The Best Cinnamon Rolls You'll Ever Eat
About this recipe
These cinnamon rolls are a game changer, perfectly fluffy and gooey, making them the ultimate treat for any occasion. This recipe takes you through a straightforward process that yields delicious results, with a rich brown butter filling that elevates the flavor to new heights.
The key to these cinnamon rolls is the overnight rise, which develops flavor and texture, ensuring each bite is soft and satisfying. Plus, the addition of heavy cream before baking keeps the rolls moist and tender.
Ingredient notes
- Use room temperature butter for the dough to ensure it incorporates smoothly.
Tips from Nick's Kitchen’s video
- Bloom the yeast in warm milk for 10 minutes to ensure it's active and foamy before mixing it into the dough.
- Look for 'windowpanes' in the dough as a sign that it's ready; this means you can stretch it thin without breaking.
- Let the dough rise until doubled in size for the best texture, and don't skip the overnight refrigeration for flavor development.
Good to know
- How many cinnamon rolls does this recipe make?
- This recipe yields 10 cinnamon rolls.
- What is the total time required to make these cinnamon rolls?
- The total time is overnight plus 3 hours.
- Why do I add heavy cream before baking?
- The cream seeps into the dough as it bakes, keeping the bottoms extra soft and giving you that beautiful bakery-level texture.
- What does 'blooming the yeast' mean?
- Blooming the yeast means combining it with warm milk and letting it sit for 10 minutes until foamy, ensuring it's active.
No life story here — the video and the recipe are the whole point. All credit to Nick's Kitchen: watch the original on YouTube.
The recipe
Ingredients
Steps
- 1
Bloom the yeast by combining warm milk and active dry yeast in a bowl. Whisk and let sit for 10 minutes until foamy.
- 2
In a stand mixer bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt. Whisk together before mixing.
- 3
Add the bloomed yeast mixture and eggs to the dry ingredients. Whisk until fully combined.
- 4
Mix the combined ingredients on medium speed until a dough forms, scraping down the sides as needed.
- 5
Gradually add room temperature butter, one or two cubes at a time, mixing until fully incorporated. This should take about 5-7 minutes.
- 6
Increase mixer speed to 6 and mix until windowpanes form in the dough, indicating it's ready.
- 7
Butter the inside of a glass bowl and shape the dough into a ball. Place it in the bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let it rise at room temperature for 1.5 to 2 hours, or until doubled in size.
- 8
After rising, punch down the dough to release air, cover again, and refrigerate overnight.
- 9
To make the filling, melt butter in a pan over medium heat, stirring until it turns golden brown. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
- 10
In a mixing bowl, combine the brown butter with cinnamon, honey, nutmeg, salt, and light brown sugar. Let it come to room temperature.
- 11
Fit the mixing bowl back into the stand mixer with a whisk attachment and mix the filling until it reaches a frosting-like consistency. Scrape the bowl as needed.
- 12
Add one egg to the filling and mix on medium-high until fully incorporated. Let the filling rest at room temperature.
- 13
Flour your work surface and roll the dough into a 12 by 16 inch rectangle.
- 14
Spread the filling evenly over the dough, leaving a strip of dough at the edge closest to you without filling.
- 15
Roll the dough tightly into a log, trimming the ends for evenness.
- 16
Wrap the log in parchment paper and plastic wrap, then freeze for at least 20 minutes.
- 17
Remove the log from the freezer, unwrap, and cut into 10 even pieces.
- 18
Spray a baking dish with cooking spray, add parchment paper, and place the cinnamon rolls in the dish with space between them.
- 19
Cover with plastic wrap and let proof at room temperature for 1.5 hours, or until doubled in size.
- 20
Top each risen cinnamon roll with a spoonful of heavy cream before baking.
- 21
Bake the cinnamon rolls until they reach an internal temperature of 185-190°F. Let cool for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Heads up — we had to guess a little:
- The quantity of heavy cream is inferred based on typical usage for cinnamon rolls.
Credit where it’s due: this recipe was transcribed from Nick's Kitchen’s original video on YouTube. Follow them there — it’s their dish.
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