Walnut Cinnamon Rolls

Amy Hand

Amy Hand

Amy worked as the head pastry chef at multiple restaurants in South Africa. She now shares her professional insights about cooking and kitchen tools here at The Skillful Cook.

Forget store-bought rolls! These cinnamon rolls are a celebration of homemade goodness. Every bite is filled with warmth and love.
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If you want to impress at your next gathering, these delectable, walnut cinnamon rolls NEED to be on your menu.

The bread is soft and flaky and the filling is crunchy and sweet, but not overly so to create the perfect balance.

The bread is soft and flaky

These cinnamon rolls are baked like pull-apart buns that separate with delicate flakes of bread and melt in your mouth.

The filling is a candied walnut praline combined with cinnamon that creates a delicious contrast with the soft bread.

Once you learn how to make bread dishes like this, you’re bound to catch that baking bug so you make these all the time!

The filling is a candied walnut praline

Why you will love this Walnut Cinnamon Rolls recipe…

  • Crunchy praline filling- The caramelized filling is delectable and adds a rich nutty flavor to the rolls.
  • Learn a new skill- Making yeasted doughs like this is an excellent baking skill to learn that opens you up to a whole host of tasty bread dishes.
  • Homemade is better than store-bought- The bought cinnamon rolls will never be able to live up to this version once you try them!
  • Tea party treat- Impress your guests with your baking prowess!
  • Soft bread texture- The bread is sweet, light, and tender.
Why you will love this Walnut Cinnamon Rolls recipe
Walnut Cinnamon Rolls recipe

Walnut Cinnamon Rolls

Forget store-bought rolls! These cinnamon rolls are a celebration of homemade goodness. From the fragrant dough to the sticky, nutty praline, every bite is filled with warmth and love.
Rate this recipe!
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Resting Time 2 hours 50 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 50 minutes
Course Bread
Servings 6 Servings
Calories 617 kcal

Ingredients
  

Rolls:

  • 7 g dry yeast
  • ¼ cup caster sugar
  • ¼ cup warm water
  • 3 cups plain flour
  • 60 g unsalted butter, melted, plus extra for brushing
  • 1/3 cup milk, warmed
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Candied Walnut Praline & Cinnamon Mixture:

  • ½ cup caster sugar
  • ¼ cup water
  • 1 cup walnuts
  • 1-2 tbsp ground cinnamon, to taste

Glaze:

  • ½ cup icing sugar
  • 2-3 tbsp single or light cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions
 

Instruction

  • Walnut Cinnamon Rolls Ingredients
  • Place yeast, 1 tablespoon of the caster sugar and warm water into a bowl and let stand for 5 minutes, or until foamy.
  • Place flour and remaining caster sugar into the bowl of an electric mixture fitted with a dough hook and mix until combined.
    Walnut Cinnamon Rolls Instruction - Make the Dough
  • Add yeast mixture, butter and warm milk; mix to combine. Add eggs and vanilla and beat for 2 minutes.
    Walnut Cinnamon Rolls Instruction - Add yeast mixture
  • Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap or a damp tea-towel and set aside in a warm place for 1-2 hours or until dough doubles in size.
  • In the meantime, make the walnut/cinnamon mix, beginning with the candied walnut praline. Roughly chop the walnuts and spread them out over a baking sheet on an oven tray.
    Walnut Cinnamon Rolls Instruction - Prep the Walnuts
  • Combine caster sugar and water in a saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high. Bring to the boil, without stirring, and cook for 5-7 minutes, or until the caramel turns a deep amber. Remove immediately from heat and pour over the walnuts. Allow to cool completely.
    Walnut Cinnamon Rolls Instruction - Make the Caramel
  • Walnut Cinnamon Rolls Instruction - Allow to cool completely
  • Once cooled and hardened, break up the walnut caramel into large pieces and put into a food processor and pulse until the mixture is like rubble (you want it coarse enough that you can still see bits of walnut). Combine this with the cinnamon and put aside.
    Walnut Cinnamon Rolls Instruction - break up the walnut caramel
  • Walnut Cinnamon Rolls Instruction - Combine this with the cinnamon
  • Back to the bread. Take the dough and gently press the mixture with your fingers to release the air. On a lightly floured surface, knead dough for 2 minutes. Cover with a damp tea-towel and let rest for 5 minutes.
  • Preheat the oven to 180°C (355°F).
  • Roll out dough to 30cm x 50cm. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with the cinnamon/walnut rubble. Roll up dough from the long edge, then cut into rounds. Arrange rounds into a greased baking or casserole pan. Cover with a damp tea-towel and set aside in a warm place for 45 minutes.
    Walnut Cinnamon Rolls Instruction - Roll out dough
  • Walnut Cinnamon Rolls Instruction - Arrange rounds into a greased baking pan
  • Walnut Cinnamon Rolls Instruction - put rounds into a greased baking pan
  • Once the rolls have proved, brush them with a little cream over top. Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until the bread when lightly tapped sounds hollow, and a skewer inserted into the bread comes out clean. If the rolls are browning too quickly, cover them lightly with foil during the last 5-10 minutes of baking.
  • Walnut Cinnamon Rolls Instruction - the rolls are browning
  • Brush lightly once again with single cream and set aside to cool for 5 minutes.
    Walnut Cinnamon Rolls Instruction - Brush lightly once again
  • Now onto the glaze. Combine the icing sugar, vanilla extract and cream, adding more cream as needed until the mixture is pourable.
    Walnut Cinnamon Rolls Instruction - Make the Glaze
  • Walnut Cinnamon Rolls Instruction - mix until the mixture is pourable
  • Gently pull apart the rolls, using a knife to cut them apart if necessary. Using a spoon or spatula, drizzle over the glaze and serve warm.
    Walnut Cinnamon Rolls Instruction - Gently pull apart the rolls

Nutrition

Calories 617kcal (31%)Carbohydrates 88g (29%)Protein 12g (24%)Fat 25g (38%)Saturated Fat 8g (50%)Polyunsaturated Fat 10gMonounsaturated Fat 5gTrans Fat 0.3gCholesterol 83mg (28%)Sodium 32mg (1%)Potassium 220mg (6%)Fiber 4g (17%)Sugar 36g (40%)Vitamin A 411IU (8%)Vitamin C 0.3mgCalcium 74mg (7%)Iron 4mg (22%)
Keyword Cinnamon Rolls, Cinnamon Rolls Walnut Praline
Tried this recipe?Let us know if you liked it in the comments below!

Serving Suggestions

These cinnamon rolls are the ideal sweet treat with a cup of tea or coffee. They are great to serve at a tea party or gathering but they are also sweet enough to be a dessert.

Here are a few drinks that would pair beautifully with these cinnamon rolls:

These cinnamon rolls are the ideal sweet treat

🧑‍🍳 Expert Tips

  • Enrich the filling. Brush the dough with melted butter before sprinkling over the praline.
  • Make sure the water for the yeast is not too hot. This can kill the yeast and prevent your rolls from rising.
  • Let the dough double. Rising time varies depending on the warmth and draughtiness of the room you are in so make sure the dough doubles in size to get the best resultant texture.
  • Knead the dough well. Look up the window pane test so you can make sure your dough has reached its peak elasticity.

Storage Suggestions

  • To store- Transfer the buns to an airtight container and store them at room temperature for up to 3 days.
  • To reheat- These buns can be served at room temperature but they can also be delicious when heated up. Pop one in the microwave for 30 seconds to enjoy warm.
These buns can be served at room temperature

Walnut Cinnamon Rolls FAQs

What is the difference between cinnamon bun and cinnamon roll?

These terms are often used interchangeably and will vary depending on what country you are in. For instance, some may say that cinnamon buns contain nuts while cinnamon rolls don’t but this recipe for cinnamon rolls has been adapted to include nuts. 

Can you substitute walnuts for pecans in sticky buns?

Pecans are a great substitution for walnuts and won’t affect the recipe at all.

Why aren’t my cinnamon rolls fluffy?

This is likely because they didn’t have enough time to rise. The dough needs to double in size in the first prove (rise) to aerate the dough adequately for a fluffy texture. The second rise is also very important to achieve this result so don’t skip it!

Amy Hand
About the author
After finding the chef life a little too high-paced, Amy decided to take her cooking skills and use them to teach others through food writing. She uses her knowledge as a pastry chef and experience as a head chef to write articles that are engaging and helpful while being as entertaining as possible.

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