Espresso Glazed Cinnamon Rolls
Espresso Glazed Cinnamon Rolls are a decadently comforting breakfast! Why not have your coffee and roll all in one? A classic, sweet pastry dough is coated with a warm, cinnamon-sugar butter, rolled into perfect cinnamon rolls and baked until light and fluffy. An espresso-infused glaze drizzled over the top makes these cinnamon rolls hard to forget!
Author: Kjandcompany/Photo credit to kjandcompany.co
Ingredients
- For the cinnamon roll dough:
- 1 tablespoon instant yeast
- ¼ cup warm water
- ½ cup sugar, plus 1 tablespoon
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter, melted
- 1 cup milk
- 2 large eggs
- 4 cups flour
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- For the filling:
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter, softened
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons cinnamon
- For the espresso glaze:
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- ¼ cup milk, plus 3 tablespoons
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2–3 tablespoons espresso powder (depends on how strong you want the coffee flavor)
Instructions
- For the cinnamon roll dough:
- In a small bowl, combine the yeast with the 1 tablespoon of sugar. Whisk in the warm water and set aside.
- Add the melted butter to a large bowl and whisk in the remaining ½ cup of sugar until combined. Slowly whisk in the milk. Add in the eggs and whisk until combined. Gently whisk in the yeast mixture.
- Add the flour and salt into the bowl and use a rubber spatula to gently fold together until a dough ball forms. The dough may be slightly sticky at this point. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean towel and let rise for 2 hours in a warm spot, such as on top of a warm oven, in front of a fireplace, in warm sunlight or a bread-proofing drawer.
- After the dough has risen for 2 hours, gently roll it out onto a well-floured surface into a ¼ inch thick rectangle.
- For the filling:
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the butter, sugar and cinnamon until fluffy, about a minute or two.
- Use a rubber spatula or an off-set knife to evenly spread the filling mixture over the top of the rectangle of dough.
- Start at one end of the rectangle (long ways) and roll the dough into a log. Use a sharp knife or unflavored dental floss to cut the cinnamon rolls, about 1½ inches thick each.
- Place the cinnamon rolls either onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (spacing a few inches apart, about 6 rolls per baking sheet) or in a greased 9×13 pan (spacing an inch or so apart). Cover with a towel and let rise again for 30 minutes in a warm area.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. After the rolls have risen again, bake for about 25 minutes, or until slightly golden brown and the centers have set.
- For the espresso glaze:
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, vanilla and espresso powder. Evenly spoon the glaze over the tops of the cinnamon rolls after they have cooled slightly but are still warm. Enjoy!
