These soft, moist, caramel rolls are topped with creamy caramel frosting – so good you’d never know they start from a can of crescent sheets!
Quick and easy to make, these rolls are perfect for a lazy weekend brunch for a crowd!
If you only make one recipe of mine this month, try these caramel rolls! They are so incredible, addicting and will have everyone thinking you spent hours in the kitchen making them. Fortunately, thanks to a shortcut, you won’t!
You can make this easyrecipe in just 10 minutes hands-on time. You can even make them ahead!
They’re topped with the most amazing Caramel Icing that makes them out of this world! These are true, soft, melt in your mouth caramel rolls (not the sticky kind like Pecan Rolls, though I love those, too!)
They’re moist and flaky and drenched in the most delectable caramel frosting.
Caramel Rolls
One of the many things I love about this recipe is that you can serve them in the dish you bake them in, rather than on a separate platter.
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
If you’re like me, you’ll be scooping up every last drip to smother your roll. You’d never know they weren’t made from scratch!
Ingredients and Substitutions
See printable recipe card for complete ingredients and instructions.
For the Rolls
- Crescent Dough – Skip making your own dough! Use store bought crescent dough sheets – you can also use canned crescent rolls, they are the same product but perforated for making the traditional rolls instead of a sheet.
- Butter – Use unsalted butter for this recipe. The butter should be melted to brush onto the dough.
- Brown Sugar – Brown sugar gives these rolls a wonderful caramel flavor.
For the Caramel Frosting
- Butter – It’s best to use unsalted butter in this recipe, if you use salted, reduce the amount of added salt used. Learn how to soften butter quickly.
- Brown Sugar – Use brown sugar rather than white in this recipe. Brown sugar contains molasses which helps to create that beautiful caramel flavor.
- Salt – Salt brings out the sweetness and caramel flavor in this icing. Reduce the amount slightly if you are using salted butter.
- Powdered Sugar – Also known as confectioners sugar. This sugar is very fine and combines well to create a fluffy and light icing. Learn how to make powdered sugar if you don’t have any on hand.
- Milk – I use 2% milk in this recipe and it helps to make the frosting creamy, but you can use whatever you have on hand.
- Vanilla – Use pure rather than imitation vanilla extract if you can. It’s really easy to make your own vanilla extract!
How to Make
An overview, visit the printable recipe card for complete ingredients and instructions.
- Prep – Preheat oven as directed and grease pan.
- Roll crescent dough onto parchment paper.
- Fill – Brush with butter and sprinkle with brown sugar.
- Roll each sheet into a log, slicing as directed.
- Bake – Place in prepared baking dish. Bake.
- Ice – Combine icing ingredients until smooth. Pour on top of caramel rolls.
Variations
- You can top these caramel rolls with nuts, toffee bits or chocolate chips if you like!
Tips
- Refrain from removing crescent rolls from the refrigerator until ready to make your easy cinnamon rolls. This makes them easier to slice.
- Line your working surface with parchment paper for easy clean up.
- Liberally grease your pan before adding the rolls to it, so that once baked they are easy to remove and won’t stick.
- For a thinner icing, add a little extra milk when mixing the frosting.
Make Ahead
These caramel rolls are an easy breakfast or brunch treat, and they are perfect if you are serving a crowd. You can even make them ahead of time and bake just before serving, but they come together so quickly, you don’t have to!
- You can make these rolls the night before and cover them with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
- Then, just pop them into the pre heated oven before serving.
Serving Suggestions
Of course the caramel icing is amazing on these – but you can mix them up with other toppings.
- If you prefer, cream cheese icing is incredible, too.
- Or try our viral classic cinnamon roll icing.
- Apple Glaze is perfect for fall!
How to Store
- Room Temperature – Store at room temperature in an airtight container up to 2 days.
- Refrigerate – Store in an airtight container up to 5 days.
- Freeze – You can also freeze cinnamon rolls, storing in an airtight container covered in plastic wrap to avoid any freezer odor up to 3 months.
To Reheat
Reheat these caramel rolls individually in the microwave for 20 seconds or in the casserole dish in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 5 minutes.
Caramel Rolls
Ingredients
- 16 ounces crescent dough 2 cans of sheets
- 5 tablespoons butter unsalted, melted
- ¾ cup brown sugar packed
Caramel Frosting
- ¼ cup salted butter softened
- ½ cup brown sugar packed
- ⅙ cup milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1¼ cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Grease baking dish and set aside.
- On parchment paper (for easy cleanup), roll crescent roll sheets . Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with brown sugar.
- Starting at one end, roll each sheet into a log. Gently slice into 12 pieces per roll.
- Place tight in a buttered baking dish. Bake 26-28 minutes, until golden brown.
- In a medium mixing bowl, butter, sugar, milk, vanilla, salt and powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Spread on top of caramel rolls.
Tips
- Refrain from removing crescent dough from the refrigerator until ready to make your easy cinnamon rolls. This makes them easier to slice.
- Line your working surface with parchment paper for easy clean up.
- Liberally grease your pan before adding the rolls to it, so that once baked they are easy to remove and won’t stick.
- For a thinner icing, add a little extra milk when mixing the frosting.
- You can bake these rolls ahead of time and keep them covered in the fridge. Gently reheat them in the oven and spread over the frosting before serving.
Estimated nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is not guaranteed.
I tried this recipe this morning, and the rolls are fabulous! Delicious with a cup of coffee! Next time I will try making them the day before, refrigerating them, and then baking them in the morning. Do you think that would work, Julie?
Yay! Yes, just bring your dish to room temperature so that it doesn’t crack going from refrigerator to the oven and warm the icing to slather on the rolls. So glad you loved them! They are my favorite treat!
These look amazing. I have Danby counters and love to bake, but I am scared to roll dough or use melted butter directly on them. Have you had any oil staining?
No, you shouldn’t when properly sealed. Ours were first sealed immediately upon being installed and they were not completely dry, so oil stained. We since learned about the error, resealed ourselves and haven’t had another! I always roll directly on our marble and clean with soap and water after. Enjoy!