How to make homemade carrot cake cinnamon bun bunnies
Homemade carrot cake cinnamon bun bunnies have warm and gooey centers, swirls of cinnamon and carrot cake spices, and are drizzled in sweet cream cheese icing. Combining carrot cake flavors and cinnamon bun swirls is the perfect way to add a generous dose of cuteness to breakfast or your Easter Sunday brunch.
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Ingredients
- For the cinnamon buns
- 220 ml about ¾ cup warm milk or buttermilk - 115 degrees F or 46 degrees C
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 113 g butter or 1 stick - melted & slightly cooled
- 3 tablespoon dry active yeast
- ½ tablespoon table salt
- 2 large eggs- room temperature
- 600 grams or 4 ¾ cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 medium sized finely grated carrots
- optional: raisins or nuts
- Filling
- 56 grams ½ stick butter- melted
- 200 grams or 1 cup brown sugar
- 50 grams or ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- Cream cheese Icing
- 228 grams or 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 113 grams or 1 stick butter softened
- 400 grams or 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
Prepare the dough:
- In a large bowl, combine milk, sugar, melted butter & yeast, stir. Allow to sit for 15 minutes for your yeast mixture to proof. You can tell your ingredients are proofed when they become frothy. If they do not froth, your yeast was no good and should be replaced.
- Add in your eggs and mix thorougly. Next, add in your salt, carrots, cinnamon, nutmeg flour and mix until all of your ingredients are well incorporated and dough is formed.
- Knead 10 minutes. Once mixed, let rise for an hour. In that time you can get ahead and make your sugar filling (directions directly below) and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F or 204 degrees C
Prepare the filling:
- In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and mix with a fork or small whisk.
Prepare your cinnamon buns:
- Roll dough out on lightly floured surface into a flat rectangular layer. Brush melted butter over dough & then sprinkle filling mixture on to dough.
- Slice your dough into 12 strips length wise.
- Indiviually roll them and shape them in to bunnies by rolling ½ way like a regular cinnamon bun, then follding bunny ears over. Watch video below or see photos above if needed!
- Place your rolls on two prepared baking sheets (6 each), leave plenty of room on each baking sheet for rise.
- Bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees F. While they bake, prepare your icing.
Prepare the icing:
- In a small bowl, combine your cream cheese, butter, confectioners sugar and milk. If you prefer your glaze to be thinner, simply add another tablespoon of milk.
- Drizzle or pour your glaze over the top of the cinnamon buns when they're fresh from the oven.
Notes
Make ahead:
You can get started on these rolls the night before, and have everything prepped for baking the following day. This will allow the buns to rise even more and be SO fluffy! In fact, if you can do this - you should!
Freezing dough:
You can feel comfortable freezing the dough before or after you form, swirl and cut it. Be sure it's properly sealed to prevent freezer burn and remove from the freezer the day before you plan to bake it and move it to the refrigerator.
Storage:
Once baked you can simply store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days.
Once they have been iced they should be stored in the fridge in an air tight container.
Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 404kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g
Servings: 12 large cinnamon buns with ears
Calories: 404kcal