Caramel Cinnamon Rolls are filled with a thick layer of cinnamon sugar filling, baked on top of a layer of sticky caramel, and topped with a brown butter icing. It's like the perfect trifecta of cinnamon rolls.
I think cinnamon rolls are the perfect weekend breakfast. You can spend a slow Saturday morning making them or put it all together the night before and throw them in the oven when you're ready to eat! If you love these Caramel Cinnamon Rolls you should try my Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies or Caramel Stuffed Brownies!
If you're looking for more breakfast or brunch recipes check out these Chocolate Puff Pastry Rolls, S'mores Stuffed French Toast, or Sweet Potato Breakfast Hash.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- These Caramel Cinnamon Rolls are indulgent and a fun departure from your normal breakfast. Just like these Raspberry Cinnamon Rolls!
- Cinnamon Rolls are a staple of childhood and so nostalgic!
- The texture of the soft and fluffy cinnamon rolls is perfectly complemented by the sticky caramel.
Ingredients
Ingredients Notes
- Be sure to use instant dry yeast that is not too old or your dough won't rise.
- Measuring the all-purpose flour correctly is very important. I suggest weighing your flour out. If you want to use a measuring cup, make sure you spoon the flour into the cup and level it off with a knife. Don’t use the cup to scoop directly from the flour.
- Brown Sugar adds a warm and cozy flavor to the cinnamon rolls.
- Ground Cinnamon will add flavor to our filling. Cinnamon is also used to flavor these delicious Snickerdoodle Macarons.
- Cream Cheese will add flavor to the icing and make it extra creamy. These Cinnamon Roll Pancakes also feature a cream cheese icing.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions and Variations
- The whole milk can be swapped out for a different type of milk (skim milk, almond milk, etc.)
- You can use store bought bread dough in place of making fresh dough.
- You can use store bought caramel instead of making it from scratch.
- Regular butter can be used instead of brown butter for a classic cream cheese icing.
- Add flaky salt to the caramel for salted caramel cinnamon rolls
This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!
Step-By-Step Instructions
STEP 1: Heat milk until warm to the touch, not hot, and pour into the bowl of a stand mixer. Sprinkle in the dry yeast. Allow to sit for about 5 minutes to allow the yeast to activate.
STEP 2: Add the eggs, butter, salt, sugar, and flour. Using the dough hook, mix on low until the ingredients start to come together. Mixing slowly will ensure that the dry ingredients won’t go flying all over your kitchen. Then mix on medium speed for 5-7 minutes. At this point the dough should be smooth but still sticky, so don’t add any extra flour. (Photo 1)
STEP 3: Spray a large bowl with non-stick spray. Turn the dough out into the sprayed bowl. (Photo 2)
STEP 4: Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and set it aside in a warm place for about 30 minutes to allow the dough to rise. It should double in size. (Photo 3)
STEP 5: While the dough is rising, prepare the homemade caramel. Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan. Place over medium heat until smooth and bubbly, whisking occasionally. (Photo 4)
STEP 6: Pour the caramel into a 9x13 pan or a large cast iron skillet and set aside. (Photo 5)
STEP 7: In a medium bowl, combine the softened butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon and mix until fully combined. Set aside. (Photo 6)
STEP 8: When the dough has doubled in size sprinkle a clean surface with flour. Turn the dough out onto the floured surface and roll into a rectangle about 12×15″. (Photo 7)
STEP 9: Dust off any excess flour, extra flour is going to make the finished product drier, and spread the cinnamon-sugar filling out to the edges of the dough. (Photo 8)
STEP 10: Starting on one of the long edges tightly roll the dough up, dusting any excess flour off of the outside as you go. (Photo 9)
STEP 11: Using a sharp knife, cut the roll into 12 pieces and place the rolls in the prepared pan. (Photo 10)
*NOTE* At this point, if you want to wait until the next morning to bake the caramel cinnamon rolls you can cover them and refrigerate them. The next morning pull your cinnamon rolls out and let them rest for about an hour before baking.
STEP 12: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees (F). Cover the rolls with a kitchen towel and allow them to rise for 20 minutes, they should double in size. (Photo 11)
STEP 13: Once risen, place in the oven and bake for 17-20 minutes or until browned and the centers are cooked through. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before icing. (Photo 12)
STEP 14: Melt the butter in a medium-sized saucepan. It will start to foam and you will see orangey brown bits form at the bottom of the pan, this will take about 5 minutes. Place the brown butter in a bowl and allow to cool until room temperature and soft. (Photo 13)
STEP 15: Using a hand mixer, combine the brown butter and cream cheese until light and airy. Slowly begin to add the powdered sugar, mixing well until fully combined. Add the vanilla and mix until combined. Spread icing over slightly cooled cinnamon rolls. (Photo 14)
Expert Baking Tips
- Use an oven thermometer. Most ovens run either hot or cold. Using an oven thermometer ensures that you are baking your caramel cinnamon rolls at the perfect temperature.
- Weigh your ingredients. One of the most common baking mistakes that I see is measuring incorrectly, especially with flour. The best way to get accurate measurements every time is to weigh them with a kitchen scale.
- Let your dough rise in a warm room. Too cold of an environment will cause the dough not to rise as well.
- Be sure you are using fresh yeast. Yeast can expire and this will make the dough not rise.
Recipe FAQs
There could be a couple of explanations for this. The first is that your yeast could have been expired. Be sure you are using fresh yeast. The room where the dough was rising could also have been too cold. Yeast needs a warm environment to rise well.
Yes! This will work just as well and will make the process a bit faster.
Yes, you can make the cinnamon rolls ahead of time and hold them in the fridge for up to a day before baking.
Room Temperature: The caramel cinnamon rolls can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Refrigerator: If stored correctly in an airtight container they will last up to 1 week in the fridge.
Freezer: If stored correctly in an airtight container they will last up to 2 months in the freezer.
More Recipes You'll Love
If you tried these Caramel Cinnamon Rolls or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I so appreciate hearing from you!
Recipe
Caramel Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
For Dough:
- 1 cup warm milk
- 2 ½ teaspoons (8 grams) instant dry yeast
- 2 large eggs
- ⅓ cup (38 grams) butter melted, but not hot
- 4 ½ cups (540 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (99 grams) granulated sugar
For Caramel:
- ½ cup (106 grams) light brown sugar packed
- ¼ cup (57 grams) butter
- 2 ½ tablespoons (50 grams) heavy cream
For Filling:
- ½ cup (114 grams) butter softened
- 1 cup (213 grams) brown sugar packed
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
For Icing:
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- 2 ⅕ cups (283 grams) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
For Dough:
- Heat milk until warm to the touch, not hot, and pour into the bowl of a stand mixer. Sprinkle in the dry yeast. Allow to sit for about 5 minutes to allow the yeast to activate.
- Add the eggs, butter, salt, sugar, and flour. Using the dough hook, mix on low until the ingredients start to come together. Then mix on medium speed for 5-7 minutes. The dough should be smooth, but still sticky.
- Spray a large bowl with non-stick spray. Turn the dough out into the sprayed bowl.
- Cover the bowl with a towel and set the bowl in a warm place and allow the dough to rise for about 30 minutes. The dough should double in size.
For Caramel:
- While the dough is rising, prepare the caramel. In a small saucepan, combine all of the ingredients.
- Place over medium-high heat until smooth and bubbly, whisking occasionally.
- Pour into a 9x13 pan and set aside.
For Filling:
- In a medium bowl, combine the softened butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Mix until well combined and set aside.
For Dough:
- When the dough has doubled in size sprinkle a clean surface with flour. Turn the dough out onto the floured surface and roll the dough into a rectangle about 12x15".
- Dust off any excess flour and spread the filling out to the very edges of the dough.
- Starting on one of the long edges, tightly roll the dough up, brushing any excess flour off of the outside as you go.
- Using a sharp knife, cut the roll into 12 pieces and place on top of the caramel in the pan.
- At this point, you can cover the cinnamon rolls, refrigerate them, and make them the next morning. If you do this you will need to let the cinnamon rolls rest out of the oven for about an hour before baking.
- If you want to bake them now, preheat the oven to 375 degrees (F), cover the pan and let the cinnamon rolls rise for 20 minutes. They should double in size.
- Once risen, place in oven and bake for 17-20 minutes or until the rolls are browned and the centers are cooked through.
For Icing:
- Melt the butter in a medium-sized saucepan. It will start to foam and you will see orangy brown bits form at the bottom of the pan, this will take about 5 minutes.
- Place the brown butter in a bowl and allow to cool until room temperature and soft.
- Using a hand mixer, combine the brown butter and cream cheese until light and airy.
- Slowly begin to add the powdered sugar, mixing well until fully combined.
- Add the vanilla and mix until combined.
- Spread icing over slightly cooled cinnamon rolls.
Notes
- Let your dough rise in a warm room. Too cold of an environment will cause the dough not to rise as well.
- Be sure you are using fresh yeast. Yeast can expire and this will make the dough not rise.
- The provided nutrition information is an estimate. The calorie accuracy is not guaranteed.
Amanda says
These CINNAMON rolls are perfect in every way! I make them every time i have guests over.