Upgrade your next batch of homemade cinnamon rolls with pecans and tangy lemon cream cheese frosting. These sticky buns are gooey and buttery as ever, with a crunchy, zesty twist!
If you’re as obsessed with cinnamon rolls as I am, try my pumpkin cinnamon rolls and these chocolate cinnamon rolls next. You might also love these cinnamon scones.
PSA: Buttery, soft, sticky pecan cinnamon rolls are out-of-this-world delicious. I always made these with my mom, who loves cinnamon rolls and was always game to roll up her sleeves for a gooey, sugary cause. I’ve adapted the recipe over the years, swapping traditional icing for a creamy, tangy lemon frosting and adding crunchy pecans to the filling.
Why You’ll Fall In Love With Ooey-Gooey Pecan Cinnamon Rolls
- A classic with crunch! There’s all that ooey-gooey goodness and warm cinnamon spice you crave in a pillowy cinnamon roll, with a hint of crunch from the pecans. If you’d prefer a nut-free version, however, go ahead and make your rolls without. They’re delicious either way.
- Easy method. Yes, homemade cinnamon rolls take a little time and patience. But the process is super simple, and these are worth every minute!
- Creamy lemon frosting. I frost the rolls when they’re warm from the oven, so the tangy cream cheese frosting melts into every nook and cranny. It’s flavored with lemon extract for a zesty spin.
What You’ll Need
Adding pecans to my favorite classic cinnamon rolls recipe was definitely a good decision. The ingredients here are mostly pantry staples, and I’ve included some notes to get you started. Scroll to the recipe card for the printable pecan cinnamon rolls recipe, followed by step-by-step photos.
- Milk – This can be any dairy or non-dairy milk you’d like.
- Oil – Vegetable oil makes these cinnamon rolls ultra tender. Choose a neutral-flavored oil, like canola.
- Dry ingredients – These are your baking staples like flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Butter – Melted. You can use salted or unsalted butter.
- Cinnamon – I don’t give an amount for the cinnamon in the cinnamon sugar filling (a tip inspired by the Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond). When it comes to cinnamon, we measure with our hearts. 😉 But about 1.5 to 2 tablespoons of ground cinnamon is a good start.
- Pecans – Finely chopped. You could also use almonds or walnuts. Set aside some of the crushed nuts for sprinkling on top of the frosted rolls!
Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
- Cream Cheese – Brought to room temperature.
- Butter – Also softened so that it’s easier to mix.
- Powdered Sugar and Vanilla
- Lemon Extract – You could also use freshly squeezed lemon juice (or bottled), though you may need to add more to get the same amount of flavor. You’ll also likely need to add more powdered sugar since the juice will thin out the frosting.
Tips for the Best Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
- Grease the baking pans. A well-greased pan is key for cinnamon rolls that don’t stick! I like to use a bit of melted butter and swirl it all over the bottom of the pan. You could also use cooking spray or shortening, or line the pan with parchment paper.
- Let the dough rise somewhere warm. If your kitchen is on the colder side, place the cinnamon roll dough into the oven with the light on to help the dough rise.
- Cut clean slices. Use a sharp knife, or even better, a serrated knife, to cut the dough into rolls. A serrated knife works best for clean edges. I’ve also seen some bakers use the dental floss method, where you wrap (unflavored) dental floss around the dough, and pull so the floss cuts through.
- Not a lemon frosting fan? If you’d prefer a more traditional vanilla icing for your rolls, borrow the homemade vanilla glaze from my cinnamon donuts.
When (and How) to Serve Them
Rich, decadent sticky pecan cinnamon rolls are perfect for a holiday brunch like Thanksgiving and Christmas, or a weekend breakfast. Serve them with a cozy cortado coffee, tea, matcha, or something more indulgent, like a cinnamon dolce latte. I especially love these gooey buns paired with a pumpkin spice latte. The more spice, the merrier!
Frequently Asked Questions
The secret to fluffy cinnamon rolls is to give the dough plenty of time to rest and rise. If you rush the rise, you’ll end up with dense, sad cinnamon rolls. My other tip would be to check that your baking soda and powder are as fresh as possible!
You can swap the nuts in this recipe with chocolate chips, and use Nutella or chocolate spread in place of butter inside the rolls. Or, make dirty cinnamon rolls (inspired by a dirty chai latte) and swap the cinnamon for chai spice!
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Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
For the Cinnamon Rolls
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Dissolve the sugar in the milk. In a large saucepan, combine the milk, vegetable oil, and sugar. Heat the milk mixture over medium heat, but do not boil. Set aside and let cool.
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Add yeast. Sprinkle the yeast over the milk mixture and let sit for a minute.
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Add flour. Add 8 cups of flour to the yeast mixture; stir to combine.
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Rest. Cover the bowl with a clean towel and let it sit in a warm place for one hour.
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Add leavening. Add in the baking powder, baking soda, salt, and 1 cup flour. Stir to combine.
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Chill the dough. Chill the dough for one hour in the refrigerator.
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Prep. Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
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Roll out the dough. Lightly flour your working surface. Take half of the dough from the bowl or pan and transfer it to your working area. Roll out the dough to a 1/4-inch thickness and shape into a rectangle.
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Add the filling. Pour about 1 cup of the melted butter over the shaped dough; spread it evenly. Sprinkle 1 cup of the sugar over the butter, then a generous amount of cinnamon. Add 1 cup of the chopped pecans on top of the cinnamon mixture.
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Roll it up. Beginning at the end farthest from you, roll the rectangle tightly towards you into a log. Work slowly, and keep the roll tight. At the end, pinch the seam together and flip the roll so that the seam is face down.
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Cut the cinnamon rolls. Pour a little bit of the melted butter into 5 baking pans and swirl. Take the log and cut 1/2-inch slices. Arrange the rolls in the prepared baking pans, about 6 or 7 slices per pan. Brush each roll with a bit of butter, and add sugar and cinnamon on top of each roll.
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Rise. Cover with towels and let sit for 20 minutes.
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Roll and cut the remaining dough. Take the other half of the dough and repeat the above steps.
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Bake. Remove the towels and bake the rolls for 15 to 18 minutes, or until golden brown. After baking, immediately brush each roll with frosting (see below) and sprinkle with remaining chopped pecans.
For the Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
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Prepare the icing. Place the cream cheese and the butter in a mixing bowl. Beat until creamy. Gradually add in the powdered sugar; beat until smooth, about 4 minutes. Pour in the vanilla extract and lemon extract. Continue to mix until well incorporated.
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Frost the rolls. Drizzle the frosting over the warm cinnamon rolls.
- Butter for the cinnamon rolls: You’ll need 4 sticks of butter, which equals 2 cups or 32 tablespoons. Melt the butter before using it.
- Butter for the frosting: You’ll need 2 sticks of softened butter, which equals 1 cup or 16 tablespoons.
- Ground cinnamon: You can use 1½ to 2 tablespoons of ground cinnamon for the filling. That’ll give it a strong but balanced cinnamon flavor. That amount spreads nicely with the sugar and butter without overpowering.
Adapted from The Pioneer Woman
Calories: 204kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 7mg | Sodium: 186mg | Potassium: 64mg | Fiber: 0g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 95IU | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 1.1mg
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
How to Make Cinnamon Rolls With Pecans
Homemade sticky cinnamon rolls loaded with pecans are the best labor of love! I’ll go over the steps to make them below, along with some photos, so you know what to expect.
Make the Dough
- Warm the milk. First, combine the milk, oil, and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Warm it up just enough to dissolve the sugar, but don’t let it boil.
- Add yeast and flour. Now, sprinkle the yeast over the milk mixture. Let it rest for a minute, then stir in the first 8 cups of flour. Cover and leave the bowl to rest somewhere warm for about 1 hour.
- Add the leavening. Next, stir in the baking powder, baking soda, and salt along with another cup of flour. This time, place the dough into the fridge to chill.
Fill, Cut, and Bake the Cinnamon Rolls
- Roll out the dough. While the oven preheats to 375ºF, take out the chilled dough and divide it in half. Turn one half out on a floured surface and roll it out into a rectangle. Aim for about ¼-inch in thickness.
- Add the filling. Melt butter in the microwave, and spread the melted butter evenly over the dough. Sprinkle sugar over top, followed by the cinnamon (I’m always generous here). Lastly, sprinkle about a cup of crushed pecans on top of the cinnamon sugar.
- Roll it up. Now, roll the dough up tightly around the cinnamon pecan filling to make a log. Pinch the dough closed and place it seam side down.
- Cut the cinnamon rolls. Grease your baking pans with melted butter. Then, cut your first log into slices, about ½-inch thick, and arrange them in the pan. I usually fit about 6-7 cinnamon rolls per pan.
- Rest. Brush the rolls with butter and sprinkle over a little more cinnamon sugar. Cover the pan and leave the cinnamon rolls to rest for 20 minutes. In the meantime, repeat these steps with the remaining cinnamon roll dough.
- Bake. Now, it’s time to uncover your rolls and bake them at 375ºF for 15-18 minutes, until they’re golden. As soon as the cinnamon rolls come out of the oven, you’ll brush them with frosting (see below).
Storing and Reheating Cinnamon Rolls
- Refrigerate. These pecan cinnamon rolls can be stored airtight at room temperature for 1-2 days. After that, I recommend moving them to the fridge.
- Reheat leftovers. Warm up the cinnamon rolls in the oven at 350ºF for a few minutes, or in the microwave for a few seconds.
- Freeze. For longer-term storage, freeze the cinnamon rolls for up to 2 months. Thaw them at room temperature when you’re ready to reheat and serve.
