These soft, fluffy Carrot Cake Cinnamon Rolls are about to become your favorite cinnamon roll recipe! There are carrots incorporated into the brioche dough, and both the dough and the filling are perfectly spiced.

Carrot Cake Cinnamon Rolls

I know there are already a million cinnamon roll recipes available on the internet and you might be wondering what sets these apart. Two words: carrot cake.

These carrot cake cinnamon rolls are soft and fluffy, with carrots incorporated into the dough, a sweet and perfectly-spiced filling, and a cream cheese icing that drips into the rolls giving them an ooey-gooey center. If you love carrot cake, I just KNOW you’re going to fall in love with these after one bite.

I developed this recipe for my friends over at Lodge Cast Iron using their 10.25 Inch Seasoned Cast Iron Baker’s Skillet, which I’m obsessed with! Like with all of their products, I love how evenly the heat is distributed amongst the pan and how durable it is.

Ingredients for Carrot Cake Cinnamon Rolls

This carrot cake cinnamon rolls recipe doesn’t require a ton of ingredients; here’s what you’ll need:

• Milk: I recommend whole milk, but know that almond milk will also work just fine (I’ve tried it numerous times!)
• Instant yeast: Use instant yeast in this recipe to help the cinnamon rolls rise faster. You can also use active dry yeast, but they’ll take slightly longer to rise.
• Dark brown sugar: This is used to help feed the yeast and sweeten the cinnamon rolls just a tad; you’ll also need it for the filling. Feel free to replace it with light brown sugar if that’s all you have on hand!
• Butter: The one and only. You’ll use it for the dough, the filling, and the icing.
• Egg: This recipe calls for one large egg for the perfect texture in the dough.
• All-purpose flour: I’ve experimented with different flours and find that all-purpose consistently leads to the best results; plus, that’s what most people have on hand!
• Vanilla bean: Vanilla bean seeds are added straight to the dough for a sweet and fragrant vanilla note. Use one teaspoon of vanilla bean paste if you don’t have any vanilla beans on hand.
• Carrots: Skip the packaged shredded carrots (which tend to be rather dry) and opt for freshly grating your carrots. Make sure to pat the shredded bits dry with a paper towel to get some of that moisture out.
• Cinnamon & spices: These are cinnamon rolls after all… you’ll also need a tiny bit of ginger, nutmeg, and cloves to incorporate into both the dough and the filling.
• Salt: Salt helps to control the yeast, so don’t skip it.
• Cream cheese: For the cream cheese icing, of course.
• Powdered sugar: Also for the icing!
• Walnuts (optional): I love the added crunch walnuts provide, but if you’re anti-nuts or you’re allergic, simply leave them out!

Carrot Cake Cinnamon Rolls Recipe Troubleshooting & FAQ

CARROT CAKE CINNAMON ROLLS: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Can I use active dry yeast instead?
Technically, yes! But you’ll need to add the yeast to the warmed milk and let sit for 5 minutes before proceeding with the recipe. Also, your rolls will require two longer rises instead of just one; one rise will need to be done after kneading the dough (for about 30-45 minutes) and one after slicing the dough log into rolls (for about 1 hour)!

Can I use bread flour instead of all-purpose flour for the dough?
Sure! Just note that using bread flour will yield a slightly chewier cinnamon roll due to the higher protein content! I occasionally like to replace about half of the called for all-purpose flour with bread flour, but feel free to replace all of it if you’d like!

Can I make these carrot cake cinnamon rolls ahead of time?
Absolutely. There are two different routes you could take!

1) REFRIGERATE ASSEMBLED CINNAMON ROLLS TO BAKE THE NEXT DAY
Tightly wrap the assembled (but not risen) cinnamon rolls with plastic wrap and cover with a damp tea towel or the lid to the baking dish. Refrigerate overnight. In the morning, remove the assembled rolls from the refrigerator. Loosen the plastic wrap and let the cinnamon rolls come to room temperature and complete their second rise covered with loose-fitting plastic wrap and a warm, damp tea towel. Bake the risen rolls according to the recipe!

2) FREEZE CINNAMON ROLLS TO BAKE AT A LATER DATE
Prepare the cinnamon rolls all the way through their rise. Instead of baking the cinnamon rolls for the entire time, just bake them partway (par-baking) for 10 to 15 minutes. The rolls should be raised and set, but not totally browned. Remove from the oven and let the rolls cool completely in the pan. Wrap the pan in two layers of plastic wrap or place them into a large plastic bag and seal. Freeze for 8 hours or up to 6 weeks. The night before you want to serve the rolls, take them out of the freezer and place them, still wrapped, in the refrigerator to thaw overnight. Unwrap the cinnamon rolls the next morning and bake them at 350°F (180°C) until they are completely done and a light golden brown all over, about 10 to 15 minutes.

CARROT CAKE CINNAMON ROLLS: TROUBLESHOOTING

Help! My dough isn’t rising! What’s wrong?
Yeast has a “use by” date. As it moves beyond that time, it loses its oomph. Check the date printed on the package to make sure it’s within its usable life.

If your yeast hasn’t expired, then you likely accidentally killed it by adding liquids that were too hot. The temperature of the milk should be around 120°F (48°C); I recommend getting an instant-read thermometer to ensure you don’t waste your ingredients!

Help! My dough is extremely sticky and difficult to knead! What did I do wrong?
Dough that is too sticky is a very common problem but it is actually really easy to fix! Sticky dough is almost always caused by a dough that is too hydrated. This basically means that you have either added too much milk to your dough, forgot to pat your shredded carrots dry, or didn’t add enough flour. The fix is simply incorporating a little bit more flour (I recommend 1 tablespoon at a time)! The dough should be slightly tacky, but if you touch it with a clean, dry finger, the dough shouldn’t come off onto your finger.

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