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If you like peanut butter, you’ll love these Peanut Butter Cinnamon Rolls. A rich egg yeast dough is filled with gobs of peanut butter and chocolate chips, making for a breakfast your family will love!

peanut butter cinnamon roll on white plate with teal napkin and pan of rolls behind

I’ve started doing workout classes at the gym again. They really are the best way for me to stay motivated, and I really like classes unless my instructor is trying to kill me.

So, anyway, there I am at Belly, Butt, and Thighs, jumping around, doing squats, plank, and other general unpleasantness, when I catch site of myself in the mirror.

“Hmmm…,” I thought to myself. “I wonder why they put funhouse mirrors in the gym classroom?”

You know, funhouse mirrors? The kind that make you seem squat and fat in the middle when you’re really not?

For a fleeting instant I seriously thought it was a funhouse mirror. Then my hopes were dashed and I realized, no, that’s really old apple-shaped me in the mirror, jumping and jiggling to the dance-mix of Thrift Shop.

I must eat more pears. Or string beans. That would solve my apple problem, right? No?

Okay, I’ll make cinnamon rolls instead. More fun, and they taste way better. Plus, the gym instructors get paid more when people eat Peanut Butter Cinnamon Rolls. More cinnamon rolls = more people needing to workout = more money for the gym.

It’s basic economy 101.

peanut butter cinnamon roll on white plate with teal napkin and pan of rolls behind

So since it’s perfectly okay for me to make these, let’s talk about them. They. Are. The. BOMB.

It’s like eating a peanut butter sandwich for breakfast, with chocolate, all hot and melty. But the peanut butter tastes like a peanut butter cup.

I call them cinnamon rolls…but I didn’t put any cinnamon in them. Oh well. Cinnamon Roll, Sweet Roll. Whatev.

GOOD roll.

I like my cinnamon roll dough to be egg based, and I like to use butter for the fat. Because, well. It’s a cinnamon roll. Fat = Good. A few notes about making the dough:

  • Make sure your yeast is fresh. I buy jars of yeast and store them in my refrigerator. If it’s past the expiration date, get new yeast.
  • The milk needs to be warm to wake up the yeast. Heat it in the microwave for 30-45 seconds (mine took about 40). My milk was about 120 degrees when I added the yeast. (Tip: use a candy thermometer to measure the temp.)
  • The yeast to milk ratio is small – don’t expect it to bubble after sitting for a few minutes. If it does, great. If not – that’s okay. Mine didn’t bubble. That always makes me nervous…but it still rose!
  • When you’re letting your dough rise, it needs to be in a warm place. It’s summer…so that shouldn’t be a problem. Mine rose high and fast since it’s a bajillion degrees here in Sac. If you’re making this in winter it might take longer to rise.

Once your dough is risen, you can fill it as you like. For these Peanut Butter Cinnamon Rolls, I mixed peanut butter and brown sugar and spread it over the rolled out dough. After sprinkling with chocolate chips, roll, slice, and place in your baking dish.

I don’t like to get up at 3am to make breakfast, so I do all that the day before. Once the rolls are in the pan, I cover them with plastic and put them in the fridge overnight. Then next morning, I take them out, preheat the oven, and then bake them when the oven is ready.

Made ahead cinnamon rolls make for a happy mommy.

You’ll notice the absence of frosting on these. They were so rich and sweet and decadent, I think frosting would have put me over the top. But if you’re all “you must have frosting on cinnamon rolls!” I made some cream cheese frosting for another flavor roll I made the same day, and I’ve included it in this recipe. Cream cheese frosting would have gone perfectly on these!

Plus…I kinda wanted to show them naked. They’re kind of stunning that way.

{Unlike me…}

That reminds me of the point of this post. Cinnamon Rolls make more money for gyms.

So…if they have so much money they could at least spring for the funhouse mirrors that make you look thin.

I’d be all over that in a flash. Kind of like these.

These are some serious rolls. Make them. Then go to the gym. 🙂

one cinnamon roll covered in peanut butter on a blue plate.

Peanut Butter Cinnamon Rolls Recipe

4.80 from 5 votes
Fluffy from scratch cinnamon roll dough filled with peanut butter and cinnamon.
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 25 minutes
Rising Time 2 hours
Total Time 3 hours 25 minutes
Yield 12 rolls
Serving Size 1 cinnamon roll

Ingredients
 

For the Dough:

  • 1 package (8g) active dry yeast (about 2 ¼ teaspoons)
  • ¾ cup (177ml) milk (see note)
  • cup (67g) granulated sugar
  • 3 tablespoons (42g) unsalted butter , softened
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 large egg
  • 3 cups (372g) all-purpose flour plus more for dusting

For the Filling:

  • cup (134g) packed brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ cup (67g) peanut butter
  • 1 cup (170g) mini chocolate chips (optional)

For the Frosting:

  • ½ cup (145g) creamy peanut butter
  • 4 tablespoons (57g) unsalted butter , softened
  • 2 cups (226g) powdered sugar
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
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Instructions

Make the Dough:

  • Place milk in a microwave safe measuring cup. Heat for 30-45 seconds in the microwave, until it’s about 110-120°F. Add yeast and ½ teaspoon of the granulated sugar (from the ⅓ cup called for) and stir. Let it sit for a few minutes to proof and bubble up.
  • Place remaining granulated sugar, butter, salt, and egg in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
  • Mix until the butter is distributed throughout the liquids, although it may be chunky. Pour in the milk/yeast mixture and stir for a few seconds.
  • Add flour and stir with the paddle attachment just until the mixture starts to stick to the paddle.
  • Replace the paddle with the dough hook. Continue mixing on low speed until the dough forms a ball in the center of the bowl.
  • Spray a large bowl with cooking spray and place the dough ball in it. Spray the top of the dough ball with cooking spray (lightly) and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let sit for 1-2 hours until it doubles in size.
  • Note on rising: if your house is warm, it should rise no problem. If it’s cold in your house, it may take longer for the dough to rise, so plan accordingly!

Prepare your Rolls:

  • Stir together brown sugar and cinnamon.
  • Place the peanut butter in a microwave safe bowl and heat for 30-60 seconds or until pourable.
  • Once the dough is risen, roll it out on a lightly floured surface into a large rectangle, about 12” by 9”. Spread the peanut butter as evenly as possible over the rectangle, making sure to reach to the sides so the outer rolls have enough filling. Sprinkle with brown sugar mixture.
  • Roll the dough up tightly from the long end. Slice it into 12 equal rounds. Place the rolls into a 9x13-inch baking pan that's been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.
  • At this point, you can let them rise for about 1 hour, or until they are swelling up in the pan and bake as directed. Or you can cover with plastic wrap and stick in the refrigerator overnight until ready to bake.
  • When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350°F. If the rolls have been in the refrigerator, remove them and let them come to room temperature while the oven is preheating. Remove the plastic wrap and bake for 15-25 minutes, or until they are golden brown.

Make the frosting (if desired):

  • Mix peanut butter and butter with a hand mixer until well blended. Mix in powdered sugar until crumbly. Add vanilla and 2 tablespoons heavy cream and mix until desired consistency, adding more cream slowly as needed. Frost warm rolls.
  • Store rolls loosely covered for up to 2 days on the counter. Wrap well with plastic wrap and freeze for up to 2 months.

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

  • Use any kind of milk (regular, non-dairy, low fat or fat free)
  • This recipe has only been tested with no-stir peanut butter (not natural).
  • When making the frosting, you can use any kind of milk in place of the heavy cream, but you'll probably need less (less fat = less needed to bind your frosting). So start with 1 tablespoon and work up from there.

Recipe Nutrition

Serving: 1cinnamon roll | Calories: 521kcal | Carbohydrates: 77g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 195mg | Potassium: 184mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 49g | Vitamin A: 342IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 73mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutritional information not guaranteed to be accurate
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American

Click here to see more PEANUT BUTTER recipes!

peanut butter cinnamon roll on white plate with teal napkin and pan of rolls behind collage

Other breakfasts you might like:

Peanut Butter Coffee Cake

Bacon Maple Cinnamon Rolls

Sweets from friends:
Easy Nutella Peanut Butter Glazed Doughnuts by Not Your Momma’s Cookie
Cinnamon Rolls by Something Swanky
Chocolate Silk Pancakes by Dine and Dish

Last Updated on May 13, 2020



Dorothy Kern

Welcome to Crazy for Crust, where I share recipes that are sometimes crazy, often with a crust, and always served with a slice of life.

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121 Comments

  1. I grew up with peanut butter rolls. My mom was famous for hers. In fact, my little brother just hinted this weekend that I needed to make him some. My mom put peanut butter powdered sugar on hers. I have also tried a cocoa powdered sugar frosting for a pb/choc combo.