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Calling all peanut butter lovers: Peanut Butter Cinnamon Rolls are the best peanut butter recipe you will ever eat. They’re a fluffy homemade cinnamon roll with peanut butter filling and peanut butter frosting!

one cinnamon roll covered in peanut butter on a blue plate.


Make Peanut Butter Rolls!

These cinnamon rolls are the best recipe for any peanut butter lover! They can be the perfect breakfast or dessert recipe for anyone. I made my classic yeast dough and filled it with cinnamon brown sugar and peanut butter. Then they are topped with a delicious peanut butter frosting.

Homemade cinnamon rolls can be quite daunting because they take time to make, but I promise they are worth it and will come out amazing! These are sweet and salty, indulgent and savory, soft and fluffy – the perfect cinnamon sweet rolls!

ingredients in peanut butter cinnamon rolls laid out on a white counter.

Ingredients Needed

  • Active Dry Yeast: This recipe is written for this kind of yeast NOT instant. So be sure to buy the correct kind.
  • Milk: Any kind of milk works great, dairy or nondairy.
  • Granulated Sugar and Brown Sugar: Sugar helps activate the yeast and create a fluffy dough and brown sugar is my favorite filling.
  • Cinnamon: A must in any cinnamon roll – use ground cinnamon.
  • Peanut Butter: Don’t use natural peanut butter; use a no-stir option like Skippy or Jif.

Click to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions!

How to make Peanut Butter Cinnamon Buns

  • Make your cinnamon roll dough. First you need to activate your yeast, then mix it with the other ingredients, adding flour until the dough comes together. Once the dough has time to rise until it’s doubled in size, it’s time to assemble your cinnamon rolls.
  • Stir together brown sugar and cinnamon. Warm the peanut butter until it’s pourable.
  • Roll out the dough to a large rectangle and spread peanut butter evenly over the dough, then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
  • Roll the dough up tightly from the long end. Slice it into 12 equal rounds. Place the rolls into a 9×13-inch baking pan that’s been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.
  • You can allow them to rise an hour, then bake. Or make overnight cinnamon rolls by covering with plastic wrap and refrigerating. Allow the dough to come to room temperature and rise before baking.
  • Bake until the rolls are light golden brown and cooked through. Frost with peanut butter icing or cream cheese frosting.
peanut butter cinnamon rolls in a white glass pan covered in peanut butter frosting.

Expert Tips

  • Make sure you pay attention to the kind of yeast you’re using. Active dry yeast requires activating and has a longer rise time.
  • You can use creamy or crunchy peanut butter.
  • It’s easiest to cut the cinnamon rolls using a serrated knife or dental floss.
  • Store leftover rolls loosely covered.
  • These are best served warm!

FAQs

Can you freeze these rolls?

You can! Freeze in an airtight container for up to 2 months!

one cinnamon roll covered in peanut butter on a blue plate.

Peanut Butter Cinnamon Rolls Recipe

4.89 from 9 votes
Fluffy from scratch cinnamon roll dough filled with peanut butter and cinnamon.
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 25 minutes
Rising Time 2 hours
Total Time 3 hours 25 minutes
Yield 12 rolls
Serving Size 1 cinnamon roll

Ingredients
 

For the Dough:

  • 1 package (8g) active dry yeast (about 2 ¼ teaspoons)
  • ¾ cup (177ml) milk (see note)
  • cup (67g) granulated sugar
  • 3 tablespoons (42g) unsalted butter , softened
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 large egg
  • 3 cups (372g) all-purpose flour plus more for dusting

For the Filling:

  • cup (134g) packed brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ cup (67g) peanut butter
  • 1 cup (170g) mini chocolate chips (optional)

For the Frosting:

  • ½ cup (145g) creamy peanut butter
  • 4 tablespoons (57g) unsalted butter , softened
  • 2 cups (226g) powdered sugar
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
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Instructions

Make the Dough:

  • Place milk in a microwave safe measuring cup. Heat for 30-45 seconds in the microwave, until it’s about 110-120°F. Add yeast and ½ teaspoon of the granulated sugar (from the ⅓ cup called for) and stir. Let it sit for a few minutes to proof and bubble up.
  • Place remaining granulated sugar, butter, salt, and egg in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
  • Mix until the butter is distributed throughout the liquids, although it may be chunky. Pour in the milk/yeast mixture and stir for a few seconds.
  • Add flour and stir with the paddle attachment just until the mixture starts to stick to the paddle.
  • Replace the paddle with the dough hook. Continue mixing on low speed until the dough forms a ball in the center of the bowl.
  • Spray a large bowl with cooking spray and place the dough ball in it. Spray the top of the dough ball with cooking spray (lightly) and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let sit for 1-2 hours until it doubles in size.
  • Note on rising: if your house is warm, it should rise no problem. If it’s cold in your house, it may take longer for the dough to rise, so plan accordingly!

Prepare your Rolls:

  • Stir together brown sugar and cinnamon.
  • Place the peanut butter in a microwave safe bowl and heat for 30-60 seconds or until pourable.
  • Once the dough is risen, roll it out on a lightly floured surface into a large rectangle, about 12” by 9”. Spread the peanut butter as evenly as possible over the rectangle, making sure to reach to the sides so the outer rolls have enough filling. Sprinkle with brown sugar mixture.
  • Roll the dough up tightly from the long end. Slice it into 12 equal rounds. Place the rolls into a 9×13-inch baking pan that's been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.
  • At this point, you can let them rise for about 1 hour, or until they are swelling up in the pan and bake as directed. Or you can cover with plastic wrap and stick in the refrigerator overnight until ready to bake.
  • When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350°F. If the rolls have been in the refrigerator, remove them and let them come to room temperature while the oven is preheating. Remove the plastic wrap and bake for 15-25 minutes, or until they are golden brown.

Make the frosting (if desired):

  • Mix peanut butter and butter with a hand mixer until well blended. Mix in powdered sugar until crumbly. Add vanilla and 2 tablespoons heavy cream and mix until desired consistency, adding more cream slowly as needed. Frost warm rolls.
  • Store rolls loosely covered for up to 2 days on the counter. Wrap well with plastic wrap and freeze for up to 2 months.

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

  • Use any kind of milk (regular, non-dairy, low fat or fat free)
  • This recipe has only been tested with no-stir peanut butter (not natural).
  • When making the frosting, you can use any kind of milk in place of the heavy cream, but you’ll probably need less (less fat = less needed to bind your frosting). So start with 1 tablespoon and work up from there.

Recipe Nutrition

Serving: 1cinnamon roll | Calories: 521kcal | Carbohydrates: 77g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 195mg | Potassium: 184mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 49g | Vitamin A: 342IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 73mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutritional information not guaranteed to be accurate
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American

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Dorothy Kern

Welcome to Crazy for Crust, where I share recipes that are sometimes crazy, often with a crust, and always served with a slice of life.

4.89 from 9 votes (8 ratings without comment)

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122 Comments

  1. I grew up with peanut butter rolls. My mom was famous for hers. In fact, my little brother just hinted this weekend that I needed to make him some. My mom put peanut butter powdered sugar on hers. I have also tried a cocoa powdered sugar frosting for a pb/choc combo.