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Home » Recipes » Cakes, Bakes & Frostings

Cinnamon Rolls with Apricot Cardamom Cream Cheese Frosting

Modified: Nov 20, 2025 · Published: Feb 23, 2020 by Nicole B. · Leave a Comment
5 from 2 votes
Total Time: 4 hours hours
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Turn breakfast into a special occasion with these easy no-knead cinnamon rolls with cardamom apricot cream cheese frosting. The creamy topping pairs perfectly with the crunchy cinnamon filling and really makes these rolls special. Make them for a Holiday brunch, a birthday or simply just because.

Cinnamon rolls with apricot cream cheese frosting.

A new take on classic cream cheese frosting:

The flavors in this frosting were inspired by my lemon cardamom cake. The combination of cardamom and fruit is a great one and I wanted do a variation of that here. Actual lemon would have been too harsh and intense so I looked for milder flavors. I tested different fruit preserves and the sweet, tart and floral flavor of apricot worked like magic. It's the perfect match for the citrusy cardamom and together the two ingredients take this frosting from regular to gourmet.

Cardamom, apricot preserves, butter, cream cheese and powdered sugar.

Full Recipe

Cinnamon rolls with apricot cream cheese frosting.
Author: The Spice Train

Cinnamon Rolls with Apricot Cardamom Cream Cheese Frosting

5 from 2 votes
Turn breakfast into a special occasion with these no-knead cinnamon rolls that are topped with a tangy apricot cardamom cream cheese frosting.
Enriched dough recipe from The New Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day.
Print Version (does not include images) Pin Recipe
Prep Time: 3 hours hrs 20 minutes mins
Cook Time: 40 minutes mins
Total Time: 4 hours hrs
Servings: 8 rolls
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American, Scandinavian
Calories: 357
Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition Notes

Equipment:

  • measuring spoons and cups
  • mixing bowls
  • whisk
  • firm plastic spatula or spoon (optional)
  • plastic wrap
  • 9-inch pie pan
  • rolling pin
  • saucepan
  • offset spatula or rubber spatula
  • serrated knife
  • standing mixer or handheld mixer
Prevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients:
  

For the dough:
  • ¾ teaspoon granulated yeast*
  • ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 7 tablespoons warm water (around 90 degrees F.)
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
For the filling:
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • ¼ cup brown sugar, packed
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the frosting:
  • 3 ounces full-fat block cream cheese**, softened
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  • ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 2 teaspoons apricot preserves
  • ½ cup + 1 tablespoon powdered sugar

Method:
 

For the dough:
  1. Add yeast, kosher salt and honey to a large bowl.
    ¾ teaspoon granulated yeast*, ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, 2 tablespoons honey
    Dough ingredients in a bowl.
  2. Pour the water into the bowl and whisk everything together. Let sit for a couple of minutes until the mix starts to foam.
    7 tablespoons warm water (around 90 degrees F.)
    Ingredients being whisked in a bowl.
  3. Whisk egg and butter into the mix.
    1 large egg, 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
    Dough ingredients being whisked in a bowl.
  4. Mix in flour using a firm plastic spatula, a spoon or your hands. Make sure to mix the dough well so that no pockets or clumps of flour remain.
    1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
    Dough being stirred in a bowl.
  5. Cover the bowl, set it in a warm place and let the dough rise for 2 hours.
    Dough in a bowl.
  6. Use the dough right away or transfer into an airtight container and keep in the fridge for up to 2 days.
    Dough in a plastic container.
For the filling:
  1. When you're ready to bake the rolls, grease a 9-inch pie pan. Set aside.
  2. Lightly dust a work surface with all-purpose flour.
  3. Roll the dough out thinly into a 14-inch by 10-inch rectangle. (If the dough was refrigerated, use it straight out of the fridge.) Set aside to make the filling.
    Raw dough rolled out into a rectangle.
  4. Melt butter in a saucepan, then add both sugars and cinnamon.
    4 tablespoons unsalted butter, ¼ cup brown sugar, packed, ¼ cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    Cinnamon filling ingredients in a saucepan.
  5. Cook the mix, whisking continuously, until you get a bubbly paste. Let cool a bit.
    Cinnamon filling being whisked.
  6. Using an offset spatula or a rubber spatula, spread the filling onto the dough all the way out to the edges.
    Cinnamon filling being spread onto raw dough.
  7. Roll up the dough into a log (from the long end).
    A sheet of cinnamon roll dough rolled up halfway.
  8. Cut into 8 pieces using a serrated knife.
    Raw cinnamon rolls and a serrated knife.
  9. Set the rolls into the pie pan (spiral up), leaving space in between each of them.
    Raw cinnamon rolls in a baking dish.
  10. Cover the rolls loosely with plastic wrap, then let them rise in a warm place for 1 hour. (The rolls should be touching each other after the rise. If they aren't, let them rise a little longer.)
    Cinnamon rolls in a baking dish.
  11. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  12. Remove the plastic wrap and bake the rolls until they are starting to brown on the edges (25 to 30 minutes).
For the frosting:
  1. Whip together cream cheese, butter, cardamom and apricot preserves until fluffy.
    3 ounces full-fat block cream cheese**, softened, 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, ½ teaspoon ground cardamom, 2 teaspoons apricot preserves
  2. Whip in powdered sugar.
    ½ cup + 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
  3. Spread the frosting onto the rolls and serve immediately. (If you're planning to store some of the rolls, don't put the frosting on. Instead, store the rolls and the frosting separately.)

Recipe notes:

*Any kind of granulated yeast (such as active dry or rapid rise) will work for this recipe. (Just make sure it's not past its expiration date.)
**Don’t use any cream cheese products labeled as low-fat or reduced-fat. Those have a higher moisture content than full-fat cream cheese and that can affect the consistency of the frosting.

How to store the rolls:

  • These rolls are best served fresh but you can loosely cover any unfrosted rolls with plastic wrap. Keep them at room temperature for up to 1 day. Keep the frosting refrigerated.
  • As for rolls that are already frosted, transfer those into an airtight container and keep in the fridge. Let the rolls come back up to room temperature before serving.

How to freeze the dough:

  • After the initial 2-hour rise, transfer the dough into a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 weeks. When you're ready to use the dough, thaw it in the fridge overnight.
Did you make this recipe?Please consider leaving a review- THANK YOU!

Nutrition (estimate only):

Calories: 357kcalCarbohydrates: 46.7gProtein: 4.7gFat: 17.5gSaturated Fat: 10.8gCholesterol: 67mgSodium: 72mgPotassium: 74mgFiber: 1gSugar: 24.6gCalcium: 28mgIron: 2mg

More breakfast sweets you might like:

  • For more cardamom and cinnamon pastry flavors, check out these cardamom donuts with cinnamon sugar topping.
  • For a great citrus-flavored glaze for cinnamon rolls, check out this spiced orange cream cheese glaze.
  • For something with warm spices try this spiced banana nut bread.

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Hi there!

I'm Nicole, the cook and photographer behind this website (which I started all the way back in 2013). You'll find lots of delicious recipes here, all centered around spices.

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