Carrot Cake Cinnamon Rolls Recipe with Caramelized Carrots and Toasted Coconut
If you love carrot cake and cinnamon rolls, this recipe is the best of both worlds! These pillowy soft, cinnamon rolls are filled with a rich, spiced carrot cake-inspired filling made with caramelized shredded carrots, toasted coconut, brown sugar, and warm spices. A swirl of velvety cream cheese frosting on top makes them absolutely irresistible. Perfect for a cozy weekend breakfast, brunch, or even dessert, these carrot cake cinnamon rolls bring a unique twist to a classic favorite. Enjoy them fresh from the oven for a gooey, sweet treat that melts in your mouth!
Equipment
- 8×8-inch Baking pan
- Parchment paper
- Medium heatproof bowl
- Small microwave safe bowl
- Large mixing bowl
- Electric hand mixer or Stand mixer
- Medium saucepan
Ingredients
Carrot Cake Cinnamon Roll Dough
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons warmed 2% milk
- 1/4 cup super fine sugar AKA Caster Sugar or Baker’s Sugar
- 1 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 3/4 cups + 2 tablespoon bread flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup softened butter cut into small pieces
- 1/4 cup warm heavy cream to be added into the dough
- 1 large room temperature egg
- 1/4 cup warm heavy cream to be added on top of dough before baking
Carrot Cake Cinnamon Roll Filling:
- 1/2 cup packed finely shredded fresh carrots
- 1/2 cup shredded sweetened coconut
- 1/3 cup butter (to be melted in the saucepan with the carrots and coconut)
- 1/4 cup melted butter to be added after mixture is removed from heat
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 2 tablespoons softened cream cheese
- 1/4 cup softened butter
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2-3 tablespoons brown sugar – optional for decoration
Instructions
Carrot Cake Cinnamon Roll Dough:
- Bloom the yeast: Pour 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons warmed 2% milk into a microwave-safe bowl and gently warm to just above room temperature, but be careful to not let it get too hot. Add 1/4 cup super fine sugar to the milk and mix until the sugar is dissolved. Add 1 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast to the milk mixture and set aside until it becomes thick and foamy, about 20 minutes. Once the yeast has bloomed add 1 large room temperature egg and mix until combined.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate large bowl, whisk together 1 3/4 cups + 2 tablespoon bread flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt until evenly distributed.
- Add the Cream and Butter: To the dry ingredients Add 1/4 cup warm heavy cream and 1/4 cup softened butter, mixing until somewhat combined (about 30-60 seconds if using an electric mixer).
- Combine: Add the yeast mixture, stir until combined and a dough forms. A stand mixer with a dough hook can be helpful here. The dough may look wet. Continue to knead or continue mixing with dough hook until the dough is nearly smooth and is pulling cohesively away from the bowl.
- Rise: Transfer the dough to a clean, lightly greased bowl. Cover with a cloth and let it rise in a warm place until it has doubled in size, about 60-90 minutes. The temperature of your kitchen will have a great affect on how quickly your dough will rise, Waiting until it has risen fully will result in a soft, fluffy dough.
Carrot Cake Cinnamon Roll Filling:
- Cook: Add 1/3 cup butter to your saucepan on med-low heat. Add 1/2 cup packed finely shredded fresh carrotsCook for about 7 minutes until the carrots soften and get a bit darker. Add 1/2 cup shredded sweetened coconut, Stir and cook for another 12 minutes on low.Continue to stir frequently to ensure everything cooks evenly. Keep a close eye on the carrots and coconut, if at any point you think they are starting to burn, take them off the heat. The intended result is for the carrots and coconuts to be soft and fragrant. Our goal is to keep them soft while cooking on a low heat do not allow them to become crispy.
- Combine: Remove the pan from the heat and transfer the contents to a heat-proof mixing bowl. Add the 1/4 cup melted butter1/2 cup packed brown sugar, 1 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1 tablespoon corn starch. Mix until fully combined into our carrot cake cinnamon roll filling. Set aside.
Fill & Assemble:
- Prep: Line an 8×8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper. Then grease with butter.
- Roll Out Dough: Once the dough has risen, remove it from the bowl and place it on a lightly floured surface. Roll it out into a rectangle about 1/4-inch thick using a lightly floured rolling pin.
- Add Filling: Add dollops of the Carrot Cake filling across the rolled-out dough and gently spread it out in an even layer all over the dough.
- Cut & Roll: Cut the dough into four equal strips along the long side of the rectangle. A pizza cutter works great for this but you can also use a knife. Roll each strip into a spiral to form individual almond croissant rolls.
- Second Rise: Carefully place the rolls in the prepared 8×8-inch baking pan, leaving a couple of inches between each roll. Cover with a tea towl and let the rolls rise again for 20-30 minutes while you preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
Bake and Frost:
- Bake: Just before baking, pour a 1/4 cup warm heavy cream over the Carrot Cake Cinnamon rolls, about 1 tablespoon each. Bake the rolls in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes. As oven temperatures can vary, it's a good idea to check on the rolls starting at around 25-minutes to avoid overbaking. The carrot cake cinnamon rolls are ready when they look golden brown at the top edges, but are still light in color on the middle of the sides of the rolls. Taking it out while it's still light in color helps us achieve that perfectly fluffy texture. The filling will also bubble at the bottom of the pan at this point.
- Cream Together: While the rolls are baking, make your frosting. To a medium mixing bowl add 2 tablespoons softened cream cheese, 1/4 cup softened butter and 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract. Whisk together until smooth. You may also use an electric mixer to speed up the process. It's important for the cream cheese and butter to both be softened and at a similar temperature to combine smoothly.
- Add Sugar: Add 1/2 cup powdered sugar and mix until the frosting is smooth and creamy. Be careful to not overbeat the frosting as this can cause the frosting to start to become grainy.
- Frost and Serve: Once the Carrot Cake Cinnamon Rolls are out of the oven allow them to cool slightly and then generously spread the frosting on top. Sprinkle with brown sugar (optional) for decoration. Serve warm and enjoy the sweet, gooey, carrot cake goodness!
