These Carrot Cake Cinnamon Rolls combine the delicious flavors of carrot cake with the irresistible texture of a soft fluffy cinnamon roll. Then topped with a silky cream cheese frosting and some maple glazed walnuts to tie it all together.
Imagine waking up to the smell of cinnamon rolls baking in the oven? Now add the warm spices of carrot cake and you have yourself one delicious treat that will have your family running to the breakfast table. These Carrot Cake Cinnamon Rolls aren’t your ordinary cinnamon roll. They are a heavenly combination of the warm spices that we all know and love of carrot cake rolled up in a fluffy dough, then baked to perfection and topped with a smooth and creamy cream cheese topping and maple glazed walnuts for a little bit of crunch.
Why You Will Love These Cinnamon Rolls
- Super Soft Texture: These cinnamon rolls are soft and fluffy and have the perfect amount of moisture due to the addition of the shredded carrots and that gooey filling.
- Warm Spices: Cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger are the perfect combination of spices, giving these cinnamon rolls that warm deep flavor.
- Cream Cheese Frosting:: That cream cheese frosting is smooth and silky and melts perfectly over these cinnamon rolls.
- Crunchy Maple Glazed Walnuts: Those maple glazed walnuts add the perfect amount of crunch to these soft fluffy rolls.
- Serving:These cinnamon rolls are the perfect addition to any brunch table, holiday table or dessert table.
Tips For Making These Cinnamon Rolls
- Use Freshly Grated Carrots: Freshly grated carrots will contain more moisture than carrots that are sold pre shredded. When grating them, you will want to use the smallest setting on a box grater so that it can be incorporated into the dough smoothly.
- Use The Right Amount Of Flour: This dough should feel soft but slightly tacky. Adding too much flour will make these rolls dense.
- Allow The Dough To Rise: Allowing these rolls to rise fully will give them a soft pillowy texture. Cover your dough bowl with a clean kitchen towel and find a warm spot in your kitchen to give them time to rise.
- Roll Up Your Dough Tightly: A tight roll will keep the gooey spice filling inside the rolls while it bakes and gives each roll that perfect swirl in the center.
- Baking:Be careful not to over bake. Over baking will dry them out.
- Cream Cheese Frosting: Apply the cream cheese frosting while the cinnamon rolls are still slightly warm. This will allow it to melt into the rolls.
What You Will Need To Make These Carrot Cake Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients:
- Milk: You want your milk brought to 110º. If its too hot it will kill the yeast.
- Yeast: I use Active Dry Yeast
- Eggs: For added fat and protein that will create a softer and fluffier texture and also allows the ingredients to bind together.
- Flour: A good All Purpose Flour works well for this recipe.
- Sugar: This recipes calls for three different types of sugar, Granulated Sugar, Dark Brown Sugar and Powdered Sugar all for added sweetness and texture.
- Salt: A pinch of salt will help enhance all the flavors in your recipe.
- Carrots: Fresh grated carrots are best. Use the smallest setting on your box grater to accomplish this.
- Spices: Warm spices like Ground Cinnamon, Ground Ginger and Ground Nutmeg are used to get that carrot cake flavor.
- Butter: I prefer to use unsalted butter so that I can control the salt content in my recipe. It is best to leave it on the counter to get to room temperature before using.
- Vanilla Extract: I prefer to use a Pure Vanilla Extract due to its intense vanilla flavor.
- Heavy Whipping Cream: Pouring heavy cream over the cinnamon rolls will keep the dough from drying out and it also creates a rich syrup in the pan.
- Cream Cheese: Full fat or 1/3 less fat, brought to room temperature to create that silky creamy topping.
- Walnuts: For a little extra crunch.
- Maple Syrup:For coating the walnuts, giving them a touch of sweetness.
Other Cinnamon Roll Recipes
Sourdough Discard Pumpkin Pecan Cinnamon Rolls
Carrot Cake Cinnamon Rolls
Course: DessertDifficulty: Easy12
servings30
minutes25
minutesThe combination of two desserts, spicy Carrot Cake and fluffy Cinnamon rolls brought together to create one delicious bite.
Ingredients
- For The Dough
1 Cup of milk brought to 110º
2 1/4 Tsp Active Dry Yeast
2 Eggs
4 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour
1/4 Cup Granulated Sugar
1/2 Tsp salt
1 Cup finely grated carrots
2 Tsp Ground Cinnamon
1/2 Tsp Ground Ginger
1/4 Tsp Ground Nutmeg
10 Tbsp softened butter
- For The Filling
1/2 Cup softened butter
3/4 Cup Dark Brown Sugar
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
1/2 Tsp ground ginger
1/4 Tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 Cup heavy whipping cream
- For The Icing
1/2 Cup softened butter
8 oz Softened cream cheese
1 – 2 Cups Powdered Sugar
1 Tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
- For The Walnut Topping
1 Cup Chopped Walnuts
1/4 Cup Pure Maple Syrup
Directions
- Pour milk into a small saucepan set over medium heat. Using a candy thermometer, heat up milk to 110º. Pour into a glass bowl along with the yeast. Stir, then let sit for 10 minutes. The top should be foamy when done.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, mix the flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg together. Add in the milk, eggs, grated carrots and butter. Continue mixing on low speed for 5 minutes. Place dough in a large greased bowl, cover with a clean kitchen towel and place in a warm location. I like to put mine in an off oven with the light on for 1 hour.
- Roll the dough out to a 1/4” thick rectangle. For the filling, beat the butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg together in a small bowl. Spread the filling on top of the dough then sprinkle with shredded carrots.
- Starting from the longer side, roll dough into a tight log. Using a thread or unscented dental floss, wrap a piece of the string around the dough log, then cross over the top to cut through making 2” slices. Place each slice in a greased 9” x 13” casserole dish. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let sit once again in a warm location for 30 minutes to rise.
- Preheat oven to 350º. Pour heavy cream over the risen dough. Bake rolls for 20 – 25 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly.
- Pour maple syrup into a small frying pan set over medium heat. Add the walnut and cook stirring occasionally until the maple syrup has be mostly absorbed and nuts are completely coated. Pour nuts onto parchment paper and allow to cool.
- To make the icing, beat the softened butter and cream cheese together until combined. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and continue beating until smooth. Spread on top of the warm cinnamon rolls then sprinkle with maple walnuts and serve.
- Enjoy.
