I could go on and on about my love for a good cinnamon roll. I enjoy making them, and there is nothing better than the smell of cinnamon rolls baking on a weekend morning. I love an easy cinnamon roll recipe that can be made the night before, proofed in the refrigerator, and popped in the oven. I have no problem waking up early on the weekends because I do tend to be an early bird, but I would rather go for a long run and have the cinnamon rolls be baking while I shower. These cinnamon rolls are even better than the classic version if you ask me, because they are chai-spiced! Chai cinnamon rolls have not only cinnamon, but also cardamom, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves to give you a burst of fall flavor in every bite.
Maybe you’ve never made cinnamon rolls, so you’re a little intimidated. Cinnamon rolls, like all yeasted doughs, require time. The ingredients that you’ll see in this recipe are pantry and refrigerator staples for any home baker: flour, sugar, salt, eggs, butter, milk, yeast, and a variety of spices. Combining these ingredients in the right way will give you pure magic. First, you’re going to make your dough. Yeast and warm milk will sit in the bowl of your stand mixer (or a large bowl if you’ll be kneading by hand) to activate. The yeast feeds on the sugars in the milk and the warm temperature is perfect for it to bloom. If your milk is too hot or too cold, you will kill the yeast and need to start over. You know your yeast is ready when the mixture smells like bread and begins to foam at the top. From here, you’ll add your sugar, room-temperature eggs, melted and cooled butter, flour, salt, cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg and knead until nice and smooth and elastic. You can add a little more flour if you need to, but too much will give you a dry cinnamon roll. The dough will be a little bit sticky and that’s ok!
Now set your dough into a warm, dry place for about an hour to let it double in size. Once it’s done rising, punch it down and roll it out to make your chai cinnamon rolls! The filling uses brown sugar, softened butter, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. Spread that deliciousness over your rolls, cut into 8 pieces, and set in your baking dish. From here, you can let them rise an additional 30-60 minutes at room temperature and bake, or cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight before baking in the morning.
After baking but while still warm, make the frosting. Cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, a pinch of salt, and a little milk or cream to thin it out give you the perfect frosting. Spread it on thick, sprinkle with cinnamon, and you’ve got the perfect fall breakfast. I make cinnamon rolls for breakfast every Thanksgiving and you better believe that these are on the menu for this year!
- ¾ cup warm whole milk (110 degrees Fahrehneit is ideal!)
- 1 package active dry yeast (2¼ tsp.)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- ¼ cup melted and cooled butter
- 3½ cups all-purpose flour or bread flour
- ½ tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. cinnamon
- ¼ tsp. cardamom
- ¼ tsp. nutmeg
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup softened butter
- 3 tbsp. cinnamon
- 2 tsp. cardamom
- 2 tsp. nutmeg
- 1 tsp. ginger
- ½ tsp. cloves
- 4 oz. softened cream cheese
- ¼ cup softened butter
- Pinch of salt
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2-4 tbsp. milk or cream
- Cinnamon for dusting
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl, place the yeast and warm milk. Let the mixture sit for a few minutes and allow the yeast to bloom. The mixture should smell like bread and be foamy at the top.
- Add the sugar, eggs, butter, half of the flour, salt, cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg and mix to combine. Add the rest of the flour, continuing to knead until you have a soft, elastic, and slightly sticky dough. Only add more flour if absolutely necessary or your cinnamon rolls will be dry! Knead using your stand mixer with the dough hook on the first or second setting or on a countertop.
- Place the dough in an oiled bowl and cover with a dish towel. Set into a warm, dry place for one hour to rise until doubled in size.
- Once the dough is done rising, make your filling. In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, softened butter, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. The mixture should be the consistency of wet sand.
- Roll out your dough to a large rectangle and spread the filling over it. Tuck in the ends, then roll lengthwise. Cut into 8 even pieces and place into a baking dish. From here, you can let rise again for 30-60 minutes, or you can cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
- When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake for 30-40 minutes until golden brown.
- Make the frosting when the rolls have cooled off enough to eat but are still warm. In a large bowl with a hand mixer or using a stand mixer, mix together cream cheese and butter. Add salt and powdered sugar and mix until smooth. Add milk or cream as necessary to reach desired consistency.
- Spread frosting over the cinnamon rolls, sprinkle with cinnamon, and serve warm!
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