Carrot Cake Cinnamon Rolls

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Carrot Cake Cinnamon Rolls are extra soft, fluffy, and filled with carrot cake flavors like warm spices, shredded carrots, and brown sugar, then topped with cream cheese icing. Perfect for Easter, spring brunch, or whenever you’re craving carrot cake for breakfast!

PIN these Carrot Cake Cinnamon Rolls to try later!

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carrot cake cinnamon rolls

When carrot cake and cinnamon rolls come together, they create the dreamiest dessert..Carrot Cake Cinnamon Rolls! Even the non-carrot cake lovers were obsessed with every bite couldn’t get over how soft they were.

These rolls are perfectly spiced and made with shredded carrots in both the dough and the sugar mixture, which helps make them extra soft and tender. They have the fluffiest texture and are the perfect addition to brunch, Easter, or any spring breakfast or dessert.

Other carrot cake recipes to try this season are these Carrot Cake Blondies, Healthy Carrot Cake Muffins, Carrot Cake Cookies and Carrot Cake Bundt Cake.

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key ingredients

• Grated carrots: The star ingredient! I highly recommend shredding your own fresh carrots with a box grater to ensure soft and tender muffins. It’s best to use a SMALL HOLE when grating the carrots- the smaller, the better. You’ll need about 3-4 medium carrots.
• Active dry yeast, rapid or quick rise yeast or instant yeast: You can use either one for these, just note the rising time will vary.
• Warm milk: Activates yeast and makes the dough tender. Whole milk is preferred but you could also use low-fat milk.
• Sugar: We use both granulated white sugar and light or dark brown sugar to add sweetness.
• Eggs: We add whole eggs to add richness, moisture and structure.
• Butter: Adds a buttery flavor to the dough and makes the cinnamon rolls filling extra gooey. Use salted butter or add 1/4 teaspoon of salt to the dough.
• All-purpose flour:  Be sure not to add too much flour, other wise the rolls can be dry. You could also use 1/2 bread flour if you wanted your Carrot Cinnamon Rolls to be a little on the chewier side.
• Spices: Cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger are used to create the carrot cake flavor. Ground cloves could also be added in as well.

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how to make carrot cake cinnamon rolls

Activate the yeast and add liquids:  Warm milk and butter in a small pot on the stove or microwave until it’s 110 degrees F. Make sure it isn’t too hot and it should feel like warm bath water. I highly recommend using a food thermometer. Add the milk mixture and yeast to the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk together until combined and the milk is frothy. Let sit for 2 minutes. Add sugar and eggs. Mix until well combined.

Make the cinnamon roll dough: Add the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger to the dough and mix in with a wooden spoon until dough begins to form. Add in the shredded carrots and place the mixing bowl on the stand mixer and knead the dough with a dough hook for about 8 minutes until a dough ball is formed, scrape down the sides of the bowl a few times. The dough will have a slightly sticky consistency but shouldn’t stick to your hands. If you have extra sticky dough, add a tablespoon of flour. If you don’t have a stand mixer you could use your hands and knead the dough on a well-floured surface.

First rise: Transfer the dough ball to a lightly greased bowl, cover with a warm damp towel and let dough rise for an 1 – 1 1/2 hours, or until it has doubled in size. The time will vary depending on the humidity and temperature in your home. To make your towel warm, place the damp towel in the microwave for 30 seconds

Roll dough out and add filling: After the dough has doubled in size, transfer to a well-floured surface and roll out to about 16×12 inch rectangle. Mix the softened butter, brown sugar, spices and shredded carrots to a small bowl and mix with a fork until combined. Then spread the mixture over the dough, covering every inch.

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Second rise:  Lightly grease a 13 x 9 inch baking dish or line with parchment paper. With a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut into 12 strips from the longer side dough. Roll into a cinnamon roll and place on the prepared baking dish.  Cover the rolls again and place a warm damp towel on top. Let rise for another 30-45 minutes. They will get a little puffy and rise a bit.

Bake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake cinnamon rolls for 23-28 minutes or until just slightly golden brown on the edges. You want to under-bake them a little so they stay soft and gooey in the middle.

Make frosting and spread on warm rolls:  While the cinnamon rolls are cooling, add all of the frosting ingredients together and beat with an electric mixer or whisk until smooth, light and fluffy. Spread the frosting over warm Carrot Cake Cinnamon Rolls and serve immediately. Top with chopped walnuts, more shredded carrots and a dust of cinnamon for garnish (optional) Enjoy!

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tips

• Frost the cinnamon rolls immediately: The frosting on the cinnamon rolls will slightly melt into the rolls making them extra delicious and gooey! They will be perfect. 
• Let the rolls get cozy in the baking pan: Let the rolls touch on all sides of the baking dish. When they rise for the second time they should get so puffy they touch, this will ensure that all of the centers and sides are nice and soft. Making them gooey!
• Extra gooey centers: Underbake the cinnamon rolls to make these ultra gooey and delicious!
• Use freshly grated carrots: Freshly grated carrots have more moisture and a softer texture than pre-shredded carrots, which helps keep the rolls soft and tender.
• Shred the carrots finely: Use the small hole on the grater to finely shred carrots so they blend into the dough and filling better.
• Make sure the rolls won’t stick: Be sure to use parchment paper or cooking spray to the bottom of the baking pan.
• Make sure you give enough time to let the dough rise: This is essential and will help make the rolls extra fluffy and soft. 

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recipe variations

• Add-ins: Add chopped pecans, walnuts, lemon zest, orange zest, chocolate chips, crushed pineapple or raisins to the filling or dough.
• Make a double batch: You’ll be glad you did!
• Extra decadent: Pour 1 cup of heavy cream all over the tops of the cinnamon rolls so it seeps into the gaps. This will make the rolls extra gooey, rich and delicious!
• Swap the icing: Try a simple vanilla glaze instead of cream cheese frosting for a lighter topping.
• Add coconut: Sprinkle a little sweetened shredded coconut into the filling.
• Gluten-free cinnamon rolls: Swap the regular flour for gluten-free flour.

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make-ahead cinnamon rolls

If you want to save a few hours during the day, you can make these cinnamon rolls the day or night before.

1. After completing steps 1-5, cover the baking pan that your sliced rolls are in and place them in the fridge.
2. When you are ready to bake the cinnamon rolls, remove cinnamon rolls from the oven and bring them to room temperature so they can rise for the second time. Make sure to cover them with a warm damp towel. 
3. Once they are at room temperature bake accordingly to the instructions in the recipe.
4. To bring the cinnamon rolls to room temperature: Leave them on the counter for 30-45 minutes before baking. 

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leftovers & storage

Carrot Cake Cinnamon Rolls make great leftovers for the next morning! Simply cover the cinnamon rolls with plastic wrap or transfer them to an airtight container and store them at room temperature for 2-3 days.

If you want to store them longer, place them in the refrigerator for up to 6 days. Reheat in the microwave or oven on 350 degrees F for a few minutes.

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