Cinnamon rolls, cinnamon buns, cinnamon swirl bread, I love it all. Sinking your teeth into a fresh, warm cinnamon roll is one of the best experiences on earth. That’s why I was feeling so guilty…
about being bored to death with my cinnamon roll recipe. In fact, I was pretty bored with all cinnamon rolls. I wanted something just a little bit more for my breakfast treat. A tad more flavor, a touch more luscious.
We’ve done maple buns, and orange buns, even bacon buns but none of them were pushing the right buttons. Maybe a cream cheese filling along with the cinnamon, à la coffeecake? And then it hit me like a flash, like a frisbee on the wind, like a cat wanting me to wake up and feed her… I wanted white chocolate filling along with my cinnamon.
Yes, yes, that was it. White chocolate in the dough for richness, white chocolate melted in the filling. Rich cinnamon filling spread on thick and all baked to golden perfection. Now this was a cinnamon roll I could get behind.
Let’s go make White Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls:
Into the bucket of your bread machine* place:
1 1/3 cups lukewarm milk
2 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
2 teaspoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon soft butter
3 to 3 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
Grate in 1/3 cup of white chocolate.
*or your stand mixer or bowl
So pretty, like fresh snow or fresh coconut.
Set the machine for the dough cycle, or mix and knead by hand/machine until you have a soft, smooth dough. Allow to rise for about an hour, or until nearly doubled.
While the dough is rising, prepare the white chocolate filling. Melt 3/4 cup of white chocolate with 1/4 cup of softened cream cheese and mix until very smooth.
Prepare your cinnamon filling. You can use either 1/2 cup of sugar mixed with 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, or you can use our Baker’s Cinnamon Filling. You’ll need about 1/2 cup of prepared filling.
I tried the rolls both ways and personally felt that the satiny goodness of the Baker’s Cinnamon Filling would be my go-to filling for these rolls. It paired up so well with the creamy white chocolate.
Look at that beautiful sheen this dough has. Cocoa butter at its finest.
Roll the dough out to approximately 16″ x 12″ . Spread with the white chocolate/cream cheese mixture, then spread on your Baker’s Cinnamon Filling, or sprinkle with your cinnamon sugar. This particular batch got a sprinkling of cinnamon chips, totally optional but a nice touch.
Starting with the long side of the dough, roll up jelly-roll style. Seal the seam well with the heel of your hand. Using a sharp serrated knife, divide the dough into 16 equal pieces.
Place the dough in two lightly greased 9″ round baking pans, 8 rolls per pan.
Man, that looks good and it isn’t even baked yet!
Cover the pans and allow the dough to rise until full and puffy, about 40 to 50 minutes.
Bake the rolls at 350°F for about 20 to 25 minutes. The rolls will be golden brown and the filling will be hot and beginning to bubble a little.
This panful shows the white chocolate and cinnamon sugar version.
This is the white chocolate with Baker’s Cinnamon Filling version, baked on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Some folks like the crispy crust all around, so choose your favorite way to bake.
I hope you get the chance to try out these sumptuous rolls. Even folks who don’t go crazy over white chocolate will appreciate the smooth, rich creaminess it brings to the party. Salud!
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Looking for more white chocolate recipes? Try these Cranberry-Orange White Chocolate Cookies or these outrageous Chocolate Espresso Cookies.