Making the Dough
The dough for these cinnamon buns is a lovely enriched dough made with milk, butter and eggs. Using rich ingredients makes for a luscious and soft roll with lots of flavour. Instead of melting the butter, I like to add it while still solid (but very soft). By doing this, the water in the butter doesn’t contribute to the gluten development, which keeps the dough super soft. If you melt the butter first, it separates the fat and water, and the water contributes to gluten development, which can result in a dryer, heavier final product.
Maple Coffee Glaze
This glaze is a bit non-traditional when it comes to what you normally see with cinnamon rolls. The glaze on these is made with coffee and maple syrup and little powdered sugar. Super simple and still adds a lot of great flavour. I like to double the glaze recipe and add half when the buns are fresh out of the oven, then the rest once they’ve cooled slightly.
When it comes to the coffee you use, I would suggest choosing a darker roast and brewing it strong. If you use something light and don’t brew it strong enough, the coffee flavour won’t stand out.
This recipe was originally posted in September 2013 and was updated April 2021. I’ve updated the photography and fine-tuned the recipe.
Maple & Coffee Glazed Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
Dough
- 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 1/4 tsp instant yeast
- 1 cup warm milk - lukewarm not hot
- 2 eggs at room temperature, lightly whisked
- 1/3 cup butter softened, but not melted
Filling
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 2 1/2 Tbsp cinnamon
- 1/2 cup butter melted
Glaze
- 1/4 cup strong brewed coffee hot
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 2 Tbsp maple syrup
- pinch salt
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
Instructions
For the Dough
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, mix together flour, salt, sugar and yeast.
- Add in the warm milk and eggs.
- Mix until a ball of dough forms. Continue to knead for another 2-3 minutes.
- Start to add the butter to the dough. Keep adding one piece at a time until all the butter has been incorporated.
- Keep kneading for about 4-5 minutes, or until a soft and smooth dough has formed. It should still tacky, but not sticky.
- Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl and let rise until doubled in size.
Filling
- In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, white sugar and cinnamon.
- Melt the butter and set aside to cool slightly.
To Assemble the Rolls
- Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan and line with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Once the dough has doubled in size, transfer to a lightly floured surface.
- Roll dough into a 12x18-inch rectangle (no need to be exact).
- Brush the dough with the melted butter and sprinkle evenly with sugar/cinnamon mixture.
- Starting from one of the longest sides, roll the dough up into a log. Cut into 12 even pieces (using dental floss is the best way to cut through the dough easily).
- Place rolls into the prepared baking pan.
- Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°F.
- Bake rolls until golden brown, about 30-35 minutes.
Glaze
- Add the hot coffee to a small bowl and add butter. Stir until the butter has melted.
- Stir in the maple syrup and pinch of salt
- Add the powdered sugar and whisk until smooth.
- Generously drizzle glaze on warm rolls. Make sure you completely cover the tops and sides. The buns will absorb some of the glaze as they sit and cool.
Notes
- Tips: Double the glaze and apply half while still warm and more after they’ve cooled slightly. You can even make a cream cheese and coffee icing if you like things extra sweet!
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