Special Day Cinnamon Rolls

These decadent buttermilk cinnamon rolls are glazed with a rich, creamy mascarpone icing, making them the perfect breakfast for special days!

So yesterday was my birthday, the big 2-4. I was awoken to the sweet sound of the tulip-man singing me the birthday song (which you should probably watch and cherish and send to all your loved ones on their birthdays here on out), which was proceeded by a huge breakfast of Dutch bakery treats.

But growing up in my family, no birthday, Christmas, or Easter breakfast was complete without cinnamon rolls. These cinnamon rolls.

And they’re perfect for special days for a lot of reasons:

1. You can make them the night before for minimal efforts on the special day
2. They don’t require yeast or rising the dough, which would be all too much hassle on a special day
3. They’re loaded with buttermilk and mascarpone, decadent ingredients for a special day

The recipe was originally published by the foodies over at Bon Appétit, who just this month released an issue of their magazine shot entirely with iPhones.

Seeing as it was my birthday and I just couldn’t be bothered to break out the big ole camera, I drew inspiration from Bon Appétit and shot this whole post with my iPhone! No movie magic or Photoshop tricks here, just decadent foolproof cinnamon rolls for your next special day.

You’ll basically just fill your dough with sugar, spice, and everything nice, then roll it into a log.

Pro-tip: cut your cinnamon roll log with floss for less mess on your special day.

Set the rolls in a pan with enough space for them to all expand.

Bake to perfection then devour. Have a happy special day!

More cinnamon roll recipes you’ll love

• Cranberry Orange Sweet Rolls
• Sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls
• Easy Vegan Cinnamon Rolls
• Whole Wheat Sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls

Special Day Cinnamon Rolls

5 from 4 votes

Prep: 15 minutes

Cook: 25 minutes

Total: 40 minutes

Author: Sarah Bond

Calories: 415kcal

Servings: 8 people

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These decadent buttermilk cinnamon rolls are glazed with a rich, creamy mascarpone icing, making them the perfect breakfast for special days like Christmas and birthdays!

Ingredients

Dough

• ▢ 2 1/2-3 cups all-purpose flour 320 to 384 g
• ▢ 2 Tbsp sugar 25 g
• ▢ 1/2 tsp salt 3 g
• ▢ 1 1/4 tsp baking powder 6 g
• ▢ 1/2 tsp baking soda 2 g
• ▢ 1 1/4 cup buttermilk 295 mL
• ▢ 6 Tbsp unsalted butter 85 g, melted

Filling

• ▢ 3/4 cup brown sugar 150 g
• ▢ 1/4 cup sugar 50 g
• ▢ 2 tsp ground cinnamon 10 g
• ▢ 1/4 tsp ground cloves 1 g
• ▢ Pinch of salt
• ▢ 2 Tbsp unsalted butter 28 g, melted

Icing

• ▢ 1 cup powdered sugar 128 g
• ▢ 2 Tbsp mascarpone cheese 28 g
• ▢ 2 Tbsp buttermilk 30 mL

Instructions 

• Dough: Whisk together 2 1/2 cups flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Stir buttermilk and melted butter into dry mix, then transfer to a well-floured surface and knead a few times, until blended. If dough sticks easily to hands, add a touch more flour. Roll dough into a 1/2 to 1/4 inch thick rectangle.
• Roll: Combine filling ingredients and sprinkle evenly over dough, leaving 1 inch on one of the long sides free. Starting at the long side opposite to the free border, roll the dough tightly, gently pinching to seal. Use floss or a sharp knife to cut the dough into 8 even segments.
• Bake: Place rolls in a parchment paper-lined or well-greased baking sheet, leaving some wiggle room between rolls (they'll grow!)* Bake at 425 degrees F (218 C) for 20 to 25 minutes, until tops are golden brown.
• Serve: Combine all icing ingredients and drizzle over warm rolls.

Tips & Tricks

• *At this point you can cover and leave these in the fridge overnight for baking in the morning!
• Adapted from Bon Appétit Magazine

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1roll Calories: 415kcal (21%) Carbohydrates: 70.4g (23%) Protein: 6g (12%) Fat: 12.8g (20%) Sodium: 362mg (16%) Fiber: 1.4g (6%)

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