Caramel Pecan Cinnamon Rolls
Servings 12
These are the softest, fluffiest, caramel cinnamon rolls. Cinnamon, caramel, and pecans rolled into a brioche dough and finished with caramel icing.
Ingredients
Homemade Salted Caramel (or use store bought)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp water
- 4 tbsp salted butter, cut into slices
- ⅔ cup heavy cream, warmed to room temperature
- ¾ tsp fine sea salt
Cinnamon Roll Dough
- 1 cup whole milk
- 4 tbsp granulated sugar, divided
- 2½ tsp (or one packet) active dry yeast
- 3 cups (360g) all-purpose flour, plus more if needed
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- 4 tbsp very soft unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 1 large egg, room temperature
Cinnamon Sugar Filling
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter, partially melted
- ¾ cup dark brown sugar
- 2 tsp all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup finely chopped pecans
Additional Ingredients (for baking)
- 5 tbsp heavy cream
Icing
- 2 tbsp melted, unsalted butter
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1-2 tbsp milk
- 2 tbsp caramel sauce
Instructions
Make Caramel Sauce (if using homemade)
- Heat the sugar and water in a heavy-duty saucepan over medium heat. Start melting the sugar. It will begin to clump up as the water evaporates. Pick up the pan every once in a while and give it a few shakes, resisting the urge to stir. As the sugar melts, it will turn an amber color. Begin stirring once the sugar has almost completely melted. This whole process will take around 6-10 minutes.
- Reduce the heat and add the butter, whisking it in until it's fully combined.
- Pour in the heavy cream while continuing to whisk. Make sure the heavy cream is at room temperature or warmer (use a microwave to heat it up if needed). After the heavy cream is mixed in, cooking stirring and cooking for another 1-2 minutes to start thickening the caramel.
- Remove from heat and pour into a separate bowl. Whisk in the salt and the let the caramel cool down completely before using.
Cinnamon Roll Dough
- 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.
- While the yeast is activating, combine the flour, remaining 3 tbsp of sugar, salt in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the hook attachment.
- While running your mixer on low speed, start streaming in the milk mixture, then add the butter, one piece at a time, and then lastly the egg. Turn the mixer up to medium speed and knead until a dough starts to come together.
- After that, continue kneading the dough for around 8-10 minutes until it is smooth. The dough will be very sticky at first, but become less-so as the gluten builds up. Add a few more tbsp of flour 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. The final dough will be tacky but manageable.
- Transfer the dough to a large, greased bowl. Cover, and let rise in a warm spot for 1 to 1½ hours, or until doubled in size.
Filling the Rolls
- To make the filling, use a fork to mix the partially-melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour together until you have a smooth paste.
- 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.
- Drizzle 4-5 tbsp of caramel on top, followed by a layer of the finely chopped pecans.
- 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 or line a baking dish of your choice. Place the rolls, spaced 1 inch apart, into the pan. Cover and let rise again for 30-45 minutes, or until the rolls look puffed up and have doubled in size again. You can also cover and let them rise overnight.
Baking & Icing
- Preheat the oven to 360℉ (yes 360℉). Immediately before baking, pour the heavy cream evenly into the baking pan you're using so that it surrounds the rolls.
- Bake for 28-30 minutes, until the rolls start to turn golden on top. Let the rolls cool for 10 minutes.
- To make the glaze, whisk all of the ingredients together until smooth. Spoon the glaze on top of the warm rolls and sprinkle with some additional pecans or caramel if desired. Enjoy while fresh!
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