Brown Butter Cinnamon Rolls

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Brown Butter Cinnamon Rolls

Bake a batch of yeasted cinnamon rolls finished with brown butter cream cheese frosting. They're soft, chewy, and best enjoyed while still warm.

Prep Time45

Cook Time42

Resting Time2

Total Time3 27

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Servings: cinnamon rolls

Calories: 710kcal

Author: Jessica Mode

Equipment

mixing bowls
saucepan
instant read thermometer
whisk
plastic wrap
9 x 13 inch (23 x 33 cm) light colored baking pan
offset or silicone spatula
knife or pizza cutter
electric or stand mixer

Ingredients

Cinnamon Roll Dough

6 ½ cups bread flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 ½ teaspoons instant dry yeast
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 cups whole milk
½ cup room temperature unsalted butter cut into 1 tablespoon or 14 gram pieces
2 large room temperature eggs

Cinnamon Sugar Filling

2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
nonstick cooking spray
½ cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature

Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

¼ cup unsalted butter
6 ounces cream cheese softened to room temperature
1 ½ cups confectioners' sugar measured then sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

For Cinnamon Roll Dough

Whisk bread flour, granulated sugar, yeast, and fine sea salt in a mixing bowl.
Add milk to a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the milk reaches 115°F (46°C) on an instant read thermometer. Add room temperature butter to a mixing bowl and pour warmed milk on top. Allow to sit, stirring occasionally, until the butter has completely melted. Whisk in eggs.
Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture and knead until a sticky dough forms. Place dough on a generously floured surface and knead by hand for 10 minutes, until flexible and bouncy to the touch. To check that the dough is ready, grab a piece of dough between your fingers, stretch it, and see if web fibers have developed. You should be able to pull the dough thin enough that light shines through. If your dough rips as soon as you start pulling, you need to continue kneading the dough. You want the dough to be able to stretch rather than tear.
Cover with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise in a warm (around 75°F - 80°F (24°C - 27°C)), draft-free place until doubled in size, about 60–90 minutes. Rise time will vary depending on the temperature of your environment.

For Cinnamon Sugar Filling

In a small bowl combine brown sugar and cinnamon.
Spray a 9 x 13 inch (23 x 33 cm) light colored baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
Once the dough has doubled in size, roll it into a 12 inch x 24 inch (30 x 60 cm) rectangle about ¼ inch (½ cm) thick on a lightly floured work surface.
Spread the softened butter across the dough with an offset or silicone spatula. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture on top. Evenly cut 12 strips of dough (about 2 inches or 5 cm wide) with a knife or pizza cutter. Roll each piece of dough into an individual cinnamon roll then place in prepared pan.
Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size and they fill the pan, about 60 minutes.
While the cinnamon rolls are proofing, heat oven to 350°F (175°C).
Bake for 37 - 42 minutes until the tops are golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly for about 15 minutes on a wire rack.

For Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

Heat butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring continuously until there are golden brown flecks at the bottom of the saucepan and you smell a nutty aroma, about 5 minutes. Be sure to watch the butter throughout the entire browning process to ensure the butter does not burn. As the butter melts down, foam will begin to form. As soon as you can see golden brown flecks, remove the butter from the heat and transfer to a bowl to cool.
Beat cooled butter and cream cheese in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the mixer as needed.
Add confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract, and fine sea; mix on medium-low speed until combined.
Top warm cinnamon rolls with frosting.

Notes

The cinnamon roll dough should be soft, but not sticky. If you notice the dough sticking to the counter while kneading, add in 1 tablespoon (8 grams) of flour at a time, until the dough is no longer sticky.

Leftovers: Store any baked cinnamon roll leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. Reheat in the microwave until warmed through.

Freeze (Before Baking): After you've shaped the cinnamon rolls (before the second rise), seal with plastic wrap so it's airtight and place in the freezer for up to 2 - 3 weeks. When you're ready to bake, allow the cinnamon rolls to thaw, still wrapped, in the refrigerator overnight. Allow the dough to rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 60–90 minutes. Rise time will vary depending on the temperature of your environment. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 37 - 42 minutes until the tops are golden brown.

Nutrition