Toasted Pecan Cinnamon Rolls with Maple-Cream Cheese Frosting

Warm, fluffy cinnamon rolls stuffed with toasted pecans and maple syrup. What better way to kick off fall than a yummy batch of these Toasted Pecan Cinnamon Rolls with Maple-Cream Cheese Frosting?

Maple and Toasted Pecan Cinnamon Rolls

It’s September 1st everyone… which means that it is TIME for allllll the FALL RECIPES!!! My heart is jumping for joy because I honestly don’t know if there’s anything better than fall baking, and thank goodness it’s finally here (p.s. if you love pecans, check out these Chocolate-Pecan Cream Cheese Biscuits)!

We’ve had a few rainy days here in Alabama which has only made me feel even more excited about those cozy fall mornings full of baking and the smell of pumpkin, ginger, maple syrup, and all those beautiful fall flavors we know and love.

Today I’m talking you through one of my all-time favorite things: CINNAMON ROLLS. But not only are these smooth, fluffy, buttery cinnamon rolls.. they’re Toasted Pecan Cinnamon Rolls with Maple-Cream Cheese Frosting. ***cue the heart eyes***

Let’s Talk Cinnamon Rolls

Now I know the term “homemade cinnamon rolls” can be a bit daunting… but please trust me on this y’all… there’s something about going through the process of kneading your own dough, making your own filling AND frosting that is just so rewarding at the end (in more ways than one). Now is not the time to run to the grocery store and buy cinnamon rolls. It’s time to get our hands dirty in the kitchen and bake these babies by hand. But don’t worry, I’ll be walking you through everything you need to know to ensure cinnamon roll success. 🙂

Here’s What You’ll Need:

1. Baking Dish: These rolls are baked in a 9- x- 9-inch baking pan, and I love this one from Williams-Sonoma. If you choose to roll up the dough starting from the longer side, I’d use a 9- x- 13-inch pan like this one (this will result in more, smaller rolls instead of less, larger rolls).
2. Dough Hook: If you’re planning to use a stand mixer for this recipe, you’ll want to use the dough hook. All stand mixers (for the most part) come with a dough hook attachment, but in case you lost yours you can find a really cheap one here. Now of course, you’re welcome to knead this dough by hand, but the stand mixer just makes things a bit less messy 🙂 which I love!
3. Rolling Pin: You’ll need a rolling pin to…. well roll out your dough of course! I’d suggest one that is the same size all the way down like this one. That way, your dough will be the same size all the way down as well.

Ingredients for Toasted Pecan Cinnamon Rolls with Maple-Cream Cheese Frosting

This isn’t the full list of the ingredients you’ll need for these rolls, but these are the ones that have potential substitutions/special notes.

• All-purpose flour: aka the base of any enriched dough 🙂
• Sugars: we’re using granulated sugar and light brown sugar here. If you want, you could substitute the light brown sugar with dark brown sugar for a deeper, more molasses-like flavor.
• Instant yeast: feel free to use active dry yeast if it’s all you have on hand, just be sure to bloom the yeast first in some warm water before you add it to the dough!
• Toasted pecans: DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP. There’s something so special that happens when you toast a nut.. the flavor profile changes completely. That said, you’ll definitely want to make sure that you toast your pecans before you use them. I just put them on a small sheet pan and toast them at 350°F for about 5 to 10 minutes or until I can really smell them.
• Pure maple syrup: now is not the time for the bottled “syrup” at the grocery store. Unless you see on the label, “pure maple syrup” you’re not going to want to use that in these rolls. The flavor differences between the 2 make a huge difference!

Tips for Making Toasted Pecan Cinnamon Rolls with Maple-Cream Cheese Frosting

1. Room Temperature Ingredients: This is SO IMPORTANT really when baking almost anything. We want to make sure our egg has the best chance of incorporating into the dough, which means using room temperature ingredients. 🙂
2. Proof Dough in Oven with Oven Light On: I proof almost any yeasted dough in the oven. No need to turn it on, the heat from the oven light will provide just enough warmth to encourage those yeast granules to consume the sugar molecules and create that beautiful rise!
3. Proof Until Doubled in Size: This is a very enriched dough, which makes for a longer proofing time.. it can take up to 2 hours for it to double in size. Be patient, and don’t freak out if you don’t see too much happening in the first 30 minutes. It will come together with time!
4. Rolling the Dough: Roll the dough out in this pattern: center–>top left hand corner; center–>bottom left hand corner; center–>top right hand corner; center–>bottom right hand corner. This will help you achieve the rectangular shape we’re looking for! Follow this pattern and you’ll end up with perfectly shaped rolls.
5. Use Dental Floss: I know, this one seems odd, but trust me! Using dental floss to slice the big roll into multiple cinnamon rolls is the key to perfectly shaped rolls. Simply slide the floss under the cinnamon rolls, pull each side up and over the roll you’d like to cut out, and pull through. This is better than a knife because it doesn’t allow anything to squash out the sides. Just be sure you use unflavored floss, unless you want mint-flavored cinnamon rolls!
6. Use Foil, if Needed: If the tops of your rolls begin to brown before the inside of the rolls are finished cooking, simply place aluminum foil over the tops of the rolls and continue baking. This will prevent the tops from burning! Thank you, aluminum foil.

That’s all from me for now, but if you have any questions about the recipe or run into any issues, please drop me a line at (sarah@sarahsdayoff.com), or leave a comment down below!

As always, if you decide to make this recipe, be sure to tag me on socials @sarahsdayoff so I can see all of your beautiful bakes! Happy baking 🙂

Love, Sarah

Print Recipe

Toasted Pecan Cinnamon Rolls with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

Warm, fluffy cinnamon rolls stuffed with toasted pecans and maple syrup.

Prep Time3 hours hrs

Cook Time30 minutes mins

Course: Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cinnamon, cinnamon roll, cinnamon rolls, maple cinnamon roll, maple cinnamon rolls, maple roll, pecans, toasted pecan, toasted pecans

Author: Sarah Crawford

Ingredients

For the Cinnamon Rolls:

• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• 2 1/4 tsp instant yeast 1 package
• 1 large egg at room temperature
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 6 Tbsp unsalted butter

For the Filling:

• 4 Tbsp salted butter at room temperature
• 3 Tbsp granulated sugar
• 2 Tbsp light brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
• 3 Tbsp pure maple syrup
• 1/3 cup toasted finely chopped pecans

For the Maple-Cream Cheese Frosting

• 6 oz cream cheese at room temperature
• 3 Tbsp butter at room temperature
• 3 Tbsp pure maple syrup
• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 2 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

For the Cinnamon Rolls

• Add flour, salt, sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and yeast (in that order) to the bowl of a stand mixer; whisk on low speed to combine.
• In a separate large bowl combine milk, butter, vanilla, and sour cream. Microwave on HIGH in 20-second intervals until warm to the touch (about 110°F) and stir until butter is melted.
• Attach a dough hook to the mixer and pour the wet mixture into the dry; mix on low speed 30 seconds. Add egg to mixture, and continue mixing on low speed until a soft dough forms.
• Increase the speed to medium and beat until the dough is soft and supple, about 5 more minutes.
• Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and knead by hand for about 1 minute. Form the dough into a ball and transfer it to a bowl greased with oil. Cover the bowl loosely and let sit in a warm place until it is doubled in size, about 2 hours.*

For the Filling

• In a small bowl combine sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Set aside.
• On a well-floured surface roll the dough out to a rectangle that's 1/4-inch thick. Spread butter over the surface leaving a little less than an inch at each of the longer sides.
• Sprinkle generously and evenly with prepared cinnamon sugar mixture. Drizzle with maple syrup, and sprinkle toasted pecans in an even layer over cinnamon sugar.
• Roll up dough starting on one of the shorter sides. Cut in even pieces about 1 1/2-inches long.**
• Place rolls cut side up in a 9- x- 9-inch baking dish and allow to rest in a warm place for about 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 350°F and prepare glaze while finishing second rise.
• Bake 28 to 30 minutes or until the rolls are lightly browned on the tops.***

For the Maple-Cream Cheese Frosting

• Add cream cheese, butter, maple syrup, vanilla, lemon juice, and salt to a medium bowl. Beat with a whisk or a hand mixer until smooth.
• Gradually beat in powdered sugar until smooth. Spread frosting over cinnamon rolls while still warm.

Notes

*When I'm proofing this dough, I like to place it in a cool oven with the oven light on. This gives of the perfect amount of warmth to encourage those yeast granules to feed on the sugars and create that rise.

**To cut the cinnamon rolls, I like to use unflavored dental floss. Simply slide the floss under the cinnamon rolls, pull each side up and over the roll you'd like to cut out, and pull through. This is better than a knife because it doesn't allow anything to squash out the sides. Just be sure you use unflavored floss, unless you want mint-flavored cinnamon rolls!

***If the tops brown too quickly (before the rest of the rolls are finished baking), simply add some foil to cover the tops of the rolls and continue baking. This should prevent the tops from burning.