Super soft and fluffy, these are dream coffee cinnamon rolls -ultimate in comfort and decadence. And it's one of the easiest recipes for cinnamon buns that I’ve tried!
What’s the right way to eat fluffy cinnamon rolls? Alongside sips of coffee. But with these coffee rolls, you can eat your coffee within the roll!
That's why I call the easy cinnamon roll recipe a fun twist on the classic. It is the kind of dessert that spreads warmth like a cozy blanket on a winter night.
Jump to:
Why you'll love cinnamon coffee rolls?
- Coffee lover's dream: a dessert that marries the rich taste of coffee with the sweet allure of cinnamon rolls.
- Breakfast bliss: a perfect blend of a warming, spicy center, and a hearty wake-up call.
- Perfect pairing: With a glass of milk for late-night cravings.
Ingredients & swaps
Flour: substitute whole wheat flour for all-purpose flour, or use half-and-half of both for these coffee and cinnamon rolls.
Sugar: Brown sugar does wonders for cinnamon coffee rolls. Haven’t got it? Muscovado sugar or cane sugar would be my first swap choice. But any other you have at home will work too.
Coffee: Regular instant coffee works best in this cinnamon rolls recipe without eggs because it combines easily and nicely as opposed to ground coffee. Use your favorite brand.
Cream cheese frosting for cinnamon rolls was my choice and is the most popular. But you can also try:
- cinnamon glaze
- chocolate glaze
- regular glaze
- Or simply dust them with icing sugar.
How to make coffee cinnamon rolls?
- Activate yeast
Heat milk until lukewarm. Stir in sugar, oil, and yeast. Set aside for 5–10 minutes, until bubbly.
- Mix and rest
Whisk in the 2 & 1/3 cups of flour. Cover and place in a draft-free place until the dough doubles in size (about 1 to 2 hours).
- Whisk and rest again
Add the rest of the flour along with baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix well and let it rest in the fridge overnight.
- Divide
Gently deflate the dough the next morning and divide it into two equal parts.
- Roll
Roll each half into a thin rectangle. Spread the coffee roll filling (melted butter + coffee powder + brown sugar + cinnamon powder) on the two rolled rectangles.
- Fold
Like paper, fold each filled dough rectangle into thirds. Pick the right short side of the dough and fold it 2/3 of the way. Then take the left short side of the dough and bring it over the folded part. So, you have 3 layers, similar to folding a business letter. (Watch the video to see how I do it).
- Divide again
Cut both the folded coffee cinnamon roll dough into 6 strips (about 1.5 inches wide).
- Shape the coffee cinnamon buns
Working on one strip at a time, leaving part of the top end as-is, cut the rest into three equal sections (vertically).
- Plait
Just like you would with hair, interweave the three sections to make a braid, using the intact top end as the starting point.
- Make the bun
Roll the braided cinnamon coffee dough into a ball. Repeat for all the strips until you have 12 espresso buns.
- Rest again
Place the coffee rolls in a well-greased muffin pan and let them rest for 30 to 45 minutes until puffy.
- Bake and cool
Bake to golden-top perfection (about 18 to 20 minutes). Cool in the pan for a couple of minutes and then transfer to a wire rack.
- Serve
And savor!
Cream cheese frosting
The coffee and cinnamon rolls are stunning, sumptuous, and addictive as-is. But… I love to go all out while making cinnamon rolls from scratch. So, I glazed them.
How do you make it?
Combine room-temperature cream cheese with icing sugar and half a teaspoon of coffee powder. Whisk till you have a thick, pouring consistency. Drop spoonfuls on the rolls, garnish with nuts of your choice, and enjoy!
Recipe notes
- Don’t mix yeast with hot milk. It has to be lukewarm.
- You can use the coffee roll dough immediately after step 3. I like to make homemade cinnamon roll dough ahead of time, as it can be refrigerated for 30 minutes or up to 3 days.
- Since the filling of these flavored cinnamon rolls has butter and sugar, it will bubble up and caramelize on your pan. Don’t worry. It’s easy to clean, and my pans prove it. I cleaned them for the pictures, and some hot, soapy water did the trick. So don’t let the little mess stop you from trying this recipe.
- Braiding the coffee cinnamon rolls is not essential. They just look prettier and cuter this way. You can skip the steps and shape them like basic and classic cinnamon rolls or like cinnamon roll muffins. FYI, it looks tough, but it’s not. So, my advice? Give it a go!
FAQs
Switch to plant-based milk and butter (or coconut oil).
Yes! I like to make homemade cinnamon roll dough ahead of time, as it can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.
More flavored rolls
Half the joy of cooking is sharing it with others. That’s why I’m always eager to hear from you. So go right ahead and drop a comment or reach out on Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, or Facebook. I hope you love the coffee cinnamon rolls as much as we do!
📖 Recipe
Perfect Soft Coffee Cinnamon Rolls!
Ingredients
- 1 cup Milk
- 1.5 tsp Dried active yeast
- 1/4 cup Sugar
- 1/4 cup Oil
- 2 1/3 cup All-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp Baking powder
- 1/4 tsp Baking soda
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1/4 cup All-purpose flour
Filling
- 1/3 cup Butter, melted
- 1/2 cup Brown sugar
- 1.5 tbsp Instant coffee powder
- 2 tsp Cinnamon powder
Coffee Cream Cheese Frosting ( Optional)
- 1/2 cup Cream cheese softened
- 1/2 cup Icing sugar
- 1/2 - 1 tsp Instant coffee powder
- Pecans for topping Optional
Instructions
- Heat the milk until lukewarm. Stir in sugar, oil, and yeast.
- Set aside for 5-10 minutes until the mixture is bubbly.
- Whisk in the 2 and 1/3 cups of flour. Cover and place in a draft-free place for 1 hour or until the dough is doubled in size.
- Mix in the extra 1/4 cup flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- The dough is now ready for use immediately. You can refrigerate it for 30 minutes or up to 3 days.For easier handling, I always like to refrigerate the dough overnight.
- Butter the cavities of your muffin pan well. Or if using a baking dish, grease that well.
- Knead the dough for 1 minute and divide into 2 halves. This is for easier handling.
- Sprinkle flour on your work surface and roll out one half of the dough into a rectangle.
- Spread half of the cinnamon coffee filling evenly on the rolled-out dough.
- Pick one of the short sides and bring it over 2/3 of the dough. Then pick the other short side and bring it over the folded dough.
- Cut the folded dough into 6 strips, approximately 3/4" in width.
- Working with 1 piece of dough at a time, cut the strip into 3 pieces, leaving about 1/4" of the end intact.
- Braid the strips of dough together to form a braid. Now roll up the braid into a ball.Repeat this with the remaining strips and the 2nd half of the dough.
- Place the braided rolls in the muffin pan, cover with a kitchen towel or cling wrap, and let proof for about 30-45 minutes or until puffy.
- While the rolls are proofing, preheat your oven to 190 C.
- Remove the plastic wrap or kitchen towel and bake the proofed buns at 190 C for 18-20 minutes.The filling will bubble over and spread over your muffin pan, but it cleans up easily!
- Let the rolls cool in the muffin pan for 2-3 minutes before moving them onto a cooling rack.
- Once they have cooled, spread a spoonful of coffee cream cheese frosting on each roll. Top with pecans and serve. Enjoy!
Filling
- Combine the melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon powder, and coffee powder in a small bowl.
Coffee Cream Cheese Frosting
- Combine the softened cream cheese, icing sugar, and coffee powder in a small bowl and whisk well until smooth. Taste and adjust for sweetness and coffee flavor.
Leave a Reply