Your favorite spring dessert and special occasion breakfast rolled into one? These Carrot Cake Cinnamon Rolls are packed with grated carrots, warm spices, and chopped walnuts, then topped with a cream cheese frosting for a perfect springtime brunch.
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Spring is for all things carrot cake-flavored and cinnamon rolls.
OK, cinnamon rolls are technically a year-round treat and I'd indulge in carrot cake in any season, too.
But there's something about Easter that calls for both of them.
With grated carrots in both the dough and the filling, warming spices, and a cream cheese frosting, these carrot cake cinnamon rolls will be a very welcome addition to Easter brunch.
Or just a fun springtime treat.
🗒 Ingredients
If you've ever made homemade cinnamon rolls before, you'll see these use very standard ingredients, with the addition of a few special features, like grated carrots, warming spices, and walnuts.
And, of course, a cream cheese frosting to top them off!
Here's everything you need for the recipe (be sure to view the recipe card at the bottom of this post for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions):
- Whole milk
- Vegetable oil
- Granulated sugar
- Dry active yeast
- All-purpose flour
- Ground cinnamon
- Salt
- Vanilla extract
- Finely grated carrots: You'll want to get rid of as much moisture as possible from the carrots. After measuring them out, I recommend wrapping them in cheesecloth or a dish towel and squeezing them firmly to remove as much water as possible.
- Unsalted butter
- Light brown sugar
- Ground nutmeg
- Ground ginger
- Ground cloves
- Chopped walnuts: optional, but highly recommended!
And for the cream cheese frosting, you'll need:
- Cream cheese
- Unsalted butter
- Confectioners' sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Milk or cream
🥕 How to make carrot cake cinnamon rolls
The first time I made cinnamon rolls, I was so intimidated and it felt like such a huge project. Now, it's something I do for fun on a Tuesday afternoon!
So, if this is your first time, I understand you might be a little nervous. But I promise it's a whole lot easier than it looks! You mostly just need some time (especially for the rises!) and some counter space (for rolling out the dough).
To start, heat the milk, vegetable oil, and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it's hot, but not at the point of boiling.
It should be about 170-180 degrees.
Pour the milk mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment. If you don't have a stand mixer, you can do it by hand (I share tips in the recipe card)
Now, let the mixture rest for about 10 minutes to cool a bit. If you're using a thermometer, you want it to cool to about about 110 degrees.
Once cooled, sprinkle yeast over the top of milk mixture and let sit for 5 minutes.
Once rested, add flour, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and salt to milk mixture and mix on low for 1 minute, until flour is incorporated.
Add vanilla extract and ½ cup grated carrots (make sure you squeeze the moisture out of your carrots!) and use your mixer's dough hook attachment to knead on medium speed until dough is comes together and is smooth, 6-8 minutes.
Transfer the dough ball to a lightly greased mixing bowl, cover with a towel, and place in a warm location for about an hour.
The dough should just about double in size during the end of the hour it's resting.
Once dough has risen, punch it down and place on a lightly floured surface. Roll dough out into a rectangle, about 12×16 inches.
Using a knife spread butter over the entire dough rectangle, all the way to the edges. Sprinkle brown sugar, remaining 2 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, remaining ½ cup grated carrots, and walnuts over the top.
Now, roll the dough lengthwise into a tight log, and use a sharp knife or unflavored dental floss to cut the log into 12 equal slices (about 1 ¼" thick).
It's OK if you end up with a couple extra! Arrange the rolls in 2 9-inch pie plates that are lightly sprayed with cooking oil or brushed with softened butter.
Now you have to let them rise again. I know, so much waiting!
Cover the pan with a towel and place the rolls in a warm area to rise for about 45 minutes.
When rolls are almost done rising, preheat oven to 350 degrees.
And now you're ready to bake! Bake the rolls for about 20-24 minutes, until cooked through and no longer doughy.
While they're baking, you can whip up the cream cheese frosting.
In the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment or in a medium bowl with a hand mixer or whisk, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth.
Add confectioners' sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla extract and beat until combined.
Add 3 tablespoon milk or cream to bowl and beat well. Add an additional tablespoon liquid for thinner frosting.
Let the cinnamon rolls rest for about 5 minutes before spreading with cream cheese frosting and adding sprinkles, if desired.
I recommend using cute carrot sprinkles.
And Easter brunch is ready. OK, maybe you should serve some eggs or ham or something along with these carrot cake cinnamon rolls.
But I'd say your brunch contribution is officially fulfilled. And all guests will be very much satisfied.
The carrot cake cinnamon rolls are such a sweet touch of spring!
☀️ How to make in advance
Obviously making cinnamon rolls isn't a super quick process and it's not really possible to get up in the morning to make them in time for breakfast.
Luckily, you do have some options for prepping part of the rolls in advance!
Here are two different ways you can do this:
- Option 1: After the dough rises (step 4 in the recipe card), cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and place in fridge for up to three days and finish rolling dough and forming rolls when ready.
- Option 2: After you arrange the rolls in the pan (step 7), you can cover the pan in plastic wrap and place them in the fridge overnight or in the freezer for longer. Simply bring to room temperature and bake when ready.
⏲️ How to store
And if you have leftover cinnamon rolls after baking or you simply want to bake the rolls in advance and just re-heat before brunch, that's fine, too!
I recommend waiting to frost the rolls right before serving. And as long as you wrap the dish of unfrosted cinnamon rolls tightly in plastic wrap, you can store them at room temperature for about 24 hours.
Any longer than 24 hours or if you've already frosted the rolls, you should keep them tightly wrapped in the fridge.
To re-heat the cinnamon rolls before serving, I recommend doing so in the oven at 325 degrees. Lightly cover the dish with aluminum foil and heat for 10-12 minutes, until warmed through.
Once warmed, frost the rolls
🎉 Variations on recipe
Here are a few ideas for what you can add to these carrot cake cinnamon rolls/changes you can make to suit them even more to your tastes!
- Some people like raisins in their carrot cake and you can certainly add them to the filling ingredients.
- You can also add shredded coconut to the rolls for more tropical carrot cake flavor.
- If you're missing the pineapple flavor, you can add crushed pineapple to the filling; just make sure you drain it really well.
- If you don't prefer nuts, you can leave the walnuts out, though I do think they add a lot to the carrot cake flavor of the rolls! You can also feel free to crush them so they're smaller.
- You can also substitute the walnuts for pecans if you prefer.
🐰 More Easter brunch recipes
For more sweet and savory Easter brunch ideas, check out some of my other favorite recipes:
We also make this Eggs Benedict Casserole for brunch all the time in our house!
And an Iced Cherry Chai Latte is the perfect spring drink to serve with brunch.
I hope these carrot cake cinnamon rolls make your spring season a little brighter.
Please leave a comment and rating below if you make them!
📖 Recipe
Carrot Cake Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole milk
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 6 Tbsp (¼ cup + 2 Tbsp) granulated sugar
- 2 ¼ tsp (or 1 packet) dry active yeast
- 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 4 teaspoon ground cinnamon divided
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup finely grated carrots divided (after measuring grated carrots, wrap in cheesecloth or a dish towel and squeeze firmly to remove as much water as possible)
- 6 tablespoon unsalted butter softened
- ¾ cup packed brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ cup chopped chopped walnuts optional
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter softened
- 2 cups confectioners' sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3-4 tablespoon milk or cream
Instructions
- Heat milk, vegetable oil, and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it's hot, but not at the point of boiling. It should be about 170-180 degrees.
- Pour milk mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment (if you don't have a stand mixer, you can do it by hand- see notes below) and let rest for about 10 minutes to cool a bit (you want it at about 110 degrees). Sprinkle yeast over the top of milk mixture. Let sit for 5 minutes.
- Add flour, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and salt to milk mixture and mix on low for 1 minute, until flour is incorporated. Add vanilla extract and ½ cup grated carrots and use your mixer's dough hook attachment to knead on medium speed until dough is comes together and is smooth, 6-8 minutes.
- Transfer dough to a lightly greased mixing bowl, cover with a towel, and place in a warm location. Let dough rise for about an hour, until it doubles in size.
- Once dough has risen, punch it down and place on a lightly floured surface. Roll dough out into a rectangle, about 12×16 inches.
- Using a knife spread butter over the entire dough rectangle, all the way to the edges. Sprinkle brown sugar, remaining 3 teaspoon (1 Tbsp) cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, remaining ½ cup grated carrots, and walnuts over the top.
- Roll the dough lengthwise into a tight log, and use a sharp knife or unflavored dental floss to cut the log into 12 equal slices (about 1 ¼" thick). It's OK if you end up with a couple extra! Arrange the rolls in 2 9-inch pie plates that are lightly sprayed with cooking oil or brushed with softened butter.
- Cover cinnamon rolls with a towel and place in a warm area to rise for about 45 minutes.
- When rolls are almost done rising, preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Bake rolls for about 20-24 minutes, until cooked through and turning golden.
- Let cinnamon rolls rest for about 5 minutes before spreading with cream cheese frosting and adding sprinkles, if desired.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment or in a medium bowl with a hand mixer or whisk, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add confectioners' sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla extract and beat until combined.
- Add 3 tablespoon milk or cream to bowl and beat well. Add an additional tablespoon liquid for thinner frosting.
Notes
- If you don't have a stand mixer, put milk mixture in a large bowl, sprinkle yeast over, and use a wooden spoon to combine with flour, cinnamon, and salt. Once dough comes together, place on a lightly floured surface and use your hands to knead dough for about 10 minutes.
- If you want to make part of these cinnamon rolls in advance, you have a couple different options: Option 1: After the dough rises (step 4 in the recipe card), cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and place in fridge for up to three days and finish rolling dough and forming rolls when ready. Option 2: After you arrange the rolls in the pan (step 7), you can cover the pan in plastic wrap and place them in the fridge overnight or in the freezer for longer. Simply bring to room temperature and bake when ready.
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