Only a few things are better than warm fluffy yeasted rolls wrapped in cinnamon sugar. It screams Christmas morning! And these Coquito Cinnamon Rolls are a Christmas 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!
What is Coquito?
Coquito originated in Puerto Rico. It’s a a seasonal drink, mostly enjoyed around Christmas. It’s a coconut & rum based drink that is sweetened with condensed milk and spiced with cinnamon & nutmeg. VERY GOOD.
These Coquito cinnamon rolls are fluffy and luscious. Is luscious an acceptably ok word to describe a roll? because they are perfectly luscious! This fluffy dough contains coconut milk for that coquito flavor and it’s lathered with a cinnamon/nutmeg sugar paste. I roll the dough up tightly and I slice them into 12 pieces.
The glaze is the best part! Since coquito is spiked with white rum, I used a few tablespoons in the glaze to tie in that flavor note. This is not your traditional cream cheese icing, but it has rum in it, so YES! You’re gonna want to lather them!
Can I make these the night before?
Yes! These Coquito 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 Christmas 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!
Rum Glazed Coquito Cinnamon Rolls
Equipment
- Stand mixer fitted with a dough hook
- 9×13 baking dish or sheet pan
- Spatula or whisk
Ingredients
Dough
- 3⅓ cup flour
- 2¼ tsp instant yeast or 1 packet
- ½ tsp salt
- 3 tbs sugar
- 1 cup coconut cream or milk unsweetened from a can
- 1 stick softened butter unsalted
Filling
- 1 stick softened butter
- ½ cup brown sugar dark or light
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- 3 tbsp coconut cream
Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- pinch of salt
- 1 tbs softenend butter
- 2-4 tbs rum or sub with coconut cream or milk
Instructions
Dough
- In a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, add your warmed coconut cream, 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. Add the softened butter 1 tbs at a time and mix for 5 minutes until the dough is cohesive and the butter is absorbed. Leave the dough in the mixing bowl and cover. Let it rise for 1-2 hours, or until doubled in size.
- Meanwhile, make the filling. Whisk the softened butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg & coconut cream until a thick paste forms. Set aside.
- Punch the dough down to deflate and transfer to a lightly floured surface. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a large rectangle about 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. Place them onto lightly greased 9×13 sheet pan and cover. Let them rise in a warm place for another 30-45 minutes until they’ve puffed up.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Bake the rolls for 30 minutes until lightly golden brown all over. Spread the glaze on the warm rolls. Top with shredded coconut (optional) and enjoy!
Rum Glaze
- Whisk the powdered sugar, butter, vanilla & salt. ingredients into a small bowl. Add in the rum 1 tbs at a time until a smooth but pourable glaze forms. set aside
Notes
- You can also make these the night before and bake in the morning. Once you’ve cut the the rolls. Cover them and place them in the fridge overnight. Remove them from the fridge in the morning and allow them to sit at room temperature for 45-1 hr before baking.
- For the glaze, white or dark rum works. Or coconut cream of milk.
