Spicy Cinnamon Rolls with Candied Jalapeños
To skip the post and step-by-step instructions and go straight to recipe, click here.A few months ago, not long into quarantine, I was laying on the couch scrolling instagram (as most of us were at the time) when I got a notification that my best friend’s mom had posted on my facebook wall. I hopped right over to see the following message:
“I’m thinking redhots, but cinnamon rolls without the color, lotta heat! Thoughts? I don’t wanna reinvent the wheel…”
This, of course, was genius, but I was, of course, dumb, and was thinking about it much too technically. I responded with:
“Hmm, interesting...might be difficult to replicate, because redhots are hot because of cinnamaldehyde, so you’d have to use chemical oil to get that much heat without just overloading it with dry cinnamon. Interesting concept!”
I’m such a dope.
She replied shortly after with the obvious statement of:
“What about cayenne or jalapenos?”
After this conversation, I immediately realized that I had jalapenos being neglected in my refrigerator at that very moment, and nothing else to do. So, I went for it, and these spicy cinnamon rolls were born!
Fast forward a couple of months, and I have a platform to share this recipe with whomever else might want to make it! It has a nice amount of burn on the palette to warm you up on a chilly late fall day, but still has that gooey sticky softness that comes to mind when you’re craving a good sweet roll.
Step-By-Step Walk-Through
If you’re feeling confident in your cooking skills and want to skip the walk-through, click here.
NOTE: If you don’t have a stand mixer, read the whole recipe through before starting. I do explain how to do each step without a mixer, but because I used a mixer to make my cinnamon rolls, I didn’t include any photos of this alternate way to make the dough.
Step 1:
Make Candied Jalapeños
The day before you want to make your cinnamon rolls, thinly slice a jalapeño.
Lay the peppers out on a piece of parchment paper. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar over the peppers, tossing them in it well to coat.
Leave the peppers in open air for 12 hours to dry out. If they’re especially juicy peppers, they may create syrupy puddles.
Transfer the peppers to a fresh piece of parchment, sprinkle another 1 tablespoon of sugar over the peppers and toss again.
Leave the sugared peppers in open air to dry out for another 12 hours.
Step 2:
Make Dough
Microwave ⅜ cup of whole milk in a microwave-safe container for 20-30 seconds until warm to the touch, but not hot.
Combine warmed milk, 1 ½ teaspoons of active dry yeast, and ½ tablespoon of sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl.
Let sit for 5-6 minutes, or until the yeast is “bloomed” (foamy).
To the mixture, add another 3 tablespoons of sugar, 2 egg yolks, 1 whole egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Stir together with a large spoon.
Add 1 ½ cups of all-purpose flour and ½ teaspoon of salt. Mix together.
Measure out another ½ cup of flour and 6 tablespoons of softened butter (you can either let the butter sit out ahead of time until it’s room temperature, or cut cold butter into small pieces and microwave in 5-10 second increments, stirring in between, until soft but not melted).
If using a stand mixer, secure bowl into mixer with the paddle attachment. On low speed, add ⅓ of the additional flour you measured out and let it fully incorporate.
Then, add ⅓ of the softened butter and allow that to incorporate as well. Continue adding both the flour and butter alternately until all incorporated. If not using a stand mixer, mix in each flour and butter addition with a large spoon instead.
Step 3:
Knead
Next, switch out paddle attachment for a dough hook if using a stand mixer, or scrape dough onto a floured surface if not. Put the stand mixer at a medium speed for 5 minutes, sprinkling additional flour in as needed to make the dough a kneadable consistency (you want to get it to only slightly stick to the sides of the bowl, staying mostly in one large ball). If dough is sticking to the sides of the bowl a lot, stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl, add another sprinkle of flour, then start it back up.
If not using a stand mixer, knead for about 5 minutes, adding additional flour as needed to keep dough from sticking to your hands and the kneading surface. To knead, fold dough in half toward you, then push down with the heel of your hand, rotate 90 degrees, and repeat.
Step 4:
Rise
Drizzle a little vegetable oil in a large bowl and coat the whole inside with your hands.
Place the kneaded dough in the bowl, then flip the ball of dough over, so it’s completely coated with oil.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave in a warm room for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
Step 5:
Fill
Grease a 9x9 inch baking pan with softened butter or cooking spray.
Once the dough has doubled, unwrap and punch once to release the air in the dough.
Dump the dough onto a lightly floured surface and use a rolling pin to roll out to a roughly 12x16 inch rectangle.
Spread 4 tablespoons of softened butter (again, either leave out to soften ahead of time or microwave in small increments to soften) over the whole surface of the dough with a pastry brush.
In a small bowl, mix together ½ cup of brown sugar, 2 teaspoons of cinnamon, and 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper.
Use a spoon to sprinkle the sugar mixture evenly over the whole rectangle of dough.
Roll the dough up tightly, starting on the longer side of the rectangle.
Slice the roll into 9 even slices with a serrated knife.
Place the rolls in the pan in a 3x3 pattern.
Cover the pan with plastic wrap and allow to rise again for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
Step 6:
Bake
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Remove the plastic wrap from the pan and bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, until lightly browned and no longer doughy between rolls (gently pull one roll away from another on the crease with a fork to check).
Step 7:
Make Frosting
Allow 2 ounces of cream cheese and 3 tablespoons of butter to come to room temperature, or microwave in 5 to 10 second increments, stirring in between, until soft.
Using an electric mixer, cream together the butter, cream cheese, ½ cup of powdered sugar, and ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract until well-combined and creamy.
Step 8:
Decorate
While rolls are still a little warm, spread the cream cheese frosting over them with a butter knife or offset spatula.
Top each roll with one slice of candied jalapeño.
Leftovers can be kept, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 6 days and reheated in the microwave for 30 seconds, covered with a damp paper towel to keep soft.
Spicy Cinnamon Rolls with Candied Jalapeños
Servings: 9 Time: 3 - 3 1/2 hours (+24 hours for candied jalapeños)
Difficulty: 🧡🧡🧡🧡🤍
Ingredients
FOR GARNISH
1 whole fresh jalapeño
2 TBS. granulated sugar
FOR DOUGH
⅜ cup whole milk
1 ½ tsp. active dry yeast
3 ½ TBS. granulated sugar (separated into 3 TBS. and ½ TBS.)
2 egg yolks
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for kneading
½ tsp. salt
6 TBS. salted butter, softened
FOR FILLING
4 TBS. salted butter, softened
½ cup brown sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
FOR FROSTING
2 oz. cream cheese, softened
3 TBS. salted butter, softened
½ cup powdered sugar
½ tsp. vanilla extract
Directions
Step 1: Make Garnish
Thinly slice the jalapeño. Lay out on a piece of parchment paper. Sprinkle 1 TBS. sugar over the sliced pepper and toss to coat. Let dry for 12 hours. Transfer the peppers to a fresh piece of parchment paper and toss with the second tablespoon of sugar. Let dry another 12 hours.
Step 2: Make Dough
Microwave whole milk for 20-30 seconds until warm, but not hot. Combine with yeast and ½ tablespoon of sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl. Let sit for 5-6 minutes, until yeast is bloomed. Then, add remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar, egg yolks, egg, and vanilla, and mix with a spoon. Add 1 ½ cups of the flour and the salt and stir until combined. Place stand mixer bowl in stand mixer with paddle attachment, if using. On low speed, alternate adding sprinkles of the remaining ½ cup of flour and spoonfuls of the softened butter until both are fully incorporated. If not using a stand mixer, simply do this in the mixing bowl, stirring with a large spoon.
Step 3: Knead
If using a stand mixer, switch to the dough hook here. If not, scrape dough out onto a well-floured surface. Add additional flour while mixing on low speed or hand-kneading until the dough is only slightly sticky and holding together into one ball. Allow to knead with the dough hook on medium speed or hand-knead for about 5 minutes until smooth and elastic. If it’s sticking to the sides of the stand mixer bowl, scrape the sides, sprinkle more flour, and let knead some more.
Step 4: Rise
Once the dough is kneaded, place in an oiled bowl, turning once so it’s fully coated with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise for one hour in a warm room, or until doubled in size.
Step 5: Fill
Grease a 9x9 inch square pan. Once the dough has doubled, unwrap and punch once to release the air. Dump the dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll out with a rolling pin to a roughly 12x16 inch rectangle. Spread 4 tablespoons of softened butter over the surface of the dough with a pastry brush. In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, cinnamon, and cayenne. Use a spoon to sprinkle the mixture evenly over the whole rectangle of the dough. Roll the dough up tightly, starting on the longer edge of the rectangle. Slice the roll into 9 even slices. Place the rolls in the greased pan in a 3x3 pattern. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise for another hour, or until doubled in size again.
Step 6: Bake
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove plastic wrap and bake rolls for 20-25 minutes, until lightly browned and no longer doughy between rolls (gently separate 2 rolls with a fork and check the texture between them for doneness).
Step 7: Make Frosting
Using an electric mixture, cream together butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla until smooth and creamy.
Step 8: Decorate
While rolls are still a little warm, spread cream cheese frosting on with a knife or offset spatula. Top each roll with slices of your candied jalapeño. Leftovers should be covered and refrigerated, and can be reheated in the microwave for 30 seconds, covered with a damp paper towel to keep soft.