These brown butter cinnamon rolls have rich, nutty brown butter in every layer, from the ultra-soft milk bread dough and cinnamon-sugar filling to the cream cheese frosting. Like my classic homemade cinnamon rolls, there’s no first rise required, so you can shape them right after kneading or prep them overnight for freshly baked rolls in the morning. Thanks to the milk bread dough, they stay incredibly soft and fluffy for up to 5 days after baking!
Browning butter by the pound isn’t practical for everyday bakery production, which is why I love using it so much in home baking.
It’s such a simple step that can completely transform a recipe, like my brown butter chocolate chip cookies or browned butter brownies. But I especially love it in these cinnamon rolls, where the brown butter flavor doesn’t get lost among the other ingredients!
Table of Contents
What Makes These Cinnamon Rolls Different
- Brown butter in every layer. Instead of using regular butter like in my other cinnamon roll recipes, you’ll make one batch of brown butter for the dough, filling, and frosting, giving every bite a rich, nutty flavor that complements the cinnamon.
- Soft for days, not just fresh from the oven. The tangzhong milk bread dough helps the rolls retain moisture, so they stay pillowy and tender for up to 5 days instead of quickly becoming dry and stale.
- Perfectly defined cinnamon swirls. Cutting the dough into strips before rolling gives you more evenly shaped cinnamon rolls with beautiful, distinct swirls just like they came from a bakery.
Visual Baking Guide: step-by-step
1
Properly browned butter will be this dark golden color and have amber-brown milk solids. I have a whole post on how to brown butter if it’s your first time making it!
2
The butter will need to cool for at least 1-2 hours. You’ll know it’s ready when the butter has cooled to a soft, spreadable consistency, as shown above.
3
Cook the flour and water (tangzhong) until they form a thick, smooth paste.
4
Knead the brown butter in gradually, then continue kneading until the dough is smooth and elastic.
5
You can skip the first rise and go straight into rolling out the dough and spreading the brown butter filling across the top.
6
Use a pizza wheel to cut twelve 1 3/4-inch strips.
Then, you can roll each one up individually for evenly shaped swirls.
7
I always recommend baking them in a parchment-lined metal 9×13 baking pan.
I find when testing that using ceramic or glass pans take much longer to bake and sometimes bake unevenly.
8
You’ll know they are ready to bake when the sides are barely touching.
9
Once baked, the rolls should be lightly golden brown and when an instant thermometer is inserted into the center roll, it should read 180-185°F.
10
I like to let them cool for about 15-20 minutes and then spread the brown butter frosting on top.
Notes From My Recipe Testing
Brown the butter ahead of time. During testing, I found that even with chilling and stirring every 15 minutes, brown butter can take 1–2 hours to cool to a soft, spreadable consistency. I recommend browning it the day before, then letting it come to room temperature before you start baking.
European butter yields more brown butter. During testing, I found that European-style butters like Kerrygold and Plugra yielded slightly more brown butter than Kirkland butter because of their higher butterfat content and lower water content. If you end up with more than a tablespoon of extra brown butter, the brand you’re using could explain the difference!
If you tried this or any other recipe on my website, please let me know how it went in the comments; I love hearing from you! Also, please leave a star rating while you’re there! You can also tag me on Instagram or Facebook so I can check it out!
Brown Butter Cinnamon Rolls
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Brown butter
- 1 3/4 cups unsalted butter
For the Tangzhong
- 2/3 cup water
- 1/4 cup bread flour
For the Cinnamon Roll Dough
- 3 2/3 cups bread flour, *See notes below for measuring*
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons instant yeast
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/3 cup heavy cream, room temperature
- 1/3 cup whole milk, room temperature
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- Tangzhong from above
- 1/2 cup of the browned butter
For the Brown Butter Filling
- 1/2 cup browned butter, room temperature
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
For the Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
- 6 tablespoons browned butter, room temperature
- 5 ounces cold cream cheese
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
Instructions
Brown the Butter
- In a saucepan, cook the butter over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the milk solids turn deep golden brown and the butter smells nutty. Transfer to a shallow, heatproof dish and refrigerate for 1–2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes, until solidified but still soft and spreadable. Alternatively, brown the butter the day before, refrigerate overnight, and bring it to room temperature before using.1 3/4 cups (392 g) unsalted butter
Make the Tangzhong
- In a small saucepan, whisk together the water and flour. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, for 4–5 minutes, or until thickened into a smooth paste. Transfer to a bowl and let cool until warm, not hot.2/3 cup (155 g) water, 1/4 cup (32 g) bread flour
Make the Cinnamon Roll Dough
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. Add the heavy cream, milk, egg, and tangzhong. Knead on low speed for about 2 minutes, or until a rough dough forms.3 2/3 cups (485 g) bread flour, 1/3 cup (66 g) granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons instant yeast, 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, 1/3 cup (78 g) heavy cream, 1/3 cup (78 g) whole milk, 1 (50 g) large egg, Tangzhong from above
- With the mixer running on low speed, add the browned butter 1 tablespoon at a time, allowing each addition to incorporate before adding more. Continue kneading for 11–12 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic.1/2 cup (110 g) of the browned butter
- Form the dough into a smooth, round ball and return it to the mixing bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set it aside while you make the filling.
Make the Filling
- In a medium bowl, mix the browned butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon until smooth and spreadable.1/2 cup (110 g) browned butter, 3/4 cup (150 g) light brown sugar, 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
Assemble the Cinnamon Rolls
- Line a 9×13 pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- On a very lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a 21×15-inch rectangle, with the long side closest to you. Dollop the filling over the dough and gently spread it into an even layer with an offset spatula, leaving a 1/2-inch border along the far edge.
- Using a pizza cutter, cut the dough into twelve 1¾-inch-wide strips. Roll each strip away from you into a spiral and transfer it to the prepared pan.
- Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 1–2 hours, or until doubled in size. The rolls should look noticeably puffy, with their sides just touching. When gently pressed, the dough should feel light and airy, with tiny bubbles beneath the surface.
- Near the end of the rise, preheat the oven to 325°F (162°C).
- Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the tops are lightly golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center roll registers 180–185°F (82–85°C) for gooey centers or 195°F (91°C) for more fully baked rolls.
Make the Brown Butter Frosting
- While the rolls bake, beat the cream cheese and browned butter until smooth and combined.6 tablespoons (84 g) browned butter, 5 ounces cold cream cheese
- Add the powdered sugar and beat on low speed until incorporated. Add the heavy cream and vanilla, then continue mixing until smooth and fluffy.1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons heavy cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
- Let the baked cinnamon rolls cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then spread the frosting over the warm rolls.
Video
Notes
- Unshaped dough: Cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, then shape as directed. Allow the rolls to rise until puffy and airy, about 1–2 hours or longer.
- Assembled rolls: Cover the pan tightly and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Before baking, let the rolls rise at room temperature until puffy and airy. This may take longer than usual since the dough is cold.
I absolutely loved these cinnamon rolls! They were a hit in our family. The recipe was so good that it could do it without the icing on top! Next time I make them I’m putting more of the cinnamon Brown sugar filling 🤭
That’s amazing to hear Maria! Thanks so much for sharing 💛
Can i use plain flour instead of bread flour or all purpose flour
I would use all-purpose flour if you don’t have bread flour!
I am making these for vacation and will need to make a week in advance. I know the freezing instructions say to assemble then cover and freeze. Is this before the 2nd rise? Also, how would you recommend freezing the icing?
Hi Hannah! Yes, you will want to freeze them before the second rise. For the frosting, I would put it in a freezer safe container. You’ll want to put both of them in the fridge the day before you plan on baking so they have time to defrost!
Hi Cambrea,
I would like to make this. But I have a question, above written that we knead the dough until smooth and elastic. So we don’t need to do windowpane test? Thanks in advance.
Hi Ria! If you knead the dough until smooth and elastic, it will almost always pass the windowpane test. You can still do the test if you’d like!
These cinnamon rolls are now apart of my family. THANK YOU so much for sharing. I made them for my coworkers also and one of them texted me the next day saying she woke up, thinking about them and can I please make them again. The Best!!
Would you recommend an overnight proof, then assemble? That is what I usually do, but I would love tips or thoughts.
You can either refrigerate the dough overnight after kneading, or after the rolls are assembled in the pan. My preferred way is to refrigerate the dough and then roll them out the next day but I’ve had great results with both methods!
Hi, Your cinnamon roll recipes look amazing and I can’t wait to try one. You mentioned baking your no fail cinnamon rolls until they reach a temperature of 185 degrees. Should that same temp be used with the brown butter cinnamon rolls too? Thank you.
Hi Melissa! Yes, that goes for this recipe and any others 🙂
Hi. I would like to prep the night before and bake in the morning so that it’s fresh. How can I best accomplish this?
Thank you
Hi Joanne! I would assemble them in the pan completely, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight. The next morning, pull them out and let the rolls rise at room temperature before baking.
This was my first time making cinnamon rolls and it was a success! This recipe was easy to follow and I appreciate all the pictures and how the ingredients are listed again under each step! Thank you so much for that!
My cinnamon rolls received high praise from everyone I shared with!! They came out so soft and fluffy. The triple brown butter was SCRUMPTIOUS!! The smell alone… amazing. Just thinking about it is making my mouth water! I will definitely make this again! Thank you Cambrea!
This makes me so happy to read! I’m so glad your first cinnamon rolls were such a hit, and that the step-by-step photos and ingredient lists were helpful. Thank you for trying the recipe!
Can this recipe be made in bread maker?
I absolutely love this recipe! I am actually about to make it again. Would it be okay to not brown the butter? I live in everything brown butter and the flavor is amazing. I am just a little short on time today.
So happy to hear that Amber! I would follow my classic cinnamon roll recipe instead, it’s the exact same but with regular butter instead of brown butter and will be easier to follow 🙂
Such a fun and great recipe. Enjoyed the process with my kiddos. Definitely need to plan ahead but worth it. Also, it’s a 5 stars, but the 5th star won’t click. Sorry Cam!
That’s amazing to hear—so happy you enjoyed making them Megan!!
My husband said these were the best cinnamon rolls he’s ever had, which is saying a lot because he is a Cinnabon lover! Thank you so much for the recipe. Also, your instructions are so clear. Definitely a labor of love but worth every second!
Os melhores que já provei. Obrigada
do you have a gluten free brown butter cinnamon roll recipe?
I don’t have a gluten free version, sorry!
Everyone at the office loved these! Multiple people said they were some of the best cinnamon rolls they’ve ever had! So easy to make too!
So happy to hear that Ozzy! Thank you so much for coming back to leave a review 🙂