Sharing is caring!

Maple Cinnamon Rolls

These Maple Cinnamon Rolls are incredibly soft, fluffy, and pillowy with a gooey maple cinnamon brown sugar filling and a rich maple cream cheese frosting. Made with a tangzhong dough, these homemade cinnamon rolls have an exceptionally tender, bakery-style texture that stays soft long after they come out of the oven.

Warm cinnamon, brown sugar, butter, and real maple syrup make these cinnamon rolls especially perfect for fall mornings, weekend brunch, Thanksgiving breakfast, or Christmas morning.

If you love a really soft cinnamon roll with plenty of gooey filling and frosting, these Maple Cinnamon Rolls are hard to beat.

Why You’ll Love These Maple Cinnamon Rolls

These aren’t simply regular cinnamon rolls with maple syrup poured over the top. Maple flavor is incorporated throughout the recipe so you get a little maple in every bite.

The tangzhong dough makes the rolls incredibly soft, while the filling combines butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and maple syrup for a warm caramelized center.

Then everything gets covered with a thick maple cream cheese frosting while the rolls are still slightly warm.

They’re:

• Extra soft and fluffy
• Made with a tangzhong dough
• Filled with maple cinnamon brown sugar
• Perfectly gooey in the center
• Topped with maple cream cheese frosting
• Perfect for fall and holiday breakfasts

Maple Cinnamon Rolls Recipe

Servings: 12 cinnamon rolls
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Rise Time: 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours
Bake Time: 22–27 minutes
Total Time: About 3 hours

Ingredients

For the Tangzhong

• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup whole milk

For the Cinnamon Roll Dough

• Prepared tangzhong
• 3/4 cup whole milk, warmed to 105–110°F
• 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more if needed
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons King Arthur Baking Cake Enhancer or dough enhancer, optional

For the Maple Cinnamon Filling

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, very soft
• 3/4 cup packed dark or light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

For the Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt
• 1–2 tablespoons heavy cream or milk, as needed

Optional: 1/4–1/2 teaspoon maple extract for an even stronger maple flavor.

Make the Tangzhong

Add the flour and milk to a small saucepan.

Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture becomes thick and smooth. It should resemble a thick pudding or paste.

Remove the pan from the heat and allow the tangzhong to cool until it is just warm.

This little extra step is what helps create an exceptionally soft cinnamon roll dough.

Make the Dough

Pour the warm milk into the bowl of a stand mixer.

Add the yeast and a small pinch of the sugar. Allow the mixture to stand for about 5–10 minutes, until the yeast looks foamy.

Add the remaining sugar, egg, egg yolk, softened butter, cooled tangzhong, flour, salt, and optional dough enhancer.

Mix with the dough hook on low speed until a shaggy dough forms.

Increase to medium-low and knead for approximately 8–10 minutes.

The dough should become smooth, stretchy, and very soft. It may still feel slightly tacky.

Try not to add too much additional flour. Keeping the dough soft is important for getting those fluffy, pillowy cinnamon rolls.

Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl and cover.

Allow it to rise in a warm place for about 60–90 minutes, or until doubled in size.

Make the Maple Cinnamon Filling

In a bowl, combine the softened butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, maple syrup, vanilla, and salt.

Stir until you have a thick, spreadable mixture.

If the filling becomes too loose from the maple syrup, refrigerate it for about 5–10 minutes. You want it soft enough to spread without running out of the rolls.

Assemble the Cinnamon Rolls

Lightly flour your work surface.

Roll the risen dough into a rectangle approximately 14 × 18 inches.

Spread the maple cinnamon filling evenly over the dough, leaving about 1/2 inch uncovered around the edges.

Starting from one of the long sides, roll the dough tightly into a log.

Cut the log into 12 equal cinnamon rolls.

For the cleanest swirls, use unflavored dental floss to cut the dough instead of pressing down with a knife.

Arrange the rolls in a lightly greased 9 × 13-inch baking dish.

Cover and allow them to rise for another 35–45 minutes, or until the rolls look soft and puffy and are beginning to touch.

Bake the Maple Cinnamon Rolls

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Bake for approximately 22–27 minutes, until the tops are lightly golden and the centers are baked through.

Avoid overbaking the rolls. Removing them when they’re just lightly golden helps preserve that incredibly soft texture.

Allow them to cool for about 10 minutes before adding the frosting.

Make the Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

Beat the softened cream cheese and butter together until completely smooth and fluffy.

Add the powdered sugar, maple syrup, vanilla, and a pinch of salt.

Beat again until smooth.

If necessary, add heavy cream or milk a little at a time until the frosting reaches your preferred consistency.

For a stronger maple flavor, add a small amount of maple extract.

Spread the frosting generously over the cinnamon rolls while they’re still slightly warm.

The frosting will soften and melt just enough to work its way into the cinnamon swirls.

Use Pure Maple Syrup

For the best Maple Cinnamon Rolls, use real pure maple syrup rather than pancake syrup.

Pure maple syrup gives the filling and frosting a deeper, more natural maple flavor that pairs beautifully with cinnamon and brown sugar.

If you want a very pronounced bakery-style maple flavor, you can also add a little maple extract to the frosting. You don’t need much—a small amount goes a long way.

The Secret to Super-Soft Cinnamon Rolls

Tangzhong is one of my favorite ways to make homemade cinnamon rolls extra soft.

It sounds complicated, but it’s simply flour and milk cooked together for a few minutes before making the dough.

This allows the flour to absorb and retain more liquid, which helps create a soft, moist dough.

Another important tip is not adding too much flour.

Cinnamon roll dough should feel soft and slightly tacky after kneading. Adding flour until the dough becomes stiff and completely dry can result in heavier rolls.

Can I Make Maple Cinnamon Rolls Overnight?

Absolutely.

Prepare the rolls through the shaping step and arrange them in the baking dish.

Cover the pan tightly and refrigerate overnight instead of doing the second rise.

The following morning, remove the cinnamon rolls from the refrigerator and allow them to come closer to room temperature and rise until noticeably puffy.

Depending on the temperature of your kitchen, this usually takes around 45–75 minutes.

Bake as directed and make the maple frosting while the rolls are in the oven.

How to Store Maple Cinnamon Rolls

Store leftover cinnamon rolls covered in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days because of the cream cheese frosting.

For that fresh-from-the-oven texture, warm individual cinnamon rolls briefly in the microwave before serving.

The roll becomes soft again and the maple frosting melts slightly over the warm cinnamon center.

Perfect for Fall Mornings

There is something about maple and cinnamon that instantly feels like fall.

These Maple Cinnamon Rolls have everything I want in a homemade cinnamon roll: fluffy dough, lots of gooey cinnamon filling, warm maple flavor, and plenty of creamy frosting.

Serve them with hot coffee for a cozy weekend breakfast, make them for Thanksgiving morning, or prepare them overnight for an easy Christmas breakfast.

Just be sure to grab one while they’re still warm—the soft tangzhong dough and gooey maple cinnamon center are especially good straight from the pan.