Cream Cheese Cinnamon Rolls
My first cinnamon roll memory is from a bakery, the kind with a glass case and a line out the door on weekend mornings, and someone in front of me ordered the last one. I spent the rest of the day thinking about it, went home, and started experimenting, which is what I always do when something gets under my skin. The cream cheese in the dough was an accident: I had half a block left over from something else and thought, why not, and it made the dough softer and richer than anything I had made before. I make the dough the night before now, let it rise in the refrigerator, and bake them in the morning so the house smells extraordinary before anyone has had coffee and everyone assumes you woke up early out of love. I will let you decide whether to correct that impression.
Cream Cheese Cinnamon Rolls
Something warm and pull-apart-able from the oven on a slow morning, that is the whole point. These cinnamon rolls have cream cheese in the dough and a cream cheese frosting that melts into every fold while they are still warm. I have made these on a Saturday when I had nowhere to be, and that is exactly the kind of recipe this is.
Ingredients
For the dough
3/4 cup warm whole milk (about 110°F)
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (one packet)
1/4 cup sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/2 teaspoon salt
For the filling
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
For the cream cheese frosting
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
3 tablespoons whole milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Warm the milk to about 110°F, warm enough to feel comfortable on your wrist, not hot enough to hurt. Dissolve the yeast and a pinch of the sugar in the milk and let it sit for 5 minutes until foamy. If nothing happens, start over with fresh yeast.
In a large bowl, beat the butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add the remaining sugar, egg, and vanilla and mix until combined. Pour in the yeast mixture and stir.
Add the flour and salt and mix until a soft dough forms. Knead on a lightly floured surface for about 8 minutes, until smooth and slightly tacky but not sticky. Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let rise for 1 to 1.5 hours, until doubled.
Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a rectangle roughly 12 x 16 inches. Spread the softened butter over the surface, then scatter the cinnamon sugar evenly on top.
Roll the dough tightly from the long side into a log. Cut into 12 even rounds and place them in a buttered 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Cover and let rise for another 45 minutes.
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, until golden on top and no longer doughy in the center. Do not overbake, they will dry out and you will be sad.
While the rolls are still warm, beat together the cream cheese, powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth and spreadable. Pour it over the rolls and let it melt into all the gaps. Serve immediately, or as close to immediately as you can manage.
Hi, I'm Sarina!
I'm passionate about food, photography, and food styling. I want to share my unique perspective with you. Have a look around at my recipes and blog
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