Cinnamon Rolls with Caramel and Walnuts Topping

Maybe it scares you the title but actually it’s pretty easy to do and the result… it’s very yummy!!

To tell you the truth I started this recipe a night before. I prepared the dough and  it stayed in the fridge the whole night! The next morning I just put in the cinnamon filling and let the rolls rest for another 30 minutes then it goes for baking into the oven.

And another detail, my tray was 26cm/26cm, much like a little square.

For 9 large servings you need:

For the dough:

  • 1 ts  white/or brown sugar;
  • ½ cup lukewarm water;
  • 1tbs dried yeast;
  • another ¼ cup  sugar;
  • ½ milk;
  • ¼ butter;
  • 1ts salt;
  • vanilla extract;
  • 2 eggs;
  • about 3 cups cake flour;

For the filling:

  • ¾ brown/white sugar;
  • ½ cup raisins;
  • 1tbs cinnamon powder;
  • ½ cup walnuts;

For the caramel  topping:

  • 1 cup brown/white sugar;
  • 1 cup cream;
  • 1 cup walnuts

We start with the dough. Dissolve 1 ts of sugar in a ½ cup of lukewarm water. Add 1 tbs of dried yeast, mix and let it rest for 10 minutes at room temperature. After the 10 minutes it should rise and make bubbles. (just as you see in the picture below).

Dissolve the sugar into 1/2 cup lukewarm water
Dissolve the sugar
Add the yeast
Add the yeast
This is how it should look after 10 minutes
After 10 minutes

While the mix of sugar, yeast and water is resting, pour into a pot ¼ cup sugar, ½ cup milk, ¼ cup butter. Put it on a low-medium heat until the butter is melted. Add the vanilla extract and let it cool down.

Stir until the butter is melted and then set aside
Stir until the butter is melted and then set aside

In a large bowl beat the 2 eggs with 1 ts of salt until they become foamy. Add the lukewarm mix of milk, sugar and butter. Continue mixing then add the yeast.

Mix well all the liquides
Mix well all the liquides

Add 2 cups of flour and continue mixing at low speed until the flour is incorporated.

Add 2 cups of  flour
Add 2 cups of flour

 Add the rest of the flour bit by bit, until the dough is not too sticky.(your dough should look like in the picture below).

The dough should look like this
The dough should look like this

Sprinkle some flour on your table and knead for about 10 minutes. Keep sprinkling flour if  the dough is still sticky.

Sprinkle flour and start kneading
Sprinkle flour and start kneading
The dough should be smooth and not sticky when you're done kneading
The dough should be smooth and not sticky

Grease with butter a clean bowl, grease the dough with butter too and wrap in plastic film. Let it rest for at least one hour and a half in a warm place. If you prepare the dough a night before, put it in the fridge like I did.

The dough ready to rest
The dough ready to rest

Preheat the oven at 180°C. Grease a tray pan with butter and lining it with parchment paper.

For the topping, caramelize the sugar in a pan. Careful not to burn it. When it takes a beautiful amber color add the boiling cream and stir well until all the caramelized sugar dissolves  into  the cream forming a nice caramel cream. Add the walnuts and spread the topping into the tray.

Spread the caramel topping into the baking tray
Spread the caramel topping into the baking tray

For the filling just mix together all the ingredients.

For the filling just mix well all the ingredients
For the filling just mix well all the ingredients

After one and a half hour of rest (or a night in the fridge) your dough should look like this:

The dough after resting for a night in the fridge
The dough after resting for a night in the fridge
The same dough
The same dough

Using a rolling pin spread the dough into a 40 cm/30 cm sheet. Spread the filling over the dough equally and start rolling. Be sure to roll the dough pretty tight. With a sharp knife cut the rolls about 6 cm wide.

40 cm /30 cm sheet
40 cm /30 cm sheet
Spread the filling over the dough
Spreading the filling
Roll the dough on the widest side
Roll the dough


How it should look
How it should look
Cut rolls about 6 cm wide
Cut rolls about 6 cm wide

Place the rolls into the baking tray over the caramel topping and be sure to let enough space between because they will rise more.

Place the rolls in the tray over the caramel topping
Place the rolls in the tray over the caramel topping
Be sure to let enough space in between
Let enough space in between

Cover the tray with a damp cloth and let it rest for another 30 minutes in a warm place.  After that, it should look like this:

My cinnamon rolls after 30 minutes of rest
My cinnamon rolls after 30 minutes of rest

Bake the rolls for about 30-35 minutes (depending on your oven). Be sure to check after 25 minutes. When catch a nice golden-brown color it’s time to get them out of the oven.

Out of the oven... nice gold-brown color
Out of the oven... nice gold-brown color

Let it rest for 2-3 minutes ( do not wait more because the caramel topping becomes hard and you won’t be able to get your cinnamon rolls out). Place a  large plate on top of the tray and flip it. The caramel topping it’s on top now!

Delicious caramel - walnuts topping
Caramel - walnuts topping
A side close-up
A side close-up
And the first cinnamon out
And the first cinnamon out

It’s so delicious with  a cup of tea!

Delicious
Delicious
with a cup of tea...
with a cup of tea...

Enjoy, and don’t be shy, leave me your impressions!

One Comment

  1. Andreea Sarbu says:

    Really mouthwatering :)))! Congratulation my dear :D!

Comments are closed.