Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Icing

cinnamon rolls in a baking dish covered in a cream cheese icing.

5 from 8 votes

Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Icing

Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Icing are buttery, gooey, and soft sweet treats made completely from scratch! We're making homemade cinnamon rolls, similar to brioche cinnamon rolls, and topping the rolls with heavy whipping cream and a homemade cream cheese frosting. These cinnamon buns are better than cinnabon and are completely made from scratch!

Prep Time1

Cook Time30

Rising Time1 30

Total Time3

Course: Anytime, Appetizers, Breakfast, Christmas, Dessert, Holidays, Thanksgiving

Cuisine: American

Servings: buns

Calories: 678kcal

Author: Britney

Equipment

Stand Mixer
9x13 baking dish
Mixing Bowls
Sharp Knife

Ingredients

1 cup Whole Milk
2 ¼ tsp Active Dry Yeast
1 tbsp Sugar (for the yeast mixture)
4 ½ cups Pastry Flour
1 tbsp Ground Cinnamon
½ tsp Ground Nutmeg
1 tsp Kosher Salt
½ cup Sugar
1 Large Egg
2 Egg Yolks
8 tbsps Salted Butter (softened)

Cinnamon Filling

10 tbsps Salted Butter
1 cup Brown Sugar
½ cup Sugar
2 tbsps Ground Cinnamon
Pinch Kosher Salt
½ cup Heavy Cream (for pouring on top of cinnamon rolls)

Cream Cheese Icing

4 oz Cream Cheese
4 tbsps Salted Butter
2 cups Powdered Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
Pinch Salt

Instructions

Make the Brioche Dough

Begin by combining warm milk, yeast, and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment. Allow the yeast to sit for become foamy, about 5-10 minutes. Then add pastry flour, eggs, egg yolks, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Mix together on low speed until the dough forms into a ball and continue to mix for about 3 minutes.
Cut the softened butter into tablespoon sized pieces. Increase the speed to medium and begin adding butter to the dough, one tablespoon at a time. Mix the dough for about one minute prior to adding the next tablespoon. Once all of the butter is added, mix on medium speed for another 5 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic. The dough should be tacky and sticky.
Next step, place the dough in an oiled bowl and and cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise in a warm place for about an hour to an hour and half, until it's doubled in size. (this is considered the first rise)

Make the Filling and Cream Cheese Glaze

While the rolls are rising, prepare the filling and the icing. To make the filling, microwave butter in a medium sized bowl for about 30-45 seconds. Butter should be partially melted and still have a few chunks. Then add brown sugar, sugar, and cinnamon and mix together until all ingredients are incorporated. Set butter mixture aside until you're ready to use.
Then make the cream cheese icing for the top of the rolls (my favorite part of this delicious treat). Combine cream cheese, butter, and powdered sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Cream together until smooth, then add vanilla extract and a tiny pinch of salt. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside.

Assemble and Bake the Rolls

Place dough onto a lightly floured surface and use a rolling pin to roll out the dough into a 12x18 large rectangle. Trim any excess pieces.
Spread the sugar and cinnamon mixture evenly all around the dough. Start with the short end (the 12-inch side) and roll the dough tightly into a log. Some of the filling may leak out, this is OK.
Cut the rolls into 12 equal pieces with a serrated knife of unflavored dental floss (also known as the dental floss trick). Place rolls into a 9x13 baking dish.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let the cinnamon rolls rise again for 30 minutes in a warm environment (second rise). Once the rolls have become puffy, pour the heavy cream on top and bake for 28-30 minutes, until the tops are golden brown.
Allow the rolls to cool for at least 30 minutes then add the cinnamon roll icing on top. Best part - enjoy

Notes

Overnight Option

To make these rolls the next day, prepare the dough, filling, and assemble the rolls as instructed. Place the cut rolls into a large baking dish and cover with plastic wrap.

Place rolls in the refrigerator for up to 12 hours. When you're ready to bake, let them sit at room temperature 30 minutes prior to baking and pour the heavy cream on top. Bake for 28-30 minutes as instructed below in the recipe card.

Tips

Make sure to measure your flour properly. You'll want to either scoop the flour into the measuring cup with a spoon or use a kitchen scale to measure it. This prevents adding too much flour to the recipe. It's the best way to get the most consistent results.
Use softened butter as opposed to room temperature butter for the brioche dough. This means that when you press the butter, the you should see your fingerprint but the butter holds its shape. If the butter completely loses its shape, it's too soft.
When adding the butter to the dough, the dough may break apart - this is OK! Just keep going, the dough will come back together. It helps to increase the speed to high for a minute or two - that usually does the trick.

Nutrition