These brown butter eggnog cinnamon rolls have a fluffy eggnog brioche dough filled with a brown butter, cinnamon sugar mixture, then topped with eggnog cream cheese frosting! They have a TON of eggnog flavor in both the dough and frosting for a fun breakfast you can enjoy on Christmas morning!
Best of all, you can prep them the night before and then just pop them in the oven first thing in the morning for breakfast for a lazy holiday morning!
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Why You'll Love These Cinnamon Rolls
- Soft and fluffy eggnog brioche dough
- Filled with brown butter, brown sugar, and nutmeg
- Topped with light brown butter cheese frosting
- Rise overnight so they're easy to just pop in the oven for breakfast
- Perfect for a cozy winter morning or holiday brunch!
You might also like these pumpkin spice cinnamon rolls, these christmas tree rolls, or these eggnog cupcakes!
What is Eggnog?
Eggnog is a classic Christmas drink that's made with cream, eggs, and nutmeg and usually a bit of alcohol! It's slightly sweet, creamy, and full of wintery spices. Eggnog is usually served cold but is also delicious warm. Most of the eggnog sold in stores is alcohol free so you can add your own bourbon or rum if desired!
One of the best things about using eggnog in baking, is that it's a simple 1:1 swap for milk!
Ingredient Notes
You only need a few ingredients to make these fluffy eggnog cinnamon rolls with brown butter cream cheese glaze!
Eggnog - Adding eggnog to the dough makes it extra light and fluffy! You can use your favorite store-bought eggnog or make your own!
Instant Yeast - The yeast is what helps the dough rise! I like using instant yeast (as opposed to active dry yeast) because you don't need to bloom it first.
Spices - Adding nutmeg to the cinnamon mixture adds more classic wintery flavor to these cinnamon rolls.
Vanilla Bean Paste - I like using vanilla bean paste because it has a much stronger, richer flavor! However, you can easily substitute pure vanilla extract.
Brown Butter - My favorite ingredient of all time is brown butter!! Brown butter is just unsalted butter that has been melted and gently cooked to bring out a toasty, nutty flavor. Best of all, brown butter pairs beautifully with the warming spices in the eggnog. If you've never made brown butter before, you can check out this post with all my tips for how to make brown butter!
Since the dough, filling, and frosting all call for brown butter, I find it easier to just make one large batch and then weigh out the difference using a kitchen scale (½ cup of butter weighs about 113 grams).
However, if you don't have a scale you can just make 3 separate batches of brown butter!
The complete list of ingredients and amounts is located in the recipe card below.
How to Make Cinnamon Rolls
You can make these eggnog cinnamon rolls in one day or let them rise in the fridge overnight! I've included instructions for both options!
Using a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment, combine all dough ingredients (flour, brown sugar, instant yeast, salt, nutmeg, vanilla bean paste, eggs, brown butter, and eggnog) and mix on a low speed until the dough comes together as a smooth cohesive mass (5-10 minutes).
The dough should be slightly sticky. If it's too dry and won't come together, add an additional tablespoon or two of eggnog. If the dough is too sticky, add in an additional tablespoon or two of flour.
Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour. It will roughly double in size.
While the dough is rising prepare the filling. In a medium bowl, combine the softened brown butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Mix together until it forms a thick paste. Set aside.
Grease the bottom and sides of a 9x13 inch baking dish and set aside.
Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface and roll into a large 13x15 inch rectangle. Try to make the edges as even as possible. If the dough keeps shrinking back as you roll it out, cover and let it rest for 5-10 minutes to help the gluten relax before rolling again.
Spread the brown sugar filling in an even layer over the top of dough, leaving about an inch of space at the top of the long end (this helps to seal the log).
Beginning at the long end, roll up tightly and pinch to seal. If desired, trim about ½ inch off of each end so that the log is 12 inches long.
For even slices, measure the dough and score the top at even intervals (about 1 inch apart).
Then using a very sharp serrated knife, or unflavored dental floss, cut the log into 12 1-inch pieces. [To cut with dental floss, break off a long piece and carefully slide underneath the dough. Then pull the ends of the floss and cross over the top. Pull gently to slice cleanly through the dough.]
Arrange the eggnog cinnamon rolls in the greased baking dish.
Same Day Option: Cover loosely and let rise at room temperature for about 1 hour or until the dough has puffed up and filled in some of the empty space.
Overnight Option: Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to rise overnight (8-16 hours). The next morning, remove from the fridge at let rise at room temperature for 1 hour before baking.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Bake the eggnog cinnamon rolls for 20-30 minutes or until they are golden brown and cooked through. The filling will be bubbly.
Remove from the oven and let cool slightly while you make the glaze.
Spread the eggnog cheese frosting over the warm brown butter cinnamon rolls and enjoy with your favorite latte!
Tip: only frost the cinnamon rolls you're planning to eat right away and keep the extra frosting in the fridge!
Tips for the Best Baked Goods
Use room temperature ingredients! Always make sure ingredients like butter, eggs, milk, yogurt, etc. are at room temperature before baking (unless the recipe indicates otherwise)! This ensures they'll incorporate into the batter more easily and leads to overall better texture. Remove all ingredients from the fridge 30 minutes to an hour before baking for best results.
Measure your flour correctly! It's most accurate to use a kitchen scale, but if you're measuring by volume you want to spoon and level! Fluff up the flour a bit with a spoon, and then spoon flour into the measuring cup. Once it's overflowing, use the back of a knife to level it off. Don't ever pack flour into the measuring cup or you'll end up with way too much! Improperly measured flour can lead to dry, dense baked goods. [Measure cocoa powder the same way!]
Use an oven thermometer! Just because your oven says it's 350, doesn't mean it is! If you oven hasn't been calibrated recently, it can be as much as 30 degrees off, which will negatively affect all baked goods from cakes to macarons! An oven thermometer is the easiest/cheapest way to ensure your oven is always at the proper temperature.
Make sure you baking powder is fresh! Baking powder is important for helping baked goods rise properly, but it has a relatively short shelf life once opened, so it's one of the few items I never buy in bulk! To test if your baking powder is still fresh, add a small amount to boiling water. If it bubbles it's still good to use, but if not it's time to toss it!
Recipe FAQ's
These cinnamon rolls are best eaten immediately, but you can cover and store in the fridge for up to 5 days. They can be stored either frosted or unfrosted!
Pop in the microwave for about 30 seconds and they'll taste like they just came out of the oven!
Tips for Success!
For best results I always recommend using weight measurements (especially when baking) because it's the most accurate. Kitchen scales are super affordable and also reduce the number of dishes you have to do! However, all my recipes also include US customary measurements for convince. Use this chart to convert measurements for common ingredients!
Substitutions: In all my recipes, I've included substitutions that I know will work, but I cannot guarantee results if you substitute ingredients that I have not recommended. [For example, granulated sugar and honey are indeed both sweeteners but they have very different properties so they can not always be swapped 1:1. Using honey in a cookie recipe that calls for granulated sugar will yield a giant mess.] In the recipe card you'll find links to the specific ingredients/brands that I use.
A note on salt: I almost exclusively use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt because it's the best all-purpose salt for cooking and baking. If you're not using kosher salt, consult this handy guide for a conversion chart! When in doubt, if you're using table salt just reduce the amount by half for baked goods. When cooking, I prefer to under-salt because you can always add more! If you've over-salted, adding a little bit of acid (like lemon juice) can help.
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Recipe Card
Brown Butter Eggnog Cinnamon Rolls
Special Equipment
Ingredients
Brioche Dough
- 4 cups all purpose flour
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons instant yeast
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ½ cup unsalted brown butter, melted
- 1 cup eggnog
Filling
- ½ cup unsalted brown butter, room temperature
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
Cream Cheese Glaze
- 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- ¼ cup unsalted brown butter, room temperature
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- ¼ cup eggnog
Instructions
Brioche Dough
- You can make these eggnog cinnamon rolls in one day or let them rise in the fridge overnight! I've included instructions for both options!
- Using a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment, combine all dough ingredients (flour, brown sugar, instant yeast, salt, nutmeg, vanilla bean paste, eggs, brown butter, and eggnog) and mix on a low speed until the dough comes together as a smooth cohesive mass (5-10 minutes).
- The dough should be slightly sticky. If it's too dry and won't come together, add an additional tablespoon or two of eggnog. If the dough is too sticky, add in an additional tablespoon or two of flour.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour. It will roughly double in size.
Filling
- While the dough is rising prepare the filling.
- In a medium bowl, combine the softened brown butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Mix together until it forms a thick paste. Set aside.
Assembly
- Grease the bottom and sides of a 9x13 inch baking dish and set aside.
- Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface and roll into a large 13x15 inch rectangle. Try to make the edges as even as possible. If the dough keeps shrinking back as you roll it out, cover and let it rest for 5-10 minutes to help the gluten relax before rolling again.
- Spread the brown sugar filling in an even layer over the top of dough, leaving about an inch of space at the top of the long end (this helps to seal the log).
- Beginning at the long end, roll up tightly and pinch to seal. If desired, trim about ½ inch off of each end so that the log is 12 inches long.
- For even slices, measure the dough and score the top at even intervals (about 1 inch apart).
- Then using a very sharp serrated knife, or unflavored dental floss, cut the log into 12 1-inch pieces. [To cut with dental floss, break off a long piece and carefully slide underneath the dough. Then pull the ends of the floss and cross over the top. Pull gently to slice cleanly through the dough.]
- Arrange the eggnog cinnamon rolls in the greased baking dish.
- Same Day Option: Cover loosely and let rise at room temperature for about 1 hour or until the dough has puffed up and filled in some of the empty space.
- Overnight Option: Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to rise overnight (8-16 hours). The next morning, remove from the fridge at let rise at room temperature for 1 hour before baking.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Bake the eggnog cinnamon rolls for 20-30 minutes or until they are golden brown and cooked through. The filling will be bubbly.
- Remove from the oven and let cool slightly while you make the glaze.
Cream Cheese Glaze
- Using a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the softened cream cheese and softened brown butter until fully combined and smooth. Then add in the powdered sugar and mix until fully incorporated.
- Then slowly drizzle in the eggnog until the glaze reaches your desired consistency. [I like mine thick like frosting, but you can add in a little extra eggnog to make it more like a thin glaze.]
- Spread the eggnog cheese frosting over the warm brown butter cinnamon rolls and enjoy with your favorite latte!
- These brown butter eggnog cinnamon rolls are best eaten immediately, but you can cover and store in the fridge for up to 5 days. They can be stored either frosted or unfrosted! Tip: only frost the cinnamon rolls you're planning to eat right away and keep the extra frosting in the fridge!
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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