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Baked, glazed with cream cheese cinnamon rolls in white baking dish,

CINNAMON ROLLS WITH WALNUTS

Anna
These Cinnamon Rolls with Walnuts are fluffy, gooey, and absolutely delicious. The dough is soft and tender, filled with brown sugar, cinnamon, and crushed walnuts, then topped with a creamy glaze. This homemade cinnamon rolls with walnuts recipe is perfect for a weekend breakfast, brunch, or any special occasion.
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes
Course Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine American
Servings 12 cinnamon rolls.
Calories 244 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

  • 40 g fresh yeast  16 g active dry yeast
  • 250 ml whole milk  lukewarm (to proof the yeast)
  • 2 teaspoons white granulated sugar 
  • 2 teaspoons all-purchased flour  sifted

Cinnamon Roll Dough:

  • 600 g all-purpose flour  plus more for dusting
  • 100 g white granulated sugar 
  • 2 large eggs  room temperature (beaten)
  • 125 g unsalted butter softened
  • ⅓ teaspoon salt 

Cinnamon Roll Filling:

  • 80 g unsalted butter  melted
  • 10 tablespoons light or dark brown sugar 
  • 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon 
  • 1/2 cup walnuts  chopped in a processor

Egg wash:

  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon water

Cinnamon Roll Glaze:

  • 4 oz cream cheese soften to room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
  • 2/3 cup powdered sugar sifted
  • 1-2 tablespoons milk

Instructions
 

Cinnamon Roll Dough:

  • In a small bowl, combine yeast, 2 tsp sugar, 2 tsp flour. In a microwave safe bowl, microwave the milk for 30-35 seconds. The milk should be warm but not hot. If it is too hot, make sure to let it cool before adding to the yeast to prevent killing the yeast.
  • Pour warmed milk over the yeast, sugar and flour mixture and use a silicone spatula to stir to dissolve the yeast. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes to activate. The yeast will be foamy.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the remaining flour, sugar, melted warm butter, eggs, and a pinch of salt. Add the yeast mixture to the bowl. Place the bowl on the mixer fitted with the dough-hook attachment and knead the dough on low speed until it becomes soft and pliable. Continue kneading until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl completely (don’t add more flour).
  • Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead it into a large ball, using your hands dusted lightly with flour. Place the dough ball in a well-oiled bowl (the dough will be very soft). Cover with plastic wrap and a warm towel, then place in a warm spot. Let the dough rise for about 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours, or until it has doubled in size. The time may vary depending on the humidity and temperature in your home.

Cinnamon Roll Filling:

  • When the dough is nearly finished rising, prepare the filling. In a small bowl, combine the cane sugar and cinnamon, and stir them together. Set aside.
  • Use a blender or food processor to grind the walnuts. Melt the butter in the microwave and let it cool slightly.

Baking the Cinnamon Rolls:

  • Butter a 9 x 13-inch baking pan and line with parchment paper; set aside.
  • Once the dough has doubled in size, remove it from the bowl and place it on a lightly floured surface. Divide it in half. Using a flour-dusted rolling pin, roll one half of the dough into a thin rectangle, about 12 x 16 inches (keep the other half covered with plastic wrap).
  • Using a pastry brush, spread softened butter over the dough, leaving a 1/4-inch margin at the far side. Then, use your hands to sprinkle the brown sugar, cinnamon, and ground walnut mixture over the buttered dough.
  • Starting at one long end, roll up the dough like a jelly roll, sealing the bottom edge by pinching the dough together. Cut off about an inch from each end, as the ends won’t have as much cinnamon sugar filling.
  • Measure out 6 evenly spaced rolls using a ruler. Cut the rolls with a sharp knife or unscented floss. To use floss, pull the ends up and loop them together as if tying a knot. Then, tightly pull the floss to slice through the dough.
    Repeat the same steps with the other half of the dough, making a total of 12 equal rolls.
  • Place the rolls (swirl side up) in a greased, parchment-lined baking dish. Cover them loosely with cling film or a clean dishcloth and let them rise for another 30-35 minutes. In the meantime, preheat your oven to 350°F.
  • After 30 minutes, prepare your egg wash by whisking 1 egg with 1 teaspoon of water until no streaks of egg white remain. Then, brush the egg wash over the rolls.
  • Bake the rolls in the preheated oven for about 20–25 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and the centers are soft but not gooey. Since every oven is different, check at 20 minutes to ensure they don’t overbake. Allow them to cool slightly, for 5-10 minutes.

Cream Cheese Glaze:

  • Make the glaze by combining cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and milk, then mix until smooth and lump-free. Spread it over the cinnamon rolls and serve immediately. Enjoy!

Notes

  • In this recipe I'm using a Fresh Yeast, also known as cake yeast (because it is pressed into a cake or block) or compressed yeast. It enhances baked goods with a subtle yeast, flowery aroma that dry yeast does not. It might respond a bit quicker than active dry yeast, but the difference is minimal. 
  • The dough need 2 rises. This is very important. The first rise is for yeast to activate  with the gluten. This will help create a soft dough. The second rise is to help the  dough after you messed with it while you rolled it. The cinnamon rolls will grow a lot if you let the dough rise again for 30 minutes.

Nutrition

Calories: 244kcalCarbohydrates: 49gProtein: 6gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 28mgSodium: 23mgPotassium: 22mgFiber: 5gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 189IUVitamin C: 0.03mgCalcium: 54mgIron: 2mg
Keyword Autumn, Cinnamon, Cinnamon Rolls, Cinnamon Rolls With Walnuts, Walnuts, Winter
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