Brown Butter Cinnamon Rolls

A plate with a brown butter cinnamon roll garnished with two cinnamon sticks.

5 from 2 votes

These brown butter cinnamon rolls are a bite of heaven. You'll brown butter and add it to both the filling and the frosting, taking the brown butter flavor to the next level. These are the perfect special breakfast or treat that will be a crowd pleaser every time! Serve them warm with lots of brown butter cream cheese frosting.

Prep Time30

Cook Time25

Raising Time2

Total Time2 55

Course: Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 402kcal

Author: Olivia & Annie

Ingredients

For the dough

1 cup milk
2 teaspoon instant yeast
¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
¼ cup white sugar
1 egg
½ teaspoon kosher salt
3 cups all-purpose flour or bread flour (plus extra for rolling out the dough)

For the filling

½ cup unsalted butter
⅔ cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon

For the frosting

4 ounces cream cheese
¼ cup unsalted butter
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of kosher salt
1 ½ cups powdered sugar
1-2 tablespoon milk

Instructions

For the dough

Begin by warming the milk to around 110 degrees fahrenheit. Sprinkle the instant yeast on top of the warmed milk. Add the milk and yeast mixture, softened butter, white sugar, and egg to a large mixing bowl or stand mixer. Mix well (using the paddle attachment if using a Kitchenaid mixer). Add the salt and flour to the mixer and knead for 6 minutes (switch to the dough hook attachment if using a Kitchenaid mixer). The dough should be slightly sticky but not difficult to handle or sticking much to the sides of the bowl. If the dough is too sticky, add a tablespoon of flour at a time until you reach the desired consistency.
Spray a bowl with non-stick spray and set the dough in the bowl. Cover with a towel and let it sit (preferably somewhere warm, like a turned off oven with the oven light on) to rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size.

For the filling

While the dough is rising, brown the butter. Add ¾ cup butter to a medium saucepan. Let the butter melt, stirring constantly, until you start to see golden brown bits at the bottom of the saucepan. Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool for a few minutes. Once it has slightly cooled, add it to a measuring cup to divide the butter between the butter needed for the filling and the butter needed for the frosting. Add ½ cup to a small bowl and add the remaining ¼ cup to another small bowl. Set the bowls in the fridge to cool until the butter reaches room temperature, but don’t leave them in the fridge long enough that the butter solidifies. If the butter does solidify, simply pull it out of the fridge and let it sit until it comes to room temperature.
Next, create the brown sugar cinnamon mixture. Add the brown sugar and cinnamon to a bowl and mix until combined. Line a 9x13 inch pan with parchment paper or grease it well with butter.

For assembly

Once the dough has risen to double, sprinkle a little flour on the counter and use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a large rectangle, about 14x9 inches. Spread the ½ cup of brown butter evenly on the top of the dough, leaving a ¼ inch without filling on one of the long sides so you can close the cinnamon rolls. Once the butter layer is done, evenly sprinkle over the cinnamon brown sugar mixture. Gently press the brown sugar into the dough to pack it down. Begin rolling the dough up into the cinnamon roll shape on the long edge. Tightly roll the cinnamon rolls and pinch the dough at the end to secure the roll. Use a sharp bread knife to cut 9 or 12 (depending on preference) even cinnamon rolls. You can choose whether to cook the ends or discard them depending on their size and shape.
Evenly spread the cinnamon rolls out in the 9x13 inch pan. Cover with a light kitchen towel and let them rise for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Let the cinnamon rolls bake for 20-25 minutes, until they are lightly golden brown.

For the frosting

While the cinnamon rolls are baking, make the frosting. Add the cream cheese and browned butter to a mixing bowl or Kitchenaid stand mixer. Beat them together until very light and fluffy. Add the vanilla, pinch of salt, and powdered sugar. Mix the frosting until light and fluffy. Add 1 tablespoon of milk at a time until you reach the desired consistency.
Let the cinnamon rolls cool for 10 minutes before evenly spreading the frosting. Enjoy them warm! See the FAQ section of this blog post for answers to making these brown butter cinnamon rolls in advance and storing them.

Notes

See the FAQ section of this blog post for answers to making these brown butter cinnamon rolls in advance and storing them.

Nutrition