Description
Delight in these homemade cinnamon rolls featuring a soft, tender dough swirled with a sweet cinnamon-brown sugar filling and finished with a luscious maple cream cheese frosting. Perfect for breakfast or brunch, these cinnamon rolls are baked to golden perfection and topped with a creamy, subtly maple-flavored frosting for an irresistible treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Dough
- 2 cups whole milk (2% milk also works)
- ½ cup salted butter
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¾ Tablespoon instant yeast
- 2 large eggs (beaten)
- 6 cups all-purpose flour
Filling
- ½ cup salted butter (softened)
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 ounces cream cheese (softened)
- ½ cup salted butter (softened)
- 2 Tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon high-quality maple extract
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- Milk (as needed, for consistency)
Instructions
- Heat the Milk: Warm the milk in a saucepan until scalded – just before boiling with small bubbles around the edges and steaming. This step helps dissolve the butter and sugar and activates yeast later without killing it.
- Mix Dough Base: Pour the scalded milk into the bowl of an electric stand mixer. Add butter, granulated sugar, and salt. Using a dough hook, mix until combined. Let the mixture cool to about 105°F to protect the yeast.
- Add Yeast and Eggs: Stir in instant yeast and beaten eggs, mixing until incorporated thoroughly.
- Add Flour and Knead: Gradually add the flour while mixing until dough pulls away from the bowl sides, soft but slightly sticky. Knead with the dough hook for 5 minutes to develop gluten for a tender texture.
- First Rise: Transfer dough to a large greased bowl, cover, and let it double in size, about 1 hour, depending on ambient temperature.
- Shape the Dough: Punch down the risen dough and roll it out on a floured surface into an 18×12-inch rectangle.
- Make the Filling: Spread softened butter evenly over the dough rectangle. Mix brown sugar with cinnamon and sprinkle evenly over the butter layer.
- Roll and Cut: Starting from the longer side, tightly roll the dough into a log. Pinch the seam to seal and cut into 12 equal rolls.
- Prepare for Second Rise: Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange rolls in a 3 by 4 grid. Cover with a kitchen towel and let the rolls rise until doubled, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Preheat Oven: While rolls rise, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Bake Rolls: Bake the risen rolls for 20 to 22 minutes or until golden on top. Remove carefully and cool for at least 30 minutes before frosting to avoid melting the frosting.
- Prepare Frosting: In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat together cream cheese, softened butter, brown sugar, vanilla extract, maple extract, and powdered sugar until smooth. Add milk as needed to reach desired spreading consistency.
- Frost and Serve: Spread the maple cream cheese frosting over the cooled cinnamon rolls evenly. Serve warm or at room temperature and enjoy your homemade cinnamon treats!
Notes
- Make sure the milk mixture is warm, not hot, before adding yeast to prevent killing it.
- Allow enough rising time for the dough to double in size for fluffy rolls.
- Cooling the rolls before frosting prevents the frosting from melting and becoming runny.
- You can substitute light brown sugar with dark brown sugar for a richer flavor.
- Use high-quality maple extract for the best authentic flavor in the frosting.
