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Easy Cinnamon Rolls with Caramel Icing -

Easy Cinnamon Rolls with Caramel Icing

Fabulous cinnamon and walnut swirled sweet rolls with a to-die-for silk caramel drizzle. Start to finish in less than 2 hours!
Course Breakfast, Brunch
Prep Time 3 hours 18 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours 18 minutes
Servings 12
Author Chris Scheuer

Ingredients

  • Ingredients for the dough:
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • ¼ cup butter cut in 4 pieces (this will help it melt more quickly)
  • 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour divided
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • teaspoons rapid rise (or instant) yeast 1 packet
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 yolk from a large egg
  • Ingredients for the filling:
  • 3 tablespoons butter softened
  • ¼ cup dark brown sugar packed
  • ¼ cup white sugar
  • ¼ cup finely chopped walnuts
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • Ingredients for the caramel icing:
  • 2 tablespoons butter melted
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • ¼ cup dark brown sugar
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ cups powdered sugar

Instructions

  1. Place milk in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat on high for 1 ½ minutes. Remove from microwave and add the butter. Stir for a minute until butter is melted, then set aside.
  2. In the bowl of an electric mixer with the dough hook attached, combine 2 cups of flour, the sugar, the yeast and the salt. Mix until ingredients are combined.
  3. Check the milk mixture. It should be quite warm to the touch but not super hot, 110˚F-120˚F. Add milk mixture to the mixing bow and mix with the dough hook until dry ingredients are incorporated. Add egg and egg yolk and mix until combined.
  4. Add the remaining flour and beat until all flour is incorporated. Continue to knead with the dough hook for 5 more minutes.
  5. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead a few times to form a ball, coating the dough with flour. Cover the dough with the mixing bowl inverted and let it rest for 10 minutes.
  6. While dough is resting, make the filling. Combine brown sugar, white sugar, walnuts and cinnamon.
  7. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough with a rolling pin into a 12x14-inch rectangle. With a table knife, spread rectangle with the 3 tablespoons softened butter. Sprinkle evenly with the sugar/walnut/cinnamon mixture.
  8. Preheat oven to 375˚F. Spray a 9x13 inch pan with baking spray. Line with parchment paper allowing paper to extend over long edges of pan (to help with easy removal from pan). Spray parchment paper lightly with baking spray.
  9. Starting at a longer edge of the dough, tightly roll into a log. Pinch seam to seal. With a sharp, serrated knife cut log into 12 equal size pieces. Use very light pressure to cut. Place cut side up into prepared pan, spacing evenly. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise until double, about 25-30 minutes.
  10. Bake for 18 minutes, then cover with foil to prevent over-browning and bake for another 6-8 minutes or until golden and dough in center is done. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes before drizzling with caramel icing. Serve warm or at room temperature. To freeze, place rolls in freezer uncovered for 1 hour, then wrap tightly with plastic wrap or foil and return to freezer.
  11. While the rolls are baking, make the icing. Place butter and milk in a medium-size microwave-safe bowl. Cover with a paper towel and cook on high power for 1 minute. Add brown sugar and stir to combine. Return to microwave and cook for another minute. Take a tiny taste to make sure mixture is not grainy. If there is any graininess, return to microwave for another 30 seconds.
  12. Add vanilla and powdered sugar and stir till smooth and lump-free. Icing should be fairly thick, but "drizzlable". If it's too thick, add a bit more milk. If too thin add a bit more powdered sugar.