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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.
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 ingredient amounts and instructions in the recipe card below!
- Add granulated yeast, kosher salt and honey to a large mixing bowl.
- Whisk in warm water. Let sit for a few minutes until starting to foam.
- Whisk in egg and melted and cooled unsalted butter.
- Mix in all-purpose flour using a plastic spatula or your hands.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm place for 2 hours.
- Use the dough right away or transfer into an airtight container and keep in the fridge for up to 2 days.
How to make the rolls:
See full ingredient amounts and instructions in the recipe card below!
- Roll the dough into a thin sheet about 14 inches wide and 10 inches tall.
- Melt unsalted butter in a saucepan, then add brown sugar, granulated sugar and ground cinnamon.
- Cook the mix, whisking continuously, until you get a bubbly paste. Let cool a bit.
- Spread the cinnamon filling onto the dough, going all the way to the edges.
- Roll the dough into a log from the long side.
- Cut the log into 8 pieces.
- Grease a 9-inch pie pan, then set the rolls (spiral up) into the pan, leaving space around each one.
- Loosely cover with plastic wrap, then set 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 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 minutes).
How to serve the rolls:
Make the frosting and spread onto the rolls. Serve immediately.
Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how you liked it in the comments below! Thank you!
Full Recipe
Cinnamon Rolls with Apricot Cardamom Cream Cheese Frosting
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.
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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
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
Instructions:
For the dough:
- Add yeast, kosher salt and honey to a large bowl.¾ teaspoon granulated yeast*, ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, 2 tablespoons honey
- 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.)
- Whisk egg and butter into the mix.1 large egg, 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 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
- Cover the bowl, set it in a warm place and let the dough rise for 2 hours.
- Use the dough right away or transfer into an airtight container and keep in the fridge for up to 2 days.
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.
- 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.
- Melt butter in a saucepan.4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Add both sugars and cinnamon and whisk until you get a uniform paste. Let the mix cool a bit.¼ cup brown sugar, packed, ¼ cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 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 (spiral up), 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 wrap 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.3 ounces full-fat block cream cheese**, softened, 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, ½ teaspoon ground cardamom, 2 teaspoons apricot preserves
- Whip in powdered sugar.½ cup + 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
- 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.)
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.
Storage:
- 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.
Make ahead instructions:
- You can make the dough up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate. 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. 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.
More breakfast sweets you might like:
- For more cardamom and cinnamon pastry flavors, check out these cardamom donuts with cinnamon sugar topping.
- For something with warm spices try this spiced banana nut bread.
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