Directions

1. Read the instructions carefully first. Keep in mind that the dough needs to be proofed overnight, so start this recipe a day before. Prep happens the day before, and assembly and baking happens the following day.

Sweet Yeasted Dough

1. Warm the milk. Warm the milk in a small saucepan over low heat until it’s lukewarm to the touch, but not hot (around 100°F). Pour the warmed milk into the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk in the sugar and yeast until combined. 
2. Mix the dough. Next, add in the flour and salt, and using the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed until a dough forms – it should be smooth and elastic and pull away from the bowl (about 4 minutes).
3. Incorporate the butter and knead. Next, add the butter pieces, one at a time, waiting for the dough to absorb each piece before adding more until you have a soft and supple dough. This process takes a total of 20 minutes, so be patient. The dough is done mixing and kneading once you’ve tested it using the windowpane test (see the notes section of the blog post for details).
4. Proof and let rise overnight. Lightly butter the inside of a clean, large bowl, alternatively, use the bowl of the stand mixer (it’s already buttered). Scrape the dough out of the mixer bowl onto a clean surface and work it into a ball. Place the dough inside the buttered bowl, seam side down. Cover and let sit at room temperature until it has expanded in size by about 50 percent, about 1 hour. Then transfer the bowl to the refrigerator and chill overnight (18-24 hours) – the dough will continue to rise in the fridge and double in size.

Make The Filling

1. Mix the filling. Combine the butter, coconut sugar, ceylon cinnamon, vanilla, and salt, and mix together until it forms a smooth spreadable paste. The filling is much easier to spread on the dough when it’s room temperature.

Prep the Pan

1. Prep the sheet pan. Lightly coat the bottom and sides of a rimmed sheet pan (mine is 14 1/2″ x 9 1/2″ x 1″ high) with butter and line the bottom with parchment paper. Quick note, it’s important to line the pan with parchment; some of the cinnamon sugar filling will spill out during baking, and once it cools, it’s almost impossible to get off the pan. 

Assemble The Rolls

1. Roll out the dough. Remove the dough from the fridge, lightly punch it down, and transfer it to a lightly floured surface (make sure you have space to roll the dough out). Roll the dough into a large rectangle, 16 inches by 20 inches. 
2. Fill and roll. Dollop the filling across the surface of the dough, then use a small offset spatula or the back of a spoon to spread it in an even layer. Work reasonably quickly so the dough doesn’t soften too much. Starting at the end furthest from you, roll the dough into a snug spiral and rest it on the seam. Squeeze along the length of the log to even out the thickness and lengthen it so it’s about 18 inches long.
3. Cut and proof. Cut the log into 8 equal-sized rolls, about 2 1/4 inches in width each. Then pull the edge of each cinnamon roll out by 2 inches and tuck under the bottom of the cinnamon – this helps the cinnamon rolls proof and bake without unraveling, and ensures the filling doesn’t escape. Evenly space the rolls on the prepared baking sheet, and firmly press each one down so they’re less tall. Cover the rolls with plastic wrap and let rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours at room temperature. During this second proof, the rolls should rise by about 50 percent – any more than that and you’ll have overproofed the rolls.

Bake & Frost

1. Preheat the oven while the rolls are proof. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400°F. 
2. Bake the rolls. Brush the tops of the rolls with creamy milk and bake the cinnamon rolls for 20-22 minutes or until golden. 
3. Make the frosting while the rolls bake. In a bowl, whip the cream cheese and butter until creamed together (it should look silky smooth). Add the honey/maple syrup and vanilla and whip together again until combined. Adjust the honey/maple syrup to your preference.
4. Frost and serve. Once the rolls are done baking, let cool for 5 minutes before frosting (only frost the rolls you plan on eating). Serve immediately (they taste best fresh out of the oven). Store in an airtight container. Make sure to reheat leftover rolls – it helps the rolls soften up a bit.