Description
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.
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.
