These are your classic cinnamon rolls with a slight improvement! These Brown Butter Cinnamon rolls use brown butter in both the filling and the frosting which gives them extra flavor and extra fluff.

Side view of a cast iron pan full of brown butter cinnamon rolls.

Can I skip the brown butter?

I’m going to be honest, for this recipe, no you cannot skip browning the butter but I promise it’s so quick and easy and makes a world of difference. Browning the butter not only adds more flavor to these cinnamon rolls but it also evaporates some of the extra water that is in the butter which means that the cinnamon rolls are extra fluffy and the layers don’t pull apart.

What can I use instead of a cast iron pan?

If you don’t have a cast iron pan, you can also use a 9″ or 10″ springform or metal cake pan! I haven’t tried ceramic dishes but it should work, you may just need to bake it longer and cover it with foil to keep it from getting too dark.

What is the frosting of cinnamon rolls made of?

Some people like a cream cheese frosting on their cinnamon rolls, I however, prefer a butter, powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla frosting. This recipes uses the leftover brown butter in the frosting which keeps it soft but also adds a yummy depth of flavor.

How do I know when the dough is finished kneading?

This dough should pass the window pane test which means that when a golf ball sized piece is torn off, you should be able to stretch it gently until light passes through but without it tearing. I usually check it once all of the butter has been fully kneaded into the dough.

Do leftover cinnamon rolls need to be refrigerated?

If you are just keeping them for a day or two, leftover cinnamon rolls should not be refrigerated as it will make them dry out faster. That being said if you are storing them long term, they should be in the refrigerator or freezer.

Tips for making a Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

When making yeasted dough, ensure that you allow your mixer to fully knead the dough, until it forms a smooth ball and the sides of the bowl are cleaned. This will happen twice while kneading the dough, once before the butter is added and once after. Sometimes I have to scraped down the sides of the bowl after the second butter addition.
I like to do the first proof (rise) of the dough overnight in the fridge because it means less time in the morning and it is easier to assemble the cinnamon rolls when the dough is cold.
It’s important to keep a close eye on your butter when browning it because you want to get those delicious bits but you don’t want it to burn. Once it starts to bubble, use a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to stir the bubbles around so that you can see the color underneath. It should get quiet, and then start to foam, cook it a bit longer and then it should be ready.
To quickly cool the brown butter, pour it onto a quarter sized baking sheet and place the baking sheet on an ice pack or in your freezer, just don’t forget about it. You want the butter to reach a spreadable consistency.
When rolling out the dough, try to make it as rectangular as possible. This will help when it comes shaping and cutting the twist. I use a bench scraper to keep reshaping into a rectangle as I roll it because it can be tricky to reshape at the end.
The cinnamon rolls are done when the dough tops have become golden brown. You don’t want to over bake them or they will lose their gooeyness.

Ingredients

All Purpose Flour: Any all purpose flour will work for this! I have not yet tried any other flours with this recipe.
Sugar: This recipe uses granulated sugar in the dough and the filling and powdered sugar in the frosting.
Yeast: In this recipe, instant yeast is used. However, if you are using active dry, simply whisk it in with the warm milk and let it sit for 10 minutes first and then add in the remaining ingredients.
Salt: A tiny bit fine sea salt is added but not much because we are using a salted butter.
Milk: Milk is the liquid in the dough and the frosting; however, it will also work with non-dairy milks such as almond milk.
Eggs: I use standard large eggs from the store. There are two whole eggs in the dough.
Vanilla: Vanilla extract enhances the flavors of the cinnamon roll.
Cinnamon: A good bit of cinnamon goes into the filling to give them their strong cinnamon roll flavor.
Butter: The butter adds the rich fat necessary for the dough, the filling and the frosting. I recommend Kerrygold salted butter for this.
Heavy Cream: A bit of heavy cream poured onto the rolls just before baking will make them extra soft and fluffy.

Side view of a gooey frosted brown butter cinnamon roll on a green and white plate.

How to make a Brown Butter Cinnamon Rolls

Make the Yeasted Dough

In the bowl of a stand mixer whisk together the flour, sugar, and yeast.
Sprinkle in the salt. Then add in the warm milk, two eggs, and vanilla extract.
Use a dough hook to knead everything together on medium low speed for 15 minutes until the dough has smooth edges and the bowl is clean.
Add half of the butter in and knead again until incorporated (about 5 minutes). Add in the second half of the butter and knead once more until smooth. The dough should pass the window pane test *see notes section for more info.
Place the dough on a plastic lined 1/4 baking sheet and cover with another sheet of plastic. Press into an approximate rectangle and place into the fridge overnight.

Filling

The next day, add the butter into a medium pan. Place over medium low heat (medium if using electric and your stove isn’t very hot).
Cook until bubbling, then use a rubber spatula to stir it gently until brown bits form. Keep scraping and stirring the pan until the butter is heavily speckled with brown bits but not burnt.
Turn the heat off and allow it to cool until it has reached a spreadable consistency. Scoop 150 grams of the brown butter into a small mixing bowl and add in 125 grams of sugar, 1.5 tablespoons of ground cinnamon, and a splash of vanilla. Stir to combine.
In a separate bowl, stir together the remaining 75 grams of sugar and 1.5 tablespoons of cinnamon.

Cinnamon Sugar filling in a white ceramic bowl.

Shape the Cinnamon rolls

Preheat the oven to 350 F and place a rack in the center of the oven.
Grease a seasoned cast iron pan with softened butter (what’s left on the butter wrapper is usually enough) or line with a sheet of parchment.
Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to 14″ x 14″. Try to keep the dough as rectangular as possible while rolling it out and use flour as needed to keep the dough from sticking.
Spread the brown butter filling over the entire surface of the dough.
Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the butter filling.
Roll the dough up, starting with the side closest to you. Be careful to keep the roll tight but don’t squeeze out the butter.
Once fully rolled, place it seam side down and give the roll a few squeezes while also ever so slightly stretching it out. You want the roll to grow to be 15″ long.
Use a long sharp knife to mark 1.5″ marks along the roll. Then slice where each mark is to cut the roll into 10.
Place the rolls into the pan so that there are 7 around the outside of the pan and three on the inside. Space the rolls evenly in the pan so that there is also space between the rolls and the edges of the pan.
Cover the pan with plastic and set aside for at least 30-45 minutes to proof while the oven preheats. They should grow to be fully touching and puffy!

Yeasted dough rolled up with a brown butter cinnamon sugar filling.

Bake the Cinnamon Rolls

Once the oven is heated up and the buns have gotten nice and puffy, drizzle the top with heavy cream. This helps to make them nice and fluffy.
Then, place the pan onto the center rack in the oven. Set a timer for 25 minutes.
After 25 minutes have passed, rotate the pan and bake for another 20 minutes until golden brown. If any have started to have their centers pop out, just gently press them back in with a spatula.
Once baked, remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool slightly.
While they cool, make the frosting.

Shaped cinnamon rolls drizzled with heavy cream.

Freshly baked brown butter cinnamon rolls before frosting.

Brown Butter Frosting

In a medium bowl, whisk the remaining brown butter together with powdered sugar and a couple splashes of milk.
If it is too thin, add more powdered sugar, if too thick add more milk. It should be quite thick because the warmth of the cinnamon rolls will sort of melt it.
Spoon the frosting onto each cinnamon roll. Then use the back of the spoon to spread the frosting out in a circular motion on each cinnamon roll.

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