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Brioche cinnamon roll on a plate with bites removed from a fork.
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4.94 from 31 votes

Brioche Cinnamon Rolls

Fluffy, gooey cinnamon rolls filled with brown butter and cinnamon brown sugar, and smothered with tangy vanilla cream cheese frosting. Bake the rolls the same day, or turn them into overnight brioche cinnamon rolls and bake them off for a hot breakfast treat.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Rise time1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time2 hours 20 minutes
Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12
Calories: 649kcal

Equipment

  • Stand mixer with dough hook attachment
  • Rolling Pin
  • Offset spatula or rubber spatula
  • Dental floss or serrated knife to cut the rolls

Ingredients

Brioche Dough

  • 1 cup whole milk warmed to 110℉/43℃ (8 fl oz)
  • ½ cup granulated sugar divided (100g)
  • 1 tablespoon active dry yeast 10g
  • 2 large eggs room temperature
  • ½ cup unsalted butter melted (113g)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
  • 5 cups all-purpose flour 600g
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt

Brown Butter Cinnamon Sugar Filling

  • cups brown sugar light or dark (300g)
  • 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
  • ½ cup + 2 tablespoons unsalted butter browned & re-solidified to room temperature (141g)
  • ¼ teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
  • ½ cup heavy whipping cream 120ml

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 6 ounces cream cheese softened
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter softened (28g)
  • 2 cups powdered sugar 240g
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract

Instructions

  • Start by browning the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently, to a deep golden hue, then scrape it into a bowl (get all of the brown bits from the bottom) and allow it to re-solidify to a soft room temperature.
  • Add the milk, 1 tablespoon of sugar, and the yeast to the bowl of a stand mixer and give it a quick stir. Allow it to stand for 5 minutes until the yeast activates and becomes a foamy layer on top.
    1 cup whole milk, ½ cup granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
  • Add the remaining sugar, eggs, butter, and vanilla and mix with the dough hook on low speed.
    ½ cup granulated sugar, 2 large eggs, ½ cup unsalted butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
  • Add in 4½ cups of the flour (540g) and salt, and mix on low to combine and moisten. The dough will look very loose and wet at this point.
  • Scrape any excess flour down from the sides, then mix the dough on medium high speed for five minutes. The dough will be very smooth at this point.
  • Add in the remaining ½ cup of flour. Mix on low until the flour is absorbed, then mix on medium high for another minute. The dough will be very elastic. Slowly pulling a quarter-sized piece from the dough will pull for a surprisingly long time.
  • Grease a large mixing bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl using your hands or a spatula. Cover with plastic wrap or a dish towel and allow it to rise in a warm place until doubled in size. About one hour.

Filling & Assembly

  • Use a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to mix all of the ingredients together until a smooth paste forms.
    1½ cups brown sugar, 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon, ½ cup + 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, ¼ teaspoon sea salt, 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
  • Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and pat it into a rectangle. Then, use a rolling pin to roll out the dough into a 12x20" rectangle. Keep it even between the middle and edges.
  • Spread the filling evenly over the dough, spreading the entire way to the edges on both long ends, and leaving a ½" inch border on the short ends. Those pieces will get cut off.
  • Starting on one of the long ends, begin rolling the dough as evenly as possible until it meets the end, then place the seam side down onto the counter top.
  • Using unflavored dental floss or a serrated knife, remove 1 inch off of both edges. Score the log into 12 pieces, then use a piece of unflavored dental floss or a serrated knife to cut each roll along the perforation.
  • Transfer each cinnamon roll to the pan, then cover with plastic wrap or foil and allow the dough to rise in a warm place for another 30 minutes until puffy and touching.
  • While the rolls are rising, preheat the oven to 350℉/180℃.
  • Once risen, drizzle the heavy cream evenly over top of all of the cinnamon rolls, then bake for 22-26 minutes until lightly golden brown.
    ½ cup heavy whipping cream

Cream Cheese Icing

  • While the cinnamon rolls bake, combine the ingredients in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment (or with a hand mixer) and beat until smooth and fluffy.
    6 ounces cream cheese, 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, 2 cups powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
  • Allow the cinnamon rolls to cool for about five minutes after removing them from the oven, then spread the cream cheese frosting evenly over the tops.
  • Serve hot or warm.

Notes

Note that after browning, the butter will yield ½ cup (1 stick) of butter for the filling. If not browning the butter, you can just use ½ cup (113g).
Take a picture of the dough so you can see when it has officially doubled in size!
Storage: Store the cinnamon rolls at room temperature for one day, or in the fridge (covered) for up to three days.
Reheating: reheat the cinnamon rolls individually in the microwave for 15-30 seconds before enjoying.
For rolls with very gooey and slightly underbaked centers, bake for 20-22 minutes.
Overnight option: There are two ways to do this. 1) add the dough to the fridge after the first rise to rest overnight, then assemble the next day & allow for the second rise. 2) Assemble and cut the rolls, then add them to the pan and cover in the fridge overnight. The next day, allow for the second rise, then bake. See the post write-up for more instructions and tips.

Nutrition

Calories: 649kcal | Carbohydrates: 94g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 101mg | Sodium: 184mg | Potassium: 170mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 52g | Vitamin A: 944IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 95mg | Iron: 3mg