Shortcut Cinnamon Rolls

5 from 5 votes

When I tell you this is the most epic recipe for Cinnamon Rolls, I'm not even remotely exaggerating. It's perfection. All other cinnamon rolls can't hold a candle to this and BONUS, there is only 1 hour of prep rather than an overnight rest.

Prep Time1

Cook Time25

Total Time1 25

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Servings: people

Author: Gaby Dalkin

Ingredients

For the Filling

¾ cup light brown sugar tightly packed
½ cup white sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted plus more for greasing the pan

For the Dough

1 ¼ cups whole milk at room temperature, divided
4 teaspoons instant yeast
3 tablespoons white sugar divided
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
2 ½ cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
8 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and divided
¼ cup heavy cream slightly warm

For the Cream Cheese Glaze

4 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
2 tablespoons heavy cream
pinch of salt
1 cup powdered sugar

Instructions

Make the filling and prep the baking dish:

Preheat the oven to 350, grease a 9-11 inch braiser or baking pan. I like to use a larger piece of parchment that will cover the sides, just smash it into the greased pan and press any seams flat to fit, this makes removing it from the pan much easier. Don’t forget to grease the top of the parchment.
Combine all ingredients for the filling in a bowl and set aside.

To make the dough:

Heat ¼ cup of the milk to about 110 degrees, stir in yeast and a big pinch of the sugar. Let this sit for 5 minutes to activate the yeast, it should be foamy and bubbly. Add the vanilla bean paste to the remaining 1 cup of milk.
In a large bowl combine the flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and remaining sugar. Stir in the yeast mixture, 4 tablespoons of the melted butter and the milk. Mix with a wooden spoon until you get a sticky, shaggy dough. Turn dough out into a surface dusted with flour and knead until smooth, 3-5 minutes.

Shape the Rolls

Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle that's 9x14 inches. It’s best to keep the long side of the dough facing you. Leaving a ½ inch border at the top, use a brush and coat the dough with 3 tablespoons melted butter. Evenly sprinkle on the cinnamon filling and gently press it down to adhere to the dough. Starting with the long edge closest to you, begin to roll the dough up tightly into a log, be careful not to let the ends get skinny, pinch the seam tightly to seal.
Working with the seam on the bottom, use a sharp knife, bench scraper or for a super clean cut use unflavored dental floss and cut the log into 9 equal pieces; about 1.5 inches each and place directly into the baking pan or braiser.
Brush the rolls with the remaining melted butter, cover with plastic wrap and let rise for about 30 minutes.
Remove the plastic wrap, drizzle the heavy cream over the rolls and place into the oven. Bake until golden brown, about 20-25 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let the rolls rest for 10 minutes.
While the rolls cool make the glaze. Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk until smooth, adjust the consistency with more powdered sugar or cream if you want a thicker or thinner glaze. When the rolls have cooled slightly, slather on the glaze and serve.

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