Only a few things are better than warm fluffy yeasted rolls wrapped in cinnamon sugar. It screams Christmas morning! And these Coconut Brioche Cinnamon Rolls with Rum Cream Cheese Icing are a special holiday treat.
Last week I made some Coquito for the Holiday’s and I knew I had to mimic those same flavors in a cinnamon roll because it just makes sense and why not!?
Ingredients
- Full fat coconut milk – Unsweetened from a can
- Eggs
- Butter
- Sugar
- Yeast
- Flour
- Salt
These cinnamon rolls are my favorite around the holidays as they remind me of my favorite drink, Coquito, which is typically served during Thanksgiving and Christmas. Coquito originated in Puerto Rico and is similar to eggnog, but it’s more tropical. Theres rum, coconut & cinnamon, just like these rolls.
These cinnamon rolls are incredibly fluffy and luscious. Is luscious an acceptably ok word to describe a roll? because they are just that! This dough is lightly flavored with coconut, and uses full fat coconut milk. They are so plush and soft and lathered with a classic cinnamon/nutmeg sugar paste. The flavor is not very coconut forward, but there are subtle notes of sweetness.
The icing is the best part! Spiked with some dark rum, that works wonderfully together. And I like to lather them all over the warm rolls. The icing melts into the crevices and sets, creating the most perfect bite.
Can I make these the night before?
Yes! These most definitely Cinnamon Rolls can actually be made the night before and will taste wayyyyy better! They’re perfect if you’re planning to bake them for you next holiday gathering, or for morning. All you’ll have to do the next day is take them out of the fridge and let your oven preheat while the rolls come back to room temperature.
But of course, If you can’t resist, let them rise on the counter for another 45 minutes. Then proceed with baking them. Still SOOO delicious! See recipe below!
Coconut Brioche Cinnamon Rolls with Rum Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Dough
- 4-41/2 cups all purpose flour
- 2¼ tsp instant yeast or 1 packet
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup full fat coconut milk unsweetened from a can
- 1 stick softened butter unsalted
Filling
- 1 stick softened butter
- 1 cup brown sugar dark or light
- 2 tbs cinnamon
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
Rum Cream Cheese Frosting
- 6 oz softened cream cheese
- 4 tbs softenend butter
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- ¼ tsp salt
- 3 tbs rum or sub with coconut cream or milk
Instructions
Dough
- In a saucepan, add the coconut milk and butter. Heat just until the bitter is melted. Set aside to cool.
- In a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, add your warmed coconut mixture, yeast & sugar. Give it a gentle mix and let it sit for 5. minutes. Next add in your eggs, beating after each addition. Gradually add in the flour and salt, and mix until absorbed. Mx on medium for 8-10 minutes until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and is no longer sticky. Cover the dough and let it rise for 1-2 hours, or until doubled in size.
- Meanwhile, make the filling. Whisk the softened butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg until a thick paste forms. Set aside.
- After the dough had doubled in size, punch it down to deflate and transfer to a lightly floured surface. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a large rectangle Roughly 15×20 inches. It doesn’t have to be perfect. Using an offset spatula, spread your filling evenly over the dough. Tightly roll it up into a log lengthwise and cut it into 12 even pieces or more. Place them onto lightly greased 9×13 sheet pan and cover. Let them rise in a warm place for another 15-20 minutes until they’ve puffed up.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Drizzle the cream over the rolls and bake or 30 minutes until lightly golden brown all over. Spread the icing on while warm. Top with coconut flakes (optional).
Rum Cream Cheese Frosting
- In a medium bowl, whisk the cream cheese, butter, vanilla and salt until smooth. Add in the powdered sugar and rum. Whisk until smooth. Set aside.
Notes
- You can also make these the night before and bake in the morning. Once you’ve cut the the rolls. Arrange them onto a sheet pan and cover. Place them in the fridge overnight. In the morning and allow them to sit at room temperature for 45-1 hr before baking.
- For the Icing, white or dark rum works. This part is totally optional
