Brown Butter Cinnamon Rolls

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Pillowy soft Brown Butter Cinnamon Rolls with brown butter cream cheese frosting are an upgrade from the classic cinnamon rolls. Not only is nutty brown butter infused in the super soft brioche dough, it's also in the brown sugar-cinnamon filling and luscious cream cheese icing.

Brown butter cinnamon rolls are topped with dollops of brown butter cream cheese frosting.

These are the best brown butter cinnamon rolls! Not only are they unbelievably soft and fluffy, the brown butter adds nutty, caramel-like flavors that are hard to resist. They are ooey gooey and totally melt-in-your-mouth.

Craving more brown butter recipes? Save my lemon blondies, captain crunch cookies, and brown butter bourbon blondies for next time!

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♡ Why You Will Love These Brown Butter Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredient Notes
Step-By-Step Instructions
💡 How to know when dough is properly proofed?
Ingredient Substitutions
Storage
⭐️ Expert Tips
FAQ
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♡ Did you try this recipe?
📖 Recipe

♡ Why You Will Love These Brown Butter Cinnamon Rolls

Better than the bakery. Nothing beats a fresh warm cinnamon roll from the oven. These homemade rolls are tall, light & fluffy, full of flavor, and made with quality ingredients.
Brown butter. Brown butter adds a depth of flavor that is unmatched. There's nutty brown butter in every bite, including the fluffy brioche dough, cinnamon sugar filling and cream cheese icing.
Ultra soft and fluffy. These brown butter cinnamon rolls get their incredibly soft texture from using the tangzhong method. Please see the FAQs at the end of the post to learn more about the science of tangzhong. If you're looking for more tangzhong recipes, check out my strawberry cinnamon rolls, and almond croissant rolls.

Brown butter cinnamon rolls topped with brown butter cream cheese are sitting in a baking pan.

Ingredient Notes

Here are some notes about all the ingredients used for these Brown Butter Cinnamon Rolls. Quantities and full instructions are in the recipe card below!

Brown Butter Cinnamon Roll Dough

Bread Flour + Water - We will be cooking a small amount of flour and water to make the tangzhong.
Yeast - I like to use dry active yeast, but you can also use instant yeast.
Milk - For best results, use whole milk.
Sugar - The sugar will feed the yeast and will also be in the main dough.
Flour - We are using a combination of bread flour and all-purpose flour. I recommend using a kitchen scale to measure your flour for best results.
Eggs - Gives structure and helps the bread brown.
Unsalted Butter - We'll be browning some butter until nutty and golden brown. The brown butter will then be solidified into a soft spread.
Salt - Rounds out the flavors and sweetness.

Brown butter cinnamon roll brown butter cream cheese frosting ingredients which include, cream cheese, brown butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, salt and milk.

Filling

Softened Brown Butter
Brown Sugar - You can use light or dark brown sugar.
Cinnamon - For flavor. Feel free to add other warm spices such as clove, nutmeg, ginger, cardamom or allspice.
Salt - Balances the sweetness.

Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

Softened Brown Butter
Cream Cheese - Adds tanginess.
Powdered Sugar - Also known as confectioners sugar or icing sugar.
Salt - Balances the sweetness.
Milk - To thin out the frosting.

*See recipe card for quantities.

Step-By-Step Instructions

Here are step-by-step photos and instructions on how to make these Brown Butter Cinnamon Rolls! Please find detailed instructions in the recipe card at the end of this post.

Butter and milk powder is browned in a small saucepan.

Step 1. Brown Butter - Using a spatula and stirring frequently, toast the butter and dry milk powder until golden brown. It will take 10 to 15 minutes. Be careful not to burn it.

Brown butter is solidified into a soft spreadable consistency in a measuring cup.

Step 2. Cool - Quickly pour brown butter/brown bits in a small bowl or 2-cup measuring cup. Freeze and stir every 10 minutes until the brown butter solidifies into a spreadable consistency. It took about 30 minutes for me.

Tangzhong is made by whisking together flour and water in a small saucepan.

Step 3. Make Tangzhong - Over medium heat, cook flour and water into a thick paste, about 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cool.

Frothy yeast mixture is added to a stand mixer bowl with flour, tangzhong, brown butter, salt, sugar and eggs.

Step 4. Combine Wet & Dry Ingredients - To a stand mixer bowl, add frothy yeast mixture, flour, all of the tangzhong mixture, softened brown butter, sugar, eggs, and salt.

Hands are performing window pane test by holding a small piece of brown butter cinnamon roll dough and stretching it thin to let light pass through.

Step 5. Knead Dough - Knead the dough on medium-low speed for 10 to 15 minutes or until it passes the window pane test.

Brown butter cinnamon roll dough has doubled in size in a large stand mixer bowl.

Step 6. Rise Dough - Form dough into a smooth ball and place into a well oiled bowl. Cover and let the dough double in size.

Brown butter, brown sugar, salt and cinnamon are mixed together in a small glass bowl.

Brown butter cinnamon sugar filling is spread onto the cinnamon roll dough and cut into 12 even strips.

Step 7. Fill & Cut Rolls - On a lightly floured work surface, roll dough into a large rectangle. Evenly spread a thin layer of filling onto the dough, leaving a ½ inch border (1.2 cm). Cut into 12 even pieces, widthwise and roll each strip of dough into buns.

Brown butter cinnamon rolls are filled, rolled and placed in a 9x13 inch baking pan.

Step 8. Transfer Rolls to Pan - Brush 2 tablespoons of the softened brown butter to a 9x13 inch (22x33 cm) baking pan and transfer rolls to the pan.

A close up of proofed brown butter cinnamon rolls.

Step 9. Proof & Bake - Cover and proof for 30 to 45 minutes. Then bake uncovered at 350ºf (180ºC) for 24 to 28 minutes or until an inserted thermometer registers at 191ºF (88ºC).

💡 How to know when dough is properly proofed?

Perform a "poke" test! Gently press your pointer finger on the dough and if it springs back slowly and leaves a slight indentation, it's ready to be baked. If the dough bounces back immediately, it needs more time.

Brown butter cinnamon rolls ingredients are in a glass mixing bowl.

A close up of the brown butter cream cheese icing.

Step 10. Make Brown Butter Cream Cheese Icing & Frost - In a medium bowl, and using an electric mixer, beat softened cream cheese, softened brown butter and salt until smooth. Then beat in powdered sugar and vanilla until combined. Add milk until you reach your desired consistency. Slater with frosting and serve warm. Enjoy!!

Brown butter cinnamon rolls are smeared with brown butter cream cheese frosting with a spoon.

Ingredient Substitutions

For the Yeast - I almost always only use Active Dry Yeast, but you can also use instant yeast in this recipe. If using instant yeast, you do not need to bloom or activate it in the wam milk.
For The Bread Flour - Although I recommend using a combination of bread flour and all-purpose flour, you use all AP flour. You'll need to reduce the liquid a bit, as AP flour does not absorb as much liquid as bread flour does. Alternatively, if you don't reduce the liquid, you'll need to add more AP flour.

Storage

Room Temperature - If frosted, leftover cinnamon rolls can be left out for up to 4 hours.
Refrigerator - Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Microwave for 30 to 40 seconds before serving.
Freezer - Once completely cooled, wrap individual rolls in plastic wrap and store in a freezer-safe container/bag and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw on the counter before serving. It will take about 2 hours depending on how warm your kitchen is.

Brown butter cinnamon rolls topped with brown butter cream cheese are sitting on a dessert plate with a fork.

⭐️ Expert Tips

Use a kitchen scale to weigh all your ingredients. Baking in grams rather than in volume, is the best and most accurate way to bake! All my recipes include gram conversions based on King Arthur's Weight Chart.

If you are not using a kitchen scale, measure your flour correctly. Fluff and aerate your flour first, then spoon into your measuring cup and finally level off with the back of a butter knife. Do not pack it in as it will add too much flour.

Knead your dough until it passes the window pane test. To perform the test, take a small (2 tbsp) ball of dough and stretch it thin enough to let light pass through without tearing it. If it tears, knead for an additional 1 to 2 minutes or until it passes.

Use a true 9x13 inch (22x33cm) pan with straight edges if you can. Although some baking pans are labeled as 9x13 inches, some pans are rounded in at the base, making the surface space much smaller. For example, my Staub ceramic "9x13 inch" pan measures at 7.5 x11 inches (19x27cm) at the base. I'm using a 9x13 inch pan from "USA pan" that is a true, straight edge pan. These rolls fluff up quite nicely and would benefit from having space.

FAQ

I don't have a stand mixer, can I knead by hand?

Yes, it can get quite sticky, but you can knead the dough by hand for up to 20 minutes. Use a plastic bench scraper to help move the dough around and add flour little by little as needed. It's properly kneaded when it passes a window pane test.

Can I use all-purpose only?

I like using a combination of bread flour and AP flour for that perfect chewy texture. If you only have AP flour, you'll need to reduce your liquid a bit because bread flour absorbs more liquid.

Can I freeze leftover cinnamon rolls?

Yes! In fact, I prefer freezing over refrigerating leftover cinnamon rolls. They tend to dry out in the fridge, but freezing them within the first day of baking helps lock in the moisture. Wrap each roll individually with plastic wrap and store in freezer bags. Let come to room temp before serving, which is about 2 hours. It's as good as the first day you baked them, if stored properly!

What is tangzhong?

Tangzhong, also known as a "water roux," is an Asian technique in which a 1 to 5 ratio of flour and water is cooked into a thick paste. The paste is then added to bread dough, resulting in an improvement in texture, moisture retention and a longer shelf life.

The science behind this method is that the pre-cooked paste enables the flour molecules to hold more liquid. According to King Arthur Baking Company, "this process pre-gelatinizes the starches in the flour, and as a result they can absorb more liquid." In short, more hydration equals a softer and fluffier bread.

Brown butter cinnamon rolls are frosted in a brown butter cream cheese icing and sitting in a 9x13 inch baking pan.

♡ Did you try this recipe?

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