These Brown Butter Cinnamon Rolls have delicious brown butter in the dough, filling, and cream cheese frosting. They’re made with a sweet spiced orange filling and come out soft, fluffy, and perfectly chewy. If you’ve never made cinnamon rolls, don’t be intimidated! This recipe will give you perfect cinnamon rolls every single time.

brown butter cinnamon roll on plate with fork

Why You’ll Love These Brown Butter Cinnamon Rolls

If you’ve been following All The Healthy Things for much time at all, you probably already know I LOVE a good cinnamon roll. Whether it’s my banana bread cinnamon rolls or my favorite sweet potato version I’m always down for a good time (i.e. cinnamon roll).

These brown butter cinnamon rolls are based on my homemade cinnamon roll recipe and they have quickly become a new favorite. They’re soft and fluffy, just like my classic recipe, but I take things to the next level by adding nutty brown butter to every single element. Yep, that’s right, there’s brown butter in the dough, filling, and in the cream cheese frosting so you get that slightly nutty, caramel-like flavor in every single bite.

Don’t worry if you’re new to cinnamon roll baking! I want your cinnamon rolls to be the ultimate success so I’ll walk you through each step and give your all my top tips to make the process fool-proof!

Watch: How to Make Brown Butter Cinnamon Rolls

Recipe Ingredients

Buttermilk: this is my secret to creating super flavorful, tender cinnamon rolls.

Active Dry Yeast: yeast helps the rolls to rise. We’re using two packets of yeast for these brown butter cinnamon rolls.

Sugar: you’ll need a little granulated sugar to feed the yeast and sweeten the dough.

Brown Butter: you’ll need 3 batches of brown butter for this recipe. I like to make each of them before making the rolls. You’ll need 1 batch of melted brown butter for the dough, another batch for the filling with a spreadable consistency, and another for the cream cheese frosting. I like to make the brown butter for the filling and place it in the fridge for a few minutes so it hardens and becomes the more spreadable consistency you need.

Eggs: we’re using one whole egg and one egg yolk to add structure and create the perfect chewy texture.

Vanilla: I use vanilla bean paste in the dough for a bolder vanilla taste and vanilla extract to add delicious vanilla flavor to the filling. You can use vanilla extract for both, but the flavor won’t be quite as strong.

Bread Flour: this helps create extra fluffy, chewy cinnamon rolls.

Dark Brown Sugar: you’ll use this in the cinnamon roll filling.

Spices: salt enhances the flavor of the dough. Then, we use ground cinnamon and cardamom to add warmth and flavor to the filling.

Orange Zest: the bright, citrusy taste balances out the warm, sweet flavors in the filling for a well-rounded flavor.

What is Brown Butter? (And How to Make It)

If you’re unfamiliar, brown butter, also known as beurre noisette, is butter that has been melted and cooked until the milk solids in the butter have become toasted. The cooking process removes the water content while cooking the milk solids, creating the “browned” color.

Browned butter has a deep, rich, nutty, and toasted aroma and flavor that adds so much depth to any baked good, like these cinnamon rolls! I also love using it in my snickerdoodle cookie and chocolate chip cookie recipe, classic banana bread, and even in this delicious banana cake.

To make brown butter, heat diced butter in a skillet, and allow it to “cook” until it begins to change from a yellow color to a golden brown color.

Stir constantly as you see the foam start to dissipate and brown bits begin to form. Once golden and nutty in aroma, remove the pan from the heat, and let your browned butter cool before using.

Ingredient Substitutions

Do I have to use buttermilk? – nope! feel free to swap the buttermilk for whole milk instead.
Can I make these dairy-free? – yes! Just use non-dairy milk like canned coconut milk and vegan butter! Then, be sure to use a plant-based cream cheese for the frosting.
Can I add nuts? – absolutely! Chopped walnuts or pecans would both work in the filling. Half a cup works great!
Do I have to use bread flour? – no, this recipe will also work well with all-purpose flour. The rolls just won’t be quite as chewy.

Helpful Kitchen Tools

Candy Thermometer – to help you make sure that the milk is just the right temperature.
Large Mixing Bowl – you’ll need a bowl with a lot of room to mix the dough.
Wooden Spoon – I prefer using a wooden spoon to stir the dough because it has a nice firm handle.
Measuring Tape – if you want evenly sized cinnamon rolls then measuring tape is your best friend! This helps to ensure your rolls cook evenly as well!
Tea Towel – to cover your dough while it rises.
Rolling Pin – you’ll need this to roll out the dough. I prefer to use a French rolling pin without handles to get the dough an even thickness.
Serrated Knife – this makes cutting the cinnamon roll dough a breeze! you can use unflavored dental floss to cut the rolls as well but I prefer to use a sharp serrated knife.
Parchment Paper – to line the baking dish and prevent any mess.
9×13 Baking Dish – this recipe makes 12 cinnamon rolls so you’ll need a 9×13 pan to hold all the rolls.

brown sugar being spread on cinnamon rolls

How to Make Brown Butter Cinnamon Rolls

Step One: Warm the buttermilk to 110-115 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, transfer it to a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle the yeast on top, and then sprinkle the granulated sugar over the yeast. The yeast should begin to foam and become frothy. If after 5 minutes the yeast still does not start to foam or become frothy, toss out the milk mixture, and start again with new yeast. Once frothy, add the melted browned butter, eggs, and vanilla bean paste to the milk and yeast, and whisk to combine.

Step Two: Next, add the flour and salt to the wet ingredients, and use a wooden spoon to stir in the flour until it’s well combined and a dough forms. Be sure to incorporate flour from the sides of the bowl! You’ll know it’s time to move on to the next step once it becomes hard to stir. The dough will be thick, shaggy, and a bit sticky.

Step Three: Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Then, use your hands to knead the dough for 8-10 minutes or until it becomes elastic and can easily form into a smooth ball. The dough should still feel slightly tacky, but it should not stick to your hands or the kneading surface. If the dough is still too tacky, add 1 tablespoon of flour at a time, and continue to knead until it becomes a smooth, elastic ball.

Step Four: Next, grease a clean, large bowl with one teaspoon of avocado oil. Then, transfer the ball of dough to the greased bowl. Cover the bowl with a tea towel, and let the dough rise in a warm area (like the top of your oven or stove) for 1 to 1½ hours or until the dough has doubled in size.

Step Five: While the dough is rising, make the filling by combining the dark brown sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, vanilla extract, and orange zest in a small bowl.

Step Six: Once the dough has risen, punch it down to release the extra air. Then, transfer it to a lightly floured surface. Shape the dough into a rough rectangle. Then, use a rolling pin to roll it into a 20×16 rectangle that is roughly ¼ inch thick.

Step Seven: Next, use a spatula or knife to spread the cooled browned butter evenly over the dough. Then, sprinkle the filling mixture over the butter, being sure to cover all the edges of the dough. Use your fingers to press the cinnamon sugar mixture into the butter a bit.

cinnamon rolls in baking dish before rising

Step Eight: Tightly roll up the dough on the long side, and place it seam side down. Pinch the seal a bit so the rolls don’t unravel. Then, use a sharp serrated knife or unflavored dental floss to cut the roll into 12 equal-sized pieces. Place the cinnamon rolls in a 9×13 casserole dish lined with parchment paper, leaving space between each piece. You should have 3 rows with 4 rolls per row.

Step Nine: Cover the casserole dish with a tea towel, and let the cinnamon rolls rise for another 30-45 minutes until they have almost doubled in size.

Step Ten: Bake the cinnamon rolls on the center rack of your oven at 350 degrees for 24-27 minutes or until the rolls are light golden brown. Remove the brown butter cinnamon rolls from the oven, and let them cool for a few minutes before icing.

Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

Obviously, one of the best parts of any cinnamon roll recipe is the thick layer of cream cheese frosting on top. However, these brown butter cinnamon rolls are extra tasty, because the frosting is infused with brown butter, orange juice, and vanilla. It’s rich, creamy, and sweet with nutty, citrusy notes that take it over the top. Just combine the ingredients with a hand mixer, and slather the frosting over your cinnamon rolls when they come out of the oven.

Baking Tips

Make sure your yeast is not expired – check the label on your packets of yeast to make sure that it hasn’t expired so that you get a good rise on your cinnamon rolls.

Don’t overheat or underheat your buttermilk – in order for your yeast to activate properly you want to be sure that your buttermilk is heated to 110-115 digress Fahrenheit. I like to heat my milk in a small pot on the stovetop, but you can also heat it in the microwave in increments of 15-20 seconds until warm. Use a candy thermometer to ensure the milk isn’t too hot or not hot enough.

Make sure your eggs are at room temperature – this helps to keep the milk at the right temperature and not negatively impact your yeast.

Measure the flour correctly – be sure to measure your flour by spooning it into the measuring cup and then using a knife to level it out. Or, you can use a kitchen scale. Measuring it correctly will ensure that you don’t add too much flour to the dough.

Use room temperature butter in the filling – I’ve tested these with both melted butter and room temperature butter, and room temp butter wins every single time. I found that the filling leaked out of the rolls while baking when I used melted butter.

Use measuring tape – I used to really struggle with getting evenly-sized cinnamon rolls until I started to pull out my measuring tape. Now, I keep one in the kitchen, and it helps me to cut evenly sized cinnamon rolls every time.

Line your pan with parchment paper – if you want to make clean-up a breeze and keep your rolls from sticking, don’t forget to line your baking dish with parchment paper before adding the rolls.

Don’t overbake – the cinnamon rolls should be a nice golden brown on the top and not too dark. If you tap the top of a roll and it sounds hollow you know they are done.

Practice makes perfect – here’s the thing with any type of cinnamon roll, you get better at making them the more you make them. I’ve made dozens of batches of cinnamon rolls at this point, and I still feel like I am learning a new little trick or finding something I want to tweak every time I make them. Just know your rolls will be delicious and you’ll feel even more confident making them with more practice!

Can I Make Browned Butter Cinnamon Rolls Ahead of Time?

Absolutely! Here’s an overview of how I make these the night before.

To make overnight:

Roll, cut, and place the cinnamon rolls in a parchment-lined baking dish after they have finished their first rise.
Then, cover the rolls tightly with plastic wrap and place them in the fridge overnight.
The next morning, remove the baking dish from the fridge and let the rolls finish their second rise in a warm area for about 45 minutes to 1 hour before baking.

How to Store and Reheat

To Store: Wrap the brown butter cinnamon rolls tightly in plastic wrap, and store them in the fridge for up to 4 to 5 days (if they last that long!). The trick with storing cinnamon rolls is to make sure that they don’t dry out. So, keeping them tightly wrapped or stored in an airtight container is important.

To Reheat: My favorite way to reheat a cinnamon roll is in the microwave. Just place one cinnamon roll on a microwave-safe plate, cover it with a moist paper towel, and heat on medium-power or defrost for 10 to 15 seconds at a time until warmed through. Reheating the cinnamon rolls at a lower heat makes sure that they don’t dry out or become “overcooked’ in the microwave.

Brown Butter Cinnamon Rolls

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Author: Ashlea Carver
Prep Time: 3 hours
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours 25 minutes
Yield: 12 1x
Category: Dessert
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American
Diet: Vegetarian

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Description

Ingredients

Scale

Dough

1 cup buttermilk, warmed to 110-115 degrees Fahrenheit
2 – 1/4 oz packets active-dry yeast
1/3 cup granulated sugar
6 tablespoons butter, browned and melted
1 egg + 1 egg yolk, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 cups bread flour
avocado/olive oil or avocado/olive oil non-stick spray

Filling

1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, browned and cooled to a spreadable consistency
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon cardamom
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon orange zest

Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, browned
1 cup confectioner’s sugar
1 tablespoon orange juice
1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt

Instructions

Warm the buttermilk to 110-115 degrees Farenheit and then transfer to a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle the yeast on top of the warm milk and then sprinkle the granulated sugar over the yeast. The yeast should begin to foam and become frothy. If after 5 minutes the yeast does still not start to foam or become frothy, throw out the milk mixture and start again with new yeast. Next, add the melted browned butter, eggs, and vanilla bean paste to the milk and yeast and whisk together until well combined.
Add the flour and salt to the wet ingredients and use a wooden spoon to stir in the flour until well combined and a dough forms, being sure to incorporate all of the flour from the sides of the bowl. You’ll know it’s time to move on to the next step once it becomes hard to stir. The dough will be thick, shaggy, and a bit sticky and that’s ok!
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and then use your hands to knead the dough for 8-10 minutes until it becomes elastic and can easily form into a smooth ball. The dough should feel slightly tacky but it should not stick to your hands or the kneading surface. If the dough is still too sticky, add 1 tablespoon of flour at a time and continue to knead the dough until it becomes a smooth, elastic ball.
Grease a clean, large bowl with one teaspoon of avocado oil and then transfer the ball of dough to the greased bowl. Cover the bowl with a tea towel and let the dough rise in a warm area (like the top of your oven/stovetop) for 1 – 1 1/2 hours or until the dough has doubled in size.
While the dough is rising, make the filling by combining the dark brown sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, vanilla extract, and orange zest in a small bowl.
Once the dough has risen, punch it down to release the extra air and then transfer it to a lightly floured surface. Shape the dough into the shape of a rough rectangle and then use a rolling pin to roll the dough out into a 20×16 rectangle that is roughly 1/4 inch thick.
Use a spatula or knife to spread the cooled browned butter evenly over the dough and then sprinkle the filling mixture over the butter being sure to cover all of the edges of the dough. Use your fingers to press the cinnamon sugar mixture into the butter a bit.
Tightly roll up the dough, on the long side, and place seam side down. Pinch the seal a bit so the rolls don’t unravel. Use a sharp serrated knife or unflavored dental floss to cut the roll into 12 equally sized pieces. Place the cinnamon rolls in a 9×13 casserole dish, lined with parchment paper, evenly spaced a part. You should have 3 rows with 4 rolls per row.
Cover the casserole dish with a tea towel and let the cinnamon rolls rise for another 30-45 minutes until they have almost doubled in size.
Bake the cinnamon rolls on the center rack at 350 degrees for 24-27 minutes or until the rolls are a light golden brown. Remove the cinnamon rolls from the oven and let cool for a few minutes before icing.
Make the Cream Cheese Icing: Add the cream cheese, butter, and confectioner’s sugar to a mixing bowl. Use a hand mixer to mix the frosting until it is fluffy and the confectioners sugar is well incorporated without any lumps. Next, add in the orange juice and vanilla extract and mix on high again until well combined. Set aside.