These upside down caramel cinnamon rolls are so easy to make! As much as I love regular cinnamon rolls, like my brioche cinnamon rolls, I love adding this delicious caramel sauce to my breakfast rolls!
Plus, this recipe has a simple, fuss free way of making caramel - no slaving over the stove for this and it only takes 20 minutes on hands on prep.
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These caramel cinnamon rolls have the same brioche base, but they're baked on top of a mixture of pecans, brown sugar, and cream which gives us the amazing caramel sauce.
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Tell me about this recipe!
- This cinnamon roll dough is soft and buttery due to the milk, butter, sugar and butter.
- The caramel sauce is made by mixing together brown sugar and cream which is then brushed over the bottom of your pan. I pour more cream just before baking to give you a delicious caramel sauce.
Ingredients Needed
The printable recipe card with the full list of ingredients and instructions can be found at the bottom of this post.
- Butter: I always use European style butter, like Kerry Gold, in my baking. This will make your cinnamon rolls much richer and creamier.
- Flour: I'm using all purpose flour in this recipe.
- Pecans: If you aren't a fan of pecans try it with walnuts, or leave them out entirely.
How to make this recipe
Step 1: Warm up your milk in your microwave or over the stove, then add your yeast and let it sit for 5 minutes until it begins to foam a bit.
Step 2: In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together your flour, salt and sugar.
Step 3: Pour the milk, butter and eggs into the stand mixer bowl bowl, and mix on low speed for 2-3 minutes. Raise the speed to medium and mix for another 3 minutes
Step 4: Take the dough out of the bowl and lightly oil it, then place the dough back in and cover with clingfilm. Let is rest until it has doubled in size.
Step 5: Once your dough has doubled in size, usually been 60-90 minutes, get your dish ready by heavily buttering it.
Step 6: Roll out your dough until it is 18x12 inches long
Step 7: Mix together the brown sugar, salt and cinnamon in a small bowl. Brush the dough with softened butter and then sprinkle over the brown sugar mixture.
Step 8: In a jug, mix together brown sugar, heavy cream, vanilla and salt - this will be your caramel base.
Step 9: Use a rubber spatula or a spoon to press the caramel mixture on to the bottom of your buttered pan. Sprinkle over your pecans.
Step 10: Tightly roll up your cinnamon rolls from the long side, then cut into 12 pieces using a serrated knife or dental floss. Place on top of the caramel base.
Step 11: Cover them with plastic wrap and let them rise for about an hour. You'll know it's ready when you poke a cinnamon roll and it bounces back but leaves a bit of an indent.
Step 12: Preheat your oven to 350. Warm the remaining heavy cream in the microwave or over the stove and pour over the cinnamon rolls. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown.
Recipe Tips
- I highly recommend using a weighing scale and measuring out your ingredients the metric way. It makes a huge difference to your baking and is the most accurate way to bake!
- Make sure all of your ingredients are at room temperature. Pull out your ingredients for these caramel cinnamon rolls about 2 hours before you start baking
- When adding your yeast to the milk, make sure the milk isn't too hot. You want the milk to be lukewarm, otherwise it may kill the yeast. You should be able to dip your finger in the milk and find it not too hot.
- Don't use melted butter for the filling, but use softened butter instead. I've found that using melted butter leads to the filling leaking out during the second rise.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Let them cool completely then place in a ziplock bag or freezer friendly tupperware. When ready to eat, let them defrost in the fridge overnight. Warm them up in the oven at 350 for 10 minutes.
Wrap up tightly or keep in an airtight container for up to 5 days. You can reheat them in the microwave or oven.
After the second rise, poke the buns with your finger. It should bounce back but leave a bit of an indent. If there is no indentation at all then you need to let the dough rise for a bit longer.
Breakfast Recipes to Try
Have you made this recipe? Make sure to tag me on Instagram @alpineella and leave a review below if you have! If you want more baking ideas, you can follow me on Pinterest.
Recipe
Gooey Caramel Cinnamon Rolls
Equipment
- 9x13" baking pan
Ingredients
Cinnamon Roll Dough
- 175 (¾ cup) ml whole milk
- 2 ¼ teaspoon active dry yeast
- 1 egg room temperature
- 1 egg yolk room temperature
- 420 (3 ½ cups) grams all purpose flour
- 50 (¼ cup) grams granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 55 (4 tbsp) grams unsalted butter room temperature
- 40 (½ cup) ml heavy cream
Cinnamon Filling
- 107 (½ cup) grams light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- pinch salted
- 56 (¼ cup) grams unsalted butter room temperature
Caramel Sauce
- 320 (1 ½ cups) grams light brown sugar
- 76 (⅓ cup) grams heavy cream
- pinch salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 150 (1 ⅓ cups) grams pecans
Instructions
- Warm up your milk in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, you just want it to be lukewarm. Too hot and it will kill the yeast! Pour the milk into a medium bowl and add the yeast, stirring to combine. Leave for 5-10 minutes until it has foamed and there are bubbles
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment, add the flour, salt, and sugar and mix to combine
- Pour the milk, butter and eggs into the stand mixer bowl bowl, and mix on low speed for 2-3 minutes. Raise the speed to medium and mix for another 3 minutes. Your dough should be smooth and not too sticky
- Take the dough out of the bowl and oil it, then scrape the dough back into it. Cover it loosely with clingfilm and let it rise at room temperature until it has doubled in size, about an hour to an hour and a half
- Butter a 9×13 baking dish
- Mix the brown sugar, cream, vanilla and salt together in a small bowl then spread on to the bottom of your dish. Sprinkle over your pecans
- Turn your dough onto a floured work surface and use a floured rolling pin to roll it into a large rectangle, measuring 18 inches (46cm) long, and 12 inches wide (30.5cm)
- Mix together the cinnamon, sugar and salt in a small bowl. Use a pastry brush to brush over the softened butter, leaving a ¼ inch margin, then sprinkle over the cinnamon mixture
- From the long side, roll it into a tight spiral. Cut it into 12 pieces using either unflavored dental floss or a serrated knife. Place them into your buttered dish
- Cover loosely with clingfilm and let rise for about an hour. You'll know the dough is ready when you poke it, it bounces back but leaves a bit of a dent. If the indentation doesn't stay, it needs longer.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F/180°C. Warm the heavy cream in a small saucepan. Just before putting it into the oven, pour your warm heavy cream on top of the rolls, and in the spaces between the rolls. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown.
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Maria Daniels says
Planning to make this for TG and X-mas. You can't go wrong with caramel and soft dough!
Ella says
Oh yay! 🙂