Caramel Rolls - The Recipe Critic (2024)

Caramel Rolls are as heavenly as they sound! Delicious and delicate cinnamon rolls are covered in caramel sauce that melts into every nook with absolutely divine flavor in every bite. I am not kidding when I say this is a next-level dessert experience!

You’ve got to try these rolls! It’s everyone’s favorite dessert, the classic cinnamon roll, but covered in caramel instead of frosting. It is so good you won’t be able to stop yourself from eating another piece. If you love cinnamon rolls, you’ve got to try these Strawberry Rolls and these amazing Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls.

Caramel Roll

Get ready for the biggest thing since sliced bread! Seriously, these caramel rolls are ground breaking, you are going to instantly fall in love with them! They are really similar to a sticky bun or monkey bread. They are the same dough as a cinnamon roll (with the same filling too), then topped with a sticky and creamy caramel sauce. The sauce is SO delicious, you won’t be able to stop yourself from going back for more and more.

If you haven’t made a cinnamon roll before, it’s definitely not difficult, but there are some steps you have to get right for that perfectly fluffy bread. If you want something easy to start with, make this Cinnabon Cinnamon Roll Cake and this Cinnamon Roll Monkey Bread. Then you’ll be ready for the real thing! If you have made cinnamon rolls before, you are going to LOVE how simple and straight forward this recipe is. No fuss, a little mess, and a whole lot of baked goodness. Let’s get baking!

Ingredients

Don’t be overwhelmed by the list of ingredients in these caramel rolls! Most of them are repeated, you just need some for each step of the way. This recipe really just calls for the basic baking ingredients. You will use almost exactly what you would for any other cinnamon roll recipe. Homemade caramel rolls can be made any way you like them! You can add things like nuts or raisins if you feel like it! Measurements are below in the recipe card.

Cinnamon Roll Dough

• All-Purpose Flour: This is the easiest flour to work with, and you probably already have some in your pantry!
• Granulated Sugar: To sweeten the dough and help it rise and bake.
• Salt: I like to add salt to balance the sweetness and to help it bake correctly.
• Instant Yeast: This helps the dough rise.
• Water: To mix with the yeast and to moisten the dough.
• Milk: This makes the dough so tender and soft.
• Butter: Extra fat in the dough makes a really tender crumb.

Caramel Topping

• Dark Brown Sugar: This deepens the caramel flavor, you’ve got to try it!
• Butter: I like to use unsalted so I can add the exact amount of salt I know it needs.
• Corn Syrup: This helps the caramel pull apart nicely.
• Heavy Whipping Cream: This makes such a creamy and rich caramel!
• Salt: Salt balances out the sweet flavors.

Cinnamon Roll Filling

• Butter: Butter keeps the roll soft and gooey on the inside and helps all the flavors blend together.
• Cinnamon: It wouldn’t be the same without cinnamon in the center!
• Brown Sugar: More brown sugar makes that creamy caramel center.

Caramel Roll Recipe

These caramel rolls are so simple to make. They are just like a regular quick cinnamon roll recipe with caramel poured on top! You will need a few hours to make these rolls, they need to rest and rise a few times to get them nice and fluffy and soft. This is a great recipe to make the night before you want to eat them, they reheat really well! You can even wait until you are ready to serve them to pour the fresh caramel sauce on top. Just make sure to heat the roll up before you pour the sauce over so the whole thing is nice and warm.

Make the Caramel Roll Dough

1. Mix Dry: In a large bowl mix the flour, sugar, salt and yeast together until evenly dispersed. Set aside.
2. Mix Wet and Dry: In a small microwaveable bowl, mix the water, milk and butter together and heat for 30-45 seconds until the butter is melted. Add the butter mixture to the flour mixture.
3. Add Egg and Knead: Add the egg to the dough and knead either by hand or with a stand mixer for 3-4 minutes until the dough is no longer sticky.
4. Rest: Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl and let rest for 5 minutes.
5. Preheat Oven: Turn on the oven and preheat to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Turn the oven off after 10 minutes or once the rolls are ready to go in to rise, whichever comes first.

Make the Caramel

1. Prep Pan: Spray a 9×9 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
2. Make Sauce: In a small saucepan, bring the brown sugar, butter, corn syrup and salt to a boil while stirring constantly. Then remove from the heat and stir in the cream and salt until combined. Pour the finished caramel into the prepared baking pan.

Add Filling and Bake

1. Roll Out Dough: After the dough has rested for 5 minutes, then roll it out to a 15×9 inch rectangle.
2. Add Butter: Spread the softened butter on top of the dough.
3. Sprinkle Sugar and Cinnamon: Mix together the brown sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle evenly over the butter. Then roll up tightly from the long end.
4. Cut Rolls: Slice the log into 9 even pieces and lay in the prepared pan on top of the caramel.
5. Cover Pan: Cover the pan with plastic wrap or foil and place in the warm oven, being sure to turn it off first.
6. Rise: Let the rolls rise for 20 minutes. Once they have risen, then remove the foil or plastic wrap and return to the oven and turn the heat to 375 degrees fahrenheit.
7. Bake: Bake for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown. As soon as the rolls come out of the oven, carefully invert on a plate or serving tray so the caramel oozes around the rolls.