Caramel Cinnamon Rolls
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These caramel cinnamon rolls are ultra soft and extra gooey, thanks to a rich caramel and heavy cream soak. Made with my trusted small batch cinnamon roll dough and a game-changing soaking technique, they’re dripping with warm, sticky caramel and finished with a slather of creamy salted caramel cream cheese frosting. In this post, I’ll walk you through every step, including my best tips for working with yeast so you have success on the first try.
MY TRUSTED CINNAMON ROLLS WITH A CARAMEL TWIST
If there’s one thing I know, it’s cinnamon rolls. My small batch cinnamon roll recipe has been a reader favorite for years, and after experimenting with a soaking syrup technique in my eggnog cinnamon rolls, I knew I had to apply this technique to my personal favorite sticky caramel rolls.
This caramel cinnamon roll recipe has been on my site since 2020, but after seeing just how magical an extra soak can be, I gave the recipe a full upgrade, because if we’re making caramel cinnamon rolls, they should be dripping with gooey caramel goodness.
These rolls start with a simple enriched yeast dough (don’t worry, I am going to walk you through the whole thing!), filled with spiced cinnamon sugar, and then bathed in a rich caramel and heavy cream soak that takes their softness to the next level.
The result is supple, melt-in-your-mouth cinnamon rolls with a sticky, drippy caramel finish, all slathered in a luscious salted caramel cream cheese frosting. If you’re new to baking with yeast or just need a refresher, I’ve got a full guide to help you out. But trust me, once you taste these ultra-gooey, caramel-soaked beauties topped with that creamy, slightly salty frosting, you’ll wonder why you ever made cinnamon rolls any other way.
Bonus: the recipe doubles beautifully and simply. You’re welcome.
WHAT YOU NEED FOR HOMEMADE CARAMEL ROLLS
If you peek at the recipe card, it looks quite long. Fear not, though. Many of the ingredients repeat, and I’ve broken the ingredients into 4 different sections, because there are 4 different components to this caramel roll recipe: the roll dough, the filling, the soaking syrup, and the frosting.
Here is a full list of the ingredients you will need. Again, you’ll find the amounts and specifics in the recipe card below.
Grab these ingredients:
• water
• granulated and brown sugar
• dry active yeast
• milk
• vanilla extract
• egg
• all-purpose flour
• salt
• unsalted butter
• ground cinnamon
• salted caramel sauce (homemade preferred, see notes)
• heavy cream
• full fat cream cheese
• powdered sugar
USE HOMEMADE CARAMEL SAUCE INSTEAD OF STORE-BOUGHT
I do have to note, I strongly encourage homemade salted caramel sauce here.
Here’s why you should make it yourself: you already have the ingredients to make it from scratch (sugar, butter, heavy cream, and salt!), it only takes 20 minutes, and you can use it right away.
Store bought is totally fine, but it’s often made with corn syrup, which can become chewy and hard in the oven. If you have to use store bought, just try to find something made without corn syrup or that lists sugar as the first ingredient.
OVERVIEW: HOW TO MAKE CARAMEL ROLLS
Make the dough: you’ll start by activating/blooming the yeast with warm water and granulated sugar, then add the rest of the wet ingredients (warm milk, vanilla, and an egg). To this, you’ll also add half of the flour, salt, and the softened butter before the remaining portion of flour. Just like biscuits and pie dough, adding the butter in pats to the flour will help create chunks of fat that melt in the oven and leave behind pockets of air (flakes!).
Allow dough to rest: cinnamon roll dough does not need two rises, but it does have to rest a bit before you shape it. The rest allows the gluten to relax so you can stretch and roll it into a rectangle.
Roll into a rectangle: roll dough into a 9″ x 12″ rectangle, or 12″ x 18″ for a double batch.
Prepare and add the filling: the cinnamon-sugar filling is the same as the one you find in my traditional cinnamon rolls. The rectangle of dough gets brushed with not only melted butter but also some salted caramel sauce. This is the first place we’ll add that gloriousness!
Roll, slice, and allow rolls to rise: once you’ve filled your dough with all the goods, roll it into a log starting with one of the long sides. Slice this into 6 evenly sized rolls, then place in a dish, cover with a towel, and allow to rise.
Prepare soaking syrup: this is the stuff, and the second inclusion of caramel sauce. We’ll mix some caramel sauce into heavy cream to make a gloriously sticky and ooey gooey soaking syrup and pour it right over those risen rolls.
Bake the caramel cinnamon rolls: be sure you’re either putting the pan you’re baking the rolls in on a baking sheet or placing a baking sheet on the rack directly under the one on which you’re baking your rolls to catch any caramel drippiness. I have forgotten this step before and it’s quite messy (and smelly when it burns onto the bottom of the oven– oops!).
Allow to cool briefly: give the baked rolls about 10-15 minutes to settle and cool. They will be super hot and puffy, and that caramel sauce can be dangerous to your skin. We’ll be getting up close and personal with it in a bit so it’s best to let it cool down a tad.
Make cream cheese frosting: this is really easy and only takes a few minutes to bring together. You can make this at any time, but I find that waiting for the rolls to cool is torture, so it’s best to busy myself with another task.
Flip out onto a plate + frost: since that caramel sauce has gotten into every nook and cranny, flipping the rolls out onto a plate will ensure we don’t waste a single drip of the good stuff. Once the rolls are out of the baking dish, they’re ready for their salted caramel cream cheese finish. Plus an extra drizzle for good measure. So I suppose that makes 4 places we’re inserting caramel sauce into these rolls. I’m not mad about it.
My friends, this easy caramel roll recipe will knock your caramel-loving, cinnamon roll-craving socks off. They are full of deep caramel flavor, and that cinnamon spice complements the sweetness so nicely. Cinnamon + caramel is a match made in flavor heaven.
The creamy caramel cream cheese frosting slathered on top takes these rolls to a whole new level. And there’s juuuust enough of it to seal the sweet deal without making you feel like you just ate a slice of cake with too much frosting on it. But can I recommend a glass of milk or cup of coffee with these rolls? You won’t regret that pairing either.
Let’s revolutionize cinnamon rolls today, shall we? I guarantee these will impress you and will make a return appearance in your kitchen. You might as well go for that double batch right away.
More variations on a theme? Try my traditional homemade cinnamon rolls (a small batch version as well as a mini version!), coffee rolls, lemon poppy seed sweet rolls, or sourdough cinnamon rolls next!
Caramel Rolls Recipe
Ingredients
ROLL DOUGH
- ¼ cup (60mL) warm water
- 2 and ½ Tablespoons (31g) granulated sugar
- 1 and ¼ teaspoon dry active yeast or half of a packet
- ¼ cup (60mL) warm milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 2 and ½ cups (300g) all-purpose flour be sure to measure properly
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 Tablespoons (43g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature and cut into 4-6 pieces
FILLING
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (50g) firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 2 Tablespoons (29g) unsalted butter melted
- 1 Tablespoon (15g) homemade caramel sauce1
SOAKING SYRUP
- ½ cup (120g) homemade caramel sauce1
- ½ cup (120mL) heavy cream
CARAMEL CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
- 2 ounces (56g) cream cheese softened to room temperature
- 2 Tablespoons (29g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- ¾ cup (90g) powdered sugar
- ⅙ teaspoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon (15g) homemade caramel sauce1
Instructions
ROLL DOUGH
- Spray an 8" baking dish with non-stick spray (I like to use a round pie plate). Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large mixing bowl if you want to do this by hand), combine the warm water, sugar, and yeast. Whisk or stir with a fork or spoon and allow to rest and activate for 10 minutes.¼ cup (60mL) warm water, 2 and ½ Tablespoons (31g) granulated sugar, 1 and ¼ teaspoon dry active yeast
- Once the yeast is active and bubbly, add the warm milk, vanilla, and egg and whisk to combine.¼ cup (60mL) warm milk, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 large egg
- Add 1 and ½ cup of flour and the salt, the begin to blend the mixture together with the hook (low speed) or by hand with a wooden spoon or spatula.2 and ½ cups (300g) all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon salt
- Allow dough to start to come together, then add the softened butter and continue to blend. When the butter is mostly incorporated, add the remaining 1 cup of flour and blend until dough has completely come together. It should easily pull away from the sides of your bowl and dough hook or spoon.3 Tablespoons (43g) unsalted butter
- Turn out dough on a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8-10 minutes. You can also let your mixer do this work. If at any time the dough feels too sticky, add 1 Tablespoon of flour and work it in gradually by kneading. When the dough is ready, it should feel like PlayDoh to the touch and “snap” when you pull it apart.
- Allow the dough to rest for 10 minutes while you prepare the filling.
FILLING
- In a medium size bowl, combine the granulated and brown sugars and the cinnamon. Use a fork or your fingers to blend everything together until combined. Set aside.¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar, ¼ cup (50g) firmly packed light brown sugar, 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
- Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out into a rectangle approximately 9" x 12" in size. Dough will be very elastic, so be patient and keep rolling. There is no need to rush this step.
- When you have your rectangle, brush the melted butter evenly over the dough, leaving about ½" border around the edges. Drizzle the salted caramel sauce over the butter and brush again to combine. Sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar evenly over the melted butter/caramel.2 Tablespoons (29g) unsalted butter, 1 Tablespoon (15g) homemade caramel sauce1
ASSEMBLE AND BAKE THE ROLLS
- Starting with one of the long sides, roll the dough up into a tight 12" log. Use your fingers or palms on either end of the log to gently squeeze the log to "contain" the uneven ends. Using a sharp serrated knife and taking care to keep the seam side down, cut the log into 6 even slices. Don't worry if filling spills out.
- Place the slices cut side down in the prepared pan (4 rows of 3 in a square pan or 1 in the middle with 5 around it in a round pan), gather any cinnamon-sugar that fell out, sprinkle over the rolls, then press down gently to flatten slightly. Cover loosely with foil or a kitchen towel. Allow rolls to rise for 1 and ½ hours.
- When rolls have risen, preheat the oven to 350ºF (177ºC).
- In a small bowl or a glass measuring cup with a spout (my preference), combine the heavy cream and salted caramel sauce, then whisk or stir together vigorously until combined.½ cup (120g) homemade caramel sauce1, ½ cup (120mL) heavy cream
- Carefully pour the heavy cream/caramel mixture over the top of the rolls, allowing it to pool in the baking dish.
- Place the baking dish on a large baking sheet, or place a baking sheet on the oven rack under the rolls, then bake the rolls for 25-30 minutes or until rolls just start to brown on top. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes while you prepare the cream cheese frosting.
CARAMEL CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
- In a large bowl with a handheld mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and cream cheese on medium-high speed until smooth.2 ounces (56g) cream cheese, 2 Tablespoons (29g) unsalted butter
- Turn the mixer speed down to low and add the powdered sugar. Add the salt and caramel sauce and continue mixing until smooth. Set aside.¾ cup (90g) powdered sugar, ⅙ teaspoon salt, 1 Tablespoon (15g) homemade caramel sauce1
SERVE THE ROLLS
- Get out a serving platter or dinner plate. Being very careful, turn the warm rolls over and out onto the plate. To do this: invert the plate on top of the warm rolls. Using oven mitts, flip everything over (plate is now on the bottom), and allow rolls to settle upside down for a few minutes before removing the baking dish (which is now on top). You may need to shake the baking dish a bit to loosen some parts of the rolls.
- Spread cream cheese frosting onto slightly cooled rolls and serve rolls immediately. Drizzle with more caramel sauce, if desired. Leftover rolls stay fresh in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days or in the refrigerator up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave for 8-10 seconds before serving. See notes section below for other storage and preparation suggestions.
Notes
- Caramel sauce: I strongly encourage homemade caramel sauce here as store bought is typically made with corn syrup which can become chewy and hard in the oven. If you must buy it, look for something without corn syrup.
- Make ahead: this dough can be made the ahead of time through step 1 of the “assemble and bake dough” instructions. Cover rolls with plastic wrap and allow to rest in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, remove from the refrigerator and allow to rise in a warm environment, about 1 hour. Continue with step 2 in the “assemble and bake dough” instructions.
- To freeze: baked rolls freeze well, up to 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and warm before enjoying.
- To freeze unbaked rolls: bake the rolls in step 2 in “assemble and bake dough” instructions for 10 minutes at 350°F (177ªC). Allow to cool completely, cover tightly, then freeze. Remove the rolls from the freezer and allow to thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Finish baking for the remaining 20 minutes before icing and serving.
- To double this recipe: instead of using an 8″ baking dish, use a 9″ x 13″ or larger, roll dough to 12″ x 18″, and flip out onto a baking sheet or larger platter.
- Working with yeast: for a comprehensive look at working with yeast in a recipe, see my post about how to bake with yeast.
- To clean: everything with hardened caramel sauce on it can be easily cleaned by soaking it in hot soapy water to dissolve the sugar.
Nutrition Disclosure
All nutritional values are approximate and provided to the reader as a courtesy. Changing ingredients and/or quantities will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.
SO GOOD. So sticky in the best way possible and that cream cheese frosting was so incredible!
Haha, I totally know what you mean. Thanks so much, Shanan!
These were so good!! We made them Thanksgiving morning and ate the whole batch while we watched the parade. Thanks!
Love that! Thanks, Trina!
Loved these! I’ve been searching for a great sticky bun recipe and this nailed it! So so good 😍
Thanks so much, Deanna!