Carrot Cake Cinnamon Rolls with Fresh Milled Flour

You know that moment when you can't decide between carrot cake and cinnamon rolls at brunch? This recipe obliterates that dilemma entirely. We're talking tender, gooey cinnamon rolls spiked with freshly grated carrots, warm cinnamon, and nutmeg, then swirled with a cinnamon sugar filling and smothered in tangy cream cheese icing. The fresh milled flour adds a subtle nuttiness and deeper flavor that boxed all-purpose just can't touch. These aren't your average bakery knockoffs. The dough is soft but structured, the filling is sticky without being cloying, and every bite gives that classic carrot cake flavor. These homemade cinnamon rolls hit that sweet spot where they feel special enough for a holiday brunch but approachable enough to make on a random Sunday morning if you have a little extra time. Make them once and you'll understand why people lose their minds over these fresh carrot cake cinnamon rolls. Make them twice and you'll start getting requests every time you host brunch.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword carrot cake cinnamon rolls

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 25

Rise Time 2

Total Time 2 55

Servings cinnamon rolls

Calories 598kcal

Ingredients

Dough:

1 1/2 cups warm water 330 grams
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup olive oil 100 grams
1/2 cup honey 130 grams
2 teaspoons lemon juice
¾ cup finely shredded carrots 100 grams
6-7 cups fresh milled flour - I like to use a blend of 50/50 hard red and hard white wheat for this recipe 780-910 grams
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon cloves
1 tablespoon instant yeast

Filling:

6 tablespoons softened butter 86 grams
½ cup finely shredded carrots 67 grams
1 cup sugar or maple sugar 120 grams
1 ½ tablespoons cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon cloves

Glaze:

4 ounces softened cream cheese 113 grams
¼ cup softened butter 58 grams
2 cups powdered sugar 200 grams
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk

Instructions

Combine the wet ingredients - water, oil, honey, lemon juice - as well as the salt and carrots, in the bowl of a stand mixer.
Next add half your flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Mix until well combined.
Allow the dough to rest in the mixer for 10 minutes before proceeding. This will make a softer loaf and helps to hydrate the fresh flour.
Add yeast and the rest of your flour. I like to add the flour slowly, 1/2 cup at a time and watch how the dough reacts. You don’t want to add too much flour. Add just enough to where a soft dough forms and the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl.
Knead dough until smooth and elastic. This takes about 8-10 minutes with a mixer and 10+ minutes if you are kneading by hand. Do the window pane test to ensure the kneading has been done properly.
Move the dough to a large bowl and place somewhere warm. I like to use my barely warmed oven (preheat for a few minutes and then turn it off). Let the dough rise until double in size, in a warm spot that takes 30-45 minutes. If rising on the counter, cover the dough and it may take longer to double in size.
Once the dough has risen, turn out onto an oiled or lightly floured surface. Roll into a 13 x 18 inch rectangle.
Spread with the melted butter, then sprinkle with the shredded carrots.
Combine the cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves with the sugar, then sprinkle the mixture evenly over the dough. Use your hands to press everything into the dough.
Prepare a 9×13 casserole dish or 2 round cake pans or 2 10 inch cast iron skillets (I line these with parchment paper if using them) by greasing them with butter or olive oil.
Cut the the dough using a pizza cutter. This recipes makes 12 cinnamon rolls. I like to start by cutting the dough rectangle in half, then each half in half and so on, to get 12 equal strips of dough.
Roll up each dough strip and carefully place them in the prepared pan or baking dish. They should be touching each other, but some gaps are fine, they will rise and spread.
Any filling that gets lost, just toss on top of the cinnamon rolls once they are in the pans.
Cover and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 30-45 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown.
Prepare the glaze by beating the cream cheese and butter together until smooth.
Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk. Beat until smooth.
Spread on top of the cinnamon rolls after baking.

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