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Brown Butter Cinnamon Rolls

I’ve gotta just let you know now, there’s an obscene amount of butter going on here. These brown butter cinnamon rolls are not for the faint of heart. I came up with this recipe in hopes you’d make it part of a special event. Don’t eat these every day. Christmas brunch would be fabulous. Birthday’s, parties, etc. Do that, but don’t do every day. Sinful doesn’t even begin to conceptualize this level of decadence. I’m conflicted, because I want you to make these…but I know you’ll become addicted. And therefore end up eating them more than you should. What a tangled weave…

Ok, so boom. Gather your crew of ingredients prior to making these. Make sure there’s plenty of butter in your fridge, or go buy some. I’m talking real butter, not that tub of “unbelievable”, or “crock of butter-like product” stuff. Any old packets of dried up yeast older than Methuselah have got to go. Get some fresh yeast. I only buy whole milk for baking purposes, personally — so if you don’t drink it, get a small container for this recipe.

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How to make cinnamon roll dough

Ok, I’ve posted quite a few cinnamon roll recipes. The process is still the same, so I’m not going to go into great detail. You can check out previous posts, or this video from three years ago to see exactly how the process goes. 

With that said, let’s get into it. I highly recommend a stand mixer for this recipe. You could do this by hand, but it would be a messy mess and one hell of an upper body workout. 

Brown Butter Cinnamon Rolls

I’ve posted a lot of cinnamon roll recipes, so I’m not going to show too many of the same kinda pics here. But if you’re new, here I am adding the yeast/milk mixture to the dry mixture. I’m using the dough hook on my stand mixer.

Brown Butter Cinnamon Rolls

Because this is a brioche dough, I’m adding room temperature butter (not mushy and greasy) in 10 second increments so that it properly blends into the dough.

Brown Butter Cinnamon Rolls

Keep kneading, this should take about 7 minutes, up to 10. The dough should clear the sides of the bowl and shouldn’t be too sticky. There may be some slight stick’age to the bowl at the very bottom and that’s fine. The goal here is to develop some gluten. If you don’t let this knead long enough, it can be impossible to work with and not rise very well when baked. Also, you may need to add more flour during this process, so add it in 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough comes together, but wait to do this after 7 minutes if needed.

Brown Butter Cinnamon Rolls

So here’s our ball of dough. I kneaded it by hand for about 3 minutes, adding just a kiss of extra flour until it’s in a taut ball. You’re gonna spray the inside of a large bowl with nonstick cooking or baking spray, plop this baby in the center, and cover it with plastic wrap. Place the dough in a turned off oven with the light on, or a warm spot in your house and let it proof for 2 hours.

Brown Butter Cinnamon Rolls

In a bowl, add the light brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt.

Brown Butter Cinnamon Rolls

Blend it all together, breaking up any large clumps with your fingers or a fork.

Brown Butter Cinnamon Rolls

Brown some butter over medium heat until you see those golden brown bits at the bottom. Don’t burn it!

Brown Butter Cinnamon Rolls

Pour the brown butter over a little cold butter to cool it down and prevent it from burning even further.

Brown Butter Cinnamon Rolls

It will foam up immediately like this, so be warned.

Brown Butter Cinnamon Rolls

Mix that around to blend it all together. Let this mixture cool for a while your dough is proofing.

Brown Butter Cinnamon Rolls

The dough has proofed, and now it’s time to roll it out.

Brown Butter Cinnamon Rolls

Roll the dough out into a large 18-inch rectangle.

Brown Butter Cinnamon Rolls

Evenly scatter the cooled melted brown butter all over the dough.

Brown Butter Cinnamon Rolls

Spread it around with the back of a spoon, leaving about a 1-inch border.

Brown Butter Cinnamon Rolls

Sprinkle an even layer of the cinnamon sugar mixture all over the brown butter.

Brown Butter Cinnamon Rolls

Gently press the cinnamon sugar mixture into the brown butter.

Brown Butter Cinnamon Rolls

Pressing the sugar mixture into the brown butter will allow it to stick a little better and prevent it from falling out when you slice them into rolls.

Brown Butter Cinnamon Rolls

Gently roll the dough into a tightly packed log.

Brown Butter Cinnamon Rolls

Pinch the seams together very tightly to prevent them from opening during the second proof.

Brown Butter Cinnamon Rolls

With a very sharp knife, cut the log down the middle. Then slice each half in half, and so on, until you have 12 rolls. Also, cut off the butt-ends — it’s just extra dough you don’t need.

Brown Butter Cinnamon Rolls

12 rolls. Butt ends cut off. Ready for proofing.

Brown Butter Cinnamon Rolls

I crumpled a piece of parchment paper to make it fit inside the baking dish easier, and spritzed it with nonstick baking spray (very lightly).

Brown Butter Cinnamon Rolls

Place the rolls down, with about an inch of space between each. They will proof and expand. Cover them with plastic wrap for an hour back in the same warm spot you first proofed the dough.

Brown Butter Cinnamon Rolls

While the rolls are proofing a second time, let’s make the brown butter glaze.

Brown Butter Cinnamon Rolls

Brown some more butter, and as soon as the bits start to turn golden, pour it over the powdered sugar.

Brown Butter Cinnamon Rolls

Like so.

Brown Butter Cinnamon Rolls

Start to whisk it together, then add some heavy cream in 1/4 cup increments. Whisk, adjust consistency by adding more cream if needed.

Brown Butter Cinnamon Rolls

Mix mix mix, confectioners sugar is funny. Make sure you mix it thoroughly before adding more moisture. You often need less than you’d think.

Brown Butter Cinnamon Rolls

When you’re happy with the consistency, whisk in the vanilla extract and a nice pinch of salt.

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Optional! Add one tablespoon of corn syrup. The corn syrup helps keep the glaze from turning into a rock, but it’s not a make-or-break ingredient. Leave it out if you don’t have it.

Brown Butter Cinnamon Rolls

Let this hang out.

Brown Butter Cinnamon Rolls

Our rolls have proofed. It’s finally time to bake.

Brown Butter Cinnamon Rolls

Mine baked for 30 minutes.

Brown Butter Cinnamon Rolls

Allow the rolls to cool for 10 minutes before glazing. Apply as much or as little as you’d like. I didn’t end up using all of my glaze, and you probably won’t either.

Brown Butter Cinnamon Rolls

Drool.

Brown Butter Cinnamon Rolls

The texture is feathery buttery light and gooey! These are so good. That brown butter is amazing.

Brown Butter Cinnamon Rolls

Whew! Make these.

Again. Gratuitous amounts of butter. Hella butter. All the butter. But still, these slap. Make them and enjoy them. After all, it’s spandex season.

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Brown Butter Cinnamon Rolls

Brown Butter Cinnamon Rolls


  • Author: Chef Resha
  • Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
  • Yield: 12 rolls

Description

Nutty brown butter lends a gorgeous caramel-toffee flavor to the filling and glaze for these super luscious, gooey, brioche cinnamon rolls.


Ingredients

Units

For the dough

  • 3/4 cup whole milk, heated to 110 degrees
  • 1 envelope (2 1/4 teaspoons) instant or rapid-rise yeast
  • 3 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus 1/4 cup more if needed
  • 1/2 cup cornstarch
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces — room temperature

For the filling

  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
  • 1 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

For the brown butter glaze

  • 2 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream, plus more if needed
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon corn syrup (optional)
  • Pinch of sea salt

Instructions

To prep

Line the bottom of a 13- by 9-inch baking pan with foil or parchment paper. Grease foil or parchment paper and sides of the pan with baking spray. Also, grease a medium bowl to hold the dough when it’s completed.

For the dough

  1. Whisk warm 110 degree milk and yeast in liquid measuring cup until yeast dissolves. Then whisk in eggs, and vanilla extract. In bowl of stand mixer fitted with dough hook, mix flour, cornstarch, sugar, and salt until combined. With mixer on low, add warm milk mixture in steady stream and mix until dough comes together, about 1 minute. Increase speed to medium and add butter, one piece at a time in 10-second intervals until incorporated. 
  2. Continue to mix until dough is smooth and comes away from sides of bowl, about 10 minutes. If after mixing for 10 minutes the dough is still wet and sticky, add up to 1/4 cup flour (one tablespoon at a time) until the dough releases from the bowl. Turn dough out onto clean surface and knead to form a smooth, round ball.
  3. Transfer dough to prepared bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and place in turned off oven with oven light on (it allows enough gentle warmth). Let rise until doubled in size, about 2 hours.

For the filling

  1. In a medium stainless steel saucepan, melt 6 tablespoons of unsalted butter over medium-low heat until it starts to brown, about 4-6 minutes. Don’t walk away from this. As soon as it browns nicely, turn off the heat and add in 2 tablespoons of cold unsalted butter. Mix it around until the mixture cools down. Set aside and cool while the dough rises.
  2. Combine brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in small bowl using a fork or your fingers to break up any large lumps. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Roll dough into 18-inch square. Leaving a 1-inch border, drizzle the brown butter all over the surface (you may not need all of it), and sprinkle evenly with filling. Lightly press the filling into the brown butter. 
  3. Starting with the widest edge nearest you, roll dough into tight cylinder, pinch lightly to seal seam, and cut into 12 pieces using either a serrated knife or bench scraper. It’s easier to cut the dough in half, then cut each side in half until you have 12 rolls. You could also make 8 super large rolls, if you prefer. 
  4. Transfer pieces, cut-side up, to prepared pan. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a turned off oven or warm spot until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

For the glaze and to bake

  1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. 
  2. In a medium stainless steel saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter over medium-low heat until it starts to brown, about 4-6 minutes. 
  3. Pour the hot brown butter over the powdered sugar, including as many brown bits as possible. Whisk brown butter and sugar together, then pour in the heavy cream in 1/4 cup increments until you reach a desired consistency. Add the vanilla, pinch of salt, and corn syrup (if using). Give it a final whisk and set aside. 
  4. Discard plastic wrap and bake buns until deep golden brown and filling is melted, 30-35 minutes. Cool for about 10 minutes then pour over some of the glaze. You may not have to use all of the glaze, I didn’t. I stored the rest of the glaze in the freezer for later use. 
  5. Serve.

Notes

You may notice some slight butter separation once the glaze sets, and that’s normal and fine. Just eat it.

  • Prep Time: 3 hours
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Category: brunch, sweets, desserts
  • Cuisine: American

Keywords: cinnamon rolls, brown butter cinnamon rolls, brown butter, sweets, brunch, desserts

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Recipe rating

  1. Dara Williams says:

    I’ve perfected this recipe. Resha is the only reason perfection was possible. The detail offered is top tier.

  2. Jordy says:

    OH. MY. GOD!!! This is the first recipe of yours I made and it absolutely will NOT be the last. You are magic! I followed the recipe to a T (except I had half & half not heavy cream for the glaze) and they are FANTASTIC! I’m not a cinnamon roll person. Never really cared for the canned Pillsbury ones, never really liked Cinnabon; I never really understood the hype. I DO NOW! If this is the recipe, I’m a cinnamon roll FEEN! I made these today for a Sunday brunch with a few friends tomorrow and I can already tell they won’t last long.

    I was able to get 10 fully formed cinnamon rolls from the recipe. I baked the two ends were supposed to cut off since they had a little filling and I wanted to try one today.

    I’ll be making these once a month. The brioche dough is outrageous and the brown butter glaze is FIRE! I’m restraining myself from eating another one. You are a BEAST Chef Resha!

  3. Nay says:
    Your comment is awaiting moderation. This is a preview; your comment will be visible after it has been approved.
    Mine turned into hard little biscuits. Smh idk what went wrong here but i slid allum right into the trash can ??‍♀️
  4. Jessica Z says:

    Any tips on doing these the day before to bake first thing in the morning?

    • Chef Resha says:

      To make ahead, place the prepared rolls in your baking dish and wrap with plastic wrap so they can be chilled in your fridge for up to 24 hours. When you’re ready to bake, take them out a few hours prior so they come to room temperature completely, then bake as directed.