One of my favorite and most popular cookies are my snickerdoodle cookies, so I decided to turn them into cinnamon rolls! Before I had ever tried making cinnamon rolls, I was extremely intimated by them. It seemed like such an overwhelming process and it uses yeast! However, after making them my first time, my nerves were calmed. I'm a visual/hands-on learner, so I put together a little photo tutorial to show the steps and how easy making them can be!
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Making the Dough:
Then, add the eggs, salt, and vanilla (step 6)
Then, cover and let it rest for 60-90 minutes (8)
Preparing the Filling:
When the Dough is Ready:
Fold into thirds, flip over, and fold into thirds again
Tips & Storage:
- Don't overheat your milk. It should be around 95F (I recommend checking this with a thermometer). If the milk gets too hot, it can kill the yeast.
- Letting the yeast foam lets you know that the yeast is indeed active.
- Let your dough rise in a room around 75F. If needed, turn your oven on for a few minutes, turn it off, and place the covered bowl in the oven with the door cracked open. It should be about double its original size after 60-90 minutes.
- Make sure the browned butter is cooled completely before adding the sugar and spices for the filling. You can speed up the cooling by placing the butter in the fridge, but be careful not to let it solidify!
- If you like a LOT of frosting, feel free to double the icing recipe!
- Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 1 month. For best results, don't frost the rolls you're going to be saving for later - store the buns and frosting separately, then heat the buns and top with frosting when you're ready to eat them. If the buns are unfrosted, they can be stored at room temperature for a few days.
More Recipes to Try:
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Snickerdoodle Rolls
Better than your average cinnamon roll - these are filled with brown butter, cinnamon, cardamom, and your favorite chocolate bar!
Servings: 12 rolls
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 cup (236ml) whole milk
- ½ cup (1 stick/113g) unsalted butter room temperature
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4-4½ cups (500-563g) all-purpose flour
- 2¼ teaspoons (1 packet) active dry yeast
Filling
- ¾ cup (150g) light brown sugar packed
- ½ cup (1 stick/113g) unsalted butter browned
- 2½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2½ teaspoons ground cardamom
- 1.5 oz chocolate bar chopped into tiny bits
Icing
- 2 oz (56g) cream cheese room temperature
- ¼ cup (½ stick/57g) unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup (120g) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cardamom
Instructions
First, make the dough:
- Bring the milk to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove from heat as soon as it reaches a boil. Alternative option: microwave for ~3 minutes (check after each minute).
- Pour the milk into a large mixing bowl.
- Add the butter to the milk and stir until the butter is melted.
- Whisk the sugar into the milk. The mixture should be about room temperature at this point. If not, wait until it’s just warm to touch.
- Mix in the yeast and let it sit for 5-10 minutes so it's foamy.
- Add the eggs, salt, and vanilla to the mixture (one at a time) and whisk to combine.
- With the hook attachment and the speed set to 1-2, gradually add the flour 1 cup at a time, up to 4 cups total. Scrape the sides of the bowl as necessary. If the dough is still sticky after the 4 cups, slowly add a bit more. Mix for ~5 minutes.
- Cover the dough and let it sit in a warm place to rise for 60-90 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the filling:
- Heat the butter in a small pan over medium heat while stirring constantly until the butter is brown with a nutty aroma. Remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature.
- Mix the light brown sugar, cinnamon, and cardamom into the butter.
- Chop the chocolate bar into tiny pieces and set aside.
When the dough has risen:
- Plop the dough onto a well-floured surface and fold it into thirds, flip it over, and fold into thirds again. Finally, flatten it into a rectangle.
- Roll the dough into a 16x20 inch rectangle.
- Gently rub the filling evenly onto the dough while leaving ~1 inch of empty space along one of the 20 inch sides. Be careful not to rip the dough.
- Sprinkle the chocolate bits across the filling.
- Starting with the 20 inch side that is covered with filling, tightly and carefully roll the dough toward the empty end.
- Cut the dough into 12 even rolls and place them in a 13x9 inch pan covered with parchment paper.
To bake right away:
- Cover the rolls and let them rise for ~30 minutes while the oven preheats to 350°F.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the tops are golden.
To bake later/the next day:
- Cover the rolls and place them in the refrigerator.
- When you’re ready to bake the rolls, take them out so they can warm and rise a bit while the oven is preheating to 350°F.
- Bake for 25-35 minutes, until the tops are golden.
To make the icing:
- Cream together the butter and cream cheese. Add the vanilla, cinnamon, cardamom, and powdered sugar and mix well.
When the rolls are done baking:
- Spread a little icing over them right away so it melts into the cracks. Wait ~5 minutes to serve. Add more icing to your liking (if you are a BIG fan of icing, feel free to double the icing recipe!) Enjoy!
Inventive twist on the classic and perfect for a winter morning! The addition of cardamom is great and key for the snickerdoodle spice. The recipe made more than enough frosting and couldn't resist the urge to eat the surplus with a fork straight from the mixing bowl.
Thank you, Hans! I'm so glad you enjoyed the cardamom addition and cream cheese frosting!