Brown Butter Cinnamon Rolls

Gooey homemade brown butter cinnamon rolls from scratch! They’re easy to make, but so rich and decadent. Gooey in the middle, perfectly sweet, and smothered in tangy cream cheese frosting.

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These deliciously gooey cinnamon rolls are made with brioche dough filled with brown butter cinnamon sugar filling and soaked with heavy cream, then topped with a luscious brown butter cream cheese frosting. These are the ultimate weekend or holiday morning delicacy!

You’re probably wondering what makes these cinnamon rolls much better than the regular ones. It’s the heavy cream! The combination of the heavy cream and butter-brown sugar mixture creates a super yummy sauce on the bottom that keeps the cinnamon rolls nice and moist. Also, it makes the dough fluffier than a normal cinnamon roll dough. They’re like a cross between cinnamon rolls and sticky buns!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe >

Ingredients Needed & Notes >

Equipment You’ll Need >

Step By Step Instructions >

Baking Tips >

Serving & Storage >

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) >

Recipe Card >

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THESE BROWN BUTTER CINNAMON ROLLS

• Made with a homemade brioche dough. Nothing really beats a homemade cinnamon roll from scratch.
• This recipe uses brown butter for the filling and frosting! Extra flavor and extra fragrant!
• Soaked with heavy cream! The cream makes the dough fluffier than a normal cinnamon roll dough and creates a super yummy sauce on the bottom

INGREDIENTS NEEDED & NOTES

Yeast – This recipe uses active dry yeast, but you can also use instant yeast and skip the rehydration process.

Milk – I recommend using whole milk or 2% milk. You can use any type of milk, but whole milk is the best option. It adds fat to the dough and creates a richer taste and softer crumbs.

Heavy Cream – This is the “secret ingredient” that gives the cinnamon rolls gooey, soft, and saucy at the bottom. You can skip soaking your roll with heavy cream if you prefer regular cinnamon rolls.

Cream Cheese – Use the original cream cheese, not the cream cheese spread.

Butter – You can use either salted or unsalted butter. I prefer unsalted butter because I don’t want my buns to taste too salty. If you use salted butter, I recommend skipping the salt.

Egg – This helps to emulsify the dough. The dough rises better with egg, creating large soft crumbs.

Flour – This recipe uses 2 types of flour, all-purpose flour, and bread flour. If you only have all-purpose flour, you can replace the bread flour with all-purpose flour. If you are finding the dough will not pull away from the bowl, add 1 tablespoon up to 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour until the dough pulls away from the mixer bowl and is smooth.

Cinnamon – Well, it’s not cinnamon rolls without powdered cinnamon, but feel free to add more spices like ginger or cardamom if you like.

Sugar – You’ll need brown sugar, granulated sugar, and confectioners’ sugar. I use light brown sugar to make the filling, granulated sugar for the dough, and powdered sugar to make the cream cheese frosting.

Vanilla extract – A little bit of vanilla extract to enhance the flavor.

Salt – This helps to balance all the flavors.

BAKING TOOLS & EQUIPMENT YOU’LL NEED

(Check my favorite baking tools and equipment here!)

• 9×13-inch baking pan or baking dish.
• Stand mixer
• Mixing bowls
• Medium saucepan
• Rolling pin
• Parchment paper
• Dental floss or serrated knife
• Offset spatula
• Rubber spatula

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

(Be sure to check the recipe card below for the full ingredients list & instructions)

STEP 1 – Make the Brioche Dough

Cut cold butter into cubes and heat the milk until warm, not hot. In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine active dry yeast, 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar, and warm milk. Stir to combine and leave it for 10 to 15 minutes, or until foamy.

Add the bread flour, all-purpose flour, salt, egg, and the remaining granulated sugar to the yeast mixture, then mix with the dough hook attachment on low speed until just combined and a shaggy dough forms. Then, add the butter cubes one piece at a time and wait until incorporated before adding the next piece. After all of the butter has been added, turn the mixer speed to medium speed and mix the dough for another 8 to 10 minutes until the dough pulls away from the bowl, smooth, and elastic.

Flour your hands, remove the dough from the mixing bowl, and form the dough into a ball. Lightly grease a large bowl with butter or cooking spray, and place the dough in it. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm spot for about 20 minutes then put it in the fridge to rise slowly overnight.

STEP 2 – Make the Brown Butter

Place the butter in a medium saucepan, and melt over medium heat. Then, continue to cook and swirl the pan until the butter foams and turns golden brown and smells nutty. This should take about 5 minutes. Quickly transfer the butter to a bowl to cool down to room temperature.

STEP 3 – Make the Filling and Assemble

Line a 9×13-inch baking dish or baking pan with parchment paper. Let the excess hang over the sides to form a sling so you can easily lift the cinnamon rolls from the pan.

To make the brown butter cinnamon filling – Combine 3/4 cup brown butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and vanilla extract in a small bowl. Mix until well combined.

Punch the dough down and turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Roll the dough into a 15×24-inch rectangle by using a rolling pin. Make sure the dough is smooth and evenly thick. Then, use an offset spatula to spread the brown butter cinnamon filling over the surface of the dough.

Starting with the long side, tightly roll up the dough to form a 24-inch long log. Then, using a sharp knife or dental floss, cut it into 12 even rolls. Arrange them in the prepared baking dish or baking pan, then cover and allow the rolls to rise for about 45 minutes or until nearly doubled in size. The dough will spring back lightly and a small indentation is left when poked gently with your finger.

STEP 4 – Bake the Cinnamon Rolls and Make the Frosting

Once the rolls have risen, pour the heavy cream over the top of the rolls. Allow it to soak down in and around the rolls for about 15 minutes and preheat the oven to 350F.

Bake the Cinnamon Rolls in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until golden brown on top, then remove the rolls from the oven and allow to cool for about 15 minutes as you make the frosting.

To make the brown butter cream cheese frosting – Reheat the brown butter until melted and let it cool slightly. Combine room-temperature cream cheese, vanilla extract, salt, and confectioner’s sugar in a medium bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer. Beat on medium speed until soft and combined. Slowly add in 1/2 cup of brown butter and continue to mix until well combined. You can add 2-3 tablespoons of heavy cream if you prefer the frosting to look more like a glaze.

Spread the frosting over the warm cinnamon rolls and enjoy while warm!

TIPS FOR MAKING THE BEST BROWN BUTTER CINNAMON ROLLS

• Make sure your yeast is still active. Don’t skip the rehydration process, If the mixture bubbles and develops a yeasty aroma, the yeast is still good.
• Rise the dough overnight in the fridge, it makes the dough so much easier to roll into shape.
• Instead of slicing these rolls with a sharp knife, I prefer to use dental floss. Dental floss makes super clean cuts without squishing all the filling out.
• When you brown the butter, use a light-colored pan so you can see when the butter has browned and swirl often.
• When measuring the flour, make sure to spoon and level the flour into your measuring cup. Do not scoop and pack the flour. By doing this, you will yield too much flour and make the dough dry. 1 cup flour = 125 grams.
• Use a kitchen scale. Baking with a kitchen scale is so much more accurate than cup measurements.

HOW TO SERVE AND STORE

I highly recommend enjoying these Brown Butter Cinnamon Rolls warm, fresh from the oven, or at least on the same day you bake them. It has the best texture and flavor on the first day.

If you want to keep it for later, place the rolls in an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 5 days if refrigerated.
You can also freeze the rolls. Wrap the leftover rolls in a layer of plastic wrap and then place it in a freezer-safe container or a zip-top bag. It will last for up to 2 months in the freezer.

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

How to tell when the dough is well-kneaded?

Take a small ball of the dough and stretch it into a thin sheet between your fingers. The dough will stretch into a thin film without breaking, and it must be thin enough to pass light through it.
If the dough quickly tears – you guessed it, keep kneading!

Can I make these Cinnamon Rolls all in one day?

You can make these Brown Butter Cinnamon Rolls in one day if you like, the dough needs to rise for about 1 hour at room temperature until it has doubled in size. But I recommend giving the dough a fridge rise overnight. It’s so much easier to roll it up into a tight log when the dough is cold.

Instant Yeast and Active Dry Yeast, What Is The Difference?

These two types of yeast can generally be used interchangeably, but Active Dry Yeast needs rehydration. Instant yeast can be mixed directly into dry ingredients, while active dry yeast must first be dissolved and rehydrated in warm water or milk until foamy.

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Happy Baking!