Cinnamon Rolls
Gooey cinnamon rolls, filled with a browned butter and cinnamon sugar filling, and topped with a tangy vanilla bean cream cheese frosting.
Ingredients
Cinnamon roll dough
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- 1 package instant yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1 tsp salt
- 4-4 1/2 cups all purpose flour
Filling
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 2/3 cup brown sugar
- 2 tbsp cinnamon
Vanilla bean cream cheese frosting
- 4 oz cream cheese, room temperature
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp vanilla bean paste
- 2 tbsp heavy whipping cream
Instructions
Dough
- Melt butter and set aside. Warm milk using either the microwave or stovetop to roughly 100°-110° Add milk to mixing bowl of a stand mixer with sugar and instant yeast. Gently mix on low speed with the paddle attachment. Add the melted butter and then the eggs. Mix until combined for about 30 seconds to a minute.
- Add salt and four cups of all purpose flour. Mix for about 30 seconds. Switch the paddle attachment to the dough hook. Knead dough on medium speed using dough hook for 6-8 minutes. If the dough is still very wet and sticking to the sides after a few minutes add in the additional half cup of flour. Dough should be smooth and soft and wrapped in a ball around the dough hook. Place in a greased, larger bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel. Set aside in a warm place to rise for one and a half to two hours.
Filling
- Over low to medium heat in a small saucepan brown the butter. Once the butter is browned remove from heat and add to a small bowl with brown sugar and cinnamon. Set aside until ready to assemble cinnamon rolls.
Assembly
- Once dough is doubled in size punch down the dough and dump onto a floured surface. Using your hands and a rolling pin roll out into a large rectangle. Using your fingers crumble the butter and sugar filling all over the surface of the dough. Press down with your fingers to spread out. Starting with the edge farthest away from you start to roll the dough towards you. Roll it up like a log tightly. Using a sharp or serrated knife, cut into 12 even cinnamon rolls.
- Set spaced out equally in a greased 9X13 pan. At this point you can either set them aside in a warm place to rise before baking or cover tightly in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator overnight. If baking now, set aside to rise for another hour to an hour and a half. If leaving in fridge overnight take out in the morning and allow to rise for about two hours on the countertop before baking.
- Preheat oven to 350°. When rolls are ready they will be puffed up and the sides will be touching each other. Bake in the middle oven rack of preheated oven for 18-20 minutes.
Vanilla bean cream cheese frosting
- Using either a hand or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, combine cream cheese and butter. Mix on medium speed for about a minute. Next, add in your powdered sugar one cup at a time. Add in the vanilla bean paste and salt and mix well. Add in the heavy whipping cream and mix on medium high speed for about 30 seconds to a minute. Frost rolls while they are still warm from the oven.
Notes
Cinnamon rolls are best eaten warm and the day of baking. If eating the following day the cinnamon rolls can be individually microwaved for 10-15 seconds.
Store in an airtight container for 2 days.