Chai Spiced Cinnamon Rolls

Spice up your breakfast this weekend with these indulgent chai spiced cinnamon rolls! They’re made with fluffy, yeasted dough and a buttery swirl of cinnamon, cardamom, clove, ginger, allspice, and nutmeg to achieve that true chai flavor. And even better, the golden brown baked buns are then topped with a velvety vanilla bean frosting that turns irresistibly melty when the buns are still warm. Good luck only eating one.

Chai Cinnamon Rolls with vanilla bean frosting

Ingredients You’ll Need To Make These Chai Cinnamon Rolls

Whole Milk – You will need 1 1/2 cups of milk for the dough, warmed to approximately 110ºF to activate the yeast. A few tablespoons will be needed for the frosting as well.
Active Dry Yeast – One 0.25-ounce packet of yeast is needed to rise the dough. It will be mixed first with the warm milk and a tablespoon of sugar, then left to sit for 5 minutes to activate. It should look slightly foamy by the end of the activation period and have a bread-like, yeasty aroma.
Granulated Sugar – You will need 1/3 cup of granulated sugar for the dough and 1/2 cup for the filling.
Bread Flour – You will need 5 cups of bread flour. Bread flour contains more gluten than all-purpose, which helps to form a stretchy, elastic dough that creates a better structure in the final rolls.
Egg – You will need 1 egg for the dough at room temperature.
Unsalted Butter – You will need about 2 sticks of unsalted butter in total for the whole recipe, split across the dough, filling, and frosting. Make sure the butter is at room temperature so it mixes and spreads easily.
Table Salt – You will need 1 teaspoon of salt for the dough and 1/8 teaspoon for the frosting.
Spices – You will need ground cinnamon, cardamom, clove, ginger, allspice, and nutmeg for the sugar filling to give the rolls the blend of chai flavor. You can also include a quarter teaspoon of ground star anise, as it appears in many chai spice blends, but I just personally prefer it without.
Powdered Sugar – You will need 2 cups of powdered sugar for the frosting.
Vanilla Bean Paste – You will need 1 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste for the frosting. Vanilla extract can be used in its place, but I like the flavor of the paste and the appearance of the vanilla bean specks.

Cinnamon Roll Dough Ingredients — Weigh out the dough ingredients.

Proofed Cinnamon Roll Dough — Let the kneaded dough rise until doubled in size.

Notes

Do I have to use bread flour?

I highly recommend using bread flour for a better structured final dough. You can use all-purpose flour in a pinch, the dough will not be as elastic and chewy due to the lower protein content.

How do I know if the dough is kneaded enough?

This dough will be slightly wet and sticky to the touch before the first proof, but it should still be smooth and stretchy. I do the “window pane” test to check how the gluten is developing by taking a small piece of dough and pulling it between my hands to create a thin section of dough. If you can create a translucent window that passes some light through without the dough immediately breaking, that means the gluten structure has developed well and the dough is ready.

How do I know if the dough has risen enough?

When the dough has doubled in size it’s ready. It can be helpful to take a photo of the dough at the start so you have a reminder of what the size was initially. If it’s a warm day this should take about an hour, if it’s a cooler day this could take well over an hour. I like encourage the rise by placing the dough in the (turned off) oven with the oven light turned on to give some gentle heat. You can also test the dough by lightly poking into the dough and seeing if it springs back. If the dough springs back quickly, it needs more time to rise, if it slowly springs back, you’re good to go!

What is the best way to cut the rolls?

I love the “dental floss” trick. Slide a piece of dental floss (unflavored) under the rolled dough, gather it at the top, cross the strings, and pull to slice. They turn out perfect every time! You can also use a sharp knife, but the rolls might require some minor reshaping if flattened slightly in the cutting process.

Can I prepare these a day ahead?

Absolutely! In fact, my favorite way to make these rolls is to do the second proof overnight in the refrigerator. Just prepare the rolls the night before, place in a baking tray, and store them covered in the refrigerator for 8-12 hours. When you’re ready to bake in the morning, take the rolls out, let them come to room temperature, and, if needed, finish rising to roughly 1.5x the size as the oven preheats (most of the rising will take place overnight though).

Sugar and chai spice mixture — Combine the sugar and spices.

Rolled out cinnamon roll dough covered with butter and chai spiced sugar — Roll out the dough and cover with butter and the sugar mixture.

Vanilla bean frosting for cinnamon rolls — Combine the frosting ingredients.

Other Baked Treats You’ll Enjoy For Breakfast

A Few Last Tips for Making Chai Spiced Cinnamon Rolls:

Use the “floss technique” to slice the individual rolls. Take a piece of dental floss, slide under the rolled log of dough, pull each string up on the side, cross the strings, and pull to slice!
Prepare the rolls ahead of time. If you start these cinnamon rolls in the evening, they can proof in the refrigerator overnight for 8-12 hours. Then all you have to do in the morning is take them out, let come to room temperature, and bake without any hassle!