These cinnamon rolls are the best I’ve ever had. Bold statement, I know. I just about lost my mind when I tasted them. They are INSANE in every way. The dough itself is so insanely fluffy and the vanilla bean and white chocolate flavor paired with the cinnamon is out. of. this. world.
These are a tiny bit of a labor of love, but SO worth it. Perfect for Christmas Day breakfast/brunch and for snacking on all day. Trust me, people will keep reaching for pieces of this goodness.
Don’t be intimidated by making the dough. It’s so easy. The most difficult part is waiting for it to rise! And then waiting for the rolls to rise before you bake them!
So there’s white chocolate IN the dough itself, in the filling, and in the glaze. And the glaze and filling are filled with vanilla bean too (pretty much my favorite ingredient EVER), so the flavors are married throughout. Sooooo good.
Oh and I forgot to mention, there’s cream cheese in the filling. So you cannot go wrong. A little bit of creaminess mixed with all of the sweetness is such a game changer.
You could also probably make these the night before, and before the second rise, refrigerate them, and just leave them out at room temperature for a 45 minutes or so to rise again before you bake!
Because everyone is impatient when it comes to cinnamon rolls. Even salty loving people like me! I choose savory over salty nine times out of ten, but when it comes to cinnamon rolls or doughnuts, I’m all in!
Ugh. Wishing I had some on this Monday morning!
White Chocolate Vanilla Bean Cinnamon Rolls
These decadent cinnamon rolls are the perfect treat to enjoy for brunch! They're filled with white chocolate, cream cheese, and vanilla bean cinnamon sugar!
Ingredients
For the dough
- 3/4 cup lukewarm milk
- 1 packet active dry yeast (2¼ teaspoons)
- 1/4 cup sugar + 1 pinch
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup chopped white chocolate
For the filling
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- seeds from one vanilla bean
- 6 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup chopped white chocolate
For the glaze
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 ounce chopped white chocolate
- seeds from one vanilla bean
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
Instructions
Begin by making the dough. Add the warm milk to the bowl of your electric mixer. Add the yeast and pinch of sugar and let sit for 5-10 minutes or until mixture is foamy.
Add the sugar, salt, eggs, and butter and mix with a whisk until combined. Add flour and salt and mix with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until combined.
Fit your mixer with the dough hook and mix on medium-high speed for 8-10 minutes. If you don't have an electric mixer, you can knead the dough with your hands on your countertop (just make sure you dust it well with flour). Add the chopped chocolate to the dough during the last minute or two of mixing. If there are chunks left at the bottom of the mixing bowl, knead them into the dough by hand after mixing.
Once dough is finished, spray the inside of a medium bowl with cooking spray or rub with butter and transfer the dough to the bowl. Cover with a dish towel and let rise for 1-1½ hours.
Once dough has risen, punch it down and transfer it to a floured work surface. Roll out into a 16" x 12" rectangle.
Place chopped white chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and microwave in 30 second increments or until melted. Add the cream cheese and whisk until smooth. Spread mixture in an even, thin layer over the dough, leaving an inch or two of room at the far edge. In a medium bowl, massage together the sugar and vanilla bean seeds until combined. Add the cinnamon and stir to combine. Sprinkle mixture over the cream cheese layer.
Starting with the long edge without the inch of room, and roll the dough into a log and seal the seam by pinching it together with your fingers. Using a sharp knife, slice into 9 1'' thick slices.
Grease a 10-12'' baking dish (mine was circular) with softened butter and place the rolls in the dish. Cover with a towel and let rise for an additional 45 minutes.
Once rolls have almost finished rising, preheat the oven to 350℉. Bake for 30 minutes or until rolls are puffy and golden brown. Let cool slightly before covering in the glaze.
To make the glaze, add butter and white chocolate to a microwave safe bowl. Microwave in 30 second increments until melted. Add the vanilla bean seeds and whisk to combine. Add the powdered sugar and whisk again to combine. Add the heavy cream and whisk until smooth. Pour the glaze over the rolls (you might not use all of it), and serve!
filling adapted from here.
Oh no you didn’t. These look too stinking good to be true. I mean, come on… white chocolate AND cinnamon rolls for breakfast in one day? What did I do to deserve this deliciousness!?
Hahaha thanks so much Karly!! They are so decadent 🙂
i haven’t had breakfast yet and these are making me even hungrier! they look fabulous! i still need to make cinnamon rolls!
Thanks so much Georgie! Yes you neeeed to make them!!
Hi! This recipe looks amazing!
You didn’t mention how to add the white chocolate in the dough. Please clarify for me, as I really want to try these!
Hi Kathy! So sorry – thank you for catching that!! I just updated the recipe. Let me know if you try them! 🙂