You’ll love these soft, pillowy cinnamon rolls swirled with espresso and brown sugar, then topped with a coffee cream cheese glaze. This coffee cinnamon rolls recipe is the ultimate brunch treat for coffee lovers!
If you love coffee as much as you love a warm, gooey cinnamon roll, this recipe was made for you!
I, too, love coffee, and I love cinnamon rolls, so I couldn’t help but share this recipe that I’ve been testing in my own kitchen for the past few years. These coffee cinnamon rolls take everything you already love about a classic cinnamon roll and layer in bold coffee flavor. Every bite delivers that cozy coffee shop feeling, right from your own kitchen.
Don’t worry if you’ve never made yeasted dough before. This recipe walks you through every step, and the payoff is a batch of bakery-style rolls that will make your kitchen smell like a coffeehouse on a Sunday morning. I LOVE baking up these rolls in my house!
Looking for more cinnamon roll inspiration? Check out our apple pie cinnamon rolls recipe and our overnight orange cardamom cinnamon rolls for more sweet roll ideas from the site.
Table of Contents
Why you’ll love this family favorite recipe!
- No fancy equipment needed. A bowl, a spoon, and your hands are all you need if you don’t own a stand mixer.
- Forgiving dough. Yeasted dough is more flexible than it looks, so small measuring mistakes won’t ruin your rolls.
- Make-ahead friendly. You can prep the rolls the night before and pop them in the oven the next morning.
- Big flavor payoff for simple steps. The steps are straightforward, but the coffee and cinnamon combination tastes like it came from a professional bakery.
- A great way to build baking confidence. Working with yeast for the first time can feel intimidating, and this recipe is a low-stress way to learn.
Ingredient notes
Don’t be intimidated by the number of ingredients! You probably already have most, if not all, of these ingredients in your pantry and refrigerator already.
- Flour – Gives the rolls a soft yet sturdy structure so they hold their shape while staying tender.
- Instant coffee granules – The key to real coffee flavor throughout the dough and filling, a well as the frosting.
- Strong brewed coffee – Brew it a bit stronger than you’d normally drink for a more pronounced coffee flavor in the rolls.
- Active dry yeast – Helps the dough rise into soft, pillowy layers. Make sure it’s fresh for the best rise.
- Milk – Adds richness to the dough. Use whole or 2%, or you can even use oatmilk or almondmilk (I have!). Warm up the milk slightly before using (but you don’t want HOT milk).
- Egg – Set the egg out a few minutes before using so that it comes to room temperature and mixed easily.
- Unsalted butter – You’re going to use both melted and cooled butter, and softened butter throughout this recipe. Please read the ingredients section and directions fully before you start!
- Vanilla – Use pure vanilla extract for the best flavor.
- Brown sugar – Forms the base of the sweet, sticky filling. I use light brown sugar, but dark brown sugar works too.
- Ground cinnamon – The classic warm spice that makes these rolls so comforting. Buy a fresh jar if yours has been in the pantry for over a year, since cinnamon loses potency with time.
- Cream cheese – The base of the frosting, for that tangy sweetness that balances the coffee flavor. Set it out ahead of time so it softens fully.
- Powdered sugar – Sweetens the glaze.
Step-by-step instructions
You’ll find full measurements and detailed instructions in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post. Here are some step-by-step photos and a quick overview of how to make this recipe.
Mix the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, yeast, sugar and salt.
Mix the wet ingredients. Then in a stand mixer, mix the milk, coffee, and egg in a stand mixer.
Knead. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Allowing the mixer to knead the dough until smooth and elastic. Place dough on a lightly floured clean surface and form into a disc.
Rest dough. Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let rest for 10 minutes.
Make the filling. Whisk together the brown sugar, cinnamon, and instant coffee granules.
Roll and fill. Roll the dough into a large rectangle, brush some of the melted and cooled butter on top, sprinkle the filling edge to edge over the butter, then roll it up tightly into a log.
Slice and arrange. Cut the log into even rolls and place them in a greased baking dish, leaving a little space between each one.
Rise. Cover the rolls and let them rise until puffy, about 1 hour.
Bake. Bake until golden brown and cooked through (20-25 minutes), then let cool slightly before frosting.
Make the frosting
In a stand mixer, beat together all of the coffee frosting ingredients until smooth. You will still see flecks of coffee and that’s okay!
Frost and serve. Spread the coffee cream cheese frosting generously over the warm rolls.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. Assemble the rolls, cover tightly, and refrigerate overnight after the first rise. Let them come to room temperature and finish their second rise before baking the next morning.
Yes. Swap the milk for a plant-based alternative and use a dairy-free butter and dairy-free cream cheese for the frosting. I made these coffee cinnamon rolls dairy-free regularly, and they turn out great!
Yes. You can do this a few different ways: freeze the unbaked, shaped rolls before the second rise. Or, freeze the fully baked and cooled rolls without frosting, then make frosting just before serving. I’ve actually also frozen frosted rolls and they still came out great after thawing! Thaw and glaze before serving.
Your yeast may be old, or your liquid may have been too hot and killed it. Check the expiration date on your yeast and make sure your milk and coffee mixture is only warm, not hot.
Store leftover coffee cinnamon rolls in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
Serving suggestions
These coffee cinnamon rolls are made for a lazy weekend brunch!
Serve them warm, straight from the pan, alongside a big pot of coffee or mugs of white chocolate peppermint mocha. Or enjoy them on warmer days with a coffee milkshake! They’re also a fun addition to a holiday brunch spread or a baby shower dessert table.
For more coffee-forward recipes, try our chocolate coffee cake or our mocha chocolate chip scones. Both make a great addition to any brunch table.
Rounding out the spread, our we’ve got plenty of savory dishes to balance out all that sweetness in our breakfast and brunch recipes section.
🍷 🥂 Wine pairings
While these rolls are usually served with coffee, a sparkling wine pairs beautifully if you’re building a full brunch spread. A dry Prosecco cuts through the sweetness of the glaze, while a lightly sweet Moscato d’Asti echoes the caramel notes in the filling. For something a little different, a coffee-forward espresso martini brings the whole coffee theme full circle for an afternoon brunch celebration.
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Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to leave a 5-Star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card, and if you really loved it, please leave a comment further down on the page. Thank you!
Coffee Cinnamon Rolls
Equipment
- 1 9" x 13" baking dish
Ingredients
Dough
- 3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 package instant yeast (or 2¼ teaspoons)
- ¼ cup white sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup warm milk
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- ½ cup brewed coffee, slightly cooled
- 1 egg, at room temperature
Filling
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons instant coffee granules
- 1 Tablespoon cinnamon
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
Frosting
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 Tablespoons brewed coffee, cooled
- 2-3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 Tablespoon instant coffee granules
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the flour, yeast, sugar and salt; set aside.
- In the stand of an electric mixer with a paddle attachment or dough hook, mix together the warm milk, ¼ cup of melted & cooled butter, warm brewed coffee, and the egg.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, in ½ cup increments, just until the dry ingredients are fully incorporated and the dough starts to pull away from the mixing bowl.
- Lightly flour a flat clean surface and turn out out the dough. Knead until smooth, about 5 minutes. You'll know the dough is ready when it springs back a bit when you lightly press a finger into it.
- Place the dough in a bowl, cover with a damp cloth and let it rest for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, lightly grease a 9" x 13" baking dish with butter; set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, instant coffee, and cinnamon.
- On a lightly floured surface, use a rolling pin to roll out the dough into a 9" x 12" rectangle.
- With a pastry brush, brush ¼ cup of softened butter over the top of the rolled out dough, covering it entirely.
- Immediately sprinkle the sugar cinnamon coffee mixture over the entire surface of the dough, pressing the mixture in lightly before the softened butter sets to help prevent it from spilling out. You may have extra sugar cinnamon coffee mixture; set this aside for later.
- Gently roll up dough on the long side, pinching the seam along the edge to seal it.
- Using a serrated knife, cut the dough into 12 equal size portions and place cut sides up in the prepared baking dish. Cover loosely with a cloth and let the rolls rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 60 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- When the dough has risen, bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes, just until the tops are lightly golden.
- Meanwhile, make the frosting: in the bowl of a stand mixer with a whipped cream attachment, beat together the softened butter and cream cheese until smooth, about 3-5 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Beat in the vanilla and coffee. Then add powdered sugar in ½ cup increments to the bowl while the mixer is on low, until the powdered sugar is fully incorporated. Beat in the instant coffee granules just until incorporated.
- Once the rolls are done baking, let them cool for about 10 minutes, then spread the frosting evenly over the tops. If you have any extra sugar cinnamon coffee mixture, sprinkle over the tops of each roll. Serve warm.
Notes
- Warm the milk in the microwave for 30 seconds.
- Allow the butter to cool after being melted, but not so much that it starts to solidify again.
- Make sure the coffee is warm – not hot and not cold – before using.
- Make sure the egg is at room temperature. This will help it mix seamlessly into the dough.
- Make sure the coffee is cooled before using it, otherwise, the frosting may curdle.
- Take the cream cheese and butter out of the refrigerator about 20-30 minutes before you will use it so that both are softened enough to mix smoothly.
- Start with 2 cups of powdered sugar, then gradually add more in 1/4 cup increments until the frosting is the thickness you desire.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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