These Carrot Cake Cinnamon rolls are the perfect Brunch. Fluffy, spiced carrot brioche is rolled out and filled with dulce de leche and toasted nuts, and rolled into large, bakery-style carrot cake cinnamon rolls, and finished with a cream cheese frosting.
Original post from 2020, Blog post copy updated and reformatted March 2021
Table of contents
- Carrot Cake Cinnamon Rolls
- Carrot Cake Cinnamon Rolls with Dulce de Leche Filling
- How to make Cinnamon Rolls ahead of time
- FAQ for Carrot Cake Cinnamon Rolls
- For more Cinnamon Roll recipes, check out:
- Made this recipe and love it?
- A note on salt and oven temperature
- Why is this recipe in grams?
- Recipe for Carrot Cake Cinnamon Rolls
Carrot Cake Cinnamon Rolls
Hi! I hope the first part of spring is treating you well. I am super excited to share this wee springy take on my favourite cinnamon rolls - Dulce de Leche Carrot Cake Cinnamon Rolls! These Carrot Cake Cinnamon Rolls are inspired by the flavours of carrot cake. I incorporated some fresh carrot and spices into a fluffy dough, and then filled them with a super silky Dulce de Leche filling and some chopped walnuts, then finished them off with a cream cheese frosting.
Carrot Cake Cinnamon Rolls with Dulce de Leche Filling
Instead of the more traditional butter and sugar filling, I filled these carrot cake cinnamon rolls with a spiced Dulce de Leche filling. Dulce de Leche is super easy to make at home, and I used Eagle Brand® Sweetened Condensed Milk to make the most beautiful caramel coloured filling for these rolls. If you haven’t made your own Dulce de Leche before it is super easy - I have included the method in the recipe for you. Eagle Brand® Sweetened Condensed Milk only has two simple ingredients, milk and sugar, and it is a perfect staple to have in your cupboard for all your baking projects! I grew up baking with condensed milk with my Grandma, so the taste is super nostalgic for me, as I am sure it is for a lot of us.
Dulce de Leche originates in South America, and is made by slowly heating up milk and sugar (or in this case, slowly cooking Sweetened Condensed Milk). There are a few ways to make the Dulce de Leche with the Eagle Brand® Sweetened Condensed Milk - my favourite is in the oven. You will see I have included the method in the recipe. This step can be done ahead of time, and you can store your Dulce de Leche in the fridge until you are ready to use it.
How to make Cinnamon Rolls ahead of time
These make the perfect breakfast, so you can easily make them ahead of time. Make the Dulce de Leche in advance, and then prepare the dough as written. Then, instead of proofing them at room temperature, cover the bowl and leave in the fridge overnight, where it will slowly rise. This means that it will be ready to roll out into your carrot cake cinnamon rolls in the morning, and then all you have do is assemble and bake!
You can also do the first rise in the fridge on the same day you make these - you will need to give the dough a minimum of 2 ½ hours in the fridge. I like doing my first rise in the fridge as it gives me great flexibility, rather than having to work on the dough's schedule.
Remember, if you ever need to slow down the process when making bread, put your dough in the fridge. This slows down the rising time and can buy you some time if you need it.
FAQ for Carrot Cake Cinnamon Rolls
Yes! The dough can be made the night before and the first rise done overnight in the fridge. This is my preferred method when making cinnamon rolls - it makes the dough so much easier to roll out!
I often get asked this - and I don't recommend it. The filling leaks out overnight so you end up with super soggy rolls. You are best just accounting for a little extra time the next morning to assemble these. You can make the frosting ahead of time too if you want to save on time - just pull it out when you shape the rolls and give it a quick mix before using.
I haven't tried it but they can probably be frozen once baked - just don't add the frosting. Cream cheese doesn't freeze well.
This brown butter frosting would also be delicious!
Yep! You do you. Or use Pecans, or replace them with anything else you like! The candied pecans from this post could be super yum in there too.
Preheat your oven to 350°f /180°c. Spread the walnuts out on a baking sheet, and toast for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown (you can snap one open to check they are toasted throughout). Leave to cool.
For more Cinnamon Roll recipes, check out:
Made this recipe and love it?
If you make this recipe, I would LOVE for you to leave me a review below and let me know how you liked it! Make sure to tag me on Instagram if you make it!
A note on salt and oven temperature
It is important to note the type of salt that is called for in a recipe. I use Diamond Crystal salt throughout my recipes - if you use a different sort of kosher salt or regular table salt you will need to adjust accordingly as some salt is 'saltier' than others. Morton's salt is twice as salty, so you will need half the quantity. Same goes for a regular table salt. I am working to get gram measurements throughout my recipes for salt but still getting there.
All oven temperatures are conventional unless otherwise stated. If you are baking on fan, you will need to adjust the temperature. An oven thermometer is a great investment to ensure that your oven is the correct temperature.
Why is this recipe in grams?
I post my recipes in grams because it is the most accurate way to bake. Cups are not only inaccurate but they vary in volume worldwide. There is no way for me to provide one cup measure that works for everyone. Posting in weight fixes this issue. If you would like the recipe in cups, then you are welcome to convert it yourself via google. However, please do not ask me to do it for you as I am not comfortable providing a recipe using a method that I have not tested. Baking with a scale is easy, accurate, and also makes cleanup super simple. Here is the scale that I use if you would like a recommendation! Here's to accurate baking!
Thank you so much to Eagle Brand® Sweetened Condensed Milk for sponsoring this post. All opinions are my own.
Original post from 2020, Blog post copy updated and reformatted March 2021
Recipe for Carrot Cake Cinnamon Rolls
Print
Carrot Cake Cinnamon Rolls
- Prep Time: 60 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours
- Yield: 12 cinnamon buns 1x
Description
Carrot Cake Cinnamon Rolls. Fluffy, spiced carrot brioche is rolled out and filled with dulce de leche and toasted nuts, and rolled into large, bakery-style carrot cake cinnamon rolls, and finished with a cream cheese frosting.
Ingredients
Carrot Cake Brioche
- 220g whole milk, lukewarm
- 2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast
- 4 Tbsp (50g) dark brown sugar
- 565g all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 ½ tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp ginger
- ½ tsp cardamom
- 120g finely shredded fresh carrot, gently wrung out in a paper towel or patted dry
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 2 eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
- 90g unsalted butter, at room temperature
Dulce de Leche Filling
- 1 can Eagle Brand® Sweetened Condensed Milk
- 2 ½ tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp cardamom
- ½ tsp ginger
- pinch of salt
- ½ tsp vanilla bean paste
- 250g chopped toasted walnuts (see FAQ for tips on toasting)
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 115g unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 225g cream cheese, at room temperature
- 250g powdered sugar, sifted
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp vanilla bean paste
Instructions
CARROT BRIOCHE DOUGH
- Place the lukewarm milk, 2 Tbsp of the sugar, and the yeast in a medium sized bowl, and stir to combine. Leave for 10-15 minutes, or until foamy.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, place the flour, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, grated carrot, and remaining 2 Tbsp sugar, and mix briefly to combine.
- Add the milk mixture, egg and vanilla to the dry ingredients, and mix on low for 2-3 minutes. Increase the speed of the mixer to medium, and mix for a further 5 minutes. Add the butter a little at a time, waiting until it is incorporated until adding the next piece. Mix for a further 7-10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and soft.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in a warm place until doubled in size, 45 minutes to an hour. Alternatively you can do the first rise over the course of a few hours (2-3 minimum) or overnight in the fridge. Colder dough is ideal to work with so if preferable, do a cold rise if you can.
DULCE DE LECHE
- Preheat the oven to 425°f / 220°c. Pour 1 can Eagle Brand® Sweetened Condensed Milk into a pie plate (glass or metal). Cover with aluminium foil and place the pie plate into a larger casserole dish or similar shallow dish. Fill with water, taking care the water level does not go above the pie plate level.
- Bake for 2 hours, topping up the water as needed, until the condensed milk is thick and caramel coloured. Transfer to a container and chill completely.
FILLING AND ASSEMBLY
- Line a quarter sheet pan or baking dish (9”x13” or 23cm x 33cm) with parchment paper. In a small bowl, combine the chilled Dulce de Leche, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, salt, and vanilla bean paste. Mix to combine.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and roll into a rectangle that is 24” x 16” (60cm x 40cm), squaring off the edges often as you roll. Spread with the dulce de leche mixture, ensuring the filling is spread evenly over the surface. Sprinkle evenly with the walnuts.
- Starting with a long side, roll up into a tight spiral. Cut the log into two pieces and place them side by side on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and lightly sprayed with cooking spray. Lightly cover the dough logs with plastic wrap, and transfer to the freezer for 20 minutes in order to firm up slightly (this helps give a neater cut - if your dough is chilled you can skip this step).
- Once the dough logs have chilled, remove from the fridge. Using a sharp knife, slice each log into 6 equal pieces (I like to use a ruler), and arrange on the prepared baking sheet or baking dish, evenly spacing between.
- Lightly cover the pan with plastic wrap, and leave to rise for 45 minutes to an hour, or until puffy, and a small indentation is left when poked gently with your finger.
- While the rolls are rising, preheat the oven to 350°f / 180°c.
- Bake the rolls for 35 to 40 minutes, or until deeply golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to stand for 15 minutes or so before icing with the Cream Cheese Frosting
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
- Place the butter and cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until well combined. Add in the powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla bean paste, and whip until light and fluffy.
- Spread onto the cinnamon rolls while they are still slightly warm.
- Store leftover cinnamon rolls in an airtight container at room temperature. Rewarm in the microwave before serving.
Keywords: cinnamon bun, cinnamon roll, cream cheese frosting, carrot cake, carrot brioche
Comments
Cant wait to make these!!
★★★★★
YUM!!!
★★★★★
That pineapple flavour is integral to carrot cake for me. I need to find somewhere in this recipe to incorporate it... the dough? The frosting? Looks so good.
I don't like pineapple in carrot cake (I love it everywhere else!) which is why I left it out sorry! I wouldn't put it in the dough as it would make it too soggy, it is already a bit wet. You could use syrup or juice in the frosting or a tiny bit crushed in the filling? Or if you don't mind a more chunky frosting, you could mix some crushed pineapple into the frosting? Maybe hit it with a blender first before you mix it in, but it might go a bit lumpy. I'd say well drained crushed pineapple spread thinly over the filling before rolling is your best bet. Let me know how you get on!
Do you weigh the milk out on scales for grams or is it equal to 220 mls? Sorry its just a bit strange to have liquid in grams to me
Yep, weigh it out! Liquid is different densities and I work in grams so for example 60ml oil isn't 60g, so weight measurements for the liquid is much more accurate (and much less cleanup!)
Bakers always use grams for utmost accuracy! 😉
We sure do!
These were super delicious and were a nice twist to a normal super sweet cinnamon roll! Loved the addition of the cardamom and Dulce de Leche because it added a great depth of flavor. I also added some raisins in with the walnut filling to make it like the carrot cakes we eat here and it turned out great!
★★★★★
Would absolutely make again! I didn't have any condensed so I had to make my own which worked well, but meant it was a little wet when rolling the buns as I didn't reduce it enough. Will make again with store bought condensed next time, but all in all a delicious recipe! Thanks
★★★★★
I did a different spice blend on these since I was dealing with a secret ingredient. I personally overmixed the brioche, so It came out a bit tough, but overall solid combo. Used purple carrots to really ad a nice visual pop.
★★★★
I'm not a huge cinnamon roll person but these are an absolute showstopper! Really appreciate the super clear instructions, video, and use of grams. They're so delicious, thank you for the recipe! 🙂
★★★★★
I'm not usually a fan of cinnamon but these are sooo good! Figured I would give them a go since they were a Cloudy Recipe (and I now trust her totally and completely) and I am so glad I did!
★★★★★
Another yum recipe, thanks Erin. Didn't have ground cardamom app used coriander instead, also I added juicy sultanas to the filling. Was worried with the dulce de leche filling that these might be a bit sickly but I'm glad I gave them a go, not too sweet at all. Great flavour combo, would defo make again 👌
★★★★★