Fig & Brie Cinnamon Rolls

If you’re a cinnamon roll lover (who isn’t??), you’ve got to try these Fig & Brie Cinnamon Rolls. This upgraded version of a classic adds homemade fig butter and hunks of brie cheese to the cinnamon swirl. Topped off with honey cream cheese glaze, they’re ooey, gooey, and delicious.

I love this summery take on cinnamon rolls. It’s a great way to use up a good amount of figs if you have a fig tree in your yard (or neighborhood). These rolls are full of spicy cinnamon butter, fresh fig flavor, and melty pockets of cheese. It’s a dreamy flavor combination!

Recipe highlights

• Gooey deliciousness. Thanks to the cinnamon butter swirl and melty hunks of cheese, these rolls have the full gooey factor that every good cinnamon roll strives for.
• Easy overnight cinnamon rolls. You can make the rolls the day before so they’re ready to bake in the morning.
• Fun flavors! Fig butter, cinnamon, brie cheese, honey. I LOVE this flavor combo.
• WAY less sugar. If you opt to make the fig butter yourself, the total amount of sugar in this recipe is significantly lower than your average cinnamon roll. With a minimal amount of sweetener in the fig butter, sweet roll dough, filling, and frosting, these aren’t tummy-ache rolls.

Making the cinnamon roll dough

I’ve simplified this recipe for cinnamon roll dough to make it as simple as possible! 

To start, mix the yeast with sugar and warm milk in the bowl of a stand mixer and let it sit until the yeast is activated and frothy, 5-10 minutes. Then, whisk in the egg and melted butter.

Add flour, salt, and sourdough discard, if using. Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic. You can do this by hand, but a stand mixer is a much easier way to accomplish this!

The final dough should be somewhat sticky without getting stuck to your fingers.

Once your dough is smooth, place it in a greased bowl, flipping the dough to coat with oil. Let it sit until roughly doubled in size, about 1 – 1 1/2 hours. Keep in mind that rising time will depend on room temperature, among other factors, and can vary quite a bit.

Making the fig & brie filling

Make the fig butter. For the filling, I recommend making homemade fig butter first. The fig spread takes about 45 minutes to make. It needs to be completely cool before you use it to fill the rolls. To make things easiest, you can prep this the day (or several days) before.

Or, simply use store bought fig butter and skip this step.

Make the cinnamon butter. Simply cream soft butter with brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg until it’s thoroughly combined.

Prep the brie. Slice the cheese into thin slices and set them aside.

Shaping the rolls

Once the cinnamon roll dough has proofed, remove it from the bowl and place on a lightly floured work surface. Roll it into a rectangle, roughly 16 by 12 inches and 1/2 inch thick.

Carefully spread the cinnamon butter mixture on top of the dough, leaving a one-inch border around all sides. Then spread the homemade fig butter in an even layer on top of the cinnamon butter. Distribute the brie pieces evenly on top.

Starting with one long side, roll the dough up into a log, making sure it’s fairly tight. Seal the edge by pinching the two sides together with your fingers.

Place the log seam side down and slice it into 9 even slices using a very sharp serrated knife or unflavored dental floss. To keep the best shape on your rolls, try not to squish the dough when you slice into it.

Place the rolls into a buttered 8 by 8-inch baking pan. Cover them with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator overnight, or up to 24 hours.

If you want to bake them the same day, then let the rolls rest at room temperature instead. Once the rolls are about doubled in size (about an hour or so), they’re ready to bake.

Baking fig & brie cinnamon rolls

If you let your rolls sit overnight, pull them out of the fridge first thing in the morning. Then, allow them to rise at room temperature until doubled and puffy. This may take an hour or two.

Preheat the oven to 350° F and bake the cinnamon rolls until they’re golden brown and the brie cheese is bubbly. I like to check the internal temperature with a digital thermometer to tell if they’re perfectly baked inside. Their internal temperature should be between 195 – 200° F.

Be sure to let the rolls cool for at least 20 minutes before frosting them. You can add the frosting while they’re still lightly warm or wait until they’re fully cool.

Variations & substitutions

Sourdough discard: This is optional. I added it to the cinnamon roll dough for a little extra flavor because I always have some around. If you don’t have it, just skip it!

Salted butter: I used salted butter for the cinnamon butter filling. You could also use unsalted butter and add a ½ teaspoon of salt to the filling. It really helps to balance the sweetness.

Spices: I used cinnamon & nutmeg for the filling. Feel free to add any other baking spices you like, or change the amount of spice used here.

Frosting: These rolls pair well with the honey cream cheese icing, but you could use a different frosting if you like. Or, you could simply top the warm rolls with butter or a slice of brie cheese!

Baking pan: You could also bake the rolls in a round 8 or 9-inch cake pan. They’re easier to fit evenly in a square pan, but a round pan will do just fine!

Serving, storage, and reheating

I highly recommend you serve these fig & brie cinnamon rolls warm and fresh. They have the best texture and flavor this way. They’re also fine to serve at room temperature.

If you have leftovers, keep them wrapped and refrigerated for up to three days.

To reheat the rolls, I like to stick them in a 350° F oven wrapped in foil or in a small baking dish until warm, about 15 minutes. I find it super lovely to add a little slice of brie on top of the rolls when re-warming them. Delicious!

Similar recipes you’ll love:

• Raspberry Brie Focaccia
• Braided Cinnamon Bread
• Cardamom Blood Orange Rolls
• Nettle Pesto Swirl Bread