Ooey gooey cinnamon rolls are the perfect treat on a lazy weekend morning and trust me, when you’ve had them homemade you’ll never be able to go back to the ones out of the can! Yes, there is some extreme time and effort involved, but it’s oh so worth it. As much as I love cinnamon rolls, I also love maple and anyone who knows me knows that if they ask about maple syrup they are going to get a lecture on ‘maple syrup season’ and how what they serve at the diner isn’t ‘real maple syrup’. So, I decided why not combine two of my favorite things, maple and cinnamon rolls! This recipe does just that, substituting maple sugar in the traditional cinnamon roll recipe and glaze you get a rich maple flavor excellently complimented by warm notes of cinnamon. Perfect for those cold winter nights!
Maple Walnut Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
- Ingredients For the Dough:
- 3 1/2 Cups flour plus more for dusting
- 1/2 Cup maple sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 1/4 teaspoon instant yeast 1 package
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8 Teaspoon nutmeg optional
- 1 Egg room temp
- 1/2 Cup milk
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla
- 1/2 Cup sour cream or full fat greek yogurt
- 6 Tablespoon unsalted butter
- Ingredients For the Filling
- 4 tbsp butter room temp
- 1/4 Cup maple sugar more if desired
- 1/2 Cup finely chopped walnuts
- 1 Teaspoon cinnamon
- Ingredients For the Glaze
- 4 oz cream cheese room temp
- 2 Tablespoons butter room temp
- 1 Teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 Pinch salt
- 1 Teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 Cup maple sugar
- 1 Tablespoon milk plus more if needed for consistency
Instructions
- For the filling combine the maple sugar and the cinnamon in a small bowl and set aside
- In a separate bowl add the flour, instant yeast, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt and whisk together until well combined and set aside
- In a medium bowl add the butter, milk, sour cream (or yogurt), and vanilla extract and heat until butter is melted and mixture is warmed through (about 110 degrees). You can easily do this in 20 to 30 second sessions in the microwave or on low heat in a saucepan on the stovetop.
- Pour the warm liquid mixture into the dry ingredients and mix to combine. You can either use a stand or hand mixer to combine or do it the old fashioned way by hand.
- Next, add the egg and continue to mix until a soft dough starts coming together.
- Transfer the dough to a clean, floured surface and knead until smooth, about 4-5 minutes. When finished the dough should hold its shape, but will be a bit tacky.
- Place the dough in a large oiled bowl and cover. Allow it to rise in a warm place, about doubling in size. You can do this in the oven by turning it on to a ‘warm’ setting (about 110 degrees).
- When risen, transfer the dough to a clean, floured surface and roll into a rectangle about a quarter of an inch thick.
- Next, for the filling spread the room temperature butter on the dough then sprinkle liberally with the maple cinnamon sugar prepared earlier.
- Roll the dough tightly, lengthwise so the unbuttered part is facing outside
- Cut the rolls into equally sized sections, you should get about nine rolls
- Place in a baking dish so they are not touching and have some room to puff up, then cover and place in a warm place to rise again (about 40 minutes).
- Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees
- Once the rolls have risen a second time they are ready to bake
- Place the rolls in the pre-heated oven for about 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. If they are browning too quickly by the 20 minute mark you can loosely cover with foil while they finish.
- While the rolls are baking make the glaze so it’s ready as soon as they come out of the oven
- Add the room temperature cream cheese, butter, and salt to a bowl and then beat until smooth. Nest, pour in the milk, vanilla, and lemon juice then mix again until combined. Lastly, add the maple sugar. To help it combine better you can make your own ‘confectioners’ maple sugar by placing the cup of maple sugar in a food processor or blender and pulsing until it creates a finer ‘powdered’ texture.
- As soon as the rolls are out of the oven (and still warm) add about half of the glaze to the rolls and spread to cover completely. This allows the glaze to somewhat soak in. Once they are cool add the remaining glaze while they’re in the baking dish or on individual rolls when you serve them.
