Maple Brioche Cinnamon Rolls are the perfect make-ahead brunch! The dough is low-maintenance enough for anyone to tackle, and the Maple Cream Cheese Frosting is out of this world!
We’re interrupting our regularly scheduled Thanksgiving programming to bring you this brunch recipe! Except that these cinnamon rolls actually fit in perfectly with your Thanksgiving plans. Friends or family in town this week? Make these for brunch! They’re super low maintenance, the dough can be made ahead, and they’re just so delicious.
I don’t know about you, but I’d love to wake up to a pan full of these soft, pillowy, maple cinnamon rolls the morning of (or the morning after, hey I’m not picky) Thanksgiving! Add that maple cream cheese frosting, and I could just about skip the rest of the Thanksgiving food and just eat these. Kidding, kidding. I do need some stuffing, sweet potato casserole, and dutch caramel apple pie!
If homemade bread isn’t really your thing, don’t freak! It’s not really my thing either, but these are totally do-able, no matter your skill level with homemade dough. I consider these cinnamon rolls to be pretty forgiving – they’re going to taste good no matter what.
For a fun adults-only twist, add a few tablespoons of bourbon to the frosting – it’s pretty good, if I do say so myself. I mean, I practically had to stop Grant from diving head first into the bowl of frosting!
Be sure to scroll past the recipe at the bottom to see a few extra step-by-step photos! Happy baking, friends – and Happy Thanksgiving!
Did you make this recipe? Snap a photo and leave a comment!
Be sure to follow bluebowlrecipes on instagram and tag #bluebowlrecipes with your photo! You can also post a photo of your recipe to the bluebowlrecipes Facebook page. I’d love to see what you make! Be sure to leave a comment + rating if you make this recipe so I can see how you liked it!
Maple Brioche Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
For the Dough:
- 1 tsp instant yeast
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp real maple syrup
- 1/2 cup lukewarm water
- 2 eggs room temp
- 6 tbsp melted butter
- 2 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
For the Filling:
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar packed
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 2 tbsp real maple syrup
For the Frosting:
- 6 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 4 tbsp butter, softened
- 1 and 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 3 tbsp real maple syrup
Instructions
- Mix up the dough: In a medium mixing bowl, mix together all ingredients, except flour. Whisk until just combined, then stir in the flour. The dough will be sticky and shaggy (see photos below). Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and let rest for 2 hours in a warm place. After two hours, cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight (about 10 hours). See prep + bake time schedule idea in the recipe notes below.
- Assemble Cinnamon Rolls: The next morning, flour your counter. Dump the dough out and gently punch it down a bit, and try to shape it into a large, thick envelope shape. Begin rolling it out. We're going for a long rectangle that's about 18 x 12 inches. Spread the softened butter over the rolled out dough, using a butter knife or a spatula. Stir together the remaining filling ingredients, except for the maple syrup in a small bowl, and sprinkle evenly over the buttered dough. Drizzle the maple syrup over the filling. Slowly roll the dough into a log - rolling from the long side. Go slow here and make sure you're rolling tightly. Use a piece of string or un-flavored dental floss to cut your cinnamon rolls into 2 and 1/4" pieces (ish). Watch this video if you're unsure how to do this. Butter (or use nonstick spray) a 9-inch round baking dish. Place the pieces cut side up in the prepared dish and cover loosely with a kitchen towel. Let rise for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Bake: Once the cinnamon rolls have risen, bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a cooking thermometer inserted into the center of one of the rolls registers 190 degrees F.
- Make the frosting: While the cinnamon rolls bake, prepare the frosting. Beat together the softened butter and cream cheese in a large mixing bowl until well creamed. Sift in the powdered sugar and mix until combined. Add the vanilla and maple syrup (and bourbon, if using - see recipe notes). Mix until everything is combined and creamy.
- Serve + Store: Serve cinnamon rolls warm, with the frosting! Store leftovers, covered, in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Notes
Nutrition
The dough – before the 2 hour rise and pre fridge time
The dough – after the 2 hour rise time and 10-hour overnight fridge time
Assembled cinnamon rolls, pre-rise time
Assembled cinnamon rolls, post-rise time
Order my new book:
Madison says
So this is my second time making these — I’m a frigggggin maple lover as well as just always looking for a great brioche-y recipe. Something about brioche pastries just says a perfect morning breakfast to me. While I didn’t necessarily make any changes, I will mention some things I tweaked since I’m at higher elevation (it doesn’t change things too much, but having worked with bread here for 3ish years, I’ve gotten the jist of it) — I mixed all the wet before adding the yeast, as it can be over-activated if mixing all at once, I did around 100° for the water (yeast dies at 140° so a litttle warmer than warm I guess), and for the last proofing after cutting/panning I placed in my oven on the warm setting for about 20 minutes (it may have just been the temperature of my house but I noticed after 15 on the counter it wasn’t rising). I don’t do much recipe repeating so you really got me hooked with this!
Stephanie Simmons says
Hi Madison! Thanks so much for leaving those tips here for other high-elevation bakers. 🙂 So glad you loved these cinnamon rolls!
Jennifer says
I started making these on Saturday afternoon. However I completely missed the step about letting them rest for 2 hours before putting them in the fridge overnight. This is what I get for not reading as carefully as I should have, I normally read the directions two or three times. In any case I pulled them out this morning and turned on the light in my oven in the dough went . It worked, after a couple of hours I rolled and filled them and back into the oven they went. They doubled in size thankful as I was beginning to think I’d have to throw my dough away!
They were amazing even with my flub, thanks for the great recipe!
Stephanie Simmons says
Hi Jennifer! I’m glad the recipe worked out for you even with a little mistake. 🙂
StayingAfloat says
You had us at maple 😉 These sound great!!
Stephanie Simmons says
Thank you! ?
John Saeger says
That looks amazing! Thanks for sharing.
Stephanie Simmons says
Thanks John!
Alisa Infanti says
Cinnamon rolls are a family tradition at our house for breakfast on Christmas morning. These look amazing and I think these are going to be the one for us this year!
Stephanie Simmons says
So glad to hear that Alisa! ?