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Croissant Cinnamon Rolls with Mascarpone Cream Cheese Icing Recipe

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3.8 from 13 reviews

Indulge in these flaky and buttery Croissant Cinnamon Rolls, a delightful blend of croissant dough laminated with layers of cinnamon and sugar, baked until golden and topped with a rich mascarpone and cream cheese frosting. Perfect for breakfast or brunch, this recipe combines the flakiness of croissants with the cozy warmth of cinnamon rolls, making a truly irresistible treat.

  • Author: Chef
  • Prep Time: 24 hours
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Total Time: 24 hours 25 minutes
  • Yield: 8 jumbo or 12 regular cinnamon rolls
  • Category: Breakfast
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: French-American

Ingredients

Dough

  • 500 grams all purpose flour
  • 50 grams granulated sugar
  • 15 grams instant yeast
  • 1 large egg
  • 250 milliliters whole milk
  • 60 grams salted butter, soft
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

Butter Block

  • 300 grams salted butter (cold, recommend Kerrygold)

Filling

  • 125 grams salted butter, soft
  • 125 grams granulated sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 3 tablespoons cinnamon (split: 1.5 tablespoons for butter filling, 1.5 tablespoons for sugar sprinkle)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 75 grams granulated sugar (for second cinnamon sprinkle)

Icing

  • 227 grams mascarpone, room temperature
  • 113 grams cream cheese, room temperature
  • 180 grams powdered sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons whole milk (more as needed)

Instructions

  1. Prepare Dough: In a stand mixer bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, and instant yeast. Add egg, warm milk, soft salted butter, and salt. Knead with dough hook on medium-low speed for 5 minutes until dough holds together (doesn’t need to be smooth). Shape dough into approximately 5″ x 10″ rectangle, wrap airtight with plastic, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  2. Make Butter Block: On parchment paper with a 9″ x 9″ square drawn, arrange 300 grams of cold butter slices evenly within the square. Cover with a second parchment sheet and roll gently to stick butter slices together. Flip and continue to roll until butter forms an even 9″ x 9″ square. Refrigerate butter block for 10 minutes.
  3. Laminate the Dough: Remove dough from fridge, roll out to 9″ x 18″ rectangle on floured surface. Place chilled butter block (butter side down) in center and fold dough edges over butter to enclose. Rotate dough so the seam is vertical. Roll out to 20″ x 10″, trim edges, and do a letter fold (fold top third down, then bottom third up). Wrap in plastic and chill 45 minutes. Repeat rolling, folding, and chilling two more times (45 minutes then 1 hour chilling).
  4. Prepare Fillings: Mix 125 grams soft butter, 125 grams sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1.5 tablespoons cinnamon, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract until creamy. In a separate bowl, combine 75 grams sugar with 1.5 tablespoons cinnamon.
  5. Assemble Rolls: Roll chilled dough into a 16″ x 12-14″ rectangle. Trim 1/4″ off long sides. Evenly spread butter filling over dough surface, then sprinkle cinnamon sugar mixture over it. Carefully roll dough starting with the long edge closest to you. For 8 jumbo rolls, keep the length as is; for 12 regular rolls, slightly stretch to 18″. Trim 1/4″ from one end, mark slice widths (2″ for jumbo, 1.5″ for regular), and slice accordingly.
  6. Proof Rolls: Line baking pan with parchment and arrange rolls in two rows of 4 for jumbo or three rows of 4 for regular, positioning ends towards each other to keep shape. Cover with plastic wrap and proof at room temperature for about 1.5 hours until rolls become puffier and nearly touch. Avoid warm spots to prevent melting butter layers.
  7. Bake: Preheat oven to 425°F with rack in center. Bake proofed rolls for 15 minutes, rotate the pan, then bake an additional 10–15 minutes until deeply golden brown. Remove from oven and cool 10–15 minutes.
  8. Make Icing: Beat mascarpone, cream cheese, salt, vanilla, and powdered sugar until smooth. Add milk gradually to reach desired consistency. For thinner icing, omit cream cheese and add more milk.
  9. Finish and Serve: Dollop icing over cooled rolls and spread evenly. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature.

Notes

  • Dough lamination requires patience and cold ingredients to achieve flaky layers.
  • Butter block is critical to keep cold to prevent melting into dough.
  • Proof rolls at room temperature but avoid warm areas that can melt butter and lose layering.
  • You can prepare dough the day before and bake the next morning for convenience.
  • Adjust icing thickness by varying mascarpone, cream cheese, and milk quantities.
  • Store leftovers at room temperature for best texture; refrigeration may alter softness.

Find it online: https://cheftinaskitchen.com/croissant-cinnamon-rolls-with-mascarpone-cream-cheese-icing-recipe/