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This are the best Caramel Cinnamon Rolls! Pillowy soft dough that’s swirled with a delicious cinnamon filling. It is topped with most mouthwatering brown sugar caramel sauce, giving it a delicious toffee flavor. Every bite is full of warm spices and flavor making these rolls pure bliss.
These Caramel Cinnamon Rolls are absolute delicious and a perfect breakfast treat! This cinnamon rolls combines a classic cinnamon roll with lots of caramel. This delicious cinnamon rolls recipe have a soft, gooey cinnamon roll topped with a homemade caramel sauce giving the best toffee flavor. Get ready to indulge in the perfect balance of warm spices, caramel, and pillow soft rolls.
For more cinnamon roll recipes, try Small Batch Cinnamon Rolls, Blueberry Cinnamon Rolls and Banana Cinnamon Rolls.
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WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
- Brioche dough: This brioche dough for these rolls are so soft and incredibly delicious!
- Cinnamon Sugar: Spread out over the dough is a delicious cinnamon sugar butter spread.
- Caramel sauce: This caramel is made with brown sugar, giving it the most delicious toffee flavor.
INGREDIENT NOTES
These are some of the key ingredients for this recipe. For a full list of ingredients, check out the recipe card below.
- Yeast: I use fresh yeast but you can also use active or instant dry yeast.
- Butter: Room temperature butter is used both in the dough and in the cinnamon filling.
- Whole milk: Heat the milk up to 37ºC, make sure it's not warmer as it can kills the yeast if it's too hot.
- Cinnamon: Cinnamon is mix together with the butter and brownie sugar to make the best cinnamon filling.
- Brown sugar: Dark brown sugar gives lot's off toffee flavor notes to the cinnamon filling and caramel.
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS
Here is how to make and bake these caramel cinnamon rolls. This recipe needs a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment and a 24x34 cm (9 x 13 inch) baking tray lined with parchment paper or butter or non-stick cooking spray.
The full recipe is down below in the recipe card.
STEP 1: For the dough, heat up the milk until it’s lukewarm (37ºC). Crumble the fresh yeast into the bowl of a stand mixer and pour in the heated milk. With a spatula stir it together until the yeast has melted. (If you are use dry yeast, let it bloom in the warm milk per instruction of the pack).
STEP 2: Add the granulated sugar, all-purpose flour, egg, and salt and using the dough hook, mix the dough on low-medium speed until it is all hydrated and there is no dry flour left. Then mix further for 4 minutes on medium speed.
STEP 3: Continue kneading on medium speed and add the softened butter. This part looks messy but don’t worry. Once the butter is incorporated, scape down the sides of the bowl and keep mixing the dough for 8-10 minutes. It should end, looking smooth and released from the bowl.
STEP 4: Add the dough to a clean large bowl, and cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a tea towel. Place it in a warm place in your house or use the trick with the oven. Let it rise for 1 hour. See FAQ above for overnight rising.
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS - CINNAMON FILLING , CARAMEL AND ASSEMBLING
STEP 1: While the dough rises, mix together all of the ingredients for the cinnamon filling until one paste and set the mixture aside. For the caramel. Slowly melt the brown sugar, light corn syrup and butter over medium/high heat until melted and bubbling. Remove from the heat and stir in the heavy cream. Stir together until smooth. Heat the caramel to come to a boil and let it boil for 2 minutes. Set it aside.
STEP 2: After the first rise, it should now be double in size. Roll it out your dough on a lightly floured surface into a large square. Spread first the cinnamon sugar filling over the dough in an even layer with a spoon or offset spatula. Roll it into a log from the short side.
STEP 3: Using a piece of unflavored dental floss or a serrated knife cut 12 rolls. You can also use a serrated bread knife instead of the thread or floss.
STEP 4: Place them in a 34 x 24 cm (13 x 9 inch) baking tray lined with parchment paper and let them rise for a second time on the kitchen counter for 45 minutes under some plastic wrap and a tea towel.
Meanwhile preheat the oven to 190ºC/ 375ºF conventional oven.
STEP 5: After the second rise, bake them for 23-25 minutes on the second lowest rack. Then let them cool down on a wire rack for 10 minutes before pouring over the caramel.
EXPERT BAKING TIPS
- Use a kitchen scale: My default setting for my recipes is grams. It is the most precise way of measuring out your ingredients, I therefore highly recommend using a kitchen scale.
- Don't over mix your batter: I always use a spatula after everything has mixed together, to give it one final gentle fold together. This makes sure everything in the bottom of the mixing bowl has been mixed into the batter.
- Light vs. dark baking pans: For the best result, use an aluminum baking pan, greased with butter and lined with baking paper in the bottom. Aluminum pans are light in color and therefore attract less heat. That means it bakes more gently which results in a softer cake. If you use a black baking pan it'll attract a lot more heat. That will then give a darker crust, which can result in a dryer cake.
FAQ
The pan you use decides how long the rolls needs to bake for. If you use a metal pan they need 23-25 minutes. If you use a ceramic pan, they need to bake for 25-28 minutes.
Yes, let the dough rise its 1st rise in the fridge overnight, proofing for no more than 16 hours. Then follow the recipe as and let the dough do its 2nd rise at room temperature.
Yes, prepare each of the element, the day before, so you only need to assemble the cinnamon rolls the next morning. Make the dough as described in the FAQ above. Prepare the cinnamon sugar filling and caramel and store it in an airtight container at room temperature.
Yes, you can change it out 1:1 for agave or granulated sugar.
Yes, absolutely! Toast the pecans and fold them together with caramel before pouring it over the cinnamon rolls.
STORAGE
Store the caramel cinnamon rolls in the fridge covered tightly with cling film or in an airtight container. Best enjoyed within a 2-3 days. They taste the the best when reheated in the microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
Other Cinnamon Rolls Recipes To Try
Make sure leave a STAR REVIEW if you loved this recipe! Make sure to tag me on Instagram @juliemarieeats. To get more ideas by following me on Pinterest.
Caramel Cinnamon Rolls
Equipment
- 33 x 23 cm (13 x 9 inch) sheet pan
Ingredients
BRIOCHE DOUGH
- 225 g whole milk
- 30 g fresh yeast or 10 g active dry yeast or instant yeast
- 50 g granulated sugar
- 550 g all-purpose flour
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 100 g butter room temperature
CINNAMON FILLING
- 110 g butter room temperature
- 100 g brown sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoon cinnamon
CARAMEL SAUCE
- 70 g brown sugar
- 50 g light corn syrup /glucose syrup
- 40 g butter
- 200 g heavy cream
Instructions
BRIOCHE DOUGH
- Heat up the milk until it’s lukewarm (37ºC). Crumble the fresh yeast into the bowl of a stand mixer and pour in the heated milk. With a spatula stir it together until the yeast has melted. (If you are use dry yeast, let it bloom in the warm milk per instruction of the pack)225 g whole milk, 30 g fresh yeast
- Add the granulated sugar, all-purpose flour, eggs, salt and using the dough hook, mix the dough on low-medium speed until it is all hydrated and there is no dry flour left. Then mix further for 4 minutes on medium speed.50 g granulated sugar, 550 g all-purpose flour, 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon salt
- Continue on medium speed and add the butter in two parts. Add the second part of the butter, once the first part has mixed into the dough. This part looks messy but don’t worry. Once the second part has incorporated, scape down the sides of the bowl and keep mixing the dough for 8-10 minutes. It should end, looking smooth and released from the bowl.100 g butter
- Add the dough to a clean large bowl, and cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a tea towel. Place it in a warm room temperature area in your house. Let it rise for 1 hour. See FAQ above for overnight rising.
CARAMEL SAUCE
- In a small saucepan, melt the brown sugar, corn syrup and butter over medium/high heat until melted and bubbling. Remove from the heat and stir in the heavy cream.70 g brown sugar, 50 g light corn syrup, 40 g butter, 200 g heavy cream
- Stir together until smooth. Then place it back on the medium/high heat and allow the caramel to come to a boil. Let it boil for 2 minutes.
- Pour the caramel into a shallow bowl, to let it cool down faster. Let it cool down at room temperature or in the fridge until it’s room temperature.
CINNAMON FILLING
- Mix together all of the ingredients until one paste and set it aside.110 g butter, 100 g brown sugar, 1 ½ tablespoon cinnamon
ASSEMBLING
- After the first rise, it should now be double in size. Punch the air out of the dough and roll out your dough on a lightly floured surface into a large square of 48x33 cm / 19x13 inches, so they are about 5 mm thick with a rolling pin. Spread first the cinnamon sugar filling over the dough in an even layer with a spoon or offset spatula. Then roll it into a log.
- Using a piece of unflavored dental floss or a serrated knife cut 12 rolls. Place them in a 33 x 23 cm (13 x 9 inch) baking tray lined with parchment paper.
- Let them rise for a second time on the kitchen counter for 45 minutes under some plastic wrap and a tea towel.
- Meanwhile preheat the oven to 190ºC/ 375ºF conventional oven.
- After the second rise, bake them for 28-30 minutes on the second lowest rack. For the last 5-10 minutes of the baking time, or when they start to become golden brown, cover the cinnamon rolls with aluminium foil, to prevent too much browning.
- Then let them cool down on a wire rack for 10 minutes before pouring over the caramel. Enjoy them warm.
Jane
This is the best cinnamon rolls I’ve tried! Thank you for an amazing recipe!