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Home » Recipes » Cakes, Bakes & Frostings

Cinnamon Rolls with Apricot Cardamom Cream Cheese Frosting

Published: Feb 23, 2020 · Modified: May 13, 2023 by Nicole B.

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total time4 hours hours

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.

For more cardamom and cinnamon pastry flavors, also check out these cardamom donuts with cinnamon sugar topping!

Cinnamon rolls with apricot cream cheese frosting.
Homemade warm and fluffy cinnamon rolls with a cool apricot cream cheese icing make for a great start into the day.
Jump to:
  • Cinnamon roll ingredients:
  • Apricot cream cheese frosting ingredients:
  • Ingredient notes:
  • Recipe notes & tips:
  • How to make the dough:
  • How to make the rolls:
  • How to make the frosting:
  • How should I serve the rolls?
  • How should I store leftovers?
  • More delicious breakfast sweets:
  • Full Printable Recipe
  • Comments

Cinnamon roll ingredients:

Cinnamon roll ingredients on a kitchen counter.
You need butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, honey, egg, water, cinnamon, yeast, flour and salt to make the cinnamon rolls.

Apricot cream cheese frosting ingredients:

Apricot cream cheese frosting ingredients.
You need cardamom, apricot preserves, powdered sugar, butter and cream cheese to make the frosting.

Ingredient notes:

  • Any kind of granulated yeast (such as active dry or rapid rise) will work for this recipe. But 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.

Recipe notes & tips:

  • You can use the dough the same day you prepare it or make it up to 2 days ahead. If you make it ahead, use it straight out of the fridge on the morning you want to bake the rolls. (The rolls will need to rise for 1 hour before baking, so be sure to plan for that.)
  • You can also freeze the dough, if you like. 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.
  • To get a fluffy cinnamon roll, be sure to roll the dough thin.
  • Use a serrated knife to cut the cinnamon roll log to avoid squeezing the rolls.
  • What if it's too cold for the yeast dough to rise? The ideal temperature for yeast to grow is around 75 degrees F. Depending on where you live and what time of year it is, it can be difficult to get your kitchen that warm. If your kitchen is too cold for the dough to rise, I suggest you very briefly turn on your oven, just to get it to 75 degrees. Turn the oven off and place the bowl with your dough in it. The oven will cool down again, but I find that giving the yeast a "push" like this in the beginning of the rising time is often enough to keep it going.

How to make the dough:

For this recipe I used a sweet yeasted dough from the (great!) book The New Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day.

See full ingredients & instructions in the recipe card below!

Cinnamon roll dough preparation in four steps.

Step 1. Add granulated yeast, kosher salt and honey to a large mixing bowl.

Step 2. Whisk in warm water. Let sit for a few minutes until the mix starts to foam.

Step 3. Whisk in egg and melted and cooled unsalted butter.

Step 4. Mix in all-purpose flour. (A firm plastic spatula works great for this but you can also use a large spoon or your hands.) Make sure to mix the dough well so that no pockets or clumps of flour remain.

Raw dough in a bowl and a plastic tub.

Step 5. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm place for 2 hours.

Step 6. Transfer the dough into an airtight container and keep in the fridge for up to 2 days.

How to make the rolls:

See full ingredients & instructions in the recipe card below!

Raw dough rolled out into a rectangle.

Step 1. Lightly flour a work surface. Take the dough out of the fridge and roll into a thin sheet about 14 inches wide and 10 inches tall. Cut off the sides of the sheet to make a rectangle.

Cinnamon filling preparation in two steps.

Step 2. Grab a small saucepan, melt unsalted butter in it, then add brown sugar, granulated sugar and ground cinnamon.

Step 3. Cook the mix, whisking continuously, until you get a bubbly paste. Let cool a bit.

Cinnamon filling being spread onto raw dough.

Step 4. Spread the cinnamon filling on the dough, going all the way to the edges.

A sheet of cinnamon roll dough rolled up halfway.

Step 5. Roll the dough up from the long side.

Cut raw cinnamon rolls and a serrated knife.

Step 6. Cut the log into 8 pieces of roughly equal size.

Unbaked cinnamon rolls before and after rising.

Step 7. Grease a 9-inch pie pan, then set the rolls (spiral up) into the pan, leaving space around each one.

Step 8. Loosely cover the rolls with plastic wrap, then set them in a warm place to rise for 1 hour. (The rolls should be touching each other after the rise. If they aren't, let them rise a little longer.) Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Remove the plastic wrap and bake the rolls until they are starting to brown (25 to 30 min.). Let the rolls cool and make the frosting.

How to make the frosting:

See full ingredients & instructions in the recipe card below!

Apricot cream cheese frosting preparation in two steps.

Step 1. Add softened cream cheese, softened unsalted butter, ground cardamom and apricot preserves to a small mixing bowl. Whip until smooth.

Step 2. Whip in powdered sugar, then transfer the frosting to the fridge and keep refrigerated until you're ready to use it.

How should I serve the rolls?

Once the rolls have cooled to room temperature, top them with frosting, then 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.

How should I store leftovers?

The rolls are best served fresh but you can loosely cover any unfrosted rolls with plastic wrap and keep at room temperature for up to 1 day. Keep the frosting in the fridge until you're ready to use it.
As for rolls that are already frosted, transfer those into an airtight container and keep them in the fridge. Be sure to let them come back up to room temperature before serving.

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Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating or comment! Thanks!

Full Printable Recipe

Cinnamon rolls with apricot cream cheese frosting.

Cinnamon Rolls with Apricot Cardamom Cream Cheese Frosting

The Spice Train
Turn breakfast into a special occasion with these no-knead cinnamon rolls that are topped with a tangy, fruity apricot cardamom cream cheese frosting.
Enriched dough recipe from The New Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day.
5 from 2 votes
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Prep Time 3 hours hrs 20 minutes mins
Cook Time 40 minutes mins
Total Time 4 hours hrs
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American, Scandinavian
Servings 8 rolls
Calories (estimated) 357 kcal

Equipment:

  • measuring spoons and cups
  • mixing bowls
  • whisk
  • firm plastic spatula or spoon (optional)
  • plastic wrap
  • large, airtight container
  • 9-inch pie pan
  • sieve
  • rolling pin
  • knife
  • saucepan
  • offset spatula or rubber spatula
  • serrated knife
  • standing mixer or handheld mixer

Ingredients:
  

For the dough:

  • ¾ teaspoon granulated yeast (such as active dry or rapid rise)
  • 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

Instructions:
 

For the dough:

  • Add yeast, kosher salt and honey to a large bowl.
  • Pour the water into the bowl and whisk everything together. Let sit for a couple of minutes until the mix starts to foam.
  • Whisk egg and butter into the mix.
  • Add flour to the bowl and fully mix it in using a firm plastic spatula or a spoon or your hands.
  • Cover the bowl, set it in a warm place and let the dough rise for 2 hours.
  • Transfer the dough into an airtight container and keep in the fridge until you're ready to bake the rolls.***

For the filling:

  • When you're ready to bake the rolls, grease a 9-inch pie pan. Set aside.
  • Lightly dust a work surface with all-purpose flour.
  • Take the dough out of the fridge and roll it out thinly into a 14" by 10" rectangle. Cut off the sides of the sheet to make it a rectangle. Set aside to make the filling.
  • Melt butter in a saucepan.
  • Add both sugars and cinnamon and whisk until you get a uniform paste. Let the mix cool a bit.
  • Using an offset spatula or a rubber spatula, spread the filling onto the dough all the way out to the edges.
  • Roll up the dough (from the long end).
  • Cut into 8 pieces using a serrated knife.****
  • Set the rolls into the pie pan, leaving space in between each of them.
  • 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.)
  • Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Remove the plastic and bake the rolls until they are starting to brown on the edges (25 to 30 minutes).

For the frosting:

  • Whip together cream cheese, butter, cardamom and apricot preserves until fluffy.
  • Whip in powdered sugar.
  • Spread the frosting onto the rolls and serve immediately.

Notes:

*It's important to let the butter cool, otherwise it can cook the egg or the yeast.
**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.
***You can keep the dough in the fridge for up to 2 days.
****Using a serrated knife will ensure that you don't squoosh the rolls.

Nutrition Information (Estimated):

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

Nutrition values provided on this website are generated from a nutrition database and are estimates only. The accuracy of the nutrition information for any recipe on this website is not guaranteed. Nutrition values can vary quite a lot depending on which brands are used.

Keywords: apricot cream cheese frosting, cinnamon rolls with apricot cream cheese frosting

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