Caramel Rolls

A caramel roll on a plate with more in the background.

Make a batch of gooey and sweet caramel rolls for a special breakfast treat. Fluffy rolls filled with brown sugar cinnamon are baked in a rich homemade caramel sauce and inverted out of the pan before serving.

Prep Time 1 45

Cook Time 26

Total Time 2 11

Servings rolls

Author Heather

Ingredients

Dough

2 ¾ cups (330 g) all-purpose flour
¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup (170 g) whole milk
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast one standard packet
1 large egg room temperature

Caramel

¼ cup (56 g) unsalted butter
1 cup (213 g) brown sugar
½ cup (113 g) heavy cream
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Filling

¼ cup (56 g) unsalted butter room temperature
½ cup (106 g) brown sugar
1 ½ tablespoons cinnamon

Instructions

Dough

Lightly grease a 9x9 square baking dish or 9-10 inch round cake or pie pan (and optionally, add a sheet of parchment to prevent sticking) and set aside.
In a large bowl, add flour, granulated sugar, and salt. Whisk to combine. Set aside.
In a microwave safe bowl, add milk and butter. Microwave in 20 second increments until butter has melted and mixture is warm to the touch, but not hot (about 110 degrees Fahrenheit).
Whisk in yeast and continue whisking until yeast has dissolved. Pour yeast mixture into dry ingredients. Add the egg and stir with a sturdy wooden spoon until a soft dough forms.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Using floured hands, knead the dough for 3 to 5 minutes, or until dough looks smooth (not sticky).
Transfer dough to a lightly greased bowl, lightly cover, and allow to rise for 10 minutes.

Caramel

While dough is resting, prepare caramel sauce.
In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add brown sugar, bring mixture to a gentle simmer, and stir until sugar is dissolved.
Add heavy cream, salt, and vanilla extract and stir until mixture is smooth, cooking for another 1 minute.
Remove from heat and pour into a 9x9 square pan, tilting pan to cover the bottom evenly.

Filling

Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface into a 14x9 rectangle.
Spread room temperature butter evenly across the dough. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon, then sprinkle evenly over the butter.
Starting at the long 14 inch side, roll dough up into a log. Using a serrated knife, slice into 9 even rolls and place in the prepared pan on top of the caramel sauce.
Lightly cover and allow rolls to rise at room temperature for 60-90 minutes, or until they've doubled in size.

Baking

Preheat oven to 350℉.
Transfer dish to the oven and bake, uncovered, for 26-30 minutes, or until golden brown across the top and rolls reach 195-200 degrees Fahrenheit in the center (use an instant read thermometer to test internal temperature). If rolls are browning too quickly, lightly tent with foil for the remaining baking time.
Allow rolls to cool for 5 minutes. Place a serving plate on top of the pan and carefully use potholders to invert your caramel rolls onto the plate.

Notes

Overnight directions: After assembling the caramel rolls, cover and transfer to the refrigerator to rise overnight (this replaces the 60-90 minute rise). In the morning, remove rolls from the refrigerator and uncover while the oven preheats. Bake as directed in the recipe card above.
Leftovers: Store leftover caramel rolls covered at room temperature for 2 days or in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
Adding nuts: For classic sticky buns, add 1 cup of rough chopped pecans to the pan before pouring the caramel sauce.
Freezing baked rolls: Baked caramel rolls freeze well and keep for up to 3 months.
Freezing unbaked caramel rolls: Follow the directions above for assembly and rising, using a disposable foil pan (or other freezer-safe pan you don't mind freezing for a while). Bake your rolls at 350F for 10 minutes. They should look risen and par-cooked, but not yet browned. Cool completely, then cover tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. Transfer to the refrigerator to thaw overnight. In the morning, preheat your oven to 350F and bake for the remaining 16-20 minutes.

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