Chai Spiced Cinnamon Rolls – These small batch cinnamon rolls are filled with a chai spice brown butter filling and smothered in a brown butter cream cheese glaze! Not only are these cinnamon rolls soft and fluffy, they are also incredibly delicious!
Ingredients for Chai Spiced Cinnamon Rolls
Dough
- Active Dry Yeast
- Warm Water, 105 to 110 ºF (40 to 43 ºC)
- White Sugar
- Buttermilk
- Brown Sugar
- 1 Large Egg + 1 Yolk
- Butter
- Vanilla Extract
- Bread Flour
- Cinnamon
- Cardamom
- Nutmeg
Chai Spice Brown Butter Filling
- Brown Butter
- Brown Sugar
- Cinnamon
- Allspice
- Cardamom
- Ginger
- Nutmeg
Brown Butter Cream Cheese Glaze
- Cream Cheese
- Brown Butter
- Confectioners’ Sugar
- Cream or Milk
- Vanilla Paste or Extract
Instructions
1. In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine water, yeast and white sugar and bloom for 10 minutes.
2. Add melted butter, brown sugar, egg, egg yolk and vanilla extract and whisk to break up the eggs.
3. Add bread flour, cinnamon, cardamom and nutmeg.
4. With a spatula, stir until a rough ball forms.
5. Fit your stand mixer with the hook attachment and knead the dough on medium speed for 10 minutes. It’s okay if the dough sticks to the bottom of your bowl, but it should not stick to the sides. If your dough is still sticky, you can add up to 2 tbsps of bread flour.
6. The dough should be elastic and is ready when it passes the window pane test. To perform the window pane test, take a small ball of dough and stretch it into a small square. It should be stretched thin enough to let light pass through without tearing it.
7. Transfer dough into a large oiled bowl. Allow to rise at room temperature for 1 hour.
SHAPING THE DOUGH
8. Gently punch the dough down and transfer to a lightly floured work surface. Roll your dough to a 12 x 18 inch (30 x 45 cm) rectangle.
9. Evenly spread your chai spice brown butter filling, leaving a half inch border all around. Tightly roll your dough into a log, starting with the short side. The dough will be very soft.
10. Trim an inch (2.5 cm) off each end.
11. With a sharp knife or dental floss, cut into 8 equal pieces.
12. Transfer rolls to a 10-inch (25.4 cm) cake pan. I used a 9-inch cast iron pan and was only able to fit 6 rolls because the base is smaller, but a traditional cake pan should fit all the rolls. Allow to proof for 30 to 45 minutes.
13. Bake at 350ºF (176ºC) for about 20 to 25 minutes. Your rolls are ready when they are golden brown and when the internal temperature reaches 190ºF (88ºC).
Smother your rolls with your brown butter cream cheese glaze and enjoy!
Measuring By Weight
Measuring ingredients by weight, rather than by volume, is the most accurate way to bake. Unfortunately, not all measuring cups are created the same, so your one cup will be different from my one cup. Additionally, there are measuring cups that are specifically designed for liquid and for dry ingredients. I highly recommend purchasing an inexpensive kitchen scale and weighing your ingredients to prevent any inaccuracies. For your convenience, my recipes are written in grams, with the exception of teaspoons/tablespoons, to ensure your bakes come out perfect every time!
If you would like to learn more about measuring by weight, you can refer to King Arthur’s ingredient weight chart.
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Recipe
CHAI SPICED CINNAMON ROLLS
- Total Time: 2 Hour + 25 Mins
- Yield: 8 Rolls 1x
Description
Chai Spiced Cinnamon Rolls – These small batch chai spice scented cinnamon rolls are filled with a brown butter chai spice filling and smothered in a brown butter cream cheese glaze!
Ingredients
Brown Butter
- 10 Tbsp (170 g) Unsalted Butter
Dough
- 2 ¼ Tsp (7 g) Active Dry Yeast
- 3 Tbsp Warm Water, 105 to 110 ºF (40 to 43 ºC)
- ½ Tsp White Sugar
- ½ Cup (112 g) Buttermilk, room temp
- ¼ Cup (50 g) Brown Sugar
- 1 Large Egg + 1 Yolk, room temp
- 4 Tbsp (56 g) Butter, melted
- 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
- 3 Cups + 2 tablespoon if needed (360 g + 16 g) Bread Flour, measured correctly
- ½ Tsp Cinnamon
- ¼ Tsp Cardamom
- ⅛ Tsp Nutmeg
Chai Spice Brown Butter Filling
- 6 Tbsp Brown Butter, room temp
- ⅔ Cup (135 g) Brown Sugar
- 1 Tbsp Cinnamon
- ½ Tsp Allspice
- ½ Tsp Cardamom
- ½ Tsp Ginger
- ¼ Tsp Nutmeg
Brown Butter Cream Cheese Glaze
- 3 oz (85 g) Cream Cheese, cold or room temp
- 2 Tbsp Brown Butter, room temp
- 1 Cup (110 g) Confectioners’ Sugar, sifted
- 2 Tbsp Cream or Milk
- 1 Tsp Vanilla Paste or Extract
Instructions
Brown Butter
- Place butter into a light colored saucepan and over medium heat, melt butter until it browns. Swirl the pan and stir constantly. The butter will bubble and foam up and start to brown after 5 to 6 minutes. Make sure to not burn your butter! Once your butter has turned a golden brown, take off the heat and immediately transfer to a glass bowl. Make sure to scrape all the brown bits to the bowl as well. That’s where all the flavor is.
- At this point, you can either allow it to cool down at room temp or place in the fridge to firm up until needed.
Dough
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, add warm water, yeast and ½ teaspoon of white sugar and stir to combine. Allow the yeast to bloom for 10 minutes.
- Add brown sugar, room temp buttermilk, melted butter, egg, yolk and vanilla extract and stir just to combine.
- Add 3 cups of flour and with a spatula, mix until the dough roughly comes together.
- Fit your stand mixer with the hook attachment and knead the dough on medium speed for 10 minutes. It’s okay if the dough sticks to the bottom of your bowl, but it should not stick to the sides. If your dough is still sticky, you can add up to 2 tbsps of bread flour. The dough should be elastic and is ready when it passes the window pane test. To perform the window pane test, take a small ball of dough and stretch it into a small square. It should be stretched thin enough to let light pass through without tearing it.
- Transfer dough into a large oiled bowl. Allow to rise at room temperature for 1 hour.
Chai Spice Brown Butter Filling
- Stir your brown butter, making sure to mix all the brown bits that have settled at the bottom of the bowl. Reserve 2 tablespoons for the glaze.
- Transfer the rest of the brown butter to a bigger bowl if needed. Add brown sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, allspice, ginger and nutmeg and mix until well combined and set aside. It should be a soft paste. See note below regarding spice blend
Shaping Your Rolls
- Gently punch your risen dough and transfer to a lightly floured work surface.
- Roll your dough to a 12 x 18 inch (30 x 45 cm) rectangle.
- Evenly spread filling onto the dough, leaving a half inch border all around.
- Tightly roll your dough into a log, starting with the short side. Trim an inch (2.5 cm) off each end.
- With a sharp knife or dental floss, cut 8 even pieces and transfer to a 10-inch (25.4 cm) cake pan. I used a 9-inch cast iron pan and was only able to fit 6 because the base of the skillet is smaller, but a traditional 10-inch cake pan should fit all the rolls. Allow to proof for 30 minutes.
- About 15 minutes in, position your oven rack in the center and preheat your oven to 350ºF (176ºC).
- Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes. Your rolls are ready when they are golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 190ºF (88ºC).
Brown Butter Cream Cheese Glaze
- While your rolls are baking, let’s make the glaze. In a medium sized bowl, mix your cream cheese and reserved brown butter with a hand held mixer until combined.
- Add cream and vanilla and mix until combined.
- Add sifted confectioners’ sugar and mix until combined and set aside.
- Once the rolls are cooked, allow to sit for 10 minutes and then glaze. Enjoy!
Notes
- When measuring your flour, aerate your flour first, then scoop into your measuring cup and then level off with the back of a butter knife.
- This chai spice blend is more cinnamon forward with a subtle chai flavor. Please feel free to increase the amount of spices if you wish! You can even add clove or star anise.
- Cinnamon rolls are best eaten the same day. Store any leftover rolls in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days or 5 days in the fridge. You can reheat your rolls in the microwave, but keep in mind it will not be as soft as it was on the first day.
- Prep Time: 2 Hours
- Cook Time: 20 to 25 mins
If you have made this recipe, I would love to know how it turned out for you! Please consider leaving a star rating and review below and tag me on Instagram @shortstackkitchen. Thank you so much!
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