This Caramel Cinnamon Rolls Recipe is absolutely ah-mazing. We start with our favorite homemade cinnamon roll dough and smother them in delicious caramel sauce for cinnamon rolls, hot out of the oven.
Jump to:
Caramel Cinnamon Rolls Video Tutorial
Best Sweet Roll Recipes
- Best Cinnamon Rolls- These are always a hit and are an easy rendition of the classic homemade cinnamon roll.
- Orange Sweet Rolls- If you're a creamsicle fan or anything orange, you're going to love this one.
- Einkorn Cinnamon Rolls- If you have some gluten sensitivities, try this recipe for homemade cinnamon rolls.
- Berry Sweet Rolls- This one is a variation using a triple berry frozen fruit blend. No need for fresh berries.
- Raspberry Sweet Rolls- This one also includes a variety of rolling into heart-shaped sweet rolls. An adorably fun and sweet treat.
- Pumpkin Sweet Rolls -These are perfect for fall or a holiday breakfast idea.
- Lemon Sweet Rolls -These are bursting with lemon flavor and have the most amazing Lemon Buttercream Frosting.
You can absolutely serve these solo for breakfast, or pair them with something savory like our Ham Quiche, Sausage Biscuit Casserole, Candied Bacon or Cheesy Hash Browns. Here are more brunch recipes if you need more ideas.
We’ve included step-by-step instructions and helpful hints to get you well on your way to making picture-perfect Cinnamon Caramel Rolls in no time!
Ingredients in Caramel Cinnamon Rolls
Dough
- Water - you want this to be luke warm to help activate the yeast.
- Sugar - we use white granulated sugar for the dough.
- Yeast - this recipe calls for active dry yeast which must be activated, or “proofed.”
- Butter - you want the butter to be either melted, or incredibly soft.
- Eggs - any kind of large eggs will do. It helps if they have come to room temperature, but don’t worry if you forget. You can also run them under warm water while they are still in the shells.
- Salt - we like to use sea salt.
- Flour - we like to use all-purpose flour, but you can also substitute bread flour if you would like.
Cinnamon Sugar Filling
- Butter - this should be melted or incredibly soft.
- Brown Sugar - you can use either dark or light brown sugar, keeping in mind that dark brown sugar has a more intense molasses flavor.
- Cinnamon - any kind of ground cinnamon.
Caramel Topping
- Butter - you can use salted butter if you’d like more of a salted caramel flavor, or unsalted works great.
- Brown Sugar - we like to use light brown sugar, but you can substitute all or some with dark brown sugar if you prefer that more intense molasses flavor.
- Karo Syrup - you can find this at just about any grocery store. You can also substitute corn syrup if you’d like.
- Sweetened Condensed Milk - you’ll use half of a 15-oz can.
Making Cinnamon Roll Dough Without a Stand Mixer
If you don’t have a stand mixer and plan to knead the dough by hand, no worries. While it does require a little more elbow grease, it’s totally possible. We have just a couple of extra hints:
- You’ll know you have added enough flour when the dough no longer sticks to your hands!
- Your kneading time will be about dough the time it would take if you use an electric mixer. So, in this case you can plan on kneading your dough by hand for about 6 minutes, once all of the flour has been added. Just be sure that the dough is nice and shiny and you’re good to go.
How to Make Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
Step 1 - Mixing the Dough
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the warm water, sugar and yeast and stir well. Let the mixture sit for 5-10 minutes until it gets bubbly and activates the yeast.
- Add the melted butter, eggs, salt, and 2 cups of flour, then mix on low using the bread hook for 2 minutes, or until everything is well-mixed.
- Add an additional 3.5 cups of flour, then stir on low to combine. You may need to add up to ½ a cup more (you will know you've added enough flour when the dough pulls away from the sides of the mixing bowl). Once all of the flour has been added, continue to knead on low for 3 minutes more.
- Turn off the mixer and cover the bowl with a kitchen towel. Let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled, or about 30 minutes.
- Once the dough has double, turn it out onto a floured surface and form it into a small rectangle with your hands. Then, using a rolling pin, gently roll the dough into an approximately 24" x 12" rectangle (should be about ½" thick).
Step 2 - Making the Cinnamon Filling
- Using an offset spatula, or knife, carefully spread the ½ cup of soft or melted butter evenly onto the rolled dough. Sprinkle the cinnamon and brown sugar evenly over the top, then pat down gently.
Step 3 - Rolling and Cutting the Cinnamon Rolls
- Starting at either 24" long side, roll the dough up evenly making sure to get a nice tight tube, then cut into 12 evenly sized slices using a very sharp knife (they should be about 2" each). We recommend using a ruler and pre-marking before you actually make any cuts.
Step 4 - Baking
- Lay the slices cut side down in a greased 9 x 13" baking pan, cover loosely with a kitchen towel, and let the cinnamon rolls rise for another 30 minutes or until double and touching in the pan.
- While your dough is rising, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Once risen, bake in a preheated oven for 18-22 minutes, or until the bottom and the top are golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and pour the warm caramel sauce over the tops while they are still warm. Let them cool for about 5 minutes, then serve warm. Enjoy!
How to Make Caramel For Cinnamon Rolls
- In a non-stick saucepan over medium heat, add the butter and let it melt, then add the brown sugar, Karo Syrup, and Sweetened Condensed Milk. Bring to a rapid boil and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the caramel mixture reaches 215-220 degrees F on a candy thermometer.
- Once it reaches 220 degrees, remove it from the heat and let it sit for a minute or so before pouring over the hot cinnamon rolls.
Yes! Make sure they are completely cool, then wrap well in plastic wrap and store inside freezer bags, or another airtight container, for up to 2 months.
To reheat, you can pull from the freezer and let them come to room temperature overnight, then warm them individually in the microwave, or else warm them in a low, 300 degree oven until warm.
We like to bake these cinnamon rolls at 350 degrees F. You don’t want to go much higher because you also want to allow them time to rise a bit further during the baking process. If you bake much lower, they will take too long to cook and the filling has a tendency to drip out from inside.
The temperature that you cook caramel sauce to is incredibly important. The higher the temperature, the more water from all of the ingredients will evaporate, giving you varying degrees of viscosity. Basically, the higher the temperature, the thicker the sauce.
Cooking your caramel sauce to 215-220 degrees F will leave the caramel sauce nice and pourable while it’s warm, but will solidify a bit as it cools. This is the temperature that we recommend for this recipe.
I
f you’d like to be able to pour the caramel sauce when it’s cool, cook it to 210 degrees instead. Or, if you want it to have a bit of chew, take it a little further and cook to 225 degrees.
If you want to prep these more than a day prior to baking them, you can freeze the shape and cut cinnamon rolls right in the baking dish. Just wrap well in 2 layers of plastic wrap or foil, then store for up to 4 weeks in the freezer. The night before you want to bake them, transfer the pan from the freezer to your fridge and let them thaw overnight. In the morning, pull them from the fridge and let them come up to room temperature and double while you preheat the oven, then bake as directed. Make the caramel sauce the day you bake the cinnamon rolls and drizzle on as directed.
Tips for Caramel Rolls
- You can simplify this recipe by making caramel rolls with frozen bread dough. Just thaw the bread dough, roll out and assemble the cinnamon rolls as shown.
- You can make the caramel sauce ahead of time too. Just reheat a little in the microwave before drizzling it on the warm sweet rolls.
- When reheating a baked caramel sweet roll after it's baked, put in on a plate in the microwave and re-heat for 10 seconds before enjoying.
Caramel Cinnamon Rolls Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups Water luke warm
- ¼ cup Sugar
- 2 tablespoons Active Dry Yeast
- ¼ cup Butter melted
- 2 large Eggs
- 1 tablespoon Salt
- 5.5-6 cups All-Purpose Flour
Cinnamon Sugar Filling
- ½ cup Butter melted, or very soft
- 1 cup Dark Brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons Ground Cinnamon
Caramel Sauce
- ¼ cup Butter
- 1 cup Dark Brown Sugar
- ½ cup Karo Syrup
- ½ 15-oz can Sweetened Condensed Milk
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the warm water, sugar and yeast and stir well. Let the mixture sit for 5-10 minutes until it gets bubbly and activates the yeast.
- Add the melted butter, eggs, salt, and 2 cups of flour, then mix on low using the bread hook for 2 minutes, or until everything is well-mixed.
- Add an additional 3.5 cups of flour, then stir on low to combine. You may need to add up to ½ a cup more (you will know you've added enough flour when the dough pulls away from the sides of the mixing bowl). Once all of the flour has been added, continue to knead on low for 3 minutes more.
- Turn off the mixer and cover the bowl with a kitchen towel. Let the dough rest in a warm place for about 30 minutes, or until doubled in size.
- Once the dough has double, turn it out onto a floured surface and form it into a small rectangle with your hands. Then, using a rolling pin, gently roll the dough into an approximately 24" x 12" rectangle (should be about ½" thick).
- Using an offset spatula, or knife, carefully spread the ½ cup of soft or melted butter evenly onto the rolled dough. Sprinkle the cinnamon and brown sugar evenly over the top, then pat down gently.
- Starting at either 24" side, roll the dough up evenly making sure to get a nice tight tube, then cut into 12 evenly sized slices using a very sharp knife (they should be about 2" each). We recommend using a ruler and pre-marking before you actually make any cuts.
- Lay the slices in a greased 9 x 13" baking pan, cover loosely with a kitchen towel, and let the cinnamon rolls rise for another 30 minutes or until double and touching in the pan.
- While your dough is rising, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Once risen, bake in a preheated oven for 18-22 minutes, or until the bottom and the top are golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and pour the warm caramel sauce over the tops while they are still warm. Let them cool for about 5 minutes, then serve warm. Enjoy!
Caramel Sauce for Cinnamon Rolls
- In a non-stick saucepan over medium-high heat, add the butter and let it melt, then add the brown sugar, Karo Syrup and Sweetened Condensed Milk. Bring to a rapid boil and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the caramel mixture reaches 215-220 degrees F on a candy thermometer.
- Once it reaches 220 degrees, remove from the heat and let it sit for a minute or so before pouring over the hot cinnamon rolls.
Nutrition
Here are some other Popular Breakfast Recipes!
- Best French Toast Breakfast Recipes
- Best Egg Recipes
- Best Quick Bread Recipes
- Best Breakfast Casseroles
- Cinnamon Frosting
- More Bread Recipes
- More Breakfast Recipes
If you’ve tried this recipe, please rate it and leave a comment on this post. I love hearing feedback from you helps me and other readers too! If you love Pinterest, feel free to leave a comment and photo there too. Also, if you like to share, use the hashtag #thecarefreekitchen on Instagram and tag me @thecarefreekitchen so I can find you and give your post some love. You can also find me on Facebook at The Carefree Kitchen. Thank you!!
This Caramel Rolls Recipe is ooey-gooey, delicious and so simple to make. We use our favorite homemade cinnamon roll dough, then show you how to make homemade caramel sauce for cinnamon rolls.
Marla
I followed directions and they rolls did not rise as much as they should…. What could be the issue??
Jill Baird
How old is your yeast? If it's more than about a year old, you might consider swapping it out. I like to store mine in the fridge. It has a longer "shelf life" in there.
EK
It’s been years since I made cinnamon rolls and I decided to give these a try. They are delicious!! Thanks for the great recipe and the detailed instructions!
Rena
I loved the recipe!
I'm rolling the opposite way they say next time, as mine are so large! I want them smaller!
My husband loves them.
Glad to know I can use the other 1/2 can on rolls before baking too.
Teri
In the video, you never added eggs?????
Sheila
Can you tell me how many packets of yeast you use to equal 2 tbsp
Thank you
Kare
I am not much of a baker; recipe simple to follow with delicious results!
Joanna
I package contains 2 1/4 tsp of yeast
Brandie
I’ve never been able to successfully make caramel rolls but these turned out amazing. The directions are perfect and these are by far the best I’ve ever had.
Jill Baird
You made my day! Thank you for taking the time to tell me!
Joetta
How many oz is the can of sweetened condensed milk?
Laura
15 oz can. Use only half of it in the sauce 7.5 oz).
I used the other half on the rolls. Before you stick the rolls in the oven dump 1/2 the can all over the rolls because it keeps the dough moist during the cooking process.
ROSIE
you said you use the other half of the condensed milk by pouring it all over the rolls before baking, so in reality you are using the whole can half in the caramel sauce and the other half on the rolls directly is this right
Tammy
These are so far the best Carmel rolls I’ve made so far ! Love love love them !!!!! Thank you for this wonderful recipe!!!