Brown Butter Cinnamon Rolls
Servings 8
There is browned butter in the dough, filling, and the icing for these cinnamon rolls! They are extra soft, fluffy, and have a rich and nutty flavor from the browned butter.
Ingredients
Cinnamon Roll Dough
- 1 cup milk
- 4 tbsp granulated sugar, divided
- 2½ tsp active dry yeast*, or use one packet (not rapid rise yeast)
- 3¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- 4 tbsp unsalted browned butter, melted (see instructions for how to brown butter)
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
Cinnamon Roll Filling
- 3 tbsp unsalted browned butter, melted (see instructions for how to brown butter)
- ¾ cup dark brown sugar
- 2 tbsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
Browned Butter Icing
- 4 tbsp unsalted browned butter, softened but not melted
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2-3 tbsp milk
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
Instructions
Brown the butter
- In total, you will need 11 tbsp of butter for this recipe. Go ahead and brown all of it at once before you start cooking. Note: since butter loses water mass in the browning process, start with 12 tbsp and it will cook down to 11.
- Cut the butter into slices and then place them in an even layer in a skillet over medium heat.
- Melt the butter, stirring frequently. Once the butter is fully melted, continue heating it. It will begin to start crackling. Continue stirring.
- After a while, the crackling will subside and butter will begin to foam. At this point, keep a close eye on the butter while continuing to stir. Be on the lookout for brown flecks and a nutty aroma.
- Once you see brown flecks and the melted butter turns a rich amber color, immediately remove it from heat and pour the butter into a separate, heatproof bowl. Let the browned butter cool down before using.
Cinnamon Roll Dough
- Heat the milk in the microwave in a small bowl for around 15 seconds until it is just warm to the touch (around 110° F). Then stir in 1 tbsp of sugar until dissolved. Sprinkle the yeast on top and gently stir it in. Wait for 5-10 minutes. The yeast will be ready once there is a small layer of foam at the surface and you see bubbles.
- While the yeast is being activated, mix the flour, remaining 3 tbsp of sugar, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the hook attachment.
- Turn the mixer on to medium speed and pour in the milk, followed by the butter, and lastly the egg. Knead until a dough starts coming together. It will be a sticky dough at first.
- After that, continue kneading the dough in the mixer for around 5 minutes, or until it is smooth and pulls cleanly from the sides of the bowl. The dough will should be tacky but not unmanageably sticky. It should pull cleanly away from the sides of the bowl, but may stick at the bottom.
- Grease a large bowl that you'll proof the dough in. Transfer the dough to the dough, cover, and let it rise in a warm place for about an hour, or until doubled in size.
Filling & Baking
- Punch down and transfer your dough from the bowl onto a flat surface that you've lightly dusted with flour.
- Mix the 3 tbsp of melted butter, dark brown sugar, and cinnamon together in a bowl. If the butter has hardened, give it a quick zap in the microwave to melt it again.
- Roll out the dough into a 12x16 inch rectangle (it doesn't have to be perfect), with the long end facing towards you. Spread the brown sugar mixture into an even layer on top of this rectangle.
- Starting with the long side facing you, begin tightly rolling the dough away from you, so that you form a 16" long tube. Pinch the ends to seal it off. Cut this tube of dough into 8 equal sized pieces.
- Place the rolls into a greased baking dish of your choice, making sure to space them 1 inch apart so they have room to grow. Cover and let rise again for another 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the cinnamon rolls for around 25-30 minutes, or until they are golden brown and set.
Brown Butter Icing
- Make sure that your remaining brown butter is soft, but not melted. Melted butter unfortunately will not work for the icing.
- Whisk the remaining 4 tbsp of brown butter, powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and salt together until very smooth. Add more milk if needed to achieve your desired consistency.
- If you want, frost the cinnamon rolls while they are still warm so that the icing melts over everything. Enjoy!
Notes
*A standard packet of yeast contains 2 ¼ tsp of yeast. You are completely fine to just use a packet. However, if you are using yeast from a jar, I would recommend using the full 2 ½ tsp.
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