Hey everyone, it’s Sierra here! Today I have a recipe for cast iron cinnamon rolls frosted with a mouthwatering maple and bourbon frosting.
There are few things in the world that taste as delicious as a warm cinnamon roll fresh out of the oven. Kevin and I had some Cinnabons a few months ago on a road trip, and I haven’t been able to get them out of my head. To me, a perfect cinnamon roll has a crispy crust around the outside, a light, fluffy interior, a rich, decadent frosting, and of course, it must be filled with amazing cinnamon flavor.
Why Cast Iron Cinnamon Rolls?
Kevin loves cast iron pans and convinced me to try using one for making these cinnamon rolls. I was pretty surprised that the cinnamon rolls they produced turned out so well!
Through making these cinnamon rolls, I actually learned a lot about why a cast iron skillet is a perfect pan for baking cinnamon rolls. Because they are so good at retaining heat, the cinnamon rolls cook evenly, even the one in the center. Aluminum, which most baking sheets and pans are made of, doesn’t retain heat as well as cast iron, so when the temperature in the oven fluctuates, the temperature of the pan will as well. Another benefit of the heat retention is that you will get an even, crispy exterior on all of the cinnamon rolls (except the middle one). In our opinion, that is the best part of the cinnamon roll!
If you don’t have a cast iron skillet, don’t worry! You can make the same recipe using a 9-inch cake pan or pie dish. If you want to learn more about cast iron skillets, check out Kevin’s article about why everyone should own one.
Maple Bourbon Frosting
We’ve been a bit obsessed with bourbon-flavored desserts recently here at The Mini Chef. We’ve made bourbon candied pecans and bourbon bread pudding, and now here is our third installment of bourbon-flavored desserts. The reason we’ve been using bourbon so much is that it is a warm flavor that is perfect for the colder months of the year. It has hints of vanilla, caramel, and oak, which pairs perfectly with other popular cold-weather flavors like cinnamon and nutmeg.
For this frosting, I adapted a traditional cream cheese frosting and added the popular pairing of bourbon and maple syrup. The slight tanginess from the cream cheese along with the sweet and warm of maple syrup and bourbon really sets this cinnamon roll frosting apart.
Tips for the Perfect Cinnamon Roll
Excited to make these delicious cast iron cinnamon rolls? Here are a few tips that will help you nail it on the first try!
- Don’t add too much flour to the dough. Just add enough so that the dough stops sticking to the bowl. If you add too much flour, the dough will become too dry and you’ll end up with dry cinnamon rolls.
- Proof the dough in the oven with the pilot light if it’s cold. If it’s cold where you live, then you may want to proof your dough in the oven with the pilot light on (that’s what I did). It works just as well, and you don’t need to turn up your heat!
- When rolling and filling the dough, try to make everything as even as possible. Roll the dough out into a rectangle instead of an oval if possible, and spread the filling evenly across the surface. This will help you get rolls that are the same size, instead of tapering off towards the ends.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan. We fit 8 cinnamon rolls in our 10-inch cast iron skillet. If you try to fit more, your cinnamon rolls might protrude in weird directions because there’s not enough space for the dough to expand.
Let’s get started on these maple bourbon frosted cast iron cinnamon rolls!
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