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Fluffy Christmas Cinnamon Rolls with Caramel Cream Cheese Icing, everyone’s favorite Christmas breakfast. These are classic and DELICIOUS! Buttery, soft, and fluffy dough swirled with cinnamon sugar. Each roll is frosted generously with a warming brown butter and caramel cream cheese icing that melts into every nook and cranny. There’s nothing not to love, every bite is melt-in-your-mouth delicious. You can’t beat a cinnamon roll on Christmas morning, no matter your age. We all love these.
Like clockwork, it’s Christmas week and I am making cinnamon rolls. Nothing new here, but the recipe. And while I’ve loved every last cinnamon roll I have ever shared, these are what I make for Christmas.
It’s my go-to dough recipe, with double the cinnamon filling, and everyone’s favorite icing. Cream cheese is a must for us, and while they all say they don’t like caramel, it’s actually what makes the icing so addicting.
They just don’t know it. But these rolls are our staple.
Here is what I do. Or actually, here is what I didn’t do the past 2 years and I majorly regretted it. I skipped our tradition, and I’m not going to lie, everyone was pretty bummed on it.
But I have a game plan this year, so yes, my cousin Abby is finally getting her cinni roll fix. I can’t wait to make these for her!
My plan is simple. Make the dough, cut the rolls, and throw them in the fridge on Christmas Eve. They can rise overnight and I can bake umm up first thing in the morning. Planned, prepped, and ready.
Here are the details
The dough is the simplest to make. Simply mix the yeast with warm milk and a small touch of brown sugar. It’s important to let that mix sit for a few minutes to allow the yeast to “activate”. If the yeast doesn’t look bubbly on top, that means it’s probably old yeast. You should try again with fresh yeast. Sometimes it randomly happens, so just keep an eye out!
Next, add the butter, eggs, flour, and salt. Mix until smooth and let the dough rest until doubled in size. Then it’s time to shape the rolls. I love to keep the dough super simple. It’s the holidays and things are busy enough as is.
For the cinni-sugar mix, I love to use brown sugar, sugar, and cinnamon for the best flavor. The brown sugar adds a nice depth and richness. And I go heavy on the cinnamon for sweet cinnamon swirls throughout.
Classic filling, nothing new here, but you can’t complain about it.
Assemble and bake
Spread the dough with butter, then sprinkle on the cinnamon sugar. Roll the dough up into a log, slice, and bake.
The smells coming from the oven will be magical. Sweet cinnamon with hints of vanilla. ‘Tis perfection and it smells like Christmas to me.
The Icing
This is what makes these rolls special. The secret, not-so-secret, ingredient being salted caramel. It’s only a fourth of a cup, but it’s just enough to help the icing melt into every nook and cranny of these rolls.
It’s honestly, so good and creates the best icing for your cinnamon rolls.
Frost each warm roll and then enjoy while they’re extra gooey. It’s going to be messy, but oh my gosh, that means your cinnamon roll is GOOD.
Asher just enjoyed one pre-Christmas roll. She is standing in front of me saying, “mhhh, these are so good”.
Simple. Easy. And just the best! I cannot think of a better Christmas morning breakfast. Very excited to be making these for my family again this year. Hoping you all will be too!
Looking for other holiday cinnamon roll recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Apple Cinnamon Rolls with Brown Butter Maple Icing
Easy Fluffy Eggnog Cinnamon Rolls
Chocolate Cinnamon Sugar Pull Apart Wreath
Overnight Pull-Apart Brioche Cinnamon Roll Bread (an oldie)
Lastly, if you make these Fluffy Christmas Cinnamon Rolls with Caramel Cream Cheese Icing, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Soft and Fluffy Christmas Cinnamon Rolls with Caramel Cream Cheese Icing
Servings: 12
Calories Per Serving: 527 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 cup warm milk
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 6 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature
- 3 large eggs
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground vanilla bean powder
Filling
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 6 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature
Brown Butter Caramel Cream Cheese Icing
- 4 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature
- 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1/4 -1/3 cup caramel sauce
- 2-3 cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- flaky sea salt
Instructions
- 1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the milk, yeast, and brown sugar. Let sit 5-10 minutes, until bubbly on top. Add the butter, eggs, 3 1/2 – 4 cups flour, vanilla, and salt. Using the dough hook, mix until the flour is completely incorporated, about 4-5 minutes. If the dough is still sticky, add an additional 1/4 cup flour, adding more as needed until the dough is smooth to touch.2. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour or until doubled in size.3. Meanwhile, mix the filling. In a bowl, combine the brown sugar, sugar, and cinnamon. Butter a 9×13 inch baking dish.4. Punch the dough down and roll out onto a lightly floured surface, creating a large rectangle about 12 x 18 inches. Spread the butter evenly over the dough. Sprinkle on the cinnamon sugar. Starting with the long edge closest to you, roll the dough into a log, keeping it tight as you go. When you reach the edge, pinch along the edge to seal. Using a sharp knife, cut into 12-15 rolls. Place the rolls into the prepared baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise 15-20 minutes.5. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Bake the rolls for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown.6. Meanwhile, make the icing. Add the butter to a pot set over medium heat. Allow the butter to brown lightly until it smells toasted, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat. In a bowl, beat the cream cheese until fluffy. Add the brown butter, beating to combine. Then, add the powdered sugar, caramel, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Beat until creamy. Spread the icing over the warm rolls. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
To Make Ahead: prepare the rolls through step 4. Do not let the rolls rise at room temp. Cover the rolls and place them in the fridge (up to overnight). When ready to bake, remove the rolls from the fridge 30 minutes prior to baking, then bake as directed.
To Prepare and Freeze: assemble the rolls through step 4. Then cover the pan and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw the rolls overnight in the fridge or on the counter for a few hours. Once thawed, bake as directed.
To Bake and Freeze: bake the rolls as directed and let cool completely. Cover well and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw and warm, then frost before serving.
Where can I find vanilla bean powder? Can I substitute anything for this? Thank you! My lemon bread is in the oven now- so I’m on to braving the cinnamon rolls!
Hey Christina,
You should be able to find vanilla bean powder in the spice aisle at your local grocery store:) If not, just use vanilla extract:) I hope you love this recipe! xT
These came out sooo good! I’ve made different HBH cinnamon roll recipes but this one was the very best. The dough was super fluffy! The trick is making sure the milk isn’t too hot or cold when letting the yeast activate, so be careful with that first step. I also heated up the butter so it was somewhere between a solid and melted (kind of like whipped cream texture) when spreading the butter on the dough because even room temp butter is hard to spread on dough. Anyway, one of my favorite recipes to bake– it takes a little time to make but worth it!
Hi Julia,
Wonderful!! I appreciate you making this recipe, I’m so glad it turned out well for you! Have a great weekend:)
Can you use gluten free flour?
Hi Molly,
Yes, an equal amount of gluten free flour should work well for you here! Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xx
Hi Tieghan,
I am glad to know I can use GF flour. I have made two attempts now and my dough will not rise. What am I doing wrong?
Thank you so much!
Hi Molly,
What kind of yeast are you using? Is it possible your milk is too warm and killing the yeast?
Hi Tieghan! We made these for Christmas and they were SO GOOD! Recently found out I can’t have gluten anymore. Have you found a way to perfect gluten free dough for cinnamon rolls? 😂 craving them so bad!
Hey Courtney,
Wonderful!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed and appreciate you giving it a try! You should be able to use an equal amount of Bob’s Red Mill gf flour. Have a great weekend! 🏈
Hi! Love love all of your recipes! Trying to make a basic cinnamon roll for Galentines brunch. Can you please advise how to make an icing without caramel?
Hey Lia,
Just skip the caramel:) Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xT
Made these over the weekend for a family brunch.First time I have made cinnamon rolls.They were a big hit.That icing was so good.I will definitely make again.
Hey Barbara,
Amazing!! So glad to hear that this recipe was tasty and thanks a lot for trying it out! xT
These turned out perfectly – nicely shaped, fluffy texture – BUT they were almost inedibly sweet. I would greatly reduce or even skip the icing, and/or cut back on the filling. Even my kids only took a couple of bites before setting them aside.
Hi Amy,
Thanks for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, so sorry to hear these were too sweet! xx
I’ve made many things from half baked harvest and this was my first flop. I’m thinking that it was definitely baker error but I went to confirm. The recipe calls for 2 and 1/4 tsp? I may have put 2- 1/4 tsp. I’ll give it another go around.
Hi Danielle,
Thanks for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback. Yes, you will want to use 2 and 1/4 teaspoons of yeast. I hope this helps for next time! xx
I’ve been using the same cinnamon roll recipe for years, and decided to give these a try Christmas morning. The family was nervous about changing things up, but they turned out fantastic! I love the addition of the caramel frosting.
Hey Christine,
Happy Sunday!!❄️ I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for trying it out and sharing your feedback! xx
Made these this morning. Followed the directions exactly and these. Are. The. Bombest. Cinnamon. Rolls.
I think you should change the name to that. LOL
Hey Lori,
Happy Sunday!!❄️ I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for trying it out and sharing your feedback! xx
Best way to ease out of Christmas and into January! So fluffy and delicious; i can’t believe how many those receive makes and how big and soft they are! I froze some for next weekend as well! Simply incredible!
Hey Ashley,
I am delighted to hear that this recipe turned out well for you and appreciate you giving it a try! Have a great weekend:)
This was absolutely delicious. I usually fail at recipes that require this level of skill, but honestly the pictures and instructions Tieghan gives are the BEST. They turned out beautifully and tasted great. I didn’t have a jar of caramel, and since I was having so much success in the kitchen,lol, decided to make my own and failed. The frosting was divine even without it. Caramel tutorial please!🤓
Hey Andrea,
I am delighted to hear that this recipe turned out well for you and appreciate you giving it a try! Have a great weekend:)
I made these for Christmas morning and they were absolute perfection! Thank you so much. I think this will become a wonderful tradition!
Hey Jill,
Thank you so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! Have a great Thursday:)
Halved the recipe and made about 9 smaller sized rolls – I ate 3 mini ones! 1st time I made these ahead to bake in the morning and I found the rolls to be on the drier side. From now on, I’ll just plan better and make them day of like I usually do. The caramel cream cheese icing is really unique and delicious, also I adjusted the sweetness and saltiness to taste. A delish way to celebrate New Year’s Day!
Hey Thy,
Happy New Year!🎆🎈 I appreciate you making this recipe and your comment! So glad to hear it was enjoyed! xx
Simply the best! The icing has amazing flavor and I went go heavy on the butter, cinnamon, sugar filling- so worth it! Can’t wait to make these again!
Happy Holidays! ⭐️☃️
Hey Anne,
I appreciate you giving this recipe a try and sharing your review, so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Happy New Year! 🎊🎈
These are incredible! So yummy! Prepped them last night & baked this morning. Shared with the neighbors and they were a HIT! Thanks for the tasty recipe! 🤤
Hey Emily,
Wonderful!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it! xT