Chai Cinnamon Rolls
These gooey chai cinnamon rolls are soft and fluffy, filled with delicious brown sugar chai filling, frosted with chai cream cheese frosting, all while drenched in a truly decadent and sticky brown sugar chai caramel sauce on the bottom. An absolutely incredible, indulgent treat to bake this fall!
Why these chai cinnamon rolls are AMAZING
These chai rolls are seriously incredible, and have a lot of delicious elements working together.
Bottoms drenched in a sticky, buttery brown sugar chai caramel sauce– This is basically just like extra cinnamon roll filling all over the bottom of the rolls! We’ll make a strong chai using 2 chai tea bags and 1/3 cup (80 ml) of heavy cream, then mix this with softened butter, brown sugar, chai spices, vanilla and honey. The mixture will be spread evenly on the bottom of the baking dish and the rolls will be placed over top. As the rolls bake, the mixture will turn into a perfect, sticky delicious caramely sauce that covers the bottoms of the rolls. SO GOOD!
Perfectly soft & fluffy rolls– Seriously like little pillows of doughy, buttery, sweet chai goodness. We’ll be using active dry yeast bloomed in warm whole milk, and lots of butter to give the dough the most perfect, plush texture. The dough rises and rolls out so nicely and is actually really fun to work with! 🙂
Full of delicious chai flavor- Chai spices like cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, allspice, nutmeg, and cloves are used in the dough, filling, caramel sauce and cream cheese frosting. These rolls are bursting with chai flavor in each bite!
For the full recipe, including measurements, step by step instructions, and bake time, please see the recipe card at the bottom of the post. This is just a brief overview!
Tips to make perfect chai cinnamon rolls
Lightly grease the plastic wrap for covering the dough while it proofs. This will help it not to stick to the rolls.
Use unflavored dental floss to cut the dough into rolls. This will allow for really pretty, clean cuts that a knife really can’t give you.
Measuring your flour properly. If you learn anything from making this recipe, please let it be this: measure your flour (and all other ingredients) with a digital kitchen scale. Please don’t bring me to tears; don’t scoop your measuring cup into your flour. This will always lead to inaccurate flour measurements and therefore, a wonky bake.
Let your dough proof outside if it’s warm enough, or in a cold oven with the light on.
Chai cinnamon rolls FAQ
Yes. To prepare ahead of time follow recipe up until you are about to proof the buns for the second time. Cover the prepared cinnamon buns and place in the fridge. The next morning when ready to bake, take the buns out of the fridge, pour room temperature cream in between them and allow them to proof somewhere warm until they’ve doubled in size. Keep in mind it will take longer than an hour because the dough is cold and has to come all the way to room temperature and then proof. Once they’ve doubled in size, bake according to the recipe.
Check that your yeast is not expired. If it did not get very foamy on top and smell “yeasty” after it bloomed, the yeast is dead. I’ve found that if it is just bubbly on top, but not foamy, this is an indication that the yeast is dead. Secondly, perhaps the dough just needed more time. Some times it can take up to 1 1/2 hours for the dough to proof all the way to “doubled in size”.
Keep left over cinnamon rolls in an airtight container for up to three days, but I have a feeling they’ll be gone before that!
If you make these chai cinnamon rolls please leave a star review! Also, tag me on Instagram @inbloombakery_ so I can see your creation! Follow me on Pinterest for other dessert ideas!
Other Recipes to Try
Chai Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 1 1/4 cups (300 ml) whole milk, warmed to about 110 degrees F
- 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
- 1 tsp granulated white sugar (to bloom the yeast)
- 4 3/4 cups (593 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 3/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp ground allspice
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
- 1/8 tsp ground cloves
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp (25 g) granulated white sugar
- 2 eggs, whisked
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (112 g) unsalted butter, very softened
For the Chai Caramel Sauce
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) heavy cream
- 2 chai tea bags
- 1/2 cup (112 g) unsalted butter, very softened
- 1 cup (220 g) light brown sugar, packed
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 3/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp ground allspice
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 3/4 tsp ground cardamom
- 1/8 tsp ground cloves
- 1/3 cup (116 g) honey
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt
For the Chai Filling
- 1/2 cup (112 g) unsalted butter, very softened
- 1 cup (220 g) light brown sugar, packed
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp ground allspice
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp ground cardamom
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) heavy cream (for pouring in between the rolls)
For the Chai Cream Cheese Frosting
- 6 tbsp (84 g) unsalted butter, very softened
- 6 oz (170 g) cream cheese, softened
- 3/4 cup (97 g) powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1/8 tsp ground allspice
- 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
- pinch of cloves
Instructions
For the Dough
- To start, bloom your yeast. Mix your active dry yeast, sugar, and warm milk together and let sit for 10 minutes until foamy on top.1 1/4 cups (300 ml) whole milk, warmed to about 110 degrees F, 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast, 1 tsp granulated white sugar (to bloom the yeast)
- Next, in a large bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, mix flour, chai spices, salt and sugar together.4 3/4 cups (593 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled, 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, 3/4 tsp ground ginger, 1/4 tsp ground allspice, 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg, 1/2 tsp ground cardamom, 1/8 tsp ground cloves, 1 1/2 tsp salt, 2 tbsp (25 g) granulated white sugar
- To the dry ingredients add the whisked eggs, vanilla and softened butter and mix.2 eggs, whisked, 1 tbsp vanilla extract, 1/2 cup (112 g) unsalted butter, very softened
- Add in the yeast mixture and mix until everything is blended. Switch to a dough hook and knead on medium speed for 7-10 minutes until the dough pulls away from the edges of the bowl, forms a ball and springs back when pressed.
- Form the dough into a ball. Place the dough in a large, greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and place in a warm place to rise, (outside or a cold oven with the light on works well for this), for 1- 1 ½ hours, or until the dough doubles in size.
For the Chai Caramel Sauce
- While the dough rises make the sticky chai caramel sauce for the bottom of the rolls. Add the heavy cream to a very small sauce pan and heat over low heat until steaming, then add in the teabags. Allow them to steep for 10 minutes, then remove from the heat, remove the teabags and let cool to room temperature.1/3 cup (80 ml) heavy cream, 2 chai tea bags
- In a medium bowl, mix the butter, brown sugar, chai spices, honey, vanilla and salt together. Then mix in the chai-heavy cream mixture.1/2 cup (112 g) unsalted butter, very softened, 1 cup (220 g) light brown sugar, packed, 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, 3/4 tsp ground ginger, 1/4 tsp ground allspice, 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg, 3/4 tsp ground cardamom, 1/8 tsp ground cloves, 1/3 cup (116 g) honey, 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, 1/4 tsp salt
- Grease a 9×13 inch casserole dish. Spread the mixture evenly over the bottom of the pan.
For the Chai Filling
- While the dough rises, also make the filling by mixing the butter, brown sugar, chai spices and salt together in a small bowl.1/2 cup (112 g) unsalted butter, very softened, 1 cup (220 g) light brown sugar, packed, 1 tbsp ground cinnamon, 1 1/2 tsp ground ginger, 1/2 tsp ground allspice, 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg, 1 tsp ground cardamom, 1/4 tsp ground cloves, 1/4 tsp salt
Assembling & Baking the Chai Rolls
- Once the dough has had a chance to rise, remove from bowl, punch dough to release the air, and roll out on a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into about an 18 x 12 inch rectangle. It should be about 1/4 inch thick.
- Spoon the chai brown sugar filling over the dough and spread it evenly with an offset spatula.
- Roll up the dough tightly into a long log shape starting from the end closest to you. Cut of a bit off the ends to make the log even. Cut 12 rolls about 1 1/2 inches wide using unflavored floss or a very sharp knife.
- Place the rolls in the prepared casserole dish with the chai caramel sauce mixture and pour room temperature heavy cream in between each roll. Cover them with plastic wrap and let them proof in a warm spot for about an hour, or until they have doubled in size.1/4 cup (60 ml) heavy cream (for pouring in between the rolls)
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F about 15 minutes before the rolls are done proofing.
- Once the rolls have completed their second rise, bake them for 29-32 minutes until golden brown. (30 minutes is usually perfect!)
For the Chai Cream Cheese Frosting
- While they bake, make the cream cheese frosting by adding the softened butter and cream cheese to a medium bowl and mixing it on medium-high speed with an electric mixer until combined and fluffy.6 tbsp (84 g) unsalted butter, very softened, 6 oz (170 g) cream cheese, softened
- Add in the powdered sugar, vanilla extract and chai spices. Mix on medium-low speed until combined, then on high speed until fluffy.3/4 cup (97 g) powdered sugar, 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/4 tsp ground ginger, 1/8 tsp ground allspice, 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg, 1/4 tsp ground cardamom, pinch of cloves
- Let the rolls cool for 10 minutes, then cover the warm rolls with the cream cheese icing. Then serve!
Out of this world delicious!
First time i tried making these i didnt fully let the butter soften and the dough was crumbly and dry. After the 2nd try i got the dough right and the cinnamon rolls were absolutely perfect. Definitely recommend this recipe!
If you ever need to soften butter quickly, fill a tall glass with hot water, let it get warm, then empty the water and place the warmed glass over the stick of butter. It was soften quickly without melting!
So where tf is the recipe? ? Hello you start at how to spread on the cinnamon like bitch? ur “go to my website” is so confusing and annoying because then you get here and it says “go to the bottom for the recipe” WHERE? Where? Tell me where because all I see is you putting it in the oven with everything already cooked leaving me with nothing. Smh.
It’s right there, search for “instructions” if your Instagram rotten brain can’t read words now and only operates on images. Why would you need to offend a creator like that? If you’re mad at your own inadequacy then just leave the website of someone who knows what they’re doing.
Right, people are so entitled, maybe use your eyes next time and look around… anyways the recipe is freaking awesome !!
Reading comprehension may not be your strong suit Maya
Hi, I’d like to make these tonight and put them in the oven in the morning. Would it be OK to proof them in the casserole dish overnight in the fridge? That’s how I usually make my sourdough cinnamon rolls, but wasn’t sure if it would work the same with this recipe.
I was wondering the same thing! Did you try it?
I would also like to make these tonight and put them in in the Am would that be possible or is that not a good idea? I hope someone can answer this question want them cooked and ready for Christmas morning!
Hey I tried it and worked out pretty well! just make sure to cover it tightly so the dough doesnt dry out on the top since i didn’t and they didnt cook so well
see that’s crazy bc i found her through tiktok, clicked on her bio and it lead me straight to this recipe. if you’re the only one having difficulty then the issue lies within you and not the creator as everyone else is competent enough to know how a website and recipe works. attacking the creator on her own website and recipe does not look good on you, actually it makes you look really rude and dumb. hope this helps!
It’s literally at the bottom of the page? There’s a button that says “jump to recipe”. Wild.
Is there a variation on the dough that could use sourdough starter instead of yeast?
This looks awesome! Cannot wait to make this! Thank you for including the ingredients breakdown in the instructions. Saves so much time scrolling back and forth.
I just made these and they are absolutely incredible! My husband said they’re the best thing I’ve ever baked. Thank you for the recipe! 🙂 How do you recommend storing them?
All in all a good recipe, however the spices were underwhelming at the end and didn’t come through as I expected. I will increase the cinnamon and ginger next time and give that a try. The proofing worked really well and I ended up with really fluffy rolls inside and a nice thin crust on the edges.
Maybe try a pinch of finely ground black pepper next time! It really gives it that spice you’re looking for.
Can you proof dough overnight?
These turned out SO DELICIOUS! A delicious treat and fun fall activity! Would love to know if there is a ‘mini-bun’ version to make 24 instead of 12 (they turn out quite, but are packed with flavor).
I’m making these this afternoon and already giving 5/5 stars. The outline of this recipe is incredible — I love how you have the quantities of all ingredients listed in the beginning, and then the quantities again after each step so I don’t have to scroll! AND I can check off the ingredients as I use them! Amazing.
I made cupcakes out of a double batch of the chai cake recipe for a teacher; and she said that they were amazing!!
En español por favor !! Salen muchísimos anuncios es complicado…
Wow this is probably the best thing i’ve ever put in my mouth. The rolls were so perfectly soft and slightly doughy still which is how i love my cinnamon rolls and the chai flavours were to die for. Will absolutely be making again
I loved the breakdown of ingredients to use with each step below the instructions, dough was easy to make and proofed well. Rolls came out amazing!!! One gripe I did have was with the chai seasonings, having to measure out each spice every step which a bit irritating. I would like to input a suggestion to make a batch chai seasoning and then scoop out from there for the various fillings/dough.
Sorry I meant to leave a rating!
Instead of buying each individual spice, I bought “pumpkin pie spice” and includes most of them. Will be trying this recipe today with that blend!
I made a vegan version of them and even with the dairy and egg supplemented they turned out AMAZING! Best autumn recipe ever, spent all afternoon surrounded by spices and a cute playlist in the kitchen, and the result is even better <3 xx
What did you use as an egg substitute?
Hey, I did this and personally used a spoonful of cashew yogurt (from Trader Joe’s) for each “egg”! It turned out great!
I had an issue with the bottom layer of the cinnamon rolls not baking properly, any tips on how to fix that or did anyone else have that problem?
Best cinnamon roll recipe i’ve ever tried!!
So good and much easier to make than expected. Not a cook or a baker of any sort, but the instructions were incredibly informative and easy to follow. I made them to surprise my grandmother and we both absolutely loved them! Thank you for posting this incredibly awesome recipe.
Receta porfavor de CINNAMONS ROLLS chai
Absolutely DELICIOUS!! It took me about 7 hours total from start to finish (some of that was forgetting ingredients and just being a slow baker) but let me tell you: worth EVERY SECOND! These are so fluffy and soft and melt in your mouth! I’m giving half of my bake to my grandmother for her birthday tomorrow. An absolutely lovely treat!
my whole family DEVOURED them 10/10 so good!
These were phenomenal! Definitely going to become a fall staple in my household!
This recipe was amazing, it was my first time solo baking and the instructions were so clear and easy to follow. Thank you for this delicious recipe
10/10 this recipe is soooo delicious. Will make again, and soon.
OH. MY. GOD.
These transported me to seventh heaven.
Is there a way to make this dairy free but have it come out the same?
Hello! Do you have a recommendation on how to make these gluten free? I have never made cinnamon rolls with a gluten free flour and wasn’t sure how it would turn out.
These are soooo good. Made them Yesterday and the whole Family loved them. Actially I needed a bit more flour for the dough to get the Fight consistence tho. But still absolutely delicious.
This was a VERY easy recipe to follow, a lot of fun to make, and by far the best thing I’ve ever put in my mouth! Highly recommend!
Hi! I am using my sourdough starter, about how much starter do you recommend using vs. the little yeast packet? Excited to try this recipe out!!!
my rolls were not fully cooked and there was way too much liquid on the bottom… it couldn’t be called a sauce.
I’ll definitely try it again with maybe less ‘sauce’
Taste was great!
This was an amazing recipe! The sauce on the bottom candied around the edges, though, which left pieces of caramel candy on the colder rolls. Otherwise, perfection! I followed the recipe exactly, and even made it a second time!
can i have recept
My family LOVES these! My husband says I do not need to look any further for cinnamon roll recipes because this is it! I told him they are technically chai cinnamon rolls, he said just leave off the word chai because these are the best cinnamon rolls, I just feel if I bring them to a get together I should say Chai because they are so rich in spices. I love these but note these are very flavorful and to some people might be too much, if you go to some bakeries their cinnamon rolls are more bread than cinnamon, these are NOT those. These are more like Cinnabon cinnamon rolls but better. Because I was concerned of it being too much spice for my family, I left out the chai spice in the cream cheese frosting, I didn’t want to over over do it. My daughter was sad I did that, so for Christmas I will make half chai and half regular cream cheese frosting. Delicious!
Super easy to make!! Turned out amazing little more spicey chai than sweet chai in my opinion
Holy moly these are delicious. We have never made cinnamon rolls from scratch and aren’t the biggest bakers, but this recipe was so easy to follow and they turned out perfect! Even my dad, who doesn’t like chai, said he loved them. These might become our new Christmas tradition!
Truly the best cinnamon rolls I’ve ever had or made…. EVER. Even my kids were obsessed!
Okay, I have no idea what’s going on with the negative comments but, all I can say is, I pinned this about two weeks ago and I just put the sliced rolls with caramel mixture on the bottom and then the heavy cream around the rolls. They are back in a warm oven for the final rise. All I can say is, I just followed the instructions, the doughrose beautifully and I can’t wait to bake them and leave another comment. I’ll also tag Ginny with pics on my Instagram. Stay tuned…
These tasted really good but did not come out as planned/presented. The sauce to go in the bottom of the pan totally ended up flooding the rolls and turned out really liquidy and greasy, which was odd. I’m not sure why this happened, but I ended up having to dump liquid out of the pan essentially after the rolls cooked.
By far the best dessert rolls I’ve ever had. The most amazing recipe. I’ve made them 5 times now and they’re everyone’s favorite
Just out of the oven now and there is so much liquid at the bottom of the pan it’s covering half the cinnamon rolls, idk it it’s bc my pan was bigger than the recipes (10x14inch) but I don’t think it should be the reason for such an overwhelming amount of oil. If you’re going to make please only make half the amount of sauce as stated in the recipe. Also unfortunately my rolls did not do a second rise so perhaps that could have added to the problem, however there are other comments stating the same complaint.
so yummy!!
Out of this world delish! Worth every minute of prep. I hadn’t cooked with yeast before, and your instructions made it easy. Thank you for this amazing treat.
Absolutely delicious! It’s very rich – so i have toned down the sugar a little. Such a genius recipe!
Really, really great recipe. Wonderful taste, surprisingly not too sweet. My only critique would be the “caramel sauce”. Leaves too much liquid butter in the bottom and affects baking, I think less butter in that step would help, or actually cooking the caramel a bit before adding to the bottom. But really, I love this recipe. Thank you for it!
Great point on cooking the caramel a bit first – I would agree!
I’m not one to leave a rating or review for a recipe, in fact, this is my first time because I just HAD TO put it out there. This is thee BEST cinnamon roll recipe I have ever came across, oh my dear soul! I dont see myself ever making any other recipe for cinnamon rolls out there because I have found my utmost obsession. I had the last one from my batch three days ago and I miss them already. Safe to say I will be making another batch very very soon. Thank you Ginny for such am amazing recipe! In Ginny, we trust!
So rich and delicious! Going into my archive of favorite dessert recipes. Thank you for this!
the cinimen rolls turned out dry for some reason. how do i fix that
Not only the best cinnamon rolls I’ve ever had, its also the best chai dessert recipe I could’ve ever dreamed of!
So good! I over-kneaded a bit so they were more dense than I’d like, but will definitely make again. ?
Also, we love our chai with some kick so increased the spice amounts throughout, especially the ginger, all spice and cloves, then added fresh ground black pepper and a pinch of cayenne to the caramel – game changer!! Gives a lingering warmth.