If you could choose only one cinnamon roll recipe, this should be it. Trust me. These cinnamon rolls are soft, pillowy, fluffy and soak up all that browned buttery goodness. The vanilla bean cream cheese frosting is sweet, tangy and laced with that gorgeous vanilla beans. It’s beautiful.
Like most recipes, you make it once and you get a better idea of what needs to be done. It’s then less overwhelming and realize it’s actually quite simple, this recipe is one of those. I’ll list a few basic notes below so you can get a holistic view of what to expect and small changes I like to make that’ll elevate the end result.
overview
preparation
Start by weighing all of the individual ingredients and group them together, e.g. dough ingredients, filling ingredients, and frosting ingredients. This makes your baking experience so much more enjoyable. Also, I prefer using grams for my recipes because it guarantees a similar outcome to mine. Using cups are unpredictable as cup sizes differ around the world and people also scoop something as simple as flour differently and this could result to an extra 10 or 20 grams of flour which can make a big difference to the end result.
time:
This recipe needs time to rise in two separate phases. The first rise, dough placed in a large glass bowl, covered and allow to double in size. You can also preheat your oven to 35°C/95℉ with any type of heat setting. Let the appliance heat up for 5 minutes and then switch off the oven. Then put the bowl with the yeast dough in the oven cavity – you can keep the plastic wrap on. For the Second rise, allow the shaped rolls to rise for 30 – 45 minutes in the baking dish, prior to baking. This can also be done in the oven. Just remember to remove them before preheating the oven to 190℃/375℉ when officially baking the rolls.
oven baked:
You’ll be baking the cinnamon rolls until golden brown or as per your preference. The longer you bake them the crispier their exterior will be. The bottom of the rolls will also be more caramelized (if adding cream (step #5). The rolls bake fairly quickly so keep an eye on them from 20 minutes on wards. I would bake them for longer than 30 minutes.
VANILLA BEAN CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
The texture and taste of the vanilla bean cream cheese frosting is pure perfection. I would honestly save this recipe and use it for other baked goods. The consistency is luscious and silky. The addition of the vanilla bean paste elevates this recipe to something you’d find in a top tier bakery, so if you can, try to use vanilla bean paste – it’s what makes the difference! Naturally, you could use store bought vanilla bean paste or vanilla essence.
dough:
The dough is dense and a tad sticky prior to its first rise. Once it’s risen it’s much easier to handle. Remember to lightly oil the clean working surface prior to rolling the dough out in to a rectangle. This will prevent the dough from sticking to your surface and ensure an easy roll up.
OVEN PROOF BAKING DISH:
The dish size I used was 35cm x 28cm x 8cm and it worked perfectly. While I was still testing the recipe I got a bit greedy and tried squeezing in 12 rolls in this same dish and obviously the cinnamon rolls were tasty, but they definitely would’ve been better if they had more space to rise and spread out. The fact that they had more space ensured a fluffier more pillow-like texture whereas the previous batch was way more dense because the dish was crowded.
Difference between a Roll and a Bun:
Rolls are typically proofed and baked closer together for a softer, with a “pull apart” result. This makes them great for dipping or eating alongside other food. On the other hand, buns are proofed with space between them, which makes them crustier. Structurally, cinnamon buns share the same spiral shape. The most significant difference between cinnamon rolls and cinnamon buns is the inclusion of nuts. Cinnamon buns often have pecans, walnuts, or even raisins in the filling.
Difference between vanilla bean paste and vanilla essence:
Vanilla essence is a more processed product that’s made using artificial flavors and colors. Vanilla extract, on the other hand, is made primarily from vanilla beans soaked in ethyl alcohol and water, so it tends to have a stronger vanilla flavor.
Cinnamon Rolls with Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Dough
- 580 grams cake flour
- 75 grams sugar white or light brown
- 6 grams fine salt sea salt or pink salt
- 85 grams butter softened
- 235 grams full cream milk lukewarm
- 7 grams instant yeast
- 2 large eggs
Brown Butter-Cinnamon Sugar Filling
- 85 grams butter browned, see notes
- 145 grams sugar white or light brown
- 2 tbsp cinnamon
Base Coating
- 80 grams cream optional, see notes
Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting
- 150 grams cream cheese room temperature
- 75 grams milk
- 90 grams powdered sugar
- ½ pod vanilla bean paste or vanilla essence, see notes
Instructions
Dough
- In a large glass bowl or stand mixer, add flour, sugar and salt together. Give it a quick mix.
- Add the softened butter. Mix it in using your finger tips until mixture resembles bread crumbs.
- In a separate jar or bowl, add lukewarm milk and instant yeast together. Mix and add it to the flour mixture. Add the eggs and mix using a spatula or wooden spoon until mostly combined (by hand) or fully combined (stand mixer).
- Tip the dough onto a clean working surface and knead until the dough comes together (a stand mixer would've already done most of the kneading for you). The dough will be quite sticky but resist adding any additional flour. Shape into a bowl and place in a clean glass bowl. For the first rise, cover with plastic wrap or a clean cloth and place in the warmest area in your kitchen for 1 hour 30 minutes or until doubled in size. Note: I like setting the oven to around 35°C/95℉ with any type of heat setting. Let the appliance heat up for 5 minutes and then switch off the oven. Then put the bowl with the yeast dough in the oven cavity.
- Meanwhile, prepare the filling, frosting and baking dish. Note: I add a layer of cream to the base of the oven proof baking dish. This helps the base of the cinnamon rolls become caramelized and gooey. You can add less or more cream, depending on your preference.
- Once the dough has risen, lightly oil a clean surface and tip the dough onto the surface. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a rectangular shape about 35cm x 28cm x 8cm. Spread the brown butter-cinnamon sugar filling.
- Using a very sharp, non-serrated knife, cut the dough into 9 strips. Roll each one up and place in an oven proof dish on top of the cream (if using). You should have 3 rows of 3. For the second rise, cover with a dry clean cloth and allow to rise for 30 - 45 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven.
- Bake at 190℃/375℉ for 20-30 minutes. This will depend on how brown and crispy you'd like the rolls to be. Allow to cool for 15 minutes before pouring over the frosting.
Brown Butter-Cinnamon Sugar Filling
- First brown the butter (see note 1). To a small bowl, add the brown butter, sugar and cinnamon together. Mix and set aside until ready to use.
Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting
- Beat the cream cheese and milk together until smooth using an electric mixer or by hand using a spatula. Add the powdered sugar and slowly mix it in until fully combined. Cut the vanilla pod in half, length wise, and slide the tip of a knife along the pod, scraping off the vanilla bean paste. Add the paste or vanilla essence to the cream cheese frosting. Mix until well combined. Set aside until ready to use.
Video
Notes
- Browned Butter: Using browned butter is optional. You could just use regular butter but the brown butter impart great flavor. How to make brown butter: add butter to a small saucepan and melt on a low heat. Melt until the milk solids in the butter turn light brown. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
- Cream: You can add 80ml cream to the base of your baking dish and place the cinnamon rolls on top. This'll create a brown butter-cinnamon layer at the bottom of your rolls - adding the cream is optional.
- Vanilla Bean Paste: 1/4 tsp is generally equivalent to half a fresh vanilla bean pod. If using vanilla essence, use 1 tsp. If using store bought vanilla bean paste, use 1/2 tsp.
- Oven Baked Dish: I used a dish sized 35cm x 28cm x 8cm. Be careful to not overcrowd the dish, otherwise the rolls won't have enough space to rise and bake properly.
- Storage: Baked rolls can be frozen up to 2–3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and warm up before enjoying. You can also freeze the unbaked rolls and here’s how: bake the rolls in step 6 for only about 10 minutes at 190°C/375°F. Cool completely, then cover tightly and freeze. To serve, take the pan of rolls out of the freezer and put into the refrigerator a few hours before serving. Then, finish baking them for the remaining 15–18 minutes.