These Pecan Cinnamon Rolls are soft and fluffy with the perfect combination of finely chopped pecans and cinnamon. They're topped with a super simple vanilla glaze and more pecans so there's a crunch with every bite.
A FEW NOTES BEFORE WE GET STARTED
Room Temperature Ingredients:
Egg: You want to make sure that the egg is at room temperature to ensure that it is properly incorporated into your dough. If you forget to leave it out before you start baking, place it in a bowl of warm water for about 15 minutes until it becomes room temperature.
Measuring Your Ingredients:
I strongly encourage that you use a kitchen scale to measure your ingredients and ensure that you have the most accurate measurements possible.
However, if you don’t have a scale on hand and will be using cup measurements, make sure to use the “spoon and sweep” method when measuring to avoid packing in too much of any dry ingredient.
Oven Temperature:
Make sure to preheat your oven for at least 15 minutes before you start baking.
I recommend purchasing an oven thermometer to get to know your oven so you can adjust your baking temperatures accordingly. Some ovens run slightly warmer or colder so its important to know yours to make sure your baked goods come out right.
85 grams (¾ cup) finely chopped pecans, plus more for topping
28 grams (2 tbsp) unsalted butter, melted
Icing
85 grams (¾ cup) powdered sugar
15 grams (1 tbsp) milk
Instructions
Pecan Cinnamon Rolls
Warm milk in a small bowl, sprinkle yeast on top, and whisk together. Set aside for 10 minutes until it starts to look foamy. If the mixture does not foam, start over with a new packet of yeast.
Whisk the flour, brown sugar, and salt together in a large stand mixer bowl.
In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, slowly add the yeast mixture to the flour mixture, followed by the melted butter and egg.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed and mix until the dough starts to stick together and pull away from the sides of the bowl. You may need to add a little more flour at this point, depending on the consistency of your pumpkin puree.
Once dough starts to stick to the paddle, switch out the paddle for the hook attachment and mix on low for 4-5 minutes.
Coat a large bowl with cooking spray or vegetable oil. Shape the dough into a ball and gently place in bowl, flipping the dough over to coat the top of it as well. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let dough rise for about one hour, until it has doubled in size.
Once the dough has risen for about 45 minutes, coat a 9 inch round pan with cooking spray and lined the bottom with a parchment round.
To prepare the filling, whisk the brown sugar, cinnamon, and finely chopped pecans in a small bowl.
On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a flat rectangle that’s about 10 x 12 inches. Using a pastry brush, carefully coat the top of the dough with melted butter, except for an inch border on one of the long sides as this will need to be left untouched to help them seal.
Spoon cinnamon sugar onto dough and spread around evenly, except for that same inch border at the top.
Use a sharp knife, pizza cutter, or dough cutter to cut the dough into 8 strips. With the long side of the dough closest to you, carefully roll up each strip into a tight spiral, using that bare end of the dough to help seal it closed. Repeat this process with all other rolls and arrange them neatly in the pan.
Cover the rolls in plastic wrap and let them rise for 30 minutes. While the rolls rise, preheat oven to 350º F and remove cream cheese from the fridge for it to soften.
Once rolls have risen, bake them for 30-35 minutes.
Let rolls cool for 10 minutes and then carefully run a knife along the side of the pan. Gently flip the cinnamon rolls out onto a cooling rack.
Icing
Once the rolls are starting to cool, sift the powdered sugar into a bowl and add milk.
Mix on low until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Drizzle over the rolls with a spoon or by using an piping bag. Top with more chopped pecans.
Enjoy!
Notes
Rolls are best served fresh. Leftovers can be placed in an airtight container and stored in the fridge for several days. Rolls can be reheated slightly in the microwave or oven.
I recommend only frosting the rolls as you eat them. If you have leftover rolls, keep the rest of the icing in an airtight container in the fridge and add to the rolls once you heat them up as leftovers.
I like to cut the dough into strips and roll each strip individually as I find this often makes a neater looking roll, but you can also roll the dough into a log and use a serrated knife or unflavored piece of floss to slice them.
