Sticky Toffee Cinnamon Rolls With Toffee Sauce

Estimated reading time: 8 minutes

Sticky Toffee Cinnamon Rolls - Soft, buttery cinnamon rolls baked over a sticky toffee sauce and topped with brown-sugar cream-cheese frosting. Gooey, golden brown, and totally bakery-level.

These Sticky Toffee Cinnamon Rolls are everything I love about breakfast and dessert rolled into one. I wanted a recipe that felt rich, cozy, and over-the-top - something with that gooey toffee sauce you find in sticky toffee pudding, but baked right into soft, buttery cinnamon rolls. The best part? There's toffee sauce on the bottom and on the top, so every bite is drenched in buttery caramel goodness. It's the kind of recipe that makes your kitchen smell like a bakery and leaves your fingers gloriously sticky - exactly how it should be.

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Why I Made This Recipe

• I've always wanted to turn sticky toffee pudding into a cinnamon roll.
• The result is soft, buttery dough with sticky toffee sauce bubbling underneath.
• These rolls combine the best of sticky buns and cinnamon buns - caramelized bottoms and fluffy tops.
• You can prep them the night before and bake the next morning for an easy brunch-ready treat.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

If you love classic cinnamon buns but wish they were just a little extra, these will make your morning. They're sweet, sticky, and melt-in-your-mouth soft.

• Soft, pillowy bread dough that bakes up perfectly every time
• Gooey sticky toffee sauce that caramelizes on the bottom of the pan
• Brown-sugar cream-cheese frosting that melts into the warm rolls
• Make-ahead friendly - chill overnight and bake fresh
• The ultimate delicious treat for cozy mornings

Ingredients - Sticky Toffee Cinnamon Rolls

• Bread flour - strong structure and bakery-style chew
• Active dry yeast - makes the dough rise tall and fluffy
• Warm milk - activates the yeast and adds richness
• Granulated sugar - balances the yeast and sweetens the dough
• Large eggs - add structure and tenderness
• Unsalted butter (softened) - gives richness and soft texture
• Salt - enhances flavor
• Dark brown sugar - deep caramel flavor for filling and sauce
• Ground cinnamon - the heart of any cinnamon mixture
• Heavy cream - makes the rolls extra gooey
• Cream cheese - for creamy frosting
• Vanilla extract - warmth and depth
• Powdered sugar - for smooth frosting texture
• Pinch of salt - balances sweetness

Step-by-Step Instructions

Here's how to make each part of these Sticky Toffee Cinnamon Rolls, from the pillowy dough to that buttery caramel sauce and cream cheese frosting.

• In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together warm milk, a teaspoon of sugar, and active dry yeast.
• Let the yeast mixture rest 10 minutes, until foamy.
• Add remaining sugar, eggs, bread flour, softened butter, and salt.
• Mix with the dough hook attachment on medium speed for 5-7 minutes until smooth and elastic.
• Transfer dough to a greased bowl, turning once to coat.
• Cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let it rise in a warm spot about 1 hour.
• Perform one stretch-and-fold, cover again, and chill for 2 hours or overnight for the best results.

Make the Sticky Toffee Sauce

• In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt unsalted butter with dark brown sugar and heavy cream.
• Stir constantly until smooth and slightly thickened (3-5 minutes).
• Remove from heat; stir in vanilla extract and a pinch of salt.
• Let cool - the sauce will thicken as it stands.
• If you want exactness, cook to about 225 °F so it coats a spoon.
• In a medium bowl, beat softened butter, brown sugar, and ground cinnamon on low speed until smooth.
• Add a few toffee bits or a dash of vanilla for deeper flavor.

Roll, Fill & Shape

• Lightly flour a clean work surface or lightly floured surface.
• Roll chilled dough into a large rectangle about 12×16 inches.
• Spread the brown sugar mixture evenly over the entire surface using an offset spatula.
• Slice the dough into 12 strips along the longer edges with a sharp knife or pizza cutter.
• Roll each strip into a spiral, keeping gentle pressure so filling stays in place.
• Pour half the sticky toffee sauce into the bottom of the pan (line with parchment).
• Arrange rolls cut-side up (3 across, 4 down).
• Cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and let do the second rise in a warm place 45-60 minutes.

How To Bake the Rolls

• Preheat oven to 375 °F.
• Warm ½ cup heavy cream just until no longer cold.
• Pour over the risen rolls so it seeps into the layers.
• Bake 10 minutes at 375 °F, then lower to 350 °F and bake 30-35 minutes until golden brown.
• Tent with foil if browning too quickly.
• Cool in pan 20 minutes before frosting.

Make the Cream-Cheese Frosting

• In the bowl of your stand mixer, beat cream cheese and unsalted butter on medium speed until smooth.
• Add powdered sugar, vanilla extract, pinch of salt, and 1-2 tablespoons milk or heavy cream.
• Beat on low speed, then increase to medium until light and fluffy.

Assemble

• Pour remaining sticky sauce over the warm rolls.
• Let set 10 minutes so it thickens slightly.
• Spread or pipe frosting over each roll.
• Sprinkle extra toffee bits for crunch if desired.

Tips & Tricks for Sticky Toffee Cinnamon Rolls

I've made a lot of cinnamon rolls, and these are the things that make the biggest difference when making sticky Toffee Cinnamon Rolls!

• Use warm milk, not hot. If your milk is hotter than 110°F, it can kill the yeast. Lukewarm is perfect for activating your yeast mixture.
• Check your dough texture. After kneading on medium speed, the dough should pull away from the bowl but still feel slightly tacky - that's how you get soft, fluffy homemade cinnamon rolls.
• Cold proof for flavor. Chilling the dough overnight deepens flavor and makes it easier to roll out on a lightly floured surface the next morning.
• Keep your butter soft, not melted. Softened butter spreads easily into the filling, while melted butter can make the dough slippery.
• Spread the filling all the way to the edges. Use an offset spatula to coat the entire surface so every roll has even layers of cinnamon sugar.
• Cut with a sharp knife or floss. This keeps your rolls clean and round without smashing the layers.
• Let them rise in a warm spot. If your kitchen is cool, place the pan in the oven (turned off) with the light on for the second rise.
• Don't skip the cream. Pouring heavy cream over the rolls before baking helps create that ultra-gooey sticky sauce underneath.
• Bake until golden brown. The tops should be a deep, shiny brown and the center rolls should no longer look doughy.
• Tent with foil if needed. If the tops are browning too quickly, cover loosely to protect them while the centers bake through.

Recommended Tools - Sticky Toffee Cinnamon Rolls

• Bowl of a stand mixer + dough hook attachment
• Medium saucepan for sauce
• Offset spatula for spreading
• Pizza Cutter or bench scraper
• 9×13 pan lined with parchment
• Plastic wrap or clean kitchen towel for proofing

Frequently Asked Questions

You asked, I answered! Here are all the most common questions about timing, storage, substitutions, and the secret to that gooey toffee texture. If I missed something, please ask me at the question box below the recipe card! 

• Can I prep ahead? Yes. Shape, cover, and chill overnight. Let come to room temperature and complete the second proof before baking.
• Can I freeze them? Cool, place in an airtight container, and freeze up to 2 months. Reheat for soft, warm rolls.
• Why add heavy cream? It combines with sugar and butter while baking to form that gooey sticky toffee sauce under the rolls.
• Can I use all-purpose flour? You can, but bread flour gives the chewy, structured texture you want in homemade cinnamon rolls.

Storing & Freezing

• Store cooled rolls in an airtight container at room temperature 2 days or refrigerate 4-5 days.
• Reheat individual rolls 15-20 seconds for fresh-baked softness.
• Freeze unfrosted rolls wrapped in plastic wrap; thaw overnight and frost the next day.

When you bake these Sticky Toffee Cinnamon Rolls, don't forget to come back and leave a star rating and review! It helps other bakers find the recipe and lets me know if you loved that gooey toffee sauce as much as I do.

FOR MORE RECIPES LIKE THIS HERE ARE SOME OF MY FAVORITE!

• Dulce de Leche Cinnamon Rolls With Brown Sugar Frosting
• Best Caramel Snickerdoodle Cake Recipe
• Best Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Blondie With Frosting
• Outstanding Espresso Toffee Chunk Cookies

Don't forget to save this recipe card and share it! I'd love to hear your feedback or answer any questions you have! Follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok. I post so many fun things on all platforms.

Recipe

Sticky Toffee Cinnamon Rolls

Molly Murphy

Soft, buttery cinnamon rolls baked over a sticky toffee sauce and topped with brown-sugar cream-cheese frosting. Gooey, golden brown, and totally bakery-level.

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Course Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 12 cinnamon rolls

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

Dough

• 1 ½ cups lukewarm milk 360g
• 1 ½ teaspoons instant dry yeast 5g
• ½ cup + 2 teaspoons granulated sugar 120g
• 3 large eggs room temperature
• 5 ¾ cups bread flour plus more for dusting 720g
• ½ cup unsalted butter softened 113
• 2 ¼ teaspoons salt 14g

To Pour on Before Baking

• ½ cup heavy whipping cream

For the toffee sauce

• ½ cup 115 g unsalted butter
• 1 cup 200 g packed dark brown sugar
• 1 cup 240 ml heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon salt

Filling

• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• ¾ cup unsalted butter softened to touch

Frosting

• 4 oz cream cheese softened
• ½ cup unsalted butter softened
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1-2 tablespoon milk or heavy cream
• Pinch of salt

Instructions

 

For the dough

• In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine 1 ½ cups lukewarm milk, 2 teaspoons of the sugar, and 1 ½ teaspoons instant yeast. Whisk together and let sit for 10 minutes, until the mixture looks foamy.
  1 ½ cups lukewarm milk 360g, 1 ½ teaspoons instant dry yeast 5g
• Add the remaining sugar, eggs, bread flour, butter, and salt to the bowl. Using the dough hook attachment, mix on medium speed for 6-7 minutes, until the dough is smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky but pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Don't worry if it's too sticky it will be firm up.
  ½ cup + 2 teaspoons granulated sugar 120g, 3 large eggs, 5 ¾ cups bread flour plus more for dusting, 2 ¼ teaspoons salt 14g, ½ cup unsalted butter softened
• Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, turning once to coat. Cover and let rise at room temperature for 1 hour.
• After 1 hour, perform one stretch and fold (lift one side of the dough and fold it over itself, repeating on all four sides). Cover again.
• Place the covered dough in the refrigerator and chill for 2 hours or up to 12 hours overnight. This cold proof develops flavor and makes the dough easier to work with when rolling out. Make the toffee sauce while the dough rises.

For the toffee sauce

• In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter with brown sugar and heavy cream. Bring to a gentle boil, stirring constantly, until smooth and slightly thickened, 3-5 minutes (the sauce should coat the back of a spoon).
  ½ cup 115 g unsalted butter, 1 cup 200 g packed dark brown sugar, 1 cup 240 ml heavy cream
• Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and salt. The sauce will continue to thicken slightly as it cools. Let it cool
  1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon salt

Filling and Shaping Instructions

• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer, cream together brown sugar, 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon, and unsalted butter on medium speed until smooth and well combined. Set aside.
  1 cup packed brown sugar, 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon, ¾ cup unsalted butter softened to touch
• Lightly flour a clean work surface. Roll the chilled dough into a large rectangle, about 12x16 inches in size. Try to keep the edges as even as possible so the rolls bake uniformly.
• Spread the filling mixture evenly over the dough, using an offset spatula or the back of a spoon to get it all the way to the edges.
• Starting with the long edge farthest from you, cut the dough into 12 even strips using a sharp pizza cutter. Each piece should be about 1⅓ inches wide. Take your time to keep the cuts straight so the rolls bake up evenly.
• Working one at a time, roll each strip into a tight spiral, starting from the bottom edge and rolling upward until you reach the top. As you roll, gently tuck in any filling that tries to escape and keep light, even pressure so each roll stays compact and uniform. Once rolled, pinch the end seam lightly so it stays closed.
• Line a 9x13 baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the long sides for easy lifting later. Lightly spray the sides of the pan with nonstick cooking spray.
• Pour half the toffee sauce (if the sauce has set up and its not pourable, place it in the microwave until it saucy)
• Arrange the rolls cut-side up in the prepared pan on top of the toffee sauce. 3 across and 4 down. They should have a little space between them - they'll puff and rise into each other during proofing and baking.
• Cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and let the rolls rise for 45-60 minutes, or until puffy and nearly doubled in size.

Baking Instructions

• Once the rolls have finished their second rise, preheat the oven to 375°F.
• Warm ½ cup heavy whipping cream just until it loses its chill (microwave for about 15-20 seconds). Gently pour the cream evenly over the tops of the risen rolls, letting it soak down into the layers.
  ½ cup heavy whipping cream
• Place the pan in the oven and bake at 375°F for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and continue baking for 30-35 minutes, until the rolls are deep golden brown on top. This rolls take a long time to bake because they need to absorb the cream and the toffee sauce.
• If the rolls begin to brown too quickly, loosely tent the pan with foil during the last 10 minutes of baking.
• Remove the pan from the oven and let the rolls cool for at least 20 minutes before frosting and adding toppings.
• While the rolls are cooling making the cream cheese frosting.

For the cream cheese frosting

• In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter and cream cheese on medium speed for 2 minutes. Scrape the bowl, then beat for 2 more minutes until smooth and fluffy.
  4 oz cream cheese softened, ½ cup unsalted butter softened
• With the mixer on low, add powdered sugar, then vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. Mix until combined.
  3 cups powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1-2 tablespoon milk or heavy cream, Pinch of salt
• Increase speed to medium-high and beat 2-3 more minutes until light and fluffy. If too soft to pipe, chill for 10-15 minutes.

Assembly

• Once the cinnamon rolls have cooled slightly, pour the rest of the toffee sauce on top of the rolls. Let it set for 10 minutes
• Spread the cream cheese buttercream evenly over the tops of the rolls. I did dollops with a piping bag for a pretty look, but you can do whatever you like!
• If you have extra sauce you can pour it on top of the frosted rolls using a spoon or piping bag. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Keyword cinnamon rolls, toffee, sticky, overnight

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