Quick Cinnamon Rolls with Caramel Icing

Quick cinnamon rolls are the answer to my longstanding love for gooey, doughy sweet rolls. Glorious caramel icing sits on them in thick layers. Make them ahead for a great Christmas breakfast!

I’ve made several versions of cinnamon rolls in my time, but I don’t make them as often as I’d like. Cinnamon rolls are complicated to make. And I rarely plan far enough in advance to account for all the mixing, kneading, rising, rolling, cutting.

Quick cinnamon rolls were what I needed. So when I saw the cooks on Cook’s Country making “quicker cinnamon rolls,” I got pretty excited. These do take a little time to mix and rise. But they are quicker than traditional cinnamon rolls. From start to finish, these quick cinnamon rolls take less than an hour and a half.

Rather than the cream cheese glaze, I decided to ice these with the caramel from my caramel cake. That was a good call.

Quick Cinnamon Rolls with Caramel Icing

(adapted slightly from Cook’s Country)

Filling

• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Dough

• butter for pan
• 1 1/4 cup whole milk, at room temperature, divided
• 4 teaspoons instant or rapid-rise yeast
• 6 teaspoons granulated sugar, divided
• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and divided

Icing

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup + 2 tablespoons powdered sugar

Note: There’s a lot of melted butter in this recipe. To simplify things, melt all of the butter for the filling and the dough at one time. Then use a measuring spoon to divide.

Make the filling:

Step 01. Stir together the filling ingredients in a small bowl until a paste forms. Set aside.

Step 02. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan with butter and line with parchment paper. Butter the parchment paper as well. Set the pan aside.

Heat 1/4 cup of the milk in a microwave safe bowl for about 10-20 seconds, until the milk reaches about 110 degrees. Stir in the yeast and one teaspoon of the granulated sugar.

Make the dough:

Step 03. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, the baking powder, the salt, and the remaining granulated sugar. Stir in two tablespoons of the melted butter, the yeast mixture, and the remaining milk. Stir until completely combined and no dry bits remain. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until a smooth ball forms, about two minutes. Don’t over-knead, as this will adversely affect the texture.

04. Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough out into a 12×9 rectangle. Brush with melted butter and spread the filling all over the dough, leaving about a one-inch border. Roll the dough up into a tight cylinder. Using a piece of dental floss or a serrated knife, cut about an inch off of each end then cut the log into 8 pieces.

05. Place the rolls into the prepared pan and brush the tops with the rest of the melted butter. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350*F.

06. When the rolls have finished rising, place them in the oven for 23-25 minutes. Bake until lightly browned on top.

Make the icing:

07. While the rolls are baking, melt 2 1/2 tablespoons of the butter in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Mix in the brown sugar and the salt and cook until bubbles form around the edges. Add the cream and stir to combine. Continue heating until bubbles form around the edge again.

Pour into a medium bowl. Beat on low with the powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, until completely combined. Increase speed to medium and beat for five minutes. Add the butter, one small chunk at a time, and beat until completely combined.

08. Spread the icing on top of the cinnamon rolls and serve while still warm. The icing will harden as it cools, but is delicious when it becomes hard and crunchy.

These quick cinnamon rolls made my cinnamon roll dreams come true. I can whip them up on a lazy weekend morning without having to think ahead about making them.

They’re huge, they’re soft, and they’re full of flavor. They’re topped with some of the most amazing icing I’ve ever tasted. In a word, these quick cinnamon rolls are winning.

Mary from Chattavore is the guest author of this post. If you want more delicious ideas (like Slow Cooker Beer Pulled Chicken, maybe?) I recommend check out her blog and following her!