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Sweet warming Cinnamon Knots with Coffee Icing, for the ideal autumn treat. All made using pantry staple ingredients. Including a good amount of cinnamon, a touch of sweet brown sugar, and the most delicious coffee icing – for an extra special cinnamon knot. Beyond delicious and the easiest to make, these extra cinnamony knots have a little crunch with every bite.
For the most part, I reserve my cinnamon rolls for Christmas time…and Christmas time only. It makes them feel even more special to me and we always look forward to them on Christmas Eve.
I did, of course, make an exception for the apple cinnamon rolls I shared a few weeks back. But those felt so very fall, and not at all holiday, so they were OK in my mind.
These are my cinnamon knots. They’re not quite a cinnamon roll, but kind of similar. And either way, they’re so delicious that I just had to share them. Plus knots allow me to get around my little rule.
What I love most about these rolls is just how quickly they can be made. All you need is one hour! I used Fleischmann’s® RapidRise® Instant Yeast, which makes the process of making and baking the cinnamon knots so simple and easy.
Fleischmann’s® RapidRise® Instant Yeast cuts down on rising time, allowing you to skip those lengthy waits. It contains fine granules that activate faster, without the need to dissolve first. Using their rapid rise yeast makes baking any kind of yeasted dough simple and straightforward.
You don’t even need a stand mixer for these knots!
Here are the details
The dough is the simplest to make. Simply mix flour with Fleischmann’s® RapidRise® Instant Yeast and add a pinch of salt. Next, add in warmed milk, a touch of brown sugar, eggs, and salted butter. Mix until smooth and let the dough rest for ten to fifteen minutes. And that’s the beauty of Fleischmann’s® RapidRise® Instant Yeast!
We get to skip an entire hour-long rise. Yet we still get the softest, fluffiest cinnamon knots!
The filling
For the filling, I spread the dough with butter, then sprinkle on a simple mix of brown sugar and cinnamon.
I like to use brown sugar for a nice depth of flavor. And I go heavy on the cinnamon for a knot that’s super delish.
Shaping the knots
Shaping the knots is easy. You shouldn’t stress about making them perfect.
In fact, the more imperfect they end up being, the better. Trust me, once they bake up they’ll be delicious and pretty…because cinnamon sugar has that effect on everything.
To make them even more special, we’re also making a cinnamon topping. This is a mix of brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter. Simply sprinkle the topping over top each knot before baking. As the knots bake, the topping begins to caramelize over the knots.
I do want to note that some of the cinnamon will fall off the knots onto the pan. What I like to do is spoon/scoop the sugar up off the pan. Then simply spoon it back over each knot. This is why it’s important to line your baking sheets with parchment paper.
The icing
While the knots are baking, I like to make the icing. It’s simply butter, maple syrup, powdered sugar, and instant coffee.
Not too strong, not too sweet, but just right. Especially when drizzled on top of a warm knot. Delicious!
As the knots bake, your home will be filled with scents of sweetness and cinnamon.
As soon as the rolls come out of the oven, ice them and serve. These knots are beyond good, soft, fluffy, perfectly sweet, and there’s a little crunch with every bite.
Looking for other easy fall breakfast? Here are my favorites:
Apple Cinnamon Rolls with Brown Butter Maple Icing
Cider Pumpkin Waffles with Salted Maple Butter
Baked Apple Cider Doughnuts with Cinnamon Maple Glaze
Lastly, if you make these Cinnamon Knots with Coffee 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!
Cinnamon Knots with Coffee Icing
Servings: 14 knots
Calories Per Serving: 363 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
Dough
- 3 1/2 – 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 1 packet Fleischmann’s® RapidRise® Instant Yeast
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup warm milk
- 3 large eggs
- 4 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature
Cinnamon Filling
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon, plus 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 6 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature
Coffee Icing
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 3/4-1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon instant coffee
Instructions
- 1. In a mixing bowl, combine 3 ½ cups flour, the yeast, brown sugar, and salt. Add the milk, eggs, and butter. Mix until the flour is completely incorporated. If the dough seems sticky, add the remaining ½ cup of flour a little at a time. 2. Cover the bowl and let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes. 3. Meanwhile, make the filling. In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1 tablespoon cinnamon. Preheat the oven to 375° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment. 4. On a floured surface, roll the dough out into a rectangle about 1/4 inch thick (about 16×14 inches), adding flour as needed. Spread the dough with 5 tablespoons butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Fold the dough in half, directly over the cinnamon, pressing to adhere. Cut into 12-14 strips. Twist each strip into a loose knot, they don't need to be perfect. Place on the prepared baking sheet.5. In a bowl, combine 1 tablespoon melted butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Spoon clumps of the brown sugar over the knots (see above photo). 6. Bake 20 minutes, until golden. 7. Meanwhile, make the glaze. Melt together the butter and maple syrup in a small pot set over medium heat. Remove from the heat and whisk in the powdered sugar and instant coffee. Drizzle over the knots.
Notes
To Make Ahead: prepare the rolls through step 5. Cover the knots and place in the fridge (up to overnight). When ready to bake, remove the knots from the fridge 15 minutes prior to baking, then bake as directed.
To Prepare and Freeze: assemble the rolls through step 5, then cover and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw the knots overnight in the fridge or on the counter for a few hours. Once thawed, bake as directed.
To Use Active Dry Yeast: Mix 1 packet (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast with the warm milk and the brown sugar. Let sit 5-10 minutes, until bubbly and foamy on top. Add the flour and follow the directions as listed for the remainder of the recipe.
These sound delish! What do you think about adding diced cinnamon apples to these?! Would you add to the baking time?
These were pretty easy to make. They smell delicious in the oven. We are having them before we eat dinner!!
Hey Sheryl! Thanks so much for trying out this recipe, so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂 xTieghan
These are seriously amazing! And I’m not the best at baking bread but today after baking these I feel more confident! These are gonna make my Christmas Day bake list 🙂
Hi Jen! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I’m so glad you enjoyed it! xTieghan
Loved this recipe! Easy and delicious! Made my entire kitchen smell heavenly! I can’t wait to try some other recipes.
Hi there! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I hope it was delicious! xTieghan
These were incredible! I made them yesterday and there are still warm hints of cinnamon in my kitchen as I turn on my oven to make my next HBH recipe. The glaze is perfect and the coffee cuts through the sweetness balancing everything. I just noticed that my Recipe Box looks like your blog because I add every recipe!!
Hey Lynne! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Have a lovely week! xTieghan
Added bourbon to the icing and they were amazing. The icing ended up being the best part. The dough was a little dry and crumbly and I don’t know if that’s normal. I’ll try to make them again and see what happens. But def add bourbon to your icing– so good!
Hi there! Thanks so much for trying out this recipe, so glad to hear it was enjoyed! And the addition of the bourbon sounds so yummy! Have a wonderful week! xTieghan
Hi Katie I thought the same thing about them being a little dry but they were still very good next time I would make more of the butter Brown sugar cinnamon topping
These were *chefs kiss*. My family has a homemade cinnamon roll recipe we always make around the holidays and these trumped those rolls— and not having to sit around for 2 hours while the dough rises? Can’t beat that. The topping melted and made a thin crispy candy-like coating, and I loved that there was not too much frosting and it was not too sweet— balanced by the coffee flavor. Definitely keeping this recipe in my books!
These were so easy and fun to make. Plus they are just dang cute!
these were amazing! Super fun and simple to make. Thanks for another great recipe:))
Made these tonight and they turned out perfect! I didn’t have instant coffee so I brewed some strong coffee and used a bit of that in the glaze. The coffee flavor pairs amazingly with the cinnamon knots. Your recipes never disappoint, they are always so delicious! (I accidentally posted this on your recent nine favorite things so here it is in the right place lol ?)
I made these today and Oh My! Amazing! The coffee icing is key and I added a sprinkle of sea salt. Yes! Definitely going to keep this recipe!
Thank you, thank you! Delicious ?
Hi there! Thanks so much for trying out this recipe, so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Have a wonderful week! xTieghan
I have everything except for maple syrup, something I can substitute?
These look amazing! I’m working on making them now but in terms of “warm” milk, what temperature should that be? I know if the milk is too hot, it will kill the yeast so I think adding some reference to how warm the milk should be would help.
Hi there! I would just warm it up in the microwave for about 25-30 seconds (depending on how strong your microwave is!) It definitely shouldn’t be hot, more just a warm temperature. Hope this helps! xTieghan
Amazing! I added pecans to it too – thank you for yet another great recipe!!
So glad you enjoyed this recipe, thanks so much for giving it a try! 🙂 xTieghan
Delicious and surprisingly easy. I don’t use all the 2nd brown sugar/cinnamon mixture and my family appreciated that they were a little less sweet. They puffed up in the oven and look super impressive as well 🙂