Red Velvet Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Glaze
This post has been sponsored Kraft Heinz Canada ULC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
It’s baking season! It’s the time of year where I love to get in the kitchen and make both sweet and savory treats: homemade buns, rugelach, and cinnamon rolls. This year, I decided to try something a little more festive and I’m sharing these incredible Red Velvet Cinnamon Rolls with a luxurious cream cheese frosting.
In addition to the holiday season, these also make amazing valentine’s day cinnamon rolls.
Red Velvet Cinnamon Rolls
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Post update: November 2019 from 2017.
Confession: I’m a control freak. I have a hard time letting go and allowing people to help me, this is even true with my little guy. In the past, I have let him “help” with baking but I usually end up taking over and he wanders off to play.
Not this year.
I have always dreamed of having a happy and busy kitchen during the holidays where my children helped, so I’m setting my control aside and inviting my guy in the kitchen to not only make memories of baking but to teach him how (you’re welcome future daughter in law).
I’m starting this new tradition with an old tradition: my maple butter cinnamon rolls. However, this year this traditional recipe is getting a Christmas twist and I’m creating these Red Velvet Cinnamon Rolls. Not only does red velvet scream Christmas, but it’s also my son’s favorite color so he was so excited to be apart of it.
As a mom, doing this brings me so much joy.
I’m a huge cream cheese fan, it makes the best desserts (and dips) and I always use PHILADELPHIA® Cream Cheese. Why? It’s the brand I grew up with and no others are created equal. I know that I’m always going to find a quality product and it’s easy to find in every grocery store’s dairy aisle. There are no special trips to particular stores: everyone carries it. As a busy mom and business owner, this makes me happy because there is nothing I loathe more than running to 3 different stores for a recipe (it happens more often than I like to admit).
PHILADELPHIA® Cream Cheese is made with real milk and cream, giving the creamy taste and texture to any recipe (which gives me a boost of confidence when trying a new recipe, like these red velvet cinnamon rolls).
Not only is it creamy and delicious, but it looks pretty too!
TBK’s Pro Tip: To keep as much of the filling in the cinnamon roll, instead of simply pushing and rolling towards you – lift and roll. You’ll hold the filling in the dough better.
My favorite stage of making cinnamon rolls is the final rise, I love seeing them plump up and get doughy before I toss them in the oven.
The moment they’re out of the oven and I pour the cream cheese glaze over the red velvet cinnamon rolls – magic happens. The aroma of cinnamon, butter, and sugar fill my surroundings and it’s pure comfort and joy.
Can you make red velvet cinnamon rolls ahead of time?
Absolutely. I have made this recipe ahead of time and froze them. Just take them out and let thaw.
I should add that I baked them, frosted them and then froze them.
How do you store red velvet cinnamon rolls?
Because of the dairy in the red cinnamon rolls, store them in the fridge.
If you store them in a 9×13 baking pan, just add a lid or cover with foil, saran wrap, or beeswax cloths. Basically whatever you have on hand.
I find that the foil baking pans with cardboard lids work best. They can be tossed in the freezer, fridge, or be reheated in the oven.
Red Velvet Cinnamon Buns
Don’t forget to pick up PHILADELPHIA® Cream Cheese Bricks at your local grocery store for this baking season, and let me know what you’ll be cooking up.
To help save on your holiday baking grab a PHILADELPHIA® Cream Cheese coupon!
Red Velvet Cinnamon Rolls
Creamy red velvet cinnamon rolls with cream cheese glaze recipe. Yummy brown sugar, cinnamon, and cream cheese make this a special treat for Christmas morning or a holiday party.
Servings 24
Calories 325kcal
Ingredients
For The Dough:
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Red & black food dye
- 2 1/2 tsps quick rise yeast 1 pkg
- 4 1/2 cups whole wheat flour I know what you’re thinking – trust me
- 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tablespoon salt
For the filling
- 1 cup melted butter
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 4oz PHILADELPHIA® Cream Cheese softened (half a block)
For the Frosting
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 12oz PHILADELPHIA® Cream Cheese softened (1 1/2 blocks )
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- Pinch of salt
- Pinch of cinnamon
Instructions
- In a large pot, add the whole milk, oil and 1/2 cup of sugar. Scald the mixture. What this means is that you will heat it right before it boils. The sides will become frothy. Take the pot off the burner and let sit until it’s lukewarm, it should take roughly 45 minutes.
- Once the milk mixture is warm, not hot, add the vanilla, and the food dye. Start with red. I used the no taste variety and used a lot of red. I put a few dots of the black gel food coloring to make it a deep red. Play with the color until you get it right.
- Add the quick rise yeast, let it sit for a minute to expand and then add four cups of flour. Stir with wooden spoon to combine.
- Cover with a tea towel and let the dough rise for an hour.
- Add the remaining 1/2 cup of flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and mix together (it’s quick when you use a stand mixer).
- Roll the dough out to a large rectangle.
- In a separate bowl, add the melted butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon and pour over the dough. Spread with a spoon.
- Take the softened cream cheese and spread (to the best of your ability) over top of the buttery brown sugar mixture.
- Roll the down towards you. Seal the seams and ends by pinching them.
- Grease a few pans with melted butter or nonstick spray (you’ll need a few, I used four of various sizes).
Preheat oven to 375F.
- Take a knife and cut the dough into 1” pieces, laying them in the pan. Let rise for another 30 minutes.
- Bake for 20 minutes.
- Immediately pour the frosting over the rolls.
Cream Cheese Glaze:
- Add all the ingredients in a stand mixer and beat with a wire whisk until smooth.
Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 325kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 22mg | Sodium: 255mg | Potassium: 141mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 31g | Vitamin A: 280IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 0.9mg
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What’s your favorite holiday cream cheese recipe?
I’m now officially craving red velvet … I’m not a big fan of cinnamon rolls normally, but this sounds like a unique take on it. I usually just eat the top off, haha! Will bookmark this for later. Thanks.
Enjoy Liz! I hope you like them 🙂
You are right, these look so festive and I bet they taste amazing. I am a fan of red velvet and I love cream cheese frosting/glaze so to me it is a win/win. Thank you for sharing such a neat variation of cinnamon rolls.
Oh my goodness. I love red velvet and I love cinnamon rolls, but have never thought about them being put together. I bet these are amazing. I’m definitely trying them out over the holidays.
Hey Jenn! Make sure you let me know how you like them 😀
Oh my gosh!!! THese look so good…sinfully good! ha! I am not sure that my kids would like this recipe but I know my husband and I would eat them up quick. I love finding new ways to enjoy cinnamon rolls. This one is being added to our meal plan for sure!
More for you 😉
These look delicious . I’m always looking for new treats to bake.
Um, how have I lived 43 years on this earth and NEVER thought to do a red velvet cinnamon roll? What is wrong with me?! I love Philly cream cheese. It’s just a staple food, especially at the holidays. So versatile and used in SO MANY ways. YUMMY ways.
Hey Brett! You would love it, I promise 😀 I do too, I have a few bricks in my fridge and freezer at all times.
Everything about this recipe sounds awesome. I am a huge red velvet lover but prefer mine with buttercream. I have to try this though. It sounds amazing!
Thanks Sapphire!
First of all, you had me at Red Velvet. It’s one of my faves. But then to combine it with cinnamon rolls? Well you can bet we’ll be thinking of you Christmas morning because we’ll be having these (if I can wait that long).
Make it more than once 😉
Oh my goodness, you got me at ‘red velvet’. I LOVE anything that is cooked in such a way and then now you tell me it’s a cinnamon roll — now it becomes even more amazing. Thanks for sharing this!
This looks delicious, thanks for sharing.
Red velvet cinnamon rolls are so pretty with the white icing! Pinning your wonderful recipe. Thank you for sharing it with us at the #HomeMattersParty this week.
Wow, these rolls look so yummy! Pinned! Thank you for sharing on Merry Monday! Hope to see ya next week!
Kim
These cinnamon rolls are amazing! Found them at #HomeMattersParty!
Thank you and welcome 🙂
Hey, Randa! Just wanted to let you know that we loved your Red Velvet Cinnamon Rolls so much when you shared it at the #HomeMattersParty last week, we’ve FEATURED it THIS WEEK! Hope you can check it out when you get a sec. Happy Monday!!!
https://lifewithlorelai.com/2017/11/09/home-matters-linky-party-161/
~Lorelai
Life With Lorelai / Home Matters Linky Party