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Brown butter brioche cinnamon rolls make the best holiday breakfast! Topped with swirls of brown butter cream cheese frosting, the whole family will love this delicious twist on classic cinnamon rolls. Prep the rolls the day before and bake the next morning as a special part of your holiday traditions! Recipe yields 12 rolls.
There’s nothing I love more than baking with brown butter. It’s the most magical ingredient, and instantly elevates every recipe, from fudgy brownies to these brioche cinnamon rolls!
Brown butter adds incredible flavor to the brown sugar-cinnamon filling. You’ll also use brown butter in the cream cheese frosting. It’s super easy to make and incredibly delicious!
Craving more cinnamon rolls? Try my gooey caramel pecan cinnamon rolls or one giant cinnamon roll next!
The Best Brown Butter Cinnamon Rolls
Brioche – If you’ve never made brioche dough, this recipe is quite easy to make at home. Enriched with eggs and butter, brioche dough is richer than basic sweet yeast dough, and there’s no kneading required for this recipe. Simply mix up the dough in a stand mixer, then let rest in a warm place for 1 hour.
After one hour, chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours (or overnight). The chilling time makes the somewhat sticky dough much easier to roll out and work with.
Brown Butter – Brown butter flavors both the filling and the frosting. While the brioche dough chills, cook butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly until butter foams, turns clear, and then turns a deep brown.
Pour brown butter into a bowl (once solidified, the brown butter will be divided between the filling and the frosting). Chill brown butter in the refrigerator for 40 minutes, stirring partway through, until solidified. Remove from the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature until soft and spreadable.
Brown Butter Filling – Whisk together sugar, light brown sugar, cinnamon, arrowroot starch, and salt. Add softened brown butter and heavy cream, mixing until filling is creamy and spreadable.
Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting – Beat softened brown butter, unsalted butter, and cream cheese in a large mixer bowl on medium speed until combined. Mix in vanilla and salt. Gradually beat in powdered sugar on low speed until incorporated, then on medium speed until soft and creamy. The frosting is super easy to make and incredibly delicious!
Bake – Bake rolls for 30 to 35 minutes, or until golden and the internal temperature reaches 200°F. Baking time will vary based on the type of baking dish you use. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes. Spread the frosting over the warm rolls before serving.
Make Ahead Cinnamon Rolls
This brioche cinnamon roll recipe is designed to be made in advance. Use a stand mixer to make the dough, then let the dough rest in a warm spot until puffy and doubled in size. Once the dough is doubled in size, transfer to the refrigerator and chill for at least 3 hours (brioche dough is much easier to work with when chilled).
After 3 hours, roll out the dough on a floured board and add the filling. Roll the dough into a log, slice into rolls, and place the rolls into a baking pan. Cover the baking pan tightly (to prevent the rolls from drying out) and refrigerate up to 16 hours.
On baking day, remove the pan from the refrigerator and allow the rolls to rise in a warm place until puffy, about 45 minutes. Bake until golden brown, then let cool for 30 minutes before topping with brown butter cream cheese frosting. Serve warm and enjoy!
Did you try this Brown Butter Cinnamon Rolls Recipe? Let me know by leaving a comment and rating below!
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Brown Butter Brioche Cinnamon Rolls
- Prep Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 35 minutes
- Yield: 12 rolls
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
Brown butter brioche cinnamon rolls make the best holiday breakfast! Topped with swirls of brown butter cream cheese frosting, the whole family will love this delicious twist on classic cinnamon rolls.
Ingredients
Dough
- 3/4 cup (180 g) milk
- 1 1/2 tsp (4.5 g) instant yeast
- 1 1/2 tsp (9 g) salt
- 1/4 cup (84 g) honey
- 4 large eggs (200 g), lightly beaten, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup (168 g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 3 3/4 cups (525 g) all-purpose flour
Brown Butter
- 3/4 cup (168 g) unsalted butter
Filling
- 3/4 cup (150 g) sugar
- 1/4 cup (44 g) light brown sugar
- 2 tsp (5 g) cinnamon
- 1 Tbsp (6 g) arrowroot starch
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 100 g brown butter, softened (from above)
- 3 Tbsp (36 g) heavy cream
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 25 g brown butter, softened (from above)
- 1/4 cup (56 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 6 oz (168 g) full fat cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 tsp (6 g) vanilla extract
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 2 cups (240 g) powdered sugar, sifted
Instructions
- Brioche dough: Heat milk in a microwave-safe measuring cup for 45 seconds to 1 minute, until very warm (120-130°F). Combine warm milk, yeast, salt and honey in a large mixer bowl; mix on low speed until incorporated. Add eggs and melted butter; mix until combined. Gradually mix in flour, just until combined. Cover mixer bowl loosely with plastic and let rest in a warm place for 1 hour.
- After 1 hour, the dough will be puffy and doubled in size. Transfer dough to the refrigerator and chill for 3 hours (or overnight).
- Brown butter: Cook butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly until it foams, turns clear, and then turns a deep brown. Pour brown butter into a bowl to solidify for the filling, reserving 25 grams of brown butter to use in the frosting (pour reserved brown butter into a small bowl). Chill brown butter in the refrigerator for 40 minutes, stirring partway through, until solidified. Remove from the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature until soft and spreadable.
- Filling: Whisk together sugar, light brown sugar, cinnamon, arrowroot starch, and salt. Add 100 grams softened brown butter and heavy cream, mixing until filling is creamy and spreadable.
- Remove chilled dough from the refrigerator. Gently press down dough; cover and let rest for 5 minutes. Spray a 13 x 9-inch baking pan with nonstick spray.
- Turn dough out on a lightly floured board, dust dough lightly with flour, and roll into an 18 x 12-inch rectangle. Spread dough with filling, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Carefully roll dough up into a tight log and pinch edges to seal (if dough starts to stick, use a bench scraper to lift dough from the board).
- Trim off uneven ends and score dough into 12 equal slices. Use unflavored dental floss to slice dough crosswise (slip a long slice of floss under log of dough and cross on top to cut slices cleanly). Place rolls cut side up into prepared baking pan and cover tightly with plastic. Let rest in the refrigerator overnight (up to 16 hours).
- On baking day, remove the chilled rolls from the refrigerator and place in a warm spot to rise until puffy (about 45 to 60 minutes) before baking. While the rolls rise, preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Frosting: Beat 25 grams softened brown butter, unsalted butter, and cream cheese in a large mixer bowl on medium speed until combined. Mix in vanilla and salt. Gradually beat in powdered sugar on low speed until incorporated, then on medium speed until soft and creamy.
- Bake: Bake rolls for 30 to 32 minutes, or until golden and the internal temperature reaches 200°F. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes. Spread the frosting over the warm rolls before serving.
Notes
Bake the rolls right away: If you’re planning to bake the rolls right away, work up to Step 7. In Step 7, place rolls into prepared baking dish and cover loosely with plastic. Let rise in a warm place until puffy, about 30 to 40 minutes. While the rolls rise, preheat the oven to 350°F. Continue with Step 9 and Step 10.
Brown butter: Check out my full step-by-step recipe tutorial.
