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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.

Cinnamon Knots with Coffee Icing | halfbakedharvest.com

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.

Cinnamon Knots with Coffee Icing | halfbakedharvest.com

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!

Cinnamon Knots with Coffee Icing | halfbakedharvest.com

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!

Cinnamon Knots with Coffee Icing | halfbakedharvest.com

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.

Cinnamon Knots with Coffee Icing | halfbakedharvest.com

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.

Cinnamon Knots with Coffee Icing | halfbakedharvest.com

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.

Cinnamon Knots with Coffee Icing | halfbakedharvest.com

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

Author: Tieghan Gerard
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
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.

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Ingredients

Dough

Cinnamon Filling

Coffee Icing

US Customary – Metric

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. 
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Cinnamon Knots with Coffee Icing | halfbakedharvest.com

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Comments

    1. Hi Lacey,
      Wonderful! I am thrilled to hear this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for giving it a go! Happy New Year!? xTieghan

      Reply

    1. Hi Kelsey,
      Yes, both of those substitutes will work well for you! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan

      Reply

  3. 5 stars
    these are fantastic! prepared the night before and baked up christmas morning. my husband said they’re better than cinnamon rolls, which they definitely are! added chopped pecans to the topping, WOWZERS!!! this turned into an automatic christmas staple!

    Reply

  4. I made these for Christmas Eve dinner and WOW!!! My mom and I both declared that they are the best thing we have ever eaten lol Merry Christmas!! 🙂

    Reply

  5. 5 stars
    Made and loved them! Wanting to make them for Christmas morning. Any advice on making these ahead of time to pop in the oven Christmas morning?

    Reply

    1. Hey Erin,
      Thank you so very much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! You can follow the make ahead instructions listed above. Happy Holidays!??

      Reply

  6. Just tried these and they’re delicious! I mixed the butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon all together to make them easier to handle, reserving a third of the mixture to go on top. They were still crunchy, but not at all messy. I left off the glaze and they were plenty sweet. However, I started a fire in my oven. (I used a 9″ deep dish pie pan and failed to put something under it for overflow.) Is a baking sheet same as a cookie sheet? Sides, or no sides? Won’t they just spread all over? Would love to have again for Christmas, so please advise. Thank you!

    Reply

    1. Hey Ellie,
      Wonderful! Love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks for making it! Yikes! Yes, a baking sheet is the same as cookie sheets with sides. Have the best week:) xTieghan

      Reply

  7. Today is my husband’s birthday and he loves any kind of cinnamon roll so I finally tried your cinnamon knots and they are delicious! So easy once you get the hang of proper twisting. I also have tried freezing a few to see how that works. The crunchy topping and that wonderful frosting were an added bonus. Could never have too much of either. Loved them! Thank you for sharing your special recipe.
    PS – Will probably bring out the frozen rolls and fix on Christmas morning.
    Hoping you and your family have a wonderful Christmas!

    Reply

    1. Hey Judy,
      Wonderful! Love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks for making it! Have the best week:) xTieghan

      Reply

  8. Hi Tieghan, I tried this recipe over the weekend and while they tasted DELICIOUS, my dough turned out quite dense and my knots were not fluffy at all. I believe I followed the recipe correctly. Any idea what I may have done wrong? Wondering if may my dough didn’t rise well enough. I’d love to retry these for the holidays so tips would be appreciated! Thank you for all of your lovely recipes!

    Reply

    1. Hey Mika,
      I love to hear that you liked this recipe, thanks a lot for giving it a try! So sorry to hear they were dense. What kind of yeast did you use? They definitely might have needed to rise more. xTieghan

      Reply

  9. 2 stars
    I just made these. Looks wise, they turned out perfectly! However, the flavor was lacking for me. Despite the loads of butter and sugar, they still tasted more bready to me than anything. They’re definitely still edible, but won’t make again.

    Reply

  10. 5 stars
    These taste amazing! But I feel like I’m missing a couple of steps. How are you able to spread the butter on the rolled out dough without tearing it? I had to warm mine in my hands and sort of smear it around, which was less than pleasant. And you just put the glaze on right after they come out? Mine didn’t harden at all. Too much liquid maybe?

    I agree with the other commenter who said 20mins seems long; I took mine out at 18, and wish I’d gone a few minutes earlier. But again: delicious.

    Reply

    1. Hey there,
      I am so glad that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for trying it out! Your butter should be room temp to have it be spreadable. Yes, put the glaze on when they come out. Happy Thanksgiving! xTieghan

      Reply

  11. I think I must be doing something wrong. I can’t get the dough to rise! I mixed the flour, salt, brown sugar and rapid yeast… then added in the milk/eggs. Any tips?? I love your recipes and was so excited for this one!

    Reply

  12. These are good, but I found 20 minutes to be too long. I took out my second batch at 16 minutes, and everyone preferred those. So I would suggest to probably start checking on them at around 13 minutes. Other than that great flavor.

    Reply

    1. Hey Kelsey,
      Awesome! It’s so great to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for giving it a try! xTieghan

      Reply

    2. Hi there! Do you know what alternative to rapid instant Fleishmann’s yeast? It is unavailable in the UK. Thank you very much!

      Reply

    1. Hi Anna,
      I would store in an airtight container on the counter. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan

      Reply

  14. These look lovely! Is there an egg replacement you would recommend? It’s often difficult to sub 3 or more eggs in a recipe without getting the same result.

    Reply

    1. Hey there,
      So sorry, I have not tested this recipe without the egg. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try! xTieghan

      Reply

  15. These sound so delicious – I’m a big fan of cinnamon – and I really like the fact that they only take an hour to make! I think I’ll be trying these this morning ?.

    Reply