Brioche Cinnamon Rolls Recipe

Brioche cinnamon roll covered in cream cheese icing in baking tray.

5 from 3 votes

Soft, fluffy enriched dough encases a sweet sugary cinnamon filling. These delectable Brioche Cinnamon Rolls are then slathered in a browned butter cream cheese frosting making them one of the most delicious snacks out there!

Prep Time30

Cook Time25

Rest Time3 45

Total Time4 35

Course: Bread

Cuisine: American

Servings: rolls

Calories: 410kcal

Author: Emma Duckworth

Equipment

Ingredients

Brioche Dough

10 g active dry yeast
240 ml whole milk luke-warm
65 g granulated sugar
540 g plain flour (all-purpose flour)
1½ teaspoon fine salt
2 large eggs room temperature
2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
140 g unsalted butter room temperature, cut into cubes
1 teaspoon vegetable oil (or canola oil) for greasing

Brown Sugar Cinnamon Filling

75 g unsalted butter room temperature
140 g brown sugar firmly packed
3 teaspoon cinnamon powder
¼ fine salt

Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

60 g unsalted butter
120 g cream cheese softened
180 g powdered icing sugar (confectioners’ sugar) sifted
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

Brioche dough (Refer to my Brioche Bread post for detailed instructions, tips and process images)

Activate yeast and mix in dry and then wet ingredients (minus the butter). Add the yeast, milk, and 1 tablespoon (15 g) of sugar into a small bowl. Set to one side for 15 minutes until foamy.
Add flour, sugar, and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough attachment and mix. Add yeast mixture, eggs, and vanilla bean paste and mix together on low for 5 minutes until a dough forms.
Add butter. Whilst the mixer is running at a low speed, add the butter gradually, making sure each spoonful is incorporated before adding in the next. Once incorporated, turn the mixer up to medium speed and knead for 10 minutes. The dough should be pulling away from the sides of the bowl and have formed a ‘tornado’ around the dough hook.
Do the windowpane test on the dough - grab a small piece of dough between your fingers and thumbs and stretch it out. If it tears quickly, the dough requires more kneading. If it stretches thinly and you can see the light through it, then it’s perfect!
Place in a bowl and set aside for the first rise. Tip the dough onto a greased worktop and pull the corners into the center. Turn over so that the seams are underneath and place the dough ball in a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise in a warm place for approximately 1½ hours.
Punch down the dough and refrigerate (optional). Once doubled in size, gently punch down the dough, form it into a rectangle, and wrap it in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 2 hours or freeze for 45 minutes (my preferred option). This step is optional, but chilling the dough now makes it much easier to roll and shape later.
Prepare the pan. Grease with butter a 23 cm (9-inch) round pie dish or cake pan. Line the dish with parchment paper if you want to lift the rolls out of the dish once baked.

Make Cinnamon Filling

Add brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and softened butter and mix well until well combined.

Shape the Dough

Roll out dough and cover in filling. Once the dough is cold, on a lightly floured countertop, roll the dough into a rectangle measuring approximately 30 x 48cm (12 x 18 inches). Cover the dough evenly with the cinnamon filling using an offset spatula.
Roll the rectangle into a log shape. On the long side of the rectangle, roll the dough tightly into a long log and then pinch the seam closed with your fingers. Using unflavoured dental floss or a sharp knife, cut the ends off the roll as they won’t be as filled as the rest of the log. Cut the log into 12 even pieces.
Place in the pan. Place the cinnamon rolls on their sides with the scroll facing up in the baking pan. Leave room around each roll.
The second rise then bake. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 45 minutes until they have expanded by about half of its original volume. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Remove plastic wrap and bake the cinnamon rolls for 25-30 minutes until golden brown. Halfway through, cover with foil so as not to brown too much.

Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

Brown the butter. While the cinnamon rolls are baking, make the browned butter glaze. In a medium saucepan placed over medium heat on your stovetop, heat the butter until bubbling whilst whisking continuously.
Continue to whisk and heat the butter until a foam appears on the top, the butter develops from a pale yellow to a rich golden brown, and it smells nutty. At this point, remove the butter from the heat and pour it into a separate bowl, scraping the browned bits off the bottom, as this is where the flavour lies. Set aside for 20-30 minutes to cool down to room temperature.
Make the frosting. In a separate bowl, using electric hand-held beaters (or a stand mixer fitted with the beater attachment), cream together the brown butter and cream cheese for about 5 minutes until pale and fluffy. Mix in the powdered icing sugar, vanilla, salt, and 1 tablespoon of milk if needed until smooth. Add in an extra tablespoon of milk for a runnier consistency. The brown butter glaze should be a smooth, spreadable consistency.
Decorate. When the cinnamon rolls are finished baking, let them cool for about 10 minutes. Spoon the glaze over the cinnamon rolls, using the back of a spoon to spread if desired.

Notes

To Store: Glazed Cinnamon Rolls are best served on the same day but can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days. Microwave them for 10-20 seconds to freshen them up and enjoy.

To Freeze: Store rolls in a freezer-safe airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw completely before serving or reheating.

For Overnight Rolls: You can easily turn these into overnight rolls. Once the dough is filled with the brown sugar-cinnamon mixture, rolled, sliced, and placed in the prepared pan, wrap the pan tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. The next morning, remove the pan from the fridge and take off the plastic wrap. Let the rolls sit at room temperature for 45 minutes before baking as per the instructions.

TIP 1: Chill the dough after its first rise to make the process of rolling it out, filling it, and cutting it into individual rolls easier.

TIP 2: Use softened butter for the brown sugar cinnamon filling. Too hard and you'll tear the dough when trying to spread the butter. Melted butter will run out of the filling.

TIP 3: Use dental floss. Sounds bizarre I know - but food photographers' trick for cutting the rolled log into neat individual slices is to use unflavoured dental floss to make the cuts!

Nutrition