Coffee Cinnamon Rolls
These coffee cinnamon rolls are seriously delicious. They’ve got a super soft and tender dough, filled with a rich espresso cinnamon filling and topped with coffee cream cheese icing.
These delicious treats use a lightly enriched dough, the same dough I use in almost every cinnamon roll recipe I make ( like these blueberry cinnamon rolls and strawberry cinnamon rolls.)
It can be worked with by hand or in a stand mixer. It’s not as enriched as brioche bread, but the soft yeast dough still has fantastic texture and flavor. The dough is filled with a coffee, cinnamon, and brown sugar filling. I love coffee flavor with cinnamon!
Ingredients For Coffee Cinnamon Rolls
Find the complete list of ingredients for these fluffy coffee rolls in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post. Here is a rundown of what you will need.
- All-purpose flour. A strong all-purpose flour with a protein level of at least 11%.
- Yeast. Active dry yeast or instant dry yeast. The yeast used in this recipe can be instant yeast or active dried yeast. Instant yeast will rise faster than active dried yeast. Whichever one you use, it needs to be viable. Usually, the instant yeast sachets are usually pretty foolproof, but active dried yeast can sometimes lose viability.
- Granulated sugar – The dough itself doesn’t make overly sweet rolls, as the sweetness comes from the filling and topping.
- Large eggs
- Salt
- Whole milk
- Butter – This can be salted or unsalted butter. Room temperature
- Soft brown sugar
- Ground cinnamon
- Instant espresso powder / instant coffee powder
- Vanilla
- Cream cheese, at room temperature
- Powdered sugar
Method
The bread dough
In a small saucepan, warm the milk to around 95-104°F / 35-40°C and pour it into the bowl of a stand mixer. Sprinkle yeast and sugar over the warm milk. If using active dry yeast, let this sit for around 5-10 minutes until it becomes foamy; if using instant yeast, this step can be skipped.
Add the flour, salt, and eggs to the milk mixture. Fit the stand mixer with a dough hook attachment and mix until a thick dough forms.
Add in the softened butter, a few cubes at a time.
Keep mixing on medium speed for around 10 minutes until the dough is soft and strong and passes the windowpane test.
Kneading by hand
Alternatively, knead the dough by hand. Mix the dough with a wooden spoon until it forms a shaggy ball. Pull it onto a lightly floured surface and knead a few cubes at a time in the butter.
Knead by hand for around 10 minutes until it becomes an elastic and smooth dough. If you need a break, let the dough rest for 10 minutes and return to it.
First rise
Once kneaded, form the soft dough into a ball. Transfer the ball of dough to a large, lightly greased bowl and cover it with plastic wrap or a damp dish towel.
Let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled in size, around 1 to 1 ½ hours. The total time will depend on your room temperature.
The dough can also be covered tightly and refrigerated for up to 16 hours.
Filling
With an electric mixer, beat softened butter, brown sugar, instant coffee powder, and cinnamon in a medium bowl into a creamy paste.
Shaping Espresso Cinnamon Rolls
Grease or line a 9×13-inch baking dish with parchment paper.
Punch down the risen dough, then pull it from the bowl onto a lightly floured work surface. Dust the top of the dough with some flour.
If the dough has come from the fridge, it will be very stiff.
Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a large rectangular shape measuring around 12×16 inches (30cmx40cm).
Add on the coffee and cinnamon sugar mixture and use an offset spatula to spread it out.
Roll the dough up, starting from the longest side up the top, into a jelly-roll style log.
Cut the log into 12 equal pieces using unflavored dental floss for extra clean cuts, or a serrated knife.
Place the rolls into the prepared pan.
Cover the pan and let the rolls have their second rise in a warm spot until doubled in size.
Baking
Preheat the oven to 350°F /180°C.
Bake the rolls in the oven for around 25-28 minutes until golden brown. If they are browning too fast, you can cover the top of the rolls loosely with aluminum foil.
Coffee cream cheese frosting
Add instant coffee to milk and stir to dissolve. To dissolve it better, gently warm it in the microwave for 8-10 seconds. Let it cool.
In a large bowl, using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter together on high speed until smooth and creamy.
Add in the powdered sugar and the coffee mixture.
Beat on low speed to incorporate the sugar, then switch to high and beat until creamy.
Let the baked buns cool for 20 minutes, then spread on the frosting.
Let the baked buns cool for 20 minutes, then spread on the frosting.
Storing
Leftover coffee cinnamon rolls can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days. The rolls can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
Thaw the rolls overnight in the refrigerator and warm them in the microwave before serving.
Related Recipes
For more cinnamon roll recipes or coffee recipes, check out these!
- Blueberry cinnamon rolls
- Blackberry sweet rolls
- Coffee Chocolate Mousse
- Tiramisu Cake Roll
- Red velvet cinnamon rolls.
- Swiss roll cake
Coffee Cinnamon Rolls
These coffee cinnamon rolls are seriously delicious. They've got a super soft and tender dough, filled with a rich espresso cinnamon filling and topped with coffee cream cheese icing.
Ingredients
Dough
- 240g (1 cup) whole milk
- 2 ¼ teaspoons instant or active dry yeast
- 50g (¼ cup) granulated sugar
- 530g (4 ¼ cups* ) all-purpose flour plus more for dusting
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 85g (6 Tablespoons) butter, softened to room temperature
Filling
- 55g (4 Tbsp) softened butter
- 100g (1/2 cup) soft brown sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tsp instant coffee powder
Frosting
- 30g (2 tablespoons) milk
- 1/2 tablespoon instant coffee powder
- 113g (4oz) cream cheese, room temperature
- 30g (2 Tablespoons) butter, softened to room temperature
- 180g ( 1 ½ cups) confectioners sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, warm the milk to around 95-104°F / 35-40°C and pour it into the bowl of a stand mixer. Sprinkle yeast and sugar over the warm milk. If using active dry yeast, let this sit for around 5-10 minutes until it becomes foamy; if using instant yeast, this step can be skipped.
- Add the flour, salt, and eggs to the milk mixture. Fit the stand mixer with a dough hook attachment and mix until a thick dough forms.
- Add in the softened butter, a few cubes at a time. Keep mixing on medium speed for around 10 minutes until the dough is soft and strong and passes the windowpane test.
First rise
- Once kneaded, form the soft dough into a ball. Transfer the ball of dough to a large, lightly greased bowl and cover it with plastic wrap or a damp dish towel.
- Let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled in size, around 1 to 1 ½ hours. The total time will depend on your room temperature.
- The dough can also be covered tightly and refrigerated for up to 16 hours.
Filling
- With an electric mixer, beat softened butter, brown sugar, instant coffee powder, and cinnamon in a medium bowl into a creamy paste.
Shaping
- Grease or line a 9x13-inch baking dish with parchment paper.
- Punch down the risen dough, then pull it from the bowl onto a lightly floured work surface. Dust the top of the dough with some flour. If the dough has come from the fridge, it will be very stiff.
- Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a large rectangular shape measuring around 12x16 inches (30cmx40cm).
- Add the coffee mixture and use an offset spatula to spread it out.
- Roll the dough up, starting from the longest side up the top, into a jelly-roll style log.
- Cut the log into 12 equal pieces using unflavored dental floss for extra clean cuts or a serrated knife.
- Place the rolls into the prepared pan. Cover the pan and let the rolls rise in a warm spot until doubled in size.
Baking
- Preheat the oven to 350°F /180°C.
- Bake the rolls in the oven for 25-28 minutes until golden brown. If they are browning too fast, you can cover the top of the rolls loosely with aluminum foil.
Coffee cream cheese frosting
- Add instant coffee to milk and stir to dissolve. To dissolve it better, gently warm it in the microwave for 8-10 seconds. Let it cool.
- In a large bowl, using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter together on high speed until smooth and creamy.
- Add in the powdered sugar, vanilla and the coffee mixture.
- Beat on low speed to incorporate the sugar, then switch to high and beat until creamy.
- Let the baked buns cool for 20 minutes, then spread on the frosting.
Storing
- Leftover coffee cinnamon rolls can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days. The rolls can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
- Thaw the rolls overnight in the refrigerator and warm them in the microwave before serving.
Notes
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 428Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 73mgSodium: 321mgCarbohydrates: 63gFiber: 1gSugar: 28gProtein: 7g
This is an informational estimate only. I am not a certified Dietitian or Nutritionist
OH MY GOD!!!!
I never thought I will ever come across such a masterpiece blog for baking everr!!
You are everything my heart wants, wishes and says when it comes to baking!
I made your brownies and I am spoiled for life…Now this, I am never buying cinnamon rolls from anywhere ever!!!!
Best Thing about you is how you put everything in grams and in cups too. WOWWW
Thank you Taalia!! This is such a lovey comment to read :), I’m so happy you’re loving the recipes!