Brown Butter Buttermilk Cinnamon Rolls
These Brown Butter Buttermilk Cinnamon Rolls are soft, fluffy, sticky, and perfectly gooey with beautifully golden edges in every single bite. The buttermilk dough is incredibly tender and light, swirled with a warming brown butter cinnamon filling that gets gooey and melts into every layer as it bakes. Finished with a smooth and tangy brown butter cream cheese frosting that melts into every single swirl — served warm with a hot cup of coffee, these cinnamon rolls are the ultimate cozy breakfast you'll want to make every single weekend.
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Ingredients You Need:
Full ingredients and recipe are in the recipe card below. Read through this section for all the ingredients substitution and baking tips!
Buttermilk: Warmed to around 110F to activate the yeast and adds a subtle tang and extra tenderness to the dough that keeps the cinnamon rolls incredibly soft, fluffy, and light — a splash of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice mixed with milk of choice works as a substitute.
Granulated Sugar: Feeds the yeast during activation and adds a subtle sweetness to the brown butter cinnamon roll dough throughout.
Active Dry Yeast: The leavening agent that gives these cinnamon rolls their soft, fluffy, and perfectly tender texture — make sure it is properly activated and frothy before adding to the dough.
Greek Yogurt or Sour Cream: Adds richness and moisture to the dough, keeping the cinnamon rolls incredibly soft, tender, and fluffy throughout every single bite.
Salted Butter: Browned until deep golden amber and nutty for all three components — infused into the dough for a rich depth of flavor, cooled to a soft solid for the warming cinnamon filling, and browned for the cream cheese frosting for the most incredible nutty, rich, and indulgent finish throughout.
Eggs: Provide structure, richness, and stability to the dough while helping the cinnamon rolls hold together and bake up perfectly soft, fluffy, and golden throughout.
Vanilla Bean Paste or Extract: Adds a warm, sweet, and aromatic flavor that enhances the brown butter dough, the cinnamon filling, and the brown butter cream cheese frosting throughout.
Bread Flour: Gives the cinnamon rolls a slightly chewier, more structured texture that holds up beautifully during baking — all-purpose flour works as a substitute. See the notes section for how to properly measure for the best results.
Salt: Balances the sweetness and enhances all the warm, rich brown butter flavors throughout the dough, filling, and frosting.
Brown Sugar: The base of the warm and gooey brown butter cinnamon filling that caramelizes beautifully as it bakes and adds a deep, rich, molasses-like sweetness to every single swirl throughout.
Cinnamon: Adds a warm, cozy spice to the brown butter cinnamon filling that pairs perfectly with the nutty brown butter flavor and creates that classic cinnamon roll taste in every single bite.
Heavy Cream: Poured warm over the proofed rolls right before baking — this is the secret to incredibly soft, fluffy, sticky, and gooey cinnamon rolls with those signature beautifully golden edges that make every single bite irresistible.
Cream Cheese: The base of the smooth and tangy brown butter cream cheese frosting that melts right into every single swirl for the most indulgent, creamy, and deeply flavorful finish — make sure it is fully softened before beating for the smoothest result.
Powdered Sugar: Sweetens and thickens the brown butter cream cheese frosting into a smooth, perfectly spreadable consistency that melts beautifully into every single swirl of these cinnamon rolls.
Why You’ll Love Brown Butter Buttermilk Cinnamon Rolls:
Soft, Fluffy, And Perfectly Tender: These cinnamon rolls are incredibly soft, fluffy, and perfectly tender with a light and airy crumb that makes every single bite absolutely irresistible and completely unforgettable.
Sticky And Gooey With Golden Edges: Each cinnamon roll bakes up sticky, gooey, and perfectly caramelized with those signature beautifully golden edges that everyone loves and absolutely lives for.
That Buttermilk Dough: The buttermilk in the dough adds a subtle tang and keeps the rolls extra tender, light, and fluffy — giving these cinnamon rolls a truly unique and irresistible texture that sets them apart from any other cinnamon roll recipe.
That Warming Brown Butter Cinnamon Filling: The brown butter cinnamon filling adds a deep, nutty richness and warm spiced flavor that gets gooey and melts into every single layer as it bakes for the most incredible and indulgent swirl throughout.
That Rich Brown Butter Flavor: The brown butter adds a warm, nutty depth of flavor to both the filling and the cream cheese frosting that takes these cinnamon rolls completely over the top and makes them truly one of a kind.
That Smooth Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting: The smooth and tangy brown butter cream cheese frosting melts right into every single swirl for the most indulgent, creamy, and deeply flavorful finish that ties all the flavors together perfectly.
Served Warm For The Best Experience: These cinnamon rolls are at their absolute best served warm straight from the oven with the brown butter cream cheese frosting melting into every single swirl and a hot cup of coffee on the side.
Perfect For Any Occasion: Whether it is a lazy weekend morning, a holiday brunch, a birthday breakfast, or any special occasion, these brown butter buttermilk cinnamon rolls are always the ultimate crowd-pleasing treat on the table.
Tips for Making Brown Butter Buttermilk Cinnamon Rolls:
Brown All The Butter At Once: Brown all three batches of butter needed for the dough, filling, and frosting before starting anything else — this makes the entire process much smoother, more efficient, and ensures each component has the most incredible brown butter flavor throughout.
Watch The Brown Butter Closely: Butter can go from perfectly browned to burnt very quickly, so stay at the stove and stir continuously until it turns a deep golden amber color and smells nutty. Remove from the heat immediately for each batch.
Cool Each Batch Of Brown Butter Properly: Allow the brown butter for the dough to cool slightly before mixing, let the brown butter for the filling cool to room temperature until it reaches a soft, solid state, and set the brown butter for the frosting aside at room temperature until ready to use — each component needs the butter at a different temperature for the best result.
Activate The Yeast In Warm Buttermilk: Make sure the buttermilk is warmed to around 110F before activating the yeast — too hot and it will kill the yeast, too cold and it won't activate. It should feel like a warm bath. Look for a frothy, bubbly mixture after 5–7 minutes to know it is ready.
Use Room Temperature Greek Yogurt Or Sour Cream: Make sure the Greek yogurt or sour cream is fully at room temperature before adding it to the dough — cold ingredients can slow down the yeast activity and affect the texture of the final rolls.
Let The Flour Rest Before Kneading: After mixing the dough on low for 1 minute, let it rest for 5 minutes before kneading — this allows the flour to fully absorb the liquids for a smoother, more elastic, and perfectly tender dough.
Don't Overdo The Flour: The dough should be slightly sticky — only add extra flour one tablespoon at a time if it is too sticky to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Too much flour will result in dense, dry cinnamon rolls.
Don't Over-Rise The Dough: Only allow the dough to rise for 30–45 minutes — this dough won't double in size and that is completely intentional. Over-rising will result in cinnamon rolls that are too airy and lose their soft, tender, and gooey texture.
Make The Filling While The Dough Rises: Prepare the brown butter cinnamon filling during the 30–45 minute rise time so it is ready to spread the moment the dough is done rising.
Make Sure The Brown Butter Filling Is The Right Consistency: The brown butter for the filling needs to be cooled to room temperature and at a soft, solid state before mixing — if it is too warm and liquid, the filling will be too runny and will leak out during rolling. Place it in the refrigerator to speed up the process if needed.
Add Regular Softened Butter If The Filling Is Too Thick: If the brown butter cinnamon filling is too thick to spread easily, add 1/4 cup of regular softened butter and mix it in — this will not change the brown butter flavor but will make the filling much easier to spread evenly across the dough.
Spread The Filling All The Way To The Edges: Spread the brown butter cinnamon filling evenly across the entire surface of the dough, leaving only a very small border around the edges — this ensures every single swirl is packed with that warm, gooey, and nutty brown butter cinnamon filling.
Roll The Dough Tightly: Roll the dough up as tightly as possible when forming the rolls — a tight roll ensures beautiful, even swirls and keeps the filling from falling out during baking.
Pour Warm Heavy Cream Over The Rolls Before Baking: Warming the heavy cream and pouring it over the proofed rolls right before baking is the secret to incredibly soft, fluffy, sticky, and gooey cinnamon rolls with those signature beautifully golden edges.
Bake At Two Temperatures: Baking the rolls at 350F first and then increasing to 375F ensures the rolls cook all the way through without getting too dark on top or drying out in the middle — this two-temperature method is the key to the most perfectly baked cinnamon rolls every single time.
Check The Internal Temperature If Unsure: If the rolls still seem doughy in the middle after baking, place them back in the oven at 350F and add 5 minutes at a time as needed — every oven varies slightly in temperature so use your judgment and keep a close eye on them.
Let The Rolls Rest Before Frosting: Allow the rolls to rest for 10–15 minutes after baking before adding the brown butter cream cheese frosting — this prevents the frosting from melting completely off and gives the rolls time to set up properly before serving.
Frost While Still Warm: Spreading the brown butter cream cheese frosting on while the rolls are still slightly warm allows it to melt beautifully into every single swirl for the most indulgent, creamy, and irresistible finish.
How to Store Brown Butter Buttermilk Cinnamon Rolls:
Best Served Fresh: These brown butter buttermilk cinnamon rolls are at their absolute best served warm and fresh straight from the oven with the brown butter cream cheese frosting melting into every single swirl and a hot cup of coffee on the side.
Make Ahead (Overnight Method): Assemble the rolls, place them in the prepared baking pan, cover tightly, and store in the refrigerator overnight instead of doing the second proof. When ready to bake, remove from the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature and proof for 45–60 minutes before pouring the heavy cream over and baking as directed.
Make Ahead (Brown Butter): Brown all three batches of butter up to 2 days in advance and store separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator. Bring each back to the correct temperature before using — slightly cooled for the dough, room temperature soft solid for the filling, and room temperature for the frosting.
Room Temperature (Short-Term): The rolls can sit covered at room temperature for up to 1 day. Store the brown butter cream cheese frosting separately in an airtight container in the refrigerator and add just before serving.
Refrigerator: Store leftover frosted rolls in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Store any remaining brown butter cream cheese frosting separately in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Freezer: Freeze individual unfrosted baked rolls in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, reheat in the oven at 325F for 10–15 minutes, and frost with a fresh batch of brown butter cream cheese frosting before serving.
To Reheat: Warm individual rolls in the microwave for 20–30 seconds, or reheat in the oven at 325F for 8–10 minutes until warmed through and the frosting is melty and gooey again — the oven is recommended for the best soft, fluffy texture and perfectly golden edges.
FAQs:
Q: Can I make these brown butter buttermilk cinnamon rolls ahead of time? A: Yes. Assemble the rolls, place them in the prepared baking pan, cover tightly, and store in the refrigerator overnight instead of doing the second proof. When ready to bake, remove from the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature and proof for 45–60 minutes before pouring the heavy cream over and baking as directed.
Q: Can I brown all the butter ahead of time? A: Yes. Browning all three batches of butter up to 2 days in advance and storing them separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator is strongly recommended — it makes the entire process much smoother and more efficient the day of making the rolls.
Q: Can I make the brown butter cream cheese frosting ahead of time? A: Yes. The brown butter cream cheese frosting can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Let it sit at room temperature for 15–20 minutes before spreading over the warm rolls.
Q: Can I substitute the buttermilk in the dough? A: Yes. Mix 1 1/2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice with 3/4 cup of milk of choice as a substitute. You can also simply use 3/4 cup of milk of choice without any acid if you prefer — the buttermilk adds a subtle tang and extra tenderness so it is recommended to use it if possible.
Q: Can I use instant yeast instead of active dry yeast? A: Yes. If using instant yeast, there is no need to activate it first — simply add it directly into the dough mixture and proceed with the recipe.
Q: Can I use all-purpose flour instead of bread flour? A: Yes. All-purpose flour works as a substitute for bread flour, though bread flour gives the cinnamon rolls a slightly chewier, more structured texture that holds up beautifully during baking. See the notes section for how to properly measure flour for the best results.
Q: Why does the dough not double in size during the first rise? A: This is completely intentional — this dough is only meant to rise for 30–45 minutes and will not double in size during that time. Allowing it to rise too long will result in cinnamon rolls that are too airy and lose their soft, tender, and gooey texture.
Q: Why do I pour heavy cream over the rolls before baking? A: Pouring warm heavy cream over the proofed rolls right before baking is the secret to incredibly soft, fluffy, sticky, and gooey cinnamon rolls with those signature beautifully golden edges — it is one of the most important steps in this recipe so do not skip it.
Q: Why do I bake at two different temperatures? A: Baking the rolls at 350F first and then increasing to 375F ensures the rolls cook all the way through without getting too dark on top or drying out in the middle — this two-temperature method is the key to the most perfectly baked and golden cinnamon rolls every single time.
Q: Can I freeze these cinnamon rolls? A: Yes. Freeze individual unfrosted baked rolls in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, reheat in the oven at 325F for 10–15 minutes, and frost with a fresh batch of brown butter cream cheese frosting before serving.
Q: Can I make these brown butter buttermilk cinnamon rolls with sourdough starter instead of yeast? A: Yes, you can substitute 100g of active sourdough starter for the yeast. The dough will need a longer bulk fermentation — about 6–8 hours at room temperature — followed by an overnight ferment in the refrigerator to develop flavor. The next day, shape and proof the rolls for 2–3 hours, then bake as instructed.
Make sure to tag me @wellmadebykiley on Instagram and leave a review or comment if you make these brown butter buttermilk cinnamon rolls. Happy baking!
