Description
Indulgent chai cinnamon rolls blend warm spices from India with classic American pastry. Homemade dough swirls with aromatic cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger, offering you a comforting breakfast treat that delights the senses.
Ingredients
Scale
Chai Ingredients:
- 2 chai tea bags
- 1 1/4 cups (300ml) warm whole milk
- 1/2 cup softened unsalted butter
- 2 eggs, whisked
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
Dry Ingredients:
- 4 3/4 cups (593g) all-purpose flour
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- Ground spices (allspice, nutmeg, cardamom, cloves)
Sweet and Frosting Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon white sugar (for yeast)
- 2 tablespoons white sugar (for dough)
- 2 cups light brown sugar
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 6 ounces cream cheese
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Activate yeast by whisking warm milk, yeast, and sugar together in a bowl. Allow mixture to foam and become frothy for approximately 10 minutes.
- Combine flour, salt, and dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Incorporate bloomed yeast mixture and egg, kneading thoroughly until dough becomes smooth and elastic, about 8-10 minutes.
- Transfer dough to a greased container, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm environment until volume doubles, roughly 1-1.5 hours.
- Prepare caramel sauce by gently steeping cream with chai tea leaves. Strain and blend with melted butter, brown sugar, ground cardamom, cinnamon, and honey until silky and well-incorporated.
- Create filling by whisking softened butter with brown sugar, ground cinnamon, and chai spice blend until uniformly mixed.
- Roll out risen dough into a rectangular shape, spreading filling evenly across surface. Carefully roll dough into a tight log, then slice into 12 equal portions.
- Arrange rolls in a prepared baking pan, drizzling caramel sauce between pieces. Cover and allow second rise for approximately 45-60 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake rolls for 25-30 minutes until golden brown and center is fully cooked. Let cool slightly before serving.
Notes
- Swap milk with plant-based alternatives like almond or oat milk for dairy-free version, ensuring similar warm temperature for yeast activation.
- Experiment with different chai spice blends to customize flavor profile, balancing cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, and black pepper ratios.
- Cold-proof dough overnight in refrigerator for deeper flavor development and more convenient morning baking schedule.
- Use room temperature ingredients to help dough rise consistently and achieve softer, more tender roll texture.
- Prep Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Breakfast, Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Indian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 392
- Sugar: 28 g
- Sodium: 296 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 56 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 62 mg