled slightly
2 eggseslarge eggs — room temperature
8 cupsall-purpose flour — plus more to dust
2 tspfine salt

Filling

1 cupunsalted butter, very soft
2 cupspacked brown sugar
¼ cupground cinnamon
½ tspfine salt

Cream cheese frosting

8 ozcream cheese, softened
½ cupunsalted butter, softened
2 cupspowdered sugar
2 tspvanilla extract
¼ tspfine salt

rows of shaped cinnamon rolls arranged across a rimmed sheet pan before baking (AI-generated editorial image) — A look at the method — follow the steps below.

Instructions

Whisk the warm milk, yeast, and 1 tbsp of the sugar. Let it sit until foamy.
Surface looks foamy and smells yeasty.
Add the remaining sugar, melted butter, and eggs. Mix in the flour and salt until a shaggy dough forms.
Knead until smooth and elastic, using a stand mixer with a dough hook for this larger batch.
Dough is smooth, tacky but not sticky, and springs back when poked.
Cover and let rise in a warm spot until doubled.
Dough has doubled in size.
Roll the dough into a large 24x16-inch rectangle. Spread with the soft butter, then sprinkle the brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt evenly to the edges.
Roll up tightly from a long edge and cut into 24 even rolls. Arrange in a buttered, parchment-lined 18x13-inch half-sheet pan in a 6x4 grid.
Cover and proof until puffy and touching.
Rolls look pillowy and have filled the gaps.
Bake at 350°F, rotating the pan halfway, until golden and set in the center.
Tops are golden; a center roll reads about 190°F.
Beat the frosting until smooth and spread over the whole pan while the rolls are warm but not hot.
Frosting glides and partially melts into the swirls.

Make ahead, store & reheat

Make ahead: Assemble through cutting and arranging on the sheet pan, cover tightly, and refrigerate overnight. In the morning let the pan sit at room temperature for 45–60 minutes to finish proofing, then bake.
Storage: Cover the pan tightly and store at room temperature up to 2 days, or refrigerate up to 5 days.
Reheating: Microwave a single roll 15–20 seconds, or warm the covered pan at 300°F for 10–12 minutes.
Freezing: Freeze baked, unfrosted rolls up to 2 months. Thaw, warm, then frost. The wide pan portions freeze well in batches.

Substitutions

Active dry yeast (bloom it in the warm milk first) instead of instant yeast
Two 9x13 dishes if you don't have a half-sheet pan instead of 18x13-inch rimmed half-sheet pan

Troubleshooting

Edges browned before the center baked: Rotate the pan halfway through and tent the corners with foil; a big pan bakes unevenly if your oven has hot spots.
Middle rolls were doughy: Don't overcrowd — keep the rolls in an even grid and bake until a center roll reads 190°F, adding a few minutes if needed.

Tools I reach for

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Frequently asked questions

What size pan do I need?: A standard rimmed half-sheet pan, about 18x13 inches. If you only have 9x13 dishes, split the batch between two of them.
Can I halve this recipe?: Yes — halve everything and bake about 12 rolls in a 9x13 dish, reducing the bake time slightly.
How do I keep a big batch baking evenly?: Arrange the rolls in an even grid, rotate the pan halfway through, and check that a center roll reaches 190°F before pulling it.

Nutrition (estimate): 1 roll (of 24) · ~340 kcal. Nutrition is an automated estimate and will vary with brands and exact quantities.

Food safety: don't taste dough containing raw flour or raw egg. Refrigerate anything with cream cheese frosting, and reheat leftovers until piping hot.