Soft, fluffy, and ooey gooey cinnamon rolls infused with the warm spices and flavors of carrot cake, intertwined with toasted walnuts and slathered in irresistibly sweet cream cheese icing!
Does anyone else feel like Easter kind of snuck up on us?
It might have to do with the fact that it takes place so early this year. Seriously, isn’t Easter supposed to be an April holiday??
Anywho, I can’t really complain about Easter arriving early this year since it gives me so many wonderful things to look forward to–Peeps, pastel M&Ms, egg hunts, and most importantly…CARROT CAKE.
Can someone please tell me WHY we only get to enjoy carrot cake once a year? It’s not like carrots are seasonal or anything. Why is it that we have to wait an entire year to indulge in this classic cake? The same goes for pumpkin pie!
With that said, this year I decided to try something I’ve never tried before…
Carrot Cake Cinnamon Rolls!!!
Don’t ask me why it took me over three decades to think of this idea, but I’m glad I finally did. These cinnamon rolls are nothing short of exquisite! They’re incredibly soft, pillowy, and tender. They’re loaded with ooey gooey brown sugary cinnamon swirls and crunchy toasted walnuts. And they’re infused with the perfect amount of carrot sweetness and warm spices to remind you of carrot cake.
This cinnamon roll recipe is pretty standard, so I won’t bore you with too many details. I will, however, give you some tips to help you achieve the same heavenly results that I achieved!
Tip #1: FINELY grate the carrots.
I prefer to use a microplane/lemon zester to grate the carrots since it produces a finer shred than your typical cheese grater, which allows the moisture from the carrots to absorb into the dough better. The smaller shreds seem to melt into the dough as the rolls bake in the oven, so you don’t end up with stringy strands of carrots in your cinnamon rolls.
Tip #2: Do NOT over-flour the dough.
The most common culprit of dry cinnamon rolls is adding too much flour to them. Sure, it might feel satisfying to achieve that smooth, easy-to-work-with, pliable texture, but it only leads to dry, tough, and chewy rolls. For this recipe, all I do is add 3 cups of all-purpose flour to the bowl, and allow the mixer (fitted with the dough hook) to mix/knead the dough for 6-7 minutes. If the dough is still too sticky, add more flour, 1 Tablespoon at a time, until the dough just cleans the sides of the bowl, but is very soft. It should still stick to the bottom of the bowl.
When it comes time to roll out the dough (after it has doubled in size), I only put a light dusting of flour onto the board, plop the ball of dough on top, sprinkle a little more flour over the dough, then roll away. There’s no need to knead more at this point…tehe.
Tip #3: Dough rise
As with most of my cinnamon roll recipes, I end up making the rolls up the night before, refrigerating them before they rise, and baking them the next morning. Normally, you would allow the rolls to sit out on the counter at room temperature for about an hour until they’ve doubled in size. However, if you live in a relatively cooler house, you might want to try my trick.
Just fill a roasting pan halfway with hot water, then place it onto the bottom rack of an oven. Place your cinnamon rolls into the same oven on the center rack, and close the oven door. The heat from the water will create a warmer environment, allowing the dough to rise faster, and the steam will keep the surface of the dough moist so it can stretch as it rises.
Tip #3: TOAST those nuts.
Toasting the walnuts makes a MAJOR difference in flavor, so please do not skip this step! It only takes a few extra minutes. All you have to do is scatter whole walnuts onto a baking sheet and bake in a preheated 350ºF oven for 8-10 minutes. Be sure to keep a close eye on them because they can go from perfectly toasty to burnt and bitter in a matter of seconds.
Tip #4: Use Dental Floss.
Not for your teeth! Actually, still keep flossing your teeth, but in this case, use the floss to slice the dough once it’s rolled up. Oh, and make sure you use unwaxed, UNFLAVORED dental floss. Simply tear off a long strand of floss, slide it underneath the log of dough, bring both ends up, twist them around each other and pull tightly. You get a neat, sharp cut every time! SO much better than the sharpest knife on Amazon.
Tip #5: Do NOT over-bake the rolls.
When it comes to cinnamon rolls, people have a tendency to over-bake them since it’s difficult to know whether the dough is fully baked through or not. These cinnamon rolls were baked in a 375ºF oven for 17 minutes, and they had the perfect brioche-like texture. The rolls should be golden on top and may jiggle slightly when you shake the pan. You also need to let them sit for about 30 minutes to allow them to cool and firm up before cutting into them.
Needless to say, these Carrot Cake Cinnamon Rolls are guaranteed to be a hit at your upcoming Easter brunch or ANY gathering you have with your loved ones. Even if you don’t have any plans for the holiday, filling your kitchen with the heavenly aroma of these cinnamon rolls is reason enough to make them!
Carrot Cake Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
For the Dough:
- 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast (one 1/4 ounce packet)
- ¼ cup warm milk*
- ⅓ cup + 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, divided
- 1 cup finely-grated fresh carrots (don't use pre-shredded)**
- ¼ cup greek yogurt
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 - 3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour***
For the Filling:
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
For the Cream Cheese Icing:
- 5 ounces cream cheese
- 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- Pinch of salt to taste
- 2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
Make the Dough:
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In a glass measuring cup, combine the yeast, milk, and 1 teaspoon of sugar; set aside to foam for about 5-10 minutes. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the shredded carrots, 1/3 cup of sugar, greek yogurt, melted butter, vanilla, egg, spices, and salt.
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Switch to the dough hook, and add the yeast mixture and 3 cups of the flour. Mix the dough on low and allow it to knead for about 6-7 minutes. If dough is still too soft, add more flour, 1 Tablespoon at a time, until dough just cleans the bowl, but is very soft. It should still stick to the bottom of the bowl.
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Coat a large bowl with cooking spray and place dough in bowl. Seal tightly with plastic wrap. Place bowl in a warm place and allow dough to rise until doubled in size, about 2 hours.
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In the meantime, grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
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After dough has doubled in size, punch it down. Turn dough out onto a floured Silpat or floured countertop. With a rolling pin, roll it out to a 16x12-inch rectangle.
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With a knife (or your fingers), spread the butter evenly over the entire surface of the dough. Sprinkle the brown sugar over it, followed by the cinnamon and chopped walnuts. Lightly pat it down with your fingertips to help sugar and nuts adhere to dough. Roll dough tightly into a log (from long side to long side), ending with the seam side down. Pinch the ends to seal.
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Using plain, unwaxed dental floss (or a bench scraper), slice the rolls into 12 evenly-sized rolls. Arrange the rolls cut-side down in the prepared baking pan. Cover tightly with plastic wrap.
*If baking immediately
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Allow the rolls to rise again in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
*Or...If You Want to Bake the Rolls the Next Day
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Place covered rolls in the refrigerator for up to 16 hours. Before baking, let the rolls sit at room temperature until they have nearly doubled in size, about 1-2 hours.
Baking:
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For either version, bake at 375ºF for 15-17 minutes, or until golden on the surface, with melty, bubbly filling. Do not over-bake your rolls, or they will be firm and crunchy instead of soft and gooey. Err on the side of under-baking. They will continue to bake a little after you take them out of the oven.
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Allow the cinnamon rolls to cool for 30 minutes. While they cool, make the icing.
Make the Icing:
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In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter together on medium speed for about 1 minute. Add vanilla, salt, and powdered sugar and beat for 2 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl, and beat for 1 more minute until light and fluffy.
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Spread the cream cheese icing over the rolls. Serve immediately.
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Rolls are best eaten fresh, but will keep in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Reheat leftover rolls for 10-15 seconds in the microwave before serving.