no-knead caramel rolls

Made with my favorite sweet dough, these rolls are swirled up in cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, then smothered in warm caramel and toasted pecans.

The sides of the pans are buttered and then dusted with sugar, which caramelizes the sides of the buns, making for an incredible roll.

Tips for making the best caramel rolls:

• I make these rolls in the Mauviel soufflé 3×2 inch mini molds because it gives them the most beautiful tall sides, but you can nestle them together in a 9×13 pan if you don’t have individual pans. Or you can use these ramekins (you’ll want to select the “4 inch”, which measure 3.1 in diameter at bottom (4 in at top)and are 2 inches high.
• Take note that the copper molds are crazy hot when they come out of the oven, which can make it a little tricky to get them out. I use a kitchen towel and wrap it around the base of the copper mold, then run a knife carefully around each roll, and flip them onto a wire rack. Make sure to line the bottom of each mold with parchment paper as noted in the instructions, or the buns will stick to the bottom and it will be extra hard to get them out.
• I like to make the caramel first, and let it come to just room temperature, before pouring it over the rolls. It’s warm enough to pour, but becomes thicker and clings better to the rolls.

More Breakfast Roll Recipes:

• The Best Cinnamon Rolls
• Peach Caramel Sticky Buns
• Blueberry-Orange Breakfast Rolls
• Rhubarb Blackberry Streusel Buns

Amazing Caramel Rolls

Servings: 10 rolls

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes

Proofing Time: 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Foolproof caramel rolls made with a no-knead dough, topped with gooey homemade caramel.

Sarah Kieffer

5 from 1 vote

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Ingredients

Dough

• 1 recipe Sweet Dough

Filling

• 3/4 cup 149g brown sugar
• 1 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• Pinch salt
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and cooled slightly

Caramel sauce

• 1/4 cup water room temperature
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar (248g)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 8 tablespoons 1 stick unsalted butter, cold, cut into 8 pieces (113g)
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

For the filling

• In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. Set aside.

To assemble

• Butter ten 3 x 2-inch soufflé molds (see notes section about soufflé mold specifics). Line the bottom of each mold with parchment paper, and then generously coat with granulated sugar, tapping out any excess. Place the molds on a baking sheet.
• Roll the dough into a 16 x 12-inch rectangle. Brush the dough with the melted butter and sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mixture evenly over the top, pressing it lightly into the butter so it adheres. Starting at the long side, roll the dough into a tight cylinder. Pinch the seam gently to seal it and position the dough seam side down. Use a scissors or a sharp knife to cut the dough into 10 equal pieces. Transfer the pieces to the prepared pans and place them cut side up. Cover the pans loosely with plastic wrap and let the dough rise until doubled, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. While the rolls are rising, prepare the caramel sauce.
• For the caramel: Pour the water in a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan (the caramel will bubble up quite a bit once it starts cooking, so it's important to have a pan that is deep and also has a heavy bottom to prevent burning). Sprinkle the sugar and salt on top. Very gently stir the ingredients together, just until the sugar is completely wet, being careful not to get the water or sugar on the sides of the pan. Cook over medium heat, shaking the pan occasionally to stir the sugar while it melts. When the sugar crystals have completely dissolved, increase the heat to medium-high. The sugar will begin to foam. Let it bubble and boil 3-5 minutes, keeping an eye on it so it doesn't boil over. Give the pan a swirl every once in a while to help the sugar turn color evenly. The sugar will begin to turn dark golden brown at this point, and you want to keep it bubbling until it just begins to smoke. Remove from the heat and add the butter, whisking carefully (remember, the sugar is crazy hot). Whisk in the heavy cream, followed by the vanilla. Set the caramel aside and let it come to room temperature.
• Adjust the oven rack to the middle lower position. Preheat the oven to 350F.
• Remove the plastic and bake 22 to 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until the rolls are golden brown.
• Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the rolls cool for a few minutes. Use a kitchen towel or oven mitts to pick up each soufflé mold, then run a knife carefully around the edges of the pan, and flip the roll onto a wire rack set on top of a baking sheet. Carefully put the roll right side up, and repeat with the remaining rolls. Pour half the warm sauce evenly over the tops and sides of rolls and let them sit for 10-15 minutes. Stir the pecans into the remaining caramel sauce and pour over the top, covering the rolls evenly. Serve.

Notes

• Use these ramekins, in the 4 inch size which measure 3.1 inches at bottom and are two inches high. 
• Or, you can use the Mauviel souffle molds which you see in the photos.

Adapted from my book, The Vanilla Bean Baking Book (affiliate link)