I love these classic, soft, and fluffy cinnamon rolls topped with a cold brew frosting. This pastry is perfect if you’re a coffee lover like me!
Cold Brew meets Cinnamon Rolls
I love putting fun twists on cinnamon rolls and this one here incorporates one of my favorite things–coffee! More specifically, cold brew coffee, which I’ve been drinking so much of lately given the heat. And since I feel like cold brew is really having a moment right now, I thought it would be fun to add it to one of my favorite breakfast treats–the ever classic cinnamon roll. As I was developing the recipe, I thought of a couple places where the cold brew could go. After some debate, trial, and error, the end result was to add it to the frosting and really glaze it over the rolls.
Why I Love These Cinnamon Rolls
They are:
- So soft and fluffy: I’ve made the dough for these rolls dozens of times and practically have the recipe memorized now. It’s a classic cinnamon roll dough, and you’ll find it very similar to the dough for these orange cinnamon rolls or these browned butter cinnamon rolls.
- Topped with cold brew frosting: think of classic buttercream frosting that tastes slightly like sweet coffee. It’s like sweet cream cold brew you can eat.
- Perfect for sharing: these would be so fun to make as a brunch recipe idea or for breakfast with friends, don’t you think?
Equipment & Ingredients Needed
Equipment
- An electric mixer: I like to use a stand mixer to knead my dough when I’m working with yeast-risen bakes. I find that this way, I’m able to better control the amount of flour that goes in to the dough. When I’m kneading by hand, I often need to add a lot more flour to prevent sticking, which impacts the final texture of the cinnamon rolls. If you don’t have an electric mixer, you can use a hand mixer with hook attachments, or kneading by hand works just fine here! Your rolls may just turn out a little different from mine but will still be delicious
- Jumbo muffin pans: I bake these rolls in jumbo muffin pans, which ensures they are all evenly sized and gives them a really great rise. You could alternatively use a 9×13 baking pan.
- A rolling pin
INGREDIENTS FOR DOUGH & FILLING
- All-purpose flour
- Kosher salt
- Granulated sugar
- Very soft, unsalted butter: do not melt your butter before using. Instead, make sure it is just very soft and cut into pieces.
- One large egg, at room temperature: to quickly bring your egg to room temp, soak it in a bowl of very warm water for 10 minutes.
- Whole milk: whole milk will yield the richest texture and flavor.
- Active dry yeast: make sure that you are using active dry yeast and not instant rise/rapid yeast. The two are different! As an additional note, this recipe calls for 2 ½ tsp of active dry yeast. Most standard packets of yeast contain 2 ¼ tsp. It is completely fine just to use a packet if that’s all you have and the rolls will still turn out great. However, if you buy your yeast in a jar, measuring out that extra ¼ teaspoon just gives these rolls a little extra oomph.
- Dark brown sugar
- Ground cinnamon
Ingredients for Cold Brew Frosting
- Cold brew: pick your favorite!
- Unsalted butter
- Powdered sugar
- Kosher salt
How to Make Cold Brew Frosted Cinnamon Rolls
Activate the Yeast
- Heat milk in the microwave until it is just warm to the touch (around 110 degrees F). Too hot and it’ll kill your yeast. If you have a thermometer, I won’t judge you for pulling it out.
- Stir in a tablespoon of sugar.
- Sprinkle the yeast on top and gently stir it.
- Let it sit for 5-10 minutes.
You will know the yeast is ready when it starts to bubble and form a creamy foam at the surface of your milk. It’ll also smell pretty…yeasty for lack of a better word. If you don’t see any foam, then your yeast is probably, but no big deal just start over!
Make the Dough & Bake
Combine flour, salt, and sugar inside of your mixing bowl. Then add milk, butter, and the egg. Bring the ingredients together to form a dough, and then knead with your mixer for around 5 minutes.
The dough will be very sticky at first but do not panic. It will get smoother and more elastic as you knead it and the gluten strands build up. You can add some additional flour if the dough continues to be super sticky, but try not to over do it. At the end, your ball of dough should pull cleanly from the sides of the mixing bowl, but still stick a little bit at the base. It’ll be tacky, but shouldn’t be so hard to work with.
Let the dough rise for an hour in a warm spot, and then dump it out onto a floured surface and roll it into a 12×16 inch rectangle. Spread the filling across it in an even layer. Roll the dough into a long tube, cut it into 12 equal pieces, and then lay the pieces into greased jumbo muffin pans to rise again.
Bake the cinnamon rolls until they are golden brown, and then top with the cold brew frosting.
Can I Make These Overnight?
Yes! After forming the rolls and laying them into the muffin tins, you can cover them and let them rise overnight in the fridge. That way, when you get up in the morning, all you need to do is pop them in the oven and make the frosting! This is perfect if you do not have a lot of time in the morning to make the dough.
I recommend letting the rolls warm up a bit on the counter while your oven preheats for the best results.
How to Store Leftovers
Store leftover cinnamon rolls in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days. They are best enjoyed, however, within the first day or two.
Did You Make This Recipe?
If so, I’d love to hear from you! Feel free to leave a comment or rating to share your thoughts and help others on the internet find this recipe.
Or, take picture and share it with me on Instagram @toppedwithhoney. Looking forward to seeing your super fluffy orange cinnamon rolls!
Have fun baking and check out some other breakfast recipes here! I’m a big fan of this fresh blackberry buckle or birthday cake banana bread.
Cinnamon Rolls with Cold Brew Frosting
Ingredients
Cinnamon Roll Dough
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2¼ tsp active dry yeast, one packet
- 4 tbsp granulated sugar, divided
- 2¾ + 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter, very soft and cut into pieces
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
Cinnamon Roll Filling
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter, almost melted
- ¾ cup dark brown sugar
- 2 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp all purpose flour
Cold Brew Frosting
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- 1-1½ tbsp cold brew coffee
Instructions
Make the Dough
- Start by activating the yeast. Warm the milk in the microwave to 110°F, or just warm to the touch. Stir in one tablespoon of the sugar until it is dissolved. Sprinkle the yeast on top and gently stir it in. Let it rest for 5-10 minutes, or until you see a layer of foam on top. If this does not happen, then start over.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the hook attachments, combine flour, remaining 3 tbsp of sugar, and salt. Begin mixing on low speed, pouring in the milk mixture, followed by the butter, and then lastly the egg. Mix on medium speed until a dough starts to form.
- Knead the dough on medium speed for 5-6 minutes, or until smooth. The dough will be very sticky at first, but become more less so as the gluten builds up. Add 1-2 more tbsp of flour only if needed. Your dough will be ready when it pulls cleanly from the sides of the bowl, but will stick a little at the bottom (there may also be a few dough bits that stuck to the sides of the bowl at the beginning that are still there). The final dough will be tacky but manageable.
- Transfer dough to a large, greased bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm spot for 1 hr, or until doubled in size.
Make the Rolls
- To make the filling, use a fork to mix the butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour together.
- Transfer the dough to a flat, floured surface, and roll it into a 12×16 inch rectangle–it doesn't have to be perfect. Spread the filling in an even layer over the dough, leaving a ½" rim around the edges.
- Starting with the long end facing you, begin tightly rolling the dough, jelly roll style, away from you so that you form a long tube. Pinch the ends to seal it off. Then, cut it into 12 equal slices.
- Grease 2 jumbo muffin pans and place one roll into each well. You can also bake the rolls in a 9"x13" baking dish. Cover and let rise again for 30-40 minutes, or until visibly puffed up and doubled in size again.
- Bake for 20-22 minutes at 350°F until the rolls are golden brown.
Cold Brew Frosting
- Beat butter and salt together in an electric mixer with the paddle attachment.
- Add powdered sugar and begin beating it in on low speed, gradually increasing the speed as the frosting begins to come together. Add cold brew, and then continue beating on high speed for 3-4 minutes, or until frosting is light and fluffy.
- Add desired amount of frosting to warm cinnamon rolls and enjoy!
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