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Brown Butter Cinnamon Rolls

Cinnamon Rolls with Brown Butter Frosting

5 from 1 vote
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Prep: 40 minutes
Bake: 25 minutes
Proofing: 2 hours 45 minutes
Total: 3 hours 50 minutes
Servings: 12 rolls

Ingredients

Dough

  • 480 g Bread Flour 4 cups
  • tsp salt
  • tsp Instant yeast
  • 1 cup Whole or 2% Milk warmed
  • 2 large Eggs Room temperature
  • 1 tsp Pure vanilla extract or paste
  • 4 tbsp Unsalted butter melted
  • 2 ½ tbsp Baker's Dry Milk optional

Filling

  • 67 g Dark Brown Sugar ⅓ cup
  • 67 g Granulated sugar ⅓ cup
  • 2 tbsp Cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp Nutmeg
  • 5 tbsp Unsalted butter softened

Brown Butter Frosting

  • 3 tbsp Salted butter
  • 4 oz Cream Cheese softened
  • ½ tsp Pure vanilla extract or paste
  • ½ cup Confectioners' sugar sifted

Instructions

  • Combine flour, dry milk*, salt, yeast, milk, egg, vanilla, melted butter in bowl of mixer with dough hook attached. Mix dough on low/medium low until you have a smooth, soft dough that is pulling away from the sides of the bowl. Dough will still be sticky.
  • Place dough in a lightly greased bowl and cover for 75-120 minutes to rise or until doubled in size.
  • Line a 9x13 pan with parchment or lightly spray with cooking spray if not nonstick. Set aside.
  • Combine brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg in a small bowl and mix. Try to get out as many sugar clumps as possible.
  • When dough is ready, punch down and move to your counter or workspace.
  • Roll out dough into an 13x16" rectangle.
  • Spread your softened butter over the rolled out dough, leaving a half inch border on the short sides of the dough but going all the way to the edge on the long sides.
  • Spread the sugar mixture over the dough, leaving about a ¼ inch to ½ inch border on the short sides.
  • Starting on the short side side, roll dough onto itself creating a log shape. Try to not roll the dough closely but not rolling too tightly or loosely.
  • Mark and cut your dough into 12 equal size pieces either with a serrated knife or a piece of thread or non-flavored dental floss. I use a piece of thread, slid under the dough that is crossed over and pulled to cut each piece cleanly without compressing the dough down but a knife is also perfectly fine.
  • Place each roll in your prepared pan. Cover and let rise for about 30-45 min. The rolls will have puffed up.
  • While the rolls are rising, place your salted butter in a small saucepan on medium heat and stir until butter has browned. While browning, the butter will bubble and foam, then the milk fats will begin to toast. It is ready when it smells nutty and fragrant and the milkfats are between an amber and deep golden color.
    Pour into a small bowl to cool as soon as it starts to brown as you do not want your butter to burn.
  • While your rolls are proofing, preheat your oven to 350°F.
  • After your rolls have risen, place them in the oven on the middle rack and bake for about 22-24 minutes. The tops and edges should be just lightly golden brown.
  • While the rolls are baking, combine your soft cream cheese and cooled browned butter with vanilla in a small bowl. You can mix by hand but using a stand or hand mixer will be easier to make the cream cheese mixture more fully combined. Mix until combined and then add ½ cup of sifted confectioners’ sugar.
  • When your rolls come out of the oven, I immediately spread about a teaspoon of frosting over the center of each roll allowing the hot rolls to melt that frosting and it to seep into the centers. Then after the rolls have cooled for about 5-10 minute I finish frosting them. Enjoy cinnamon rolls while warm!

Notes

*Baker's dry milk is an optional ingredient but will help your rolls rise and be extra soft.