Homemade Pecan Cinnamon Rolls

These homemade pecan cinnamon rolls are sure to become a new family favorite. Made with a soft pillowy dough, filled with a pecan cinnamon sugar filling , and topped with a buttery glaze, these cinnamon rolls are absolutely delicious. In this recipe, I'll show you why heating the milk to 180°F and baking the cinnamon rolls with heavy cream produces the fluffiest and most delicious cinnamon rolls you've ever tasted.

Texture. This cinnamon roll dough is an enriched dough because of the addition of butter and eggs. The fat in the eggs and butter makes the dough extra soft and tender.

In addition, the milk is heated to 180 degrees F. Heating the milk to this temperature, also known as scalding, loosens the protein bonds in the milk, which is called denaturing. Denaturing the protein allows for better gluten formation, which results in more tender cinnamon rolls.

Flavor. The smell of cinnamon will fill your house as these rolls bake. Once you take your first bite, you'll fall in love with the fresh homemade dough, the gooey cinnamon filling, and the caramel formed by the addition of heavy cream. The pecans add a delicious crunch and extra flavor that will make your taste buds happy.

For a fruitier flavor try my oh so gooey apple cinnamon rolls.

This recipe is great any time of the year, but especially if you're entertaining and want a great breakfast treat. Other breakfast ideas include my lemon blueberry muffins and baked apple cider doughnuts.

What To Do If Your Kitchen Is Cold

One of the challenges of baking during cold weather is having a kitchen that is too cool for the dough to rise. So here are the directions to make your own proofing box in your oven to help ensure that your cinnamon rolls get a proper rise.

Bring a large kettle of water to a boil.  Pour 8 cups of boiling water into a 9 x 13-inch baking dish and set it on the floor or bottom rack of your oven.  Place the bowl with the covered dough on the middle rack of the oven, close the door, and let the dough rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Repeat these steps for the second rise.

Pecan Cinnamon Roll Ingredients

• Unbleached All-Purpose Flour: Flour provides the dough structure. All-purpose flour is best for these cinnamon rolls. Do not use cake flour as it does not have enough protein. I have not tested these cinnamon rolls with bread flour, so I recommend not using it.
• Active Dry Yeast:  Yeast is what causes the dough to rise. If you haven’t made a yeast bread in a while check the expiration date on your package.  See my recipe notes below on how to check if the yeast is still good. I have not tried this recipe with instant yeat.
• Unsalted Butter: This is an enriched dough, meaning it has fat that adds flavor and helps guarantee softness.  Salted butter can make the dough too salty, so make sure to use unsalted butter.
• Heavy Cream:  Heavy cream is poured over the cinnamon rolls right before they go in the oven. As the cinnamon rolls bake the cream combines with the cinnamon filling to create an extra gooey filling.
• Pecan Cinnamon Roll Filling: The cinnamon roll filling is a classic combination of butter, cinnamon and sugar with the addition of toasted pecans. I use a lot of cinnamon in my recipe because I want that flavor to come through. If you can find it, use Ceylon cinnamon which has a distinctive taste. For the pecans, taste them before you add them to the filling. They should have a sweet taste. If they have a bitter or off taste they have either gone bad or are burnt.

How to Make Homemade Pecan Cinnamon Rolls

Allow plenty of time to make these cinnamon rolls. While most of the time is hands-off, the recipe requires 2 rises of the dough plus baking time.

Step 1: Measure out all your ingredients before you start mixing.  This step will ensure you don’t mismeasure and once you start the mixer you won’t have to stop to measure out an ingredient.

Step 2: Over medium heat, heat your milk to 180°F in a small saucepan.  Once it reaches temperature, remove it from the heat and add the butter and gently stir together until the butter melts. 

Step 3: Place half the flour, all of the sugar, yeast, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk together.

Step 4: With the mixer on low speed and using the paddle attachment, slowly add the warm milk to the dry ingredients.

Step 5:  Next add the eggs and mix until the eggs are incorporated.  Add the remaining flour and mix on low speed until that flour is incorporated.

Step 6:  Switch to the dough hook and knead the dough on low speed until it is soft, elastic (springs back when poked with your finger), and the dough passes the window pan test.

The time required for kneading the dough can vary based on the type and size of your mixer. Be patient and knead the dough until it's ready.

Step 7: Remove the dough from the bowl and knead it for 30 seconds into a smooth round bowl.  Place it in a lightly oiled ceramic bowl or glass bowl.

Step 8: Let the dough rise until doubled in bulk.  When the dough has doubled, punch it down with your first.

Step 9: On a lightly floured surface roll the dough out to a 12x19-inch rectangle.  Use your hands to gently pull the corners of the dough outward into a square shape.

Step 10: Spread the cinnamon filling over the dough, then sprinkle the chopped pecans over the cinnamon filling.

Step 11:  Roll the dough into a cylinder.  Trim the ends, then cut the cylinder into 12 even pieces.

Step 12: Place the cinnamon rolls into the prepared baking pan.  Cover the pan with plastic wrap, and let the cinnamon rolls rise until almost doubled in size.

Step 13: When the cinnamon rolls are ready, preheat the oven, pour the warm heavy cream over the rolls, and

Before adding the heavy cream to the rolls, warm the cream to 100 degrees F, which is about 30 seconds in the microwave. Don't pour cold cream over the cinnamon rolls.

Step 14: Bake the cinnamon rolls until they are dark golden brown, have risen, and the internal temperature of one of tholls in the center registers 190°F (88°C) using an instant-read thermometer.

Step 15: While the cinnamon rolls are baking make your cinnamon roll icing. You can make this icing by hand or with a handheld mixer.

Step 16: Add half the frosting to the rolls after the cinnamon rolls come out of the oven. Wait for the rolls to slightly cool and add the remaining frosting.

Why Heavy Cream Makes Cinnamon Rolls Ooey Gooey

The trick to making these cinnamon rolls extra tender is the addition of heavy cream right before baking the cinnamon rolls.

As the cinnamon rolls bake, the cream heats up and soaks into the rolls, adding moisture and making them more tender. The remaining fat and sugar in the cream, caramelizes and mixes with the cinnamon filling to create a sticky syrup that coats the bottom of the rolls.

Pro Tips for Making This Recipe

• Use a Kitchen Scale: Use a scale to measure your flour to ensure you're adding the right amount. Too much flour will result in dry cinnamon rolls and too little flour the dough will be too soft and not hold its shape.
• Milk Temperature: Use an instant-read thermometer to check the milk temperature before adding the milk mixture to the other ingredients. If the milk is too hot, it could kill the yeast, and the dough won't rise.
• Instant-Read Thermometer: This tool is so helpful for checking the temperate of the milk, but also for ensuring the cinnamon rolls are done. Brush the inside edges of the puff pastry with egg wash to help it stay in position as the galette bakes.

If you make these delicious pecan cinnamon rolls please leave a rating and a comment below.

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Pecan Cinnamon Rolls

5 from 6 votes

Prep Time: 40 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes

Rising Time: 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 3 hours hours 45 minutes minutes

These homemade pecan cinnamon rolls are soft, moist, gooey, full cinnamon goodness and topped with a delicious apple cinnamon frosting.

Servings: 12 Cinnamon Rolls

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Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Author: Cheryl Norris

Equipment

• ▢
  5-Qt Stand Mixer
• ▢
  13x9-inch baking pan
• ▢
  Digital Scale
• ▢
  Instant-read thermometer
• ▢
  Dough Scraper

Ingredients

Cinnamon Roll Dough

• ▢ 5 cups (625 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour divided
• ▢ 1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• ▢ 1 tablespoon (10 grams) active dry yeast
• ▢ 1/3 cup (63 grams) granulated sugar
• ▢ 1 cup (240 ml) whole milk
• ▢ 1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter plus 1 tablespoon for buttering the baking dish room temperature
• ▢ 3 large (150 grams ) eggs room temperature
• ▢ 1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy cream heated to 100℉

Cinnamon Filling

• ▢ 1 1/2 cups (300 grams) packed dark brown sugar
• ▢ 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ 12 tablespoons (169 grams) unsalted butter softened (about 75℉)
• ▢ 1 cup (114 grams) pecans toasted and chopped

Cinnamon Roll Icing

• ▢ 1-1/2 cups (170 grams) powdered sugar, sifted
• ▢ 8 tablespoons (113 grams) unsalted butter softened
• ▢ 1-2 tablespoons whole milk

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Instructions

• Butter the bottom and sides of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon of butter. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper. If you’re using a USA Pan baking pan or a similar pan with nonstick coating you won’t need to line it with parchment.

Make the Cinnamon Roll Dough

• Cut the remaining butter into 8 pieces. Heat the milk in a small saucepan to 180 degrees F. Remove the saucepan from the heat, add the butter and gently stir until the butter is almost completely melted and there are just 1 or 2 small pieces left. Pour the mixture into a 1 cup measuring cup and cool it to 120 – 130 degrees F.
• Crack the eggs into a small bowl and whisk them together.
• Place 2-1/2 cups of the flour, the salt, yeast, and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. When you add the yeast and salt to the bowl, make sure to add them on opposite sides of the bowl. You don’t want the yeast and salt to come in direct contact. Whisk the ingredients together.
• With the paddle attachment and the mixer on low speed (speed 2 on a KitchenAid mixer) slowly add the warm milk to the dry ingredients. When all the milk is added slowly pour the eggs into the bowl as the mixer is running.
• When the eggs are fully incorporated and there are no bits of flour left, add the remaining flour in 5 batches. You can use a large spoon or a measuring cup for this step. As soon as all the flour is mixed in, switch to the dough hook. Make sure to remove as much dough as possible from the paddle attachment.
• With the dough hook knead the dough on low speed (speed 2 on a KitchenAid) until the dough is smooth, elastic and clears the sides of the bowl, 13-15 minutes. The dough should not stick to your finger when you poke it with your finger, and it should pass the windowpane test.
• For the windowpane test, take a small piece of dough, about the size of a golf ball and gently stretch it into a square. Keep on stretching until it becomes a thin enough for light to pass through it without tearing. If the dough tears, knead for 2 more minutes and perform the windowpane test again
• Transfer the dough to a lightly floured counter and knead by hand to form a smooth, round ball, about 30 seconds. Lightly spray a large bowl or an 8-cup glass measuring cup with non-stick spray or brush it with vegetable oil. Place the dough seam side down in the oiled container and cover tightly with plastic wrap.
• Place the dough in a warm spot let it rise until doubled in volume, about 60-90 minutes. If you kitchen is cold see my note below for creating your own proofing box.
• NOTE: I recommend using the 8-cup measuring cup because the markings on the side are good indicator of when the dough has doubled.
• When the dough has risen gently turn the dough onto a floured surface. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a 12 x 19-inch rectangle. As you roll out the dough roll it out from the center, so the dough is even thickness throughout. If the dough keeps springing back on you and is difficult to roll out, let it rest for 10 minutes and then try rolling it out again. Use your hands to gently stretch the corners of the dough so they are as square as possible.
• Use an offset spatula spread the cinnamon-sugar filling across the dough and leave an 1/2-inch border. Sprinkle the chopped pecans over the cinnamon roll filling. With the long side of the dough square facing you, roll the dough into a tight cylinder. Roll the dough until the seam is face down. Trim the ends so the cylinder is 18 inches long.
• Use a ruler to mark the dough and with a sharp knife cut 12 rolls 1 1/2-inches wide each.
• Place the rolls in the buttered pan evenly spaced from each other and the sides of the pan. Cover the rolls with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour. If your kitchen is still cool you can recreate the proofing box in your oven.
• When the rolls look doubled in size check them by gently and lightly poking a puffy corner with the knuckle of your index finger. If the dough springs back it is ready.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Right before the rolls are placed in the oven, heat 1/2 cup of heavy cream in the microwave until it is about 90 degrees F. With a pastry brush, brush the top of the rolls with the cream. Slowly pour the remaining cream over the rolls. The cream mixture will settle on the bottom of the pan.
• Bake the cinnamon rolls for 30-35 minutes until the cinnamon rolls have risen and they are dark golden brown. Use an instant read thermometer to check the internal temperature of one of the rolls in the center. It should register 190 degrees F.
• While the rolls are cooling make the cinnamon roll icing (see the recipe below).
• Remove the cinnamon rolls from the oven and place the pan on a wire rack to cool. Let the rolls cool for 15 minutes, then spread the glaze over the rolls while they are still warm.

Cinnamon Roll Filling

• For the cinnamon roll filling the butter needs to really soft. Your finger will make an imprint with zero resistance.
• Place the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a large bowl and whisk the ingredients together.
• Cut the butter into 8 pieces and add it to the dry ingredients. With a fork or your fingers mix the butter into the sugar-cinnamon mixture until the ingredients are well combined.

Cinnamon Roll Icing

• Place the powdered sugar, unsalted butter, and 1 tablespoon of the milk in large bowl. With a handheld mixer, mix the ingredient first on low speed then on medium speed until the ingredients are combined and icing is smooth.
• The icing is thick. Add an additional tablespoon of milk if you want a slightly thinner icing.
• Spread half of the mixture over the cinnamon rolls 10 minutes after they have come out of the oven and while they are still warm. The glaze will melt into the cinnamon rolls. When the rolls have cooled slightly spread the remaining glaze on the rolls.
• Serve the rolls warms or at room temperature.

Storage

• Room Temperature: The cinnamon rolls are good at room temperature for up to 2 days. Cover the pan with plastic wrap or place the rolls in a large container with a lid.
• Refrigerator: The baked cinnamon rolls can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Don’t place the rolls uncovered in the refrigerator or they’ll dry out.

Notes

How to Create a Proofing: If it’s cold in your kitchen you can create your own proofing box to help the dough rise. Place a 13x9-inch or similar size pan in the bottom of the oven. Bring a large kettle of water to a boil. Pour 8 cups of boiling water into the baking dish. Place the bowl with the cinnamon dough on the middle rack of the oven, close the door, and let the dough rise until doubled in size, about 60-90 minutes.

Recommended Tools: 5 QT Stand Mixer, 13x9-inch baking pan, Digital Scale, Instant-Read Thermometer, Dough Scraper

Nutrition

Calories: 672kcal | Carbohydrates: 81g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 121mg | Sodium: 186mg | Potassium: 206mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 39g | Vitamin A: 965IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 98mg | Iron: 3mg

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