Soft and fluffy cinnamon roll filled with cookie butter, brown sugar and cinnamon topped with cream cheese icing and mardi gras sprinkles
Its not Mardi Gras without a King Cake!
King Cake is the ultimate Mardi Gras tradition you want to make sure you have at your celebration. Mardi Gras aka “Fat Tuesday” is whole day focused on eating rich, fatty foods before the Lenten fasting begins.
Cinnamon Roll
I decided to put my own spin on a King Cake and make it a cinnamon roll! One of my favorite things is cookie butter from trader joes. This King Cake cinnamon roll is loaded with cookie butter, brown sugar and cinnamon and topped with the creamiest vanilla cream cheese icing and of course we can’t forget the yellow, green and purple sugar sprinkles!
Tradition
Tradition has it the Three Wise Men saw the Star of Bethlehem as the sign Jesus has arrived and made the journey to see him. They arrived on the Twelfth Night of his birth, making this the Epiphany. This marks the beginning of the festival season of Mardi Gras and ends on Fat Tuesday the day before Lent.
What is a King Cake?
The King’s Cake is the ultimate Mardi Gras tradition. It is round to look like a crown, made of sweet dough and filled with different flavor fillings(traditionally cinnamon) rolled inside the dough. Topped with royal icing and coated in Mardi Gras colors of purple for justice, green for faith and gold for power, the King’s Cake is the most important Mardi Gras tradition.
Ingredients for Cookie Butter King Cake Cinnamon Rolls
Dough
- Scalded Whole Milk
- Unsalted Butter
- Granulated Sugar
- Dry Active Yeast
- Large Eggs
- All Purpose Flour
- Salt
Filling
- Cookie Butter
- Unsalted Butter
- Brown Sugar
- Cinnamon
Icing
- Cream Cheese
- Unsalted Butter
- Vanilla Extract
- Powdered Sugar
How to make Cookie Butter King Cake Cinnamon Rolls
Dough
- First, bring whole milk to a boil and remove from heat the moment it reaches a boil
- In a large mixing bowl pour in scalded milk and mix in the butter
- Once milk is lukewarm add yeast and let sit for 10 min
- Mix in sugar, eggs, salt and then slowly add in flour
- Knead or use hook attachment on low for about 4-5 min
- Form dough into a ball and let sit in a covered bowl for 90 min
Filling
- Preheat oven to 350
- Melt together butter, cookie butter, brown sugar and cinnamon
- Roll dough out into a large rectangle
- Evenly spread filling onto dough
- Roll into a large tube then cut about a 1/2″ thick cinnamon roll each
- Place cinnamon rolls into a greased round baking dish
- Bake for 20-25 min, until golden brown on top
- Let cool completely before icing
Icing
- Cream together cream cheese, butter and vanilla then mix together the powdered sugar
- Ice each cinnamon roll and add sprinkles to complete your king cake look
- Enjoy!
IF YOU MADE THIS RECIPE I’D LOVE TO KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS SO PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW AND DON’T FORGET TO TAG ME ON INSTAGRAM @DAY_LILLY_
Want more Louisiana recipes? Click on the links below!
Cookie Butter King Cake Cinnamon Rolls
Equipment
- 1 Standing mixer optional
- 2 Circular baking dishes
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 cup scalded whole milk
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 packet dry active yeast (2 1/2 tsp)
- 2 large eggs
- 4 cups all purpose flour
- 2 tsp salt
Filling
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 cup cookie butter
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter (half a stick)
Icing
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
- 1/2 cup cream cheese (half of one 8 oz block)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- green, purple and yellow sugar sprinkles
Instructions
Dough
- Place milk in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, the moment it reaches a boil remove from heat. (This process ensures that the milk won't affect the yeast's ability to rise. DO NOT SKIP)
- In a mixing bowl (your standing mixing bowl if using one) pour the milk and add in the butter. Stir until butter is melted
- Once the milk is lukewarm add the yeast, stir around and let sit for 10 min. (Too hot of a liquid can kill the yeast)
- Using the hook attachment if using standing mixer, mix together sugar, eggs and salt then slowly add in the flour. (If not using standing mixer you can use a regular whisk then start kneading with your hands once the dough gets thicker. Knead for approx. 4-5 min or the low setting with the standing mixer
- Form dough into a ball in the bowl and cover with plastic wrap and a dish towel in a warm place for 90 minutes
Filling
- Preheat oven to 350
- In a medium saucepan, melt together butter and cookie butter
- Stir in brown sugar and cinnamon until a wet sand consistency
- Roll out dough into a large rectangle about 1/2" thick and spread the filling evenly on top of the dough
- Roll the dough into one large spiral and then cut each individual cinnamon roll about an inch thick each (should make about 16 or so)
- Place cinnamon rolls in a greased round baking dish
- Bake for 20-25 min, until golden brown on top
- Let cool completely before icing
Icing
- Cream together cream cheese, butter and vanilla then mix together the powdered sugar
- Once the cinnamon rolls are cooled generously ice the top of each one
- Add the green, purple and yellow sprinkles to complete your king cake cinnamon roll look!
- Enjoy!
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