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    Home » Bread

    Brown Butter Cinnamon Rolls

    Published: Jan 26, 2019 · by Elizabeth Waterson · This post may contain affiliate links, which may pay me a small commission for my referral at no extra cost to you! Thank you for supporting Confessions of a Baking Queen!

    Jump to Recipe

    Tender and moist brown butter cinnamon rolls can be made the morning of or the night before! Served with a brown butter cream cheese frosting this cinnamon roll recipe will be your new favorite! 

    This post has been sponsored by Glad Products Company. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

    brown butter cinnamon roll on a  round plate with berries


    Over the month of December, I made cinnamon rolls about 10 times—twice in England as well. I don't know about you but that is a lot of dough. While many assume cinnamon rolls are hard to make, they really aren't hard at all. All you need is some patience.

    I prefer to make them in my stand mixer just out of pure convenience, but I've made them by hand as well. I usually opt for prepping the cinnamon rolls the night before I want to bake them. Then, in the morning, you only need to let them sit on the counter 45 minutes before you bake them. I love recipes you prep the day before. Before you put the cinnamon rolls in the fridge overnight, you must ensure your cinnamon rolls are tightly wrapped so no air gets in. If air hits the dough, it can create a hard skin on the dough and make the dough tough. The absolute last thing you want is to create a tough dough after you've spent all that time making these cinnamon rolls.  

    cinnamon roll cut open on a white plate with berries and white and blue linen on a white marble surface

    To ensure there is no air when I am chilling the dough, I use Glad® Press’n Seal® . It has an airtight and leak-proof seal. God forbid the pan fell over in the fridge, the seal is strong enough for liquids, I don't want any cinnamon butter liquid running all over!!! (Have you ever spilled melted butter or oil in the fridge? Let me tell you, it takes FOREVER to clean up!)

    box of glad press n seal with a target gift card on a white surface with a white and blue linen

    I pick up my Glad Press'n Seal at Target. I recently moved, and I am so excited that there is a Target 0.2 miles away!!! There goes all my money!!

    Let's get to the recipe.

    How do you make cinnamon rolls?

    The hardest part about making cinnamon rolls is rolling them out and making sure they are stored properly before baking. I wish I had a large island in my kitchen; counter space is limited, and the house I am living in now has tiles with a thick grout line. The amount of stuff that seeps into the grout lines is frustrating. I feel like I am always grabbing an old toothbrush to scrub those lines. Now, I've made the smarter/cleaner decision to use Glad Press'n Seal. You just roll it out on whatever surface you want, sprinkle some flour, add the dough and you are good to go.

    The best part, just unpeel it and throw it away; no more toothbrush scrubbing for me. Glad Press’n Seal seals to almost any surface, so it's perfect.

    Back to the recipe-

    thermometer in a glass bowl of milk and butter for a brown butter cinnamon roll recipe

    In a small pot over low heat or in the microwave, melt the butter into the milk. Be careful not to burn the mixture, you just want it warmed. Check to see if the mixture is the right temperature for the yeast you are using. Mine needed to be between 120-130F. It is very important you use the right temperature of liquid to activate your yeast; too hot and you could burn it.

    step by step photos of how to make brown butter cinnamon rolls

    In a large bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer, dissolve yeast in the warm milk and butter mixture. Add sugar, salt, and egg, mixing to combine. Next, stir in two cups of flour. Mix until smooth. Slowly add in remaining flour to form a soft (not super sticky) dough. Knead the dough for 5-6 minutes. If using a stand mixer, fit your dough hook attachment on it.

    brown butter cinnamon roll dough in a metal mixing bow with a dough hook

    Once the dough is kneaded, place the dough in a large greased bowl. Move the dough around so that all of the dough is moist; this helps prevent a skin from forming.

    cinnamon roll dough resting in a large glass bowl

    Cover the bowl with Glad Press'n Seal to prevent any air from getting in. Place the bowl in a warm place for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until your dough has doubled in size.

    brown butter and cinnamon sugar in glass bowls for a brown butter cinnamon roll recipe

    In a medium bowl, mix together the cinnamon and brown sugar. Then, brown the butter (check out my how to brown butter post).

    brown butter cinnamon roll dough on a glad press'n seal surface with a rolling pin and flour

    Roll out Glad Press'n Seal over whatever surface you plan to work on, and lightly sprinkle with flour. Roll the dough out to form a 12-inch X 16-inch piece.

    brown butter cinnamon rolls step by step photos of filling and rolling

    Using a pastry brush, spread the browned butter evenly over the dough, I do about 50% of the butter, then sprinkle the brown sugar mixture and add the remaining butter on top. Gently and tightly roll the dough to create a 16-inch log.

    brown butter cinnamon rolls on a white surface cut into equal pieces

    Use a sharp knife (not serrated) or an unflavored floss to cut the dough into 12 equal rolls.

    brown butter cinnamon rolls cut into individual pieces on a white surface

    Place the rolls in a 9"X13" pan or casserole dish. Cover with Glad Press'n Seal to ensure the dough has an airtight seal, and place in the fridge overnight. Using Glad Press'n Seal provides an airtight and leak-proof seal (unlike aluminum foil), so you don't have to worry about your dough.

    glad press n seal and target gift card on top of a dish with cinnamon rolls in on a white surface

    You could make your frosting the night before baking and keep it in the fridge overnight, or you could make it while the rolls are cooking.

    brown butter cream cheese frosting in a metal bowl

    In the morning take your cinnamon rolls out of the fridge and let them sit in a warm place for 45 minutes- to an hour, or until the rolls have doubled in size.

    brown butter cinnamon rolls before baking

    Take the wrap off and bake the rolls in the oven for 20-25 minutes at 350F/180C, or until a light golden brown. I prefer to use an instant-read thermometer to check if my dough is cooked through to 190F/88C.

    cream cheese frosting on a yellow spatula on top of just baked brown butter cinnamon rolls

    After the rolls have baked, let them cool for 10 minutes. Then, add the frosting, I always serve a generous portion of frosting, and I love to add the frosting when the rolls are still warm so it melts into every crevice.

    close up of brown butter cinnamon rolls

    And there you have it! While cinnamon rolls do take a few hours to proof, making them the night before and using things like Glad Press'n Seal makes them painlessly easy! So, go to Target now and grab all the ingredients—your belly will thank you later!!

    Other brunch recipes

    My sour cream coffee cake is absolutely delicious and perfect for you brunch table.

    For a savory dish try my Vegetarian Quiche Recipe.

    close up of brown butter cinnamon roll cut into on a white plate with fresh berries

    ★★★★★ Please let me know if you make this recipe by leaving a star rating and comment below!

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    cinnamon roll cut open on a white plate with berries and white and blue linen on a white marble surface

    Brown Butter Cinnamon Rolls

    ★★★★★

    5 from 2 reviews

    Print Recipe
    Pin Recipe

    Tender and moist brown butter cinnamon rolls can be made the morning of or the night before! Served with a brown butter cream cheese frosting this cinnamon roll recipe will be your new favorite! 

    • Total Time: 2 hours 25 minutes
    • Yield: 12 Cinnamon Rolls 1x

    Ingredients

    Units Scale

    Dough

    • 2 ¼ Teaspoon/ 1 Package Rapid Rise Yeast
    • 8oz (1 Cup) Warmed Milk
    • 1oz ( 2 Tablespoons) Butter, melted
    • 2 Tablespoons Granulated Sugar
    • 1 Teaspoon Salt
    • 1 Large Egg
    • 375-407 grams (3-3 ¼ Cups) All-Purpose Flour/ Plain Flour

    Filling

    • 4oz (½ Cup) Brown Butter
    • 200 grams (1 Cup) Brown Sugar
    • 1 Tablespoon Ground Cinnamon

    Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

    • 4oz Cream Cheese, at room temp.
    • 2oz Brown Butter, at room temp.
    • 250 grams (2 Cups) Powdered Sugar
    • 2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
    • 1 Teaspoon Whole Milk or Heavy Cream

     

    Instructions

    Dough & Filling

    1. In a microwave-safe bowl or small pot, warm the milk and browned butter over low heat just until warmed. Check your yeast for temperature; mine suggests 120F-130F.
    2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, dissolve yeast in milk and butter mixture, let it sit for 5 minutes. Add sugar and salt, then whisk in the egg. Start with three cups of flour. Mix until smooth; you may need the remaining flour to form a soft (not super sticky) dough. If using a dough hook, switch out the mixer hook and knead for 5-6 minutes in the electric mixer. I take the dough out of the mixer every minute or so and knead by hand. If not using a dough hook, put the dough on a floured work surface and knead for 5-6 minutes.
    3. Preheat oven to 200F, and then turn the oven OFF. Spray a large bowl with cooking spray, and place the dough inside. Place Glad Press'n Seal on top of the bowl, and place bowl in warm but not turned on the oven.
    4. Check dough after an hour. It should have doubled in size. Punch down. In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar and cinnamon.
    5. Place Glad Press'n Seal on a surface you want to roll dough out on. Sprinkle the work surface with flour, and roll dough into a 16inch X 12inch rectangle. Grease a 9×13 baking pan and set aside. Brush the dough with half of the melted brown butter. Sprinkle sugar mixture on top of the dough, and drizzle remaining butter. Gently and tightly roll the dough, and cut with sharp knife into 12 pieces. Place rolls into prepared pan, cover with Glad Press'n Seal, and place in fridge overnight or let rise until doubled in size (45 minutes).
    6. Bake at 350F/180C for 20-25 minutes or until lightly golden brown in color or an instant-read thermometer reads 190F. Let cool for 5 minutes before adding frosting.

    Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

    1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, add the cream cheese and softened browned butter. Beat for two minutes. Add in powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and whole milk; mix for 3 minutes. Spread on top of warm cinnamon rolls. Best served the same day but if you need to, make sure to cover in Glad Press'n Seal and store in the fridge.

    Equipment

    9X13 fat daddios pan

    9X13 Pan

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    oxo food scale

    OXO Kitchen Scale

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    thermapen mk4

    Thermapen Mk4

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    kitchen aid stand mixer

    KitchenAid Stand Mixer 6 Quart

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    • Author: Elizabeth Waterson I Confessions of Baking Queen
    • Prep Time: 2 Hours
    • Cook Time: 25
    • Category: Breakfast
    • Method: Bake
    • Cuisine: American

    Keywords: brown butter cinnamon rolls, how to make cinnamon rolls, the best cinnamon rolls

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @confessionsofabakingqueen on Instagram and hashtag it #cbqbakes

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

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    1. katherine kharrat says

      February 21, 2019 at 11:31 am

      I wish I was still indulging in these now, one word. MELT!!!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    2. Kayle (The Cooking Actress) says

      March 11, 2019 at 7:06 pm

      YES YES YES.

      Brown butter should be in everythiiiing

      ★★★★★

      Reply

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    Waterson, Elizabeth Cropped Size Photo CAke copy 2

    Hiya! I am Elizabeth Waterson, welcome to my treat-filled site. After spending 15 years in the restaurant industry and growing up baking, I wanted to share my love of baking with you all. My step-by-step tutorials will help you learn how to bake at home. Confessions of a Baking Queen (CBQ) has been featured in CBS LA, HuffPost Taste, BuzzFeed, Taste of Home, and more! Here you will find loads of sweet recipes with a few savory ones for good measure. Feel free to message me with any questions! Happy Baking! 

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