You heard it here first, Brown Butter Cinnamon Rolls. Need I say more?! This homemade recipe takes an already amazing swirled delight to the next level with this irresistible flavor enhancement. These are the best around!
I thought I had made the best cinnamon rolls in the world until my daughter suggested I try making them with brown butter. They changed everything! The brown butter adds a rich- slightly nutty slightly caramel flavor. They have these delicious notes of toffee and are so decadent and wonderful.
What does Brown Butter Taste Like? Brown butter tastes like pure magic—rich, nutty, and slightly caramelized, with a toasty warmth that elevates any dish it touches. It’s the secret ingredient you didn’t know you needed!
It's no surprise that we love cinnamon rolls! If you haven't tried our original cinnamon rolls, well, you're missing out! We also have a fun cinnamon roll casserole and even air fryer cinnamon rolls!
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What goes in Brown Butter Cinnamon Rolls?
Brown butter cinnamon rolls is a new and improved way of making your favorite breakfast pastry. We have all the best tips, tricks, and ingredients for the best experience!
- Milk- Use warm milk and we recommend using whole or 2% for the best results.
- Sugar- You will need white granulated sugar for the dough, and brown sugar for the filling and frosting. Powdered sugar is also used in the frosting for a fluffy texture.
- Brown Butter- The main event, the secret ingredient, butter that has been browned is in the dough, the filling, and the frosting for the full experience. You will need a portion of your brown butter to be at room temperature before using.
- Yeast- Use 1 packet of quick-rise yeast. That's equivalent to 2 ¼ teaspoons of yeast.
- Egg- Set the egg out 30 minutes before beginning for the best experience.
- Bread flour- Use bread flour for the best results. You can also use all-purpose flour but we feel like the texture difference is worth using bread flour.
- Cinnamon- Of course you need cinnamon to get that authentic cinnamon roll flavor in the filling.
- Cream cheese- Softened cream cheese is the key to having a smoothing frosting.
- Vanilla- A touch of vanilla really blends the flavors, enhances that brown butter, and gives it a smooth and subtle vanilla taste.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to make Brown Butter Cinnamon Rolls
Learn how to make these show stopping Brown Butter Cinnamon Rolls during the cozy winter months, or for any family get together.
- Melt the butter over medium heat in a sauce pan. After it starts to foam you'll notice swirls of brown rising into the foam.
- The butter will begin to crack and pop and then become foamy. Stir gently. Brown specks of butter solids will start to appear and when you stir it, you should be able to see plenty of brown solides. Remove from the heat and cool.
- Warm milk (105-112°F) and mix with yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar. Let it sit for 5 minutes until foamy; if it doesn't foam, discard and start over.
- Combine brown butter, whisked egg, salt, remaining sugar, bread flour, and proofed yeast. Knead the dough for 10-20 minutes using a stand mixer, hands, or bread maker until it’s smooth and elastic. It’s ready when an indentation bounces back easily.
- Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough inside, and spray the top with oil. Cover with cling wrap and let rise in a warm place for about an hour until doubled in size.
- Roll the dough out to ⅛–¼" thickness, making the long side about 16–18". Mix the room-temperature brown butter to recombine, then spread it evenly across the dough.
- Combine cinnamon and sugar together then sprinkle evenly on the spread brown butter. Then sprinkle on the brown sugar.
- Starting from the long edge, roll up the dough and cut it into 12 even pieces by halving the log, then halving each section again, and cutting each into three. Arrange the rolls in a greased 9x13" pan with space to expand, let them rise for 30 minutes, preheat the oven to 350°F, and bake for 17-22 minutes until golden brown.
- Beat the cream cheese and room-temperature brown butter until smooth.
- Mix in the vanilla, brown sugar, and powdered sugar until fully combined and creamy.
- Let the brown butter cinnamon rolls cool for 10-20 minutes before frosting to allow the icing to seep in without making them soggy, or wait until fully cooled for frosting that stays on top—see notes below for tips!
Hint: Humidity can play a large role on how much flour you need. The dough should just barely be pulling away from the sides of whatever bowl while kneading. It should be very soft and almost sticky.
How to make Brown Butter
To make brown butter, cut the butter into pieces and place it in a small saucepan over medium to medium-high heat. Let it melt, stirring occasionally as it cooks. It will start to crackle and pop. Then it will start to foam. After 2-3 minutes, the foam will turn slightly golden. Give it a little stir and you’ll see browned flecks of butter solids at the bottom of the pan. At this point, remove it from the heat.
Let the butter cool for about 5 minutes if using it in dough, or let it cool completely to room temperature for fillings or frostings. Since brown butter separates as it cools, it’s best to prepare it in separate batches—one for the dough, one for the filling, and another for the frosting—allowing each batch to cool as needed.
How To Serve
One of the best things about this recipe is how versatile it is! Make them for Christmas, Thanksgiving, or Easter breakfast. Add them to your brunch table alongside fresh fruit, scrambled eggs, and bacon for a festive, well-rounded meal
You can even make it a tasty dessert by pairing it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream for an after-dinner treat.
Our neighbors love it when we make these as gifts! Wrap them individually or in a box for a sweet treat.
Storage
Store frosted and cooled cinnamon rolls on the countertop covered lightly with aluminum foil or plastic wrap. Make sure they are completely cooled so condensation doesn't form on the underside of the covering. They are fresh tasting for 3-4 days. Microwave for 30 seconds to soften.
You can freeze cinnamon rolls, and they still taste amazing! To freeze unbaked rolls, arrange them in a pan, cover tightly with plastic wrap and foil, and freeze for up to 3 months—just thaw in the fridge overnight before baking.
Baked rolls can also be frozen; let them cool completely, then wrap them individually or as a batch, and reheat them in the oven or microwave when ready to enjoy!
Top tip
It's popular to pre-mix the cinnamon, sugar, and butter before spreading the filling. We like it when the filling is done the old-fashioned way! The taste and texture come out better when you layer it on, one ingredient at a time.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Recipe
Best Brown Butter Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
Dough:
- 1 cup milk warm, whole or 2% recommended
- 2 Tablespoons + 1 teaspoon sugar divided
- 2 ¼ teaspoons quick rise yeast 1 packet
- 6 Tablespoons brown butter salted, See instructions for how to do this
- 1 egg large, whisked
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3- 3 ¼ cups bread flour or all-purpose, see notes
Filling:
- ½ cup brown butter at room temperature, salted, See instructions
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 4 teaspoons cinnamon
- ¼ cup brown sugar regular or dark is fine
Frosting:
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- ¼ cup brown butter at room temperature, I used salted, see instructions for brown butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
Instructions
To Make Brown Butter:
- Cut butter lengthwise and place in a small saucepan on medium/ medium high heat. Stir occasionally as the butter cooks. It will crackle and pop. Once it starts to foam, it takes about 2-3 minutes to brown. The foam will start to get a little brown and when you give it a little stir you'll be able to see cooked brown flecks of the butter solids at the bottom of the pan. See photos above for a visual guide. Remove from heat. For the dough, allow the butter to cool for about 5 minutes before using. For the other filling and frosting, allow to cool all the way to room temperature.
- Unfortunately, you cannot make the butter all at once, since it separates. After browning the butter for the dough, start browning the butter for the filling, then the frosting, setting each aside to cool and use later.
For the Dough:
- Make brown butter as instructed above and set aside to cool for a few minutes. Combine warm milk (ideally 105-112° F) and combine with the yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar. Set aside to proof. In 5 minutes the mixture should be very growing and foamy. If not, throw away and start over. Your yeast must be active and well for the best cinnamon rolls.
- Whisk egg. Combine brown butter, egg, salt, remaining sugar, bread flour and proofed yeast together and mix to combine. You can use a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment, your hands (I recommend watching a youtube video on how to knead if using your hands) or a bread maker on the dough setting to knead the dough. Knead 10-20 minutes until dough is silky smooth and elastic. Push a finger into the dough to make an indentation; the dough should bounce back easily. See photos above for a visual guide. I like to make the other 2 batches of brown butter while the dough kneads.
- Spray a large bowl with cooking spray or oil it with your preferred oil. Place dough inside, then spray the top with a little oil so it doesn't dry out. Cover with cling wrap and allow to rise in a warm place until at least doubled in size, about an hour.
Make the Filling and Prepare the Rolls:
- Combine sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl.
- Roll the dough out evenly. It should be about an ⅛-1/4" thick and the long end should be about 16-18". Give the room temperature brown butter a little mix to combine as it will be separated. Spread brown butter across the dough evenly. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture evenly over top of the butter. Use your fingers to crumble the brown sugar evenly over the top of the rest of the filling.
- Starting on the long end, roll up the dough. Cut into 12 even rolls. The easiest way for me to get the rolls even is to cut the log in half, then each half in half again. Then each of those I cut into 3 even pieces. Place evenly in a greased 9x13" pan. I like to spread them out a bit and make sure they aren't tightly rolled. I find this enables the insides of the rolls to puff and expand more. Cover and allow to rise for 30 minutes. 10 minutes into the rise, preheat the oven to 350° F. Once they are done rising, bake for 17-22 minutes until done. The tops and edges will just be starting to turn golden brown.
Make Frosting and Frost the Cinnamon Rolls
- Beat the cream cheese and room temperature brown butter together on medium speed until completely smooth and lump free, about 1-2 minutes. Add the vanilla and brown sugar and beat to combine. Add the powdered sugar and mix until well combined and smooth.
- Allow brown butter cinnamon rolls to cool about 10-20 minutes before frosting. This way they will still be warm and the icing will seep into the rolls, but they will be cool enough so that they won't get soggy. For frosting that sits on top of the rolls, wait until they have cooled completely. Make sure to check out the notes below for all the tips and tricks!
Notes
- You can use skim or 1% milk for these rolls, but they have a softer and silkier texture when you use whole or 2%.
- Bread flour makes a HUGE difference in the texture of how cinnamon rolls turn out. It makes them softer and smooshier and helps them retain that softness on days 2 and 3. We highly recommend you use bread flour, but all-purpose flour would also work in a pinch.
- For a more in depth tutorial on making brown butter, we highly recommend looking on youtube.
- Things like humidity can affect how much flour you need. The dough should just barely be pulling away from the sides of whatever bowl you are kneading it in. The dough should be very soft and almost sticky.
- One of my top tips in making yeast breads is proofing the yeast.Getting it activated and foamy and ready to go ensures you will get a good rise from your rolls and the perfect texture.
- Reheat day old cinnamon rolls in the microwave for 12-15 seconds for that delicious fresh from the oven texture.
- I like to spread the rolls out just a bit when placing them in the pan. I also like to make sure the roll is loose. If they are too tight, the middles can be dense or puff up instead of out. Spreading them just a bit enables them to grow and expand making them so soft and fluffy.
- It is now popular to mix together the cinnamon and sugar with the butter, and you can definitely do this. I find that I don't like the filling quite as much when it's pre-mixed together.
Andrea says
These brown butter cinnamon rolls are AMAZING! They are soooo good!