Maple Cinnamon Rolls
Recipe Guy
Baking | Desserts | Merienda and Bakery
Maple appears twice in these cinnamon rolls: a little in the brown-sugar filling and more in the buttery glaze. The filling still centers on cinnamon, while the glaze gives the warm rolls their clearest maple flavor without soaking the dough in syrup.
About This Recipe
Milk, egg, melted butter, and vanilla enrich the yeast dough. Knead it until workable and smooth, adding extra flour cautiously so it does not become stiff before its first rise. The shaped rolls then need a second proof in the baking pan.
Soft butter helps distribute the cinnamon filling across the rectangle, with a bare edge left for sealing. The glaze is a separate mixture of powdered sugar, maple syrup, butter, milk, vanilla, and salt. Apply it after a brief cooling so the baked spirals remain visible under the finish.
Soft cinnamon rolls with brown sugar filling and a maple glaze that is sweet, buttery, and lightly salted.
Ingredient Notes
Maple Syrup
Use pure maple syrup in the glaze for a cleaner flavor than pancake syrup.
Salt
A small pinch of salt keeps the maple glaze from tasting flat.
Filling
Do not add too much syrup inside the roll or the spiral can slide apart.
Cooking Notes
- Keep the filling butter very soft, not a puddle of melted fat. It should spread across the dough without tearing it or running toward the edge you need to seal.
- Cut the log into twelve reasonably even rolls before arranging them in the pan. Similar heights make it easier to judge the center rolls alongside the more exposed outer ones.
Maple Cinnamon Rolls Recipe
Soft cinnamon rolls with brown sugar filling and a maple glaze that is sweet, buttery, and lightly salted.
Shopping List
- all-purpose flour
- instant yeast
- whole milk
- unsalted butter
- egg
- brown sugar
- ground cinnamon
- maple syrup
- powdered sugar
- vanilla extract
Ingredients
Dough
- 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more only as needed
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- 3/4 cup warm whole milk, about 105 to 110 F
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cinnamon Filling
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, very soft
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- Pinch of salt
Maple Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
- 1 to 2 tablespoons milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Whisk warm milk, granulated sugar, melted dough butter, egg, and dough vanilla in a large bowl.
- Add flour, yeast, and salt. Mix to a shaggy dough, then knead 6 to 8 minutes until smooth and tacky, adding extra flour only as needed for handling.
- Cover and let rise until doubled, about 60 to 90 minutes.
- While the dough rises, stir the filling's brown sugar, cinnamon, very soft butter, 1 tablespoon maple syrup, and pinch of salt into a spreadable paste. Keep the glaze ingredients separate.
- Butter a 9 by 13-inch baking pan. Roll the dough into a 14 by 10-inch rectangle. Spread all the maple-cinnamon filling over it, leaving a 1/2-inch bare strip along one long edge.
- Roll from the opposite long edge toward the bare strip, pinch closed, and cut into 12 equal rolls. Arrange in the pan.
- Cover and proof until puffy, about 35 to 50 minutes. During the last part of proofing, preheat the oven to 350 F.
- Bake once, about 22 to 26 minutes, until lightly golden and the center roll is set and reads about 190 F in the dough, away from the filling. Extend the bake if needed; tent loosely with foil if browning early.
- Whisk the powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons maple syrup, 1 tablespoon melted butter, glaze vanilla, salt, and 1 tablespoon milk until smooth. Add the second tablespoon milk only as needed for a pourable glaze.
- Cool the baked rolls 10 to 15 minutes, then spoon the maple glaze over them. There is no second bake.
Nutrition Estimate
Approximate values per roll based on the listed ingredients and yield. Actual nutrition will vary by brand, exact portion size, and cooking changes.
Tips For The Best Maple Cinnamon Rolls
- Measure the flour carefully: Too much flour is the main reason cinnamon rolls bake dry.
- Roll evenly: A rectangle about 14 by 10 inches gives a balanced swirl and even baking.
- Cut cleanly: Unflavored dental floss or a sharp serrated knife keeps the spirals round.
- Glaze after cooling briefly: Spoon the maple glaze over warm, not piping-hot, rolls after 10 to 15 minutes. This recipe uses glaze, not a separate frosting.
How To Serve And Store
Serve warm with coffee, tea, or brunch plates. Refrigerate leftovers up to 4 days and reheat before serving.
Common Questions
Can I make the rolls overnight?
Shape the filled rolls, cover and refrigerate overnight before the second rise. The next day, let them become puffy before baking; cold dough may take longer than 35 to 50 minutes. Bake once, then glaze.
Can I use active dry yeast?
Yes. Bloom it in the warm milk with a pinch of sugar for 5 to 10 minutes before mixing.
How do I know they are baked?
The centers should be set and the middle roll should register about 190 F if checked with a thermometer.
Can I freeze them?
Yes. Freeze baked unfrosted rolls, then thaw, warm, and glaze before serving.
Does all the maple syrup go inside the rolls?
No. The listed tablespoon belongs to the filling, while three tablespoons belong to the separate glaze. Keeping those portions separate avoids making the dough's inner spiral wetter than the formula intends.
How can I control the maple glaze's consistency?
Begin with the lower end of the listed milk amount and whisk thoroughly before adding the remainder. The glaze should flow over warm rolls, but adding all the milk immediately leaves less control.
Technique and food-safety references: kingarthurbaking.com; thermoworks.com.
