What could be better than the smell of fresh cinnamon rolls in the morning? Close to nothing. With the recipe for these Cinnamon & Spice Rolls, having homemade cinnamon rolls for breakfast is so easy.
These rolls come out soft and are topped with a thick cream cheese frosting. In addition to cinnamon, the inside is filled with nutmeg and allspice, giving these rolls an extra warm flavor and the best smell you can imagine. It’ll be hard to keep these around for long.
To make these Cinnamon & Spice Rolls…
We’ll start out by making the dough. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the hook attachment, stir together the warm milk, sugar, and yeast, and let it sit for a few minutes until it’s foamy. While it’s sitting, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, salt and cinnamon. Then add the flour mixture, egg, and melted butter to the yeast mixture and beat on low speed until the dough starts to come together. Move to a medium-low speed and keep kneading until the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl.
Move the dough to a floured silicone mat and knead by hand into a ball. You can tell it’s done when the dough springs back after you gently press a finger into it. Move the dough to a large, oiled bowl. Cover with a kitchen towel and set aside for 1 – 1.5 hours, until it about doubles in size.
As the dough is rising, mix together the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice for the filling.
When the dough is done rising, roll it into a 12″x18″ rectangle on a floured silicone mat. Spread the soft butter over the dough. Then spread the filling on top of the butter and gently press down so it sticks. Starting at the long end, roll the dough into a log. Using unflavored floss or a sharp knife, cut into 12 even rolls (about 1.5 inches each). Place the rolls onto a greased 9″x13″ glass or ceramic baking pan. Set aside to let rise for 1 hour. You can also let these chill overnight in the fridge.
Bake the rolls 350°F for about 30 minutes and allow to cool.
To make the cream cheese frosting, beat the cream cheese and butter in a stand mixer. Then add the powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and salt. Beat together until combined. Spread this frosting over the rolls once they have cooled a little bit (but still warm), and serve these warm, soft Cinnamon & Spice Rolls!
Some ingredients notes
Cinnamon, Nutmeg, and Allspice – Using these three spices in the filling will be the big factor of the flavor for the rolls.
Instant Yeast – For this recipe, make sure to use instant yeast and not active yeast. I used Rapid Rise, and 1 packet (2 1/4 teaspoons) is the perfect size for this recipe.
Cream Cheese Frosting – I absolutely love topping these with a thick cream cheese frosting, but feel free to change the amount of milk used to adjust the thickness for your preference.
Tips
- After hand kneading, you’ll know the dough is ready when it springs back after gently poking it with your finger.
- When spreading butter on the rolled out dough, make sure that the butter is very soft. If it’s not soft enough to spread, then put it in the microwave for 3-4 second increments.
- Try to roll the dough into a log as evenly as you can. After rolling, you may need to cut a little bit off the ends.
- I personally love to prep the rolls to bake the next morning. To do this, place the cut rolls into the baking pan, cover, and place in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, let the pan sit on the counter for an hour and then bake as instructed!
Need something else to add to your breakfast?
Check out my other breakfast recipes!
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Cinnamon & Spice Rolls
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Rise Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours
- Yield: 12 rolls 1x
Description
These soft Cinnamon & Spice Rolls are a classic cinnamon roll but with nutmeg and allspice added in to make it even more warm and cozy. Topped with thick cream cheese frosting, what could be better?
Ingredients
The Dough
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 1/4 teaspoons (1 packet) Rapid Rise Instant Yeast
- 3/4 cup warm whole milk
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (plus additional for dusting)
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 large egg, room temperature
The Cinnamon & Spice Filling
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice
The Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 oz cream cheese, room temperature
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- A pinch of salt
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attached, stir the warm milk, sugar, and yeast together until combined. Let sit for about 5 minutes (it will become foamy).
- While the yeast mixture is sitting, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Add the flour mixture, the melted butter, and the egg to the yeast mixture and beat on low speed until the dough starts to come together. Move to medium-low speed and keep kneading until the dough starts to pull away from the side of the bowl and is forming into a ball.
- Move the dough to a floured mat and knead by hand into a ball. When you lightly press your finger into it, the dough should spring back.
- Move the dough to a large oiled bowl and cover with a towel. Set aside to rise for 1 – 1.5 hours or until the dough has doubled in size.
- While the dough is rising, prep the filling by mixing the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice.
- Lightly grease a 9″x13″ glass or ceramic baking pan.
- When the dough is done rising, move it to a floured mat and roll into a 12″x18″ rectangle. Spread the butter all over the surface of the dough (it should be very soft). Then sprinkle the sugar and spice mixture evenly on top and gently press down so it sticks to the butter.
- Starting at one of the long ends, roll the dough into a log, keeping it tight.
- Using unflavored dental floss or a sharp knife, cut the log into 12 even rolls (you can cut a small piece off of each end if needed).
- Place the rolls in the greased baking pan (evenly spaced) and cover with a towel. Set aside to let rise for 1 hour.
- Optional: If you want to prep these the night before, cover the pan and place in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, remove from the fridge and let sit on the counter for an hour. Then bake using the following instructions.
- Bake the rolls at 350°F for about 30 minutes. The tops should be golden brown and the rolls should not be doughy. If the tops are getting too brown, loosely tent the pan with foil. Once removed from the oven, allow to cool.
- To make the cream cheese frosting, beat the cream cheese and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment at medium speed. Then add the powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and salt and mix until combined. Spread the frosting over the rolls once they have cooled off a bit but are still warm!