Brioche Cinnamon Rolls

My Sicilian Brioche dough recipe is beautifully transformed into these delicious Brioche Cinnamon Rolls. Whether you serve them slathered with cream cheese icing or as is, these will disappear quickly!You may be wondering what cinnamon rolls have to do with Sicilian cooking? Absolutely nothing of course! Except that for the longest time I’ve been thinking that the dough for my Sicilian Brioche recipe would be excellent for making cinnamon rolls. And I was right!

Since we’re all spending so much of our time at home these days, I notice many of us are doing lots of baking. The baking trend seems to have evolved from homemade bread to bagels, pretzels, banana bread and more recently cinnamon rolls. 

One positive thing to come out of this for sure is that most of us are spending more time in the kitchen with our families preparing meals from scratch. Something that I always try to encourage with my blog!

So back to the cinnamon buns. Since I’m working from home for the most part these days, I finally decided to take the time to test out my theory. I have only made cinnamon rolls once or twice before, so long ago that my children didn’t remember them.

All I can say is it’s been too long!  There’s something so satisfying about cutting into the rolled dough and seeing these gorgeous swirls of cinnamon sugar in the dough. Just look at these! My daughter and I made these together and we were both so taken with this image. My easy brioche recipe is perfect for making cinnamon rolls. It’s so light and fluffy, soft and not too sweet. The only difference between this dough and the original Sicilian Brioche recipe is that I eliminated the orange zest (or you can leave it in if you prefer!). Otherwise the process for preparing the dough is exactly the same. Let me show you what I did next.

I’ve also decided to add instructions for cream cheese icing but that was mainly for my children’s sake ’cause quite honestly I enjoy them as is!

The following are step by step instructions with images to guide you through this recipe. Please scroll to the end of this post for the detailed prinatable recipe card.

Step by Step Instructions:

Follow my steps for making brioche dough from my Sicilian Brioche recipe. Omit the orange zest and proceed until step #5. Let the dough rise for 3 hours.

Prepare the filling: 

Melt butter and use a pastry brush to coat a rectangular baking dish (mine is 10 X 14 inches) with butter. Set the rest aside. In a small bowl combine brown sugar and cinnamon.

Assemble the rolls:

After the dough has risen, use a rolling pin to roll into a rectangular shape approximately 12 x 18 inches. Brush the entire surface with the melted butter and sprinkle the cinnamon sugar evenly over the dough.With the long edge facing you roll the dough as tightly as possible.  End with the seam side down. Cut off the ends (there is practically no filling in these pieces). Cut into 12 pieces: cut in half; in half again and then each quarter into 3 equal pieces.Place the rolls in the prepared baking dish. Cover and let rise until the pieces begin to touch one another and have puffed up (from one to one and half hours). Bake in a 350F preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until golden. Serve warm or at room temperature as is or with cream cheese icing.

For the cream cheese glaze:  Mix together the cream cheese and butter until smooth using a whisk or your food processor. Stir in vanilla and powdered sugar until completely combined. Whisk in 1 tablespoon of milk. If necessary add a bit more milk until you have a spreadable, yet thick, consistency.

Tips and suggestions:

• Use between 1 tbsp – 1 1/2 tbsp of cinnamon depending on how “cinnamony” you like your rolls.
• If your knife is not sharp enough you’ll squish the rolls when slicing the dough. You can also use unflavored dental floss to cut them.
• I prefer to store my Brioche Cinnamon Rolls at room temperature for up to 3 days and keep the cream cheese icing refrigerated.
• It’s probably best to make a double batch right away ’cause these will disappear quickly!

Can brioche dough be prepared by hand if you don’t have a stand mixer?

The answer is yes! Use a whisk to combine all ingredients from steps 1-4. Then switch to a wooden spoon to stir in the flour. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead by hand for 10 minutes. The dough will be slightly tacky to the touch, this is normal. Add just a tiny bit of extra flour as needed in order to handle it. You want to maintain a dough that is soft and slightly sticky.

Can brioche cinnamon rolls be made a day ahead?

Yes they can. After the rolls are assembled and placed in your baking pan, do not let them rise at room temperature. Wrap them well and place in the refrigerator overnight. The following day, let them come to room temperature, between 2-3 hours before baking.

Can they be frozen?

I prefer freezing mine after they are baked and without the cream cheese icing. Let them cool completely, wrap each roll individually and place in an airtight container or freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Let defrost at room temperature overnight. Slather with icing just before serving.

If you’ve tried out my Sicilian Brioche recipe and loved it, try taking that recipe to the next level with these Brioche Cinnamon Rolls! Let me know how much you enjoy them by rating them in the recipe card below.  Buon appetito!

Check out more sweet brioche dough recipes!

• Sicilian Brioche
• Italian Sugar Doughnuts (Ciambelle fritte)
• Sweet Pistachio Cream Brioche Rolls
• Bomboloni
• Italian Braided Easter Bread with Eggs