Espresso Glazed Cinnamon Rolls
Yes, you’ll die and go to heaven with every bite of this espresso glazed cinnamon rolls. Let’s be honest, who doesn’t love a sticky, gooey cinnamon roll with brown sugar swirled in? But this classic favorite has a hint of a secret ingredient that will not disappoint… coffee, well even better actually, espresso. The espresso mixed in to the filling of these rolls gives all of our coffee lovers out there the best of both worlds!
Could it get any better?
These homemade espresso glazed cinnamon rolls are easy enough to whip up for a brunch with friends or just for a cozy Sunday. Grab a blanket a hot cup of coffee and snuggle up with one of these ooo gooey espresso rolls.
There’s nothing quite like baking a batch of homemade cinnamon rolls in your oven. It just fills your house with such warmth and happiness!
Tips on making Home-made Cinnamon rolls
When it comes to making homemade cinnamon rolls, it can seem like a daunting task, but let yourself have fun with it! There’s just something so gratifying about rolling out a yeasted dough that rose to fluffy perfection. It’s a labor of love!
Tip 1: give yourself grace and patience! When you are working with a yeast dough vs. a dough with baking powder/soda, it can be more temperamental. Meaning, it can change from day to day! Even weather conditions can effect it, so if your dough turns out differently than the first time you made it, don’t sweat it!
Tip 2: make sure your yeast isn’t expired or hasn’t been sitting in the back of your refrigerator too long. Fresh, active yeast works the best!
Tip 3: have fun!
How to make an Espresso glaze
Topping these fluffy cinnamon rolls off with an espresso glaze is literally the icing on the cake. It’s so good! How can you go wrong with the combination of coffee and cinnamon roll? You just can’t.
All you have to do for this decadent glaze is whisk together powdered sugar, milk, espresso powder and vanilla until decadently smooth. Make sure you do grab espresso powder and not instant coffee.
Espresso glazed cinnamon rolls
Equipment
- Large Bowl
- Whisk
- Rubber Spatula
- Rolling pin
- Sharp knife (or unflavored dental string for cutting the rolls)
- Baking pan or baking sheet
Ingredients
For the Cinnamon roll dough:
- 1 tbsp. instant yeast
- ¼ cup warm water
- ½ cup sugar, plus 1 tablespoon
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter – melted
- 1 cup milk
- 2 large eggs
- 4 cups flour
- ¾ tbsp. salt
For the filling:
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter softened
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 tbsp. cinnamon
For the Espresso glaze:
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- ¼ cup milk, plus 3 tablespoons
- 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
- 2-3 tbsp. espresso powder (depends on how strong you want the coffee flavor
Instructions
For the Cinnamon roll dough:
- In a small bowl, combine the yeast with the 1 tablespoon of sugar. Whisk in the warm water and set aside.
- Add the melted butter to a large bowl and whisk in the remaining ½ cup of sugar until combined. Slowly whisk in the milk. Add in the eggs and whisk until combined. Gently whisk in the yeast mixture.
- Add the flour and salt into the bowl and use a rubber spatula to gently fold together until a dough ball forms. The dough may be slightly sticky at this point. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean towel and let rise for 2 hours in a warm spot, such as on top of a warm oven, in front of a fireplace, in warm sunlight or a bread-proofing drawer.
- After the dough has risen for 2 hours, gently roll it out onto a well-floured surface into a ¼ inch thick rectangle.
For the filling:
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the butter, sugar and cinnamon until fluffy, about a minute or two.
- Use a rubber spatula or an off-set knife to evenly spread the filling mixture over the top of the rectangle of dough.
- Start at one end of the rectangle (long ways) and roll the dough into a log. Use a sharp knife or unflavored dental floss to cut the cinnamon rolls, about 1 ½ inches thick each.
- Place the cinnamon rolls either onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (spacing a few inches apart, about 6 rolls per baking sheet) or in a greased 9×13 pan (spacing an inch or so apart). Cover with a towel and let rise again for 30 minutes in a warm area.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. After the rolls have risen again, bake for about 25 minutes, or until slightly golden brown and the centers have set.
For the Espresso glaze:
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, vanilla and espresso powder. Evenly spoon the glaze over the tops of the cinnamon rolls after they have cooled slightly but are still warm. Enjoy!
Notes
- Make sure to purchase instant espresso powder instead of instant coffee for the glaze. Espresso powder is more fine than instant coffee, which tends to have larger granules.
- I like to let the dough rise in front of my fireplace, rotating the bowl every 30 minutes or so to ensure an even rise. On top of a warm oven works great too!
- If you are eating these cinnamon rolls over the next day or so after baking, make sure to microwave your roll for 30 seconds in the microwave to get that decadent “warm out of the oven” cinnamon roll!
Your breakfasts need not to be boring anymore as you have so many options to make your favorite rolls. A perfect serve with your coffee as you unwind. Please, feel free to share your experience if you tried this out. I’ll be glad to hear from you.
