Maple cinnamon rolls with cream cheese icing
- Preparation 1 h 45 min
- Cooking 25 min
- Servings 12
- Freezing Absolutely
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🥃 The challenge I set for myself, a long time ago
A long time ago, I set myself a challenge: build a completely over the top cinnamon roll using a maple whisky liqueur, both in the dough and in the icing. I pulled it off. The dough rises soft, almost fluffy, and the cinnamon filling with pecans and raisins (optional, though I always add them) gives a real bit of crunch. The cream cheese icing, spread on warm straight out of the oven, melts right into the rolls. Decadent, honestly.
🎉 For entertaining and impressing your friends
This is the recipe you make when you want to entertain. Brunch, dessert after dinner, doesn’t matter the occasion, this one steals the show. Your friends will think you spent the whole morning in a professional kitchen.
☕ Good morning, noon and night
This isn’t just a holiday thing. It’s good morning, noon, night, any time of year, and I mean that literally, I’ve caught myself eating a cold one straight from the fridge at midnight. But if you want the best moment to serve it, the holidays are it. A tray of warm rolls in the middle of the table on Christmas morning is worth a lot.
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🔥 The mistakes that ruin perfect rolls
The most common one is overbaking. Past 22 minutes in the oven, the dough dries out and loses its softness, start checking at 20 minutes. The other one is not letting the dough rise long enough before rolling it: dough that hasn’t doubled gives you dense rolls instead of light ones. And don’t skimp on the filling, spread it all the way to the edges of the rectangle, or the rolls at the end of the coil end up pale and bland.
🥃 An alcohol-free version
Swap the maple whisky liqueur for the same amount of maple syrup, in the dough and in the icing. You keep the maple flavor, minus the alcohol.
❄️ Overnight fridge rise, an adaptation I haven’t tested
I’ve never tried an overnight fridge rise on this recipe, but I think it would work: shape the rolls the night before, cover the pan and refrigerate, then pull them out a good hour before baking so they come back to room temperature and finish rising. It’s an idea worth trying, not a method I can vouch for.
📅 Make-ahead
The dough and filling come together fine the day before. If you want to go further, the overnight fridge rise above lets you shape the rolls ahead of time and just bake them the next morning.
🧊 Freezing, unglazed only
These rolls freeze really well, but always unglazed. Let them thaw at room temperature, then ice them once they’re thawed and still a little warm.
😅 Warm or hot, depends on your patience
These rolls come out of the oven so hot the icing melts on contact. Eating them warm or piping hot really just depends on your tolerance for pain and how patient you are.
✅ What to serve with my maple cinnamon rolls?
Coffee or hot chocolate on the side, and you’ve got a proper cozy brunch. Want to stretch the table further? Add fresh fruit, or round it out with my maple syrup churros, my maple syrup pie, or my pouding chômeur.
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Ingredients for the dough
- 1/2 cup (125 ml) milk
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) maple whisky liqueur
- 1/2 cup (125 ml) diced butter, soft
- 2 1/4 cups (560 ml) all-purpose flour + 1 cup (250 ml)
- 2 1/2 tablespoons (37.5 ml) instant “quick rise” yeast
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) brown sugar
- 2 pinches of salt
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) warm water
- 1 egg, room temperature
Ingredients for the filling
- 1 cup (250 ml) brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) ground cinnamon
- 2 pinches ground nutmeg
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) finely chopped pecans
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml) raisins (optional)
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) melted butter
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) maple syrup + 1/4 cup (60 ml) for basting
Ingredients for the glaze
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) butter, soft
- 125 g light cream cheese, soft
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) maple whisky liqueur
- 2 cups (500 ml) icing sugar
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Preparation
- In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the butter, stirring, and remove from heat. Add the milk and the maple whisky liqueur and mix. Let cool 10 minutes.
- In a large bowl, add 2 1/4 cups (560 ml) flour, yeast, brown sugar and salt. Mix with a whisk to break up the lumps of brown sugar.
- Add the water, egg and the milk mixture, then stir. Add 1/2 cup (125 ml) of flour and mix/knead with your hands to incorporate the flour. Add the rest of the flour and mix/knead to incorporate it again.
- Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface and knead for 5 minutes to get a nice, smooth, elastic dough. Place in a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare the filling. In a bowl, add the brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg, then mix with a whisk to break up the lumps. Add the chopped pecans and raisins and toss. Set aside.
- Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface and roll it out into a rectangle about 15″ x 10″. Brush the dough with the melted butter and pour the brown sugar mixture in the center. Spread it evenly to the edges, then drizzle with 1/4 cup (60 ml) maple syrup. Roll it up tightly, making sure to roll the wide side up, to get a 15″ long cylinder. Cut into 12 equal pieces and place the slices, lying down, on a large baking sheet. Space the pieces at least 2″ apart. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for about 45 minutes, or until doubled in size. Brush the tops of the rolls with the remaining maple syrup.
- Preheat oven to 375 °F (190 °C).
- Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, or until the rolls are lightly golden on top.
- Meanwhile, prepare the icing. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat the butter, cream cheese and maple whisky liqueur for 2 minutes, until creamy. Add the icing sugar, 1/2 cup (125 ml) at a time, and beat continuously until smooth. Spread the icing as soon as the rolls come out of the oven.
Two things: don’t rush the rise, and don’t overbake. A dough that’s had time to fully double gives you soft, airy rolls, and pulling them at 20 to 22 minutes keeps them from drying out.
Overbaking is the big one, along with skimping on the filling. Spread it all the way to the edges of the dough, not just the middle, or the outer rolls end up bland.
Yes. Swap the maple whisky liqueur for the same amount of maple syrup, in the dough and in the icing.
Yes, but freeze them unglazed. Thaw at room temperature, then ice them once thawed.
Your milk and melted butter were probably too hot and killed the yeast, they should be warm, not hot. Also check that your yeast is still active and that the dough is rising somewhere free of drafts.
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