These brioche cinnamon rolls are made with a pillowy soft dough, cinnamon-sugar filling, and fluffy cream cheese frosting. Take one bite, and you’ll see why we call these the best!
Looking for more cinnamon rolls? Indulge in our easy no-knead cinnamon rolls or extra-flavorful sourdough cinnamon rolls!
This recipe was inspired by my trip to Germany and discovery of the mohnstrudel, or poppy seed roll. I’ll admit — this delicacy was the highlight of my trip! Once I returned home, I set out to re-imagine one of my favorite sweet treats — cinnamon rolls — with the same incredible dough.
What’s So Special About Brioche?
Brioche is a type of French bread with a high percentage of eggs and butter. It is wonderfully rich and decadent, yet light and tender. Brioche is typically kneaded for a lengthy amount of time, producing an elastic dough and amazing fluffy texture. This yeasted wonder also stays soft longer than other kinds of bread because of its high fat content, making it one of the most versatile and delicious breads.
How To Make Brioche Cinnamon Rolls
Don’t be intimidated by the lengthy instructions — this recipe is not complicated in the slightest! These cinnamon rolls come together with a few simple techniques, basic pantry ingredients, and a bit of love.
- Make the brioche dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the warm milk, yeast, sugar, and one cup of flour. Cover and allow to rise for 30 minutes. Then, add the eggs, salt, melted butter, and remaining flour. Knead on medium-high speed until the dough becomes elastic — about 10-15 minutes.
- Let the dough rise: Cover the bowl and let the dough rise for about an hour in a warm place.
- Prepare the filling: Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Melt the butter separately.
- Assemble the cinnamon rolls: Roll out the dough into a rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Brush it with the melted butter, then sprinkle on the filling. Roll the dough tightly into a spiral and cut 12 even pieces with a floured serrated knife. Place the rolls onto a buttered 14-inch round baking pan or 11×13 baking dish.
- Let the rolls rise again: Cover the pan and let the rolls rise for one hour. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Bake the rolls: Bake the cinnamon rolls for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown.
- Whip up the icing: Beat together the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract with an electric hand mixer until smooth and creamy.
- Frost and serve the rolls: Once the cinnamon rolls are out of the oven, spread the icing on top and enjoy warm!
Tips For Super Fluffy Brioche Cinnamon Rolls
Are you ready to experience the most unforgettable, one-of-a-kind cinnamon rolls? Remember these tips to guarantee sweet success.
- Use room temperature ingredients. Have you ever wondered why most baking recipes ask for room temperature ingredients? It’s because the ingredients combine more evenly when they’re all at the same temperature, making a cohesive dough.
- Check the dough’s elasticity using the windowpane test. This is a baker’s hack to create a strong and elastic dough. After kneading for about 10 minutes, pinch off a small piece of dough and stretch it. If light filters through it without tearing, the gluten development is perfect.
- Slice the rolls carefully. We recommend flouring a sharp serrated bread knife to cut the rolls smoothly. If you want an even cleaner cut, here’s a hack for you — use unflavored dental floss! Slide the floss under the log of dough, wrap it around the top, and pull the two ends in opposite directions to create a clean slice.
- Keep an eye on the rolls while baking. Depending on the size of the rolls, the bake time varies. After about 30 minutes, look out for golden brown tops. Test the center of each roll with an offset spatula to make sure it’s baked through and set.
- Serve the cinnamon rolls fresh. Baked goods made with yeast are best enjoyed fresh out of the oven. The longer they sit, the more the dough stiffens and dries up.
Hot tip: Not in the mood for cinnamon rolls? Sprinkle the inside with white or brown sugar, or make poppy seed rolls instead with this mouthwatering poppyseed filling.
Storage & Reheating
We all have those days when we’re craving something sweet, and these cinnamon rolls are the perfect solution. Use this guide to enjoy your leftovers again fresh!
- Short-term storage: If you’re planning to gobble up the leftover baked cinnamon rolls within two days, store them in an airtight container at room temperature. Otherwise, store them in the fridge for up to a week.
- Long-term storage: To prolong the delicious experience, freeze the leftover baked cinnamon rolls in an airtight container for up to two months. We recommend leaving them unfrosted if you’re planning to go the freezer route, as the cream cheese will separate. Thaw the rolls at room temperature before reheating.
- Reheating: For the quickest method, reheat leftover cinnamon rolls in the microwave for 20-30 seconds. Cover with a damp paper towel to prevent them from drying out. For even better flavor and texture, cover the rolls with aluminum foil and reheat in a 350°F oven for 10-15 minutes.
More Sweet Bread Recipes
- Chocolate Babka — Brioche dough filled with a rich chocolate filling and twisted into a braid
- Poppy Seed Roll – A Ukrainian classic, yeast dough filled with a poppy seed filling
- Banana Bread — Moist bread loaded with banana flavor
- Easter Bread — Tall glazed domes of brioche stuffed with raisins
- Vatrushka Buns — Rich buns with a sweet cheese filling
Recipe
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 cup whole milk heated to around 110 °F
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp active dry yeast
- 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour depending on the brand of flour you may need more or less
- 3 large eggs
- 7 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/8 tsp salt
Filling
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
Icing
- 16 oz cream cheese softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment, whisk together the warm milk (about 110°F), yeast, sugar, and 1 cup of flour. Cover the bowl with a towel or plastic wrap and set it aside in a warm place for about 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, whisk in the eggs, salt and melted butter to the dough mixture. Then, gradually add the remaining 2 1/2 cups of flour until the dough is soft but not runny (depending on the brand of flour, you may need more or less). Attach a dough hook attachment and knead on low speed.
- Increase the speed to medium-high and knead the dough until it becomes elastic and pulls away from the sides of the bowl (about 10-15 minutes).
- Cover the bowl and let the dough rise for about an hour in a warm place.
- For the filling, combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Melt the butter in a separate bowl.
- Dust a clean work surface with flour and roll out the dough into a rectangle.
- Brush the dough with the melted butter, then sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar filling evenly over it. Starting with the long side, roll the dough tightly into a spiral.
- Flour a serrated knife and cut the dough into 12 even pieces. Place the rolls onto a buttered 14 inch round baking pan, then cover and let them rest for 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F. Once the rolls have doubled in size, bake them for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown.
- For the icing, beat together the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract with an electric hand mixer until smooth and creamy.
- Once the cinnamon rolls are out of the oven, spread the icing over them and serve warm. Enjoy!
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