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5 from 1 vote

Maple Pecan Cinnamon Rolls

Indulge in the ultimate weekend brunch with these Maple Pecan Cinnamon Rolls. Made with a soft, pillowy dough enriched with yogurt for extra tenderness, these rolls are packed with a gooey maple-cinnamon and pecan filling. Finished with a luscious maple glaze, they are the perfect make-ahead breakfast for Christmas morning or a cozy winter treat!
Servings 12 servings
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Proving time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 55 minutes

Ingredients

For the dough

  • 150 ml (½ cup + 2 tbsp) whole milk, lukewarm
  • 25 g (2 tbsp) caster sugar
  • 1.5 tsp dried active yeast
  • 500 g (3 ½ cups + 1 tbsp) strong white bread flour
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 75 g (¼ cup + 1 tbsp) unsalted butter, cubed
  • 150 g (½ cup + 2 tbsp) thick yogurt (I used Greek)
  • 1 egg, for egg wash (optional)

For the filling

  • 50 g (3 tbsp + 2 tsp) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 110 g (½ cup + 1 tbsp) dark brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp cinnamon
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup
  • 130 g (1 cup + 1 tbsp) pecans, chopped

For the maple cream cheese glaze

  • 40 g (¼ cup + 1 tbsp) icing (powdered) sugar
  • 1.5 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 100 g (¼ cup + 3 tbsp) cream cheese
  • 2.5 tbsp maple syrup
  • chopped pecans, to decorate

Instructions

For the dough

  • Mix the milk, yeast and sugar in a jug. Set this aside in a warm place for about 20 minutes until the surface is covered with froth. Whisk again and use immediately.
  • While the yeast is activating, mix together the flour and salt in a large bowl. Tip in the butter and rub in until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs and there are no large clumps of butter remaining.
  • Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients. Pour in the frothy milk mixture and the yogurt. Gradually incorporate all the flour, bringing the dough together into a ball. Knead, using a stand mixer or by hand, until the dough is soft and smooth. This will take about 5-10 minutes with a stand mixer or 10-15 minutes if done by hand. Shape into a smooth ball.
  • Lightly dust a large bowl with some flour. Place the ball of dough in the bowl and cover with cling film. Place the bowl in a warm place (I use my proving drawer) for the dough to double in size. This can take anything from 40 minutes to a couple of hours, depending on how warm the space is.

For the filling and assembling the cinnamon rolls

  • While the dough is proving, prepare the filling ingredients. In a mixing bowl, mix the butter, dark brown sugar, cinnamon and maple syrup together until smooth and evenly combined. Separately, chop the pecans finely, then set aside.
  • Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down and knead a little to smoothen again. Dust a work surface with a little flour, then roll the dough out into a rectangle about 1.5 cm thick.
  • Spread the maple cinnamon sugar filling evenly all over the rolled out dough, leaving a border of about ½" all around without filling. Sprinkle the chopped pecans in an even layer over the sugar filling.
  • Starting from one long side of the rectangle, roll the dough into a spiral, encompassing the filling within the log. Let the log rest with the seam underneath and press the two ends towards the centre. Use a length of floss to cut the ends off (these can be baked and eaten, but will likely not have as much filling in them). Cut the remaining log into twelve spirals using this method: cut the whole log in half, then each half into two again to get four equally sized logs. Cut each of these smaller logs into three to make a total of twelve.
  • Place each of the twelve spirals into your oven safe dish, spiral side up. Cover loosely with a tea towel and leave to prove until doubled in size.
  • Once the rolls have doubled in size, preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Optional: brush the rolls with a little beaten egg before baking. This will give them a beautiful golden colour on top. Bake the cinnamon rolls for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

For the maple cream cheese glaze

  • While the cinnamon rolls are baking, make the cream cheese cinnamon rolls frosting. Simply place all the ingredients together in a bowl and mix until smooth. Easy peasy!
  • Once the cinnamon rolls are baked, allow them to cool slightly before removing from the tin. Spread the glaze generously over the cinnamon rolls and dig in! Enjoy!

Video

Notes

  • Use warm, not hot, milk when activating the yeast. If the milk it too hot, it will kill the yeast. If it is too cool, the yeast will not activate. I microwave the milk in 10 second intervals until it is warm to the touch.
  • Ensure you use yeast that is at room temperature and in date. Both these factors will affect the effectiveness of the yeast in making the bread dough.
  • When kneading the bread dough, ensure it is soft and smooth before leaving for the first proof. Do the stick test: press it into the surface of the dough with a clean, dry finger. If it sticks to your finger, keep kneading. If it bounces back with a clean finger, then your work is done!
  • Always always proof bread in a warm space. The warmth is what helps the yeast work to help the dough grow to a pillowy softness.
  • Use floss to cut the rolls out! I PROMISE it is a total GAMECHANGER!!
  • Author: Andrea
    Calories: 733kcal
    Course: Breads
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: Christmas Morning Breakfast, Homemade Pecan Cinnamon Rolls, Maple Pecan Cinnamon Rolls, Sticky Maple Cinnamon Buns, Sticky Maple Cream Cheese Frosting, Warming Cinnamon Spice, Yogurt-Enriched Cinnamon Rolls

    Nutrition

    Calories: 733kcal