Homemade Cinnamon Rolls with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting. The perfect cinnamon rolls. Pillowy, soft, gooey-in-the-middle, and smothered in maple cream cheese frosting.
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Ingredients
For the Dough:
3 cups (360g) all-purpose flour or bread flour, plus more as needed
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup (180ml) warm whole milk, around 110 degrees F
2 1/4 teaspoons quick rise or active yeast (1 standard packet)
1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
1 egg + 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
For the Filling:
3 Tablespoons (43g) unsalted butter, extra softened
1/3 cup (67g) light brown sugar
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
For the Maple Cream Cheese Frosting:
4 ounces (113g) full-fat block cream cheese, softened to room temperature
3 Tablespoons (43g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
4 tablespoons pure maple syrup
Instructions
Make the Dough: Whisk the flour, salt, and cinnamon together in a large bowl. Set aside.
Warm the milk to around 110 degrees F/43 degrees C. I recommend doing this by placing milk in a microwave safe bowl and microwaving it for about 40 seconds.
Transfer milk to the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk in the yeast until it has dissolved. Add in sugar, egg, egg yolk, and melted butter. Mix until well combined. Add in the dry ingredients and mix with a spoon until a sticky dough ball begins to form.
Knead the Dough: Place the dough hook on a stand mixer and knead the dough on medium speed for 8 minutes. The dough should form into soft and slightly sticky ball. If it's too sticky (aka sticking to the bottom of the mixer) add in 2 Tablespoons more of flour. If you don't want to use a stand mixer, you can use your hands to knead the dough for 8-10 minutes on a well-floured surface.
First Rise: Transfer dough ball to a well-oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and a warm towel. Allow dough to rise for 1 to 1 and 1/2 hours, or until dough has doubled in size.
Make the Filling: After the dough has doubled in size, prepare the filling. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon.
Roll Out the Dough: Transfer the dough to a well-floured surface and roll out into a 14x9 inch rectangle. Spread the softened butter on top, leaving a 1/4-inch margin at the far side of the dough.
Cut + Arrange the Rolls: Starting from the shorter side, tightly roll the dough up, making sure to seal the edges as you go. Place the seam side down.
Cut into 1-inch sections with a serrated knife or unflavored floss. You should have 9 large pieces.
Second Rise: Line a 9x9 inch baking pan (9-inch cake pan works too) with parchment paper. Arrange the cinnamon rolls (cut side down) in the pan. Cover with plastic wrap/aluminum foil and a warm towel and let them rise again for 30-45 minutes.
Bake the Rolls: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Remove plastic wrap and towel and bake rolls for 20-25 minutes, or until slightly golden brown on the edges. You want to underbake them a little so they stay soft in the middle. All the rolls to cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes before frosting.
Make the Frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the cream cheese, butter, confectioners' sugar, and maple syrup. Beat until smooth and fluffy.
Spread the frosting over the cinnamon rolls. Serve + enjoy!
Notes:
Milk: Any milk, dairy or non-dairy, works for the donuts and icing. I’ve used unsweetened oat milk and almond milk in this recipe before!
To Make Overnight Cinnamon Rolls: After placing the cinnamon rolls into the pan (after the first rise), cover and place them in the fridge overnight. Remove the rolls from the fridge and bring to room temperature by placing them on the counter for about 30-45 minutes. Then bake the rolls as directed.
Storing Leftover Cinnamon Rolls: Leftover cinnamon rolls will keep well covered tightly at room temperature for 2-3 days, or you can also refrigerate them for up to a week.
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