Caramel Rolls Recipe

A photo of a plate of caramel cinnamon rolls.

5 from 3 votes

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.

Prep Time20

Bake Time35

Resting Time1 30

Total Time2 25

Recipe Author Lynn April

Servings: 6 rolls

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.

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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.