Zucchini Cinnamon Rolls

one cinnamon roll with frosting on top on a grey plate.

5 from 2 votes

Zucchini Cinnamon Rolls - a fluffy cinnamon roll recipe filled with shredded zucchini! Sneak veggies into breakfast and no one will ever know.

Prep Time30

Cook Time25

Rise Time1 10

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 411kcal

Author: Dorothy Kern

Cost: 7

Ingredients

Dough

4 ½ to 5 cups (558-620g) all-purpose flour
⅓ cup (67g) granulated sugar
2 packets Instant Yeast (see note)
1 teaspoon salt
¾ cups (177ml) water
¾ cups (177ml) milk
6 tablespoons (84g) unsalted butter softened
1 large egg

Filling

½ cup (100g) brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter melted
1 cup shredded zucchini

Frosting

4 tablespoons (57g) unsalted butter softened
4 tablespoons (113g) softened cream cheese
1 ¼ cups (141g) powdered sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Make the rolls:

Add 2 cups flour, sugar, dry yeast, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Whisk to combine.
Place water, milk and butter in a microwave-safe measuring cup. Heat, in 30 second increments, until the water reaches 120°-130°F (think hot bath water, use an instant read thermometer for best results). This will take approximately 1 1/2 minutes, depending on your microwave. Butter won’t totally melt.
Add water mixture to dry ingredients with the egg. Mix on medium speed for 2 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl a few times.
Add 1 cup more flour, beat an additional 2 minutes at high speed, scraping bowl occasionally. Mix in just enough remaining flour so the dough forms into a ball. The dough will be slightly sticky but not wet.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. You know it’s done when it forms a cohesive ball and springs back when lightly pressed with 2 fingers.
Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the filling by stirring together the sugar and cinnamon and melting the butter.
Roll dough into an approximately 11×17-inch rectangle using a rolling pin. Brush the butter all over the dough in a thin layer. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and then sprinkle with shredded zucchini.
Beginning at the long side of the dough, roll up tightly. Slice into 12 equal pieces.
Place rolls in a 9×13-inch baking pan that’s been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.
TO BAKE IMMEDIATELY:
Cover rolls and let double in size, about 1 hour, then skip to baking directions below.
TO MAKE OVERNIGHT CINNAMON ROLLS:
Cover with plastic wrap that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Place the rolls in the refrigerator overnight.
In the morning, preheat oven to 200°F, place the rolls in the oven then immediately turn the oven off. Let the rolls sit in the warm oven (no peeking) for one hour to rise.
After the hour, remove the rolls from the oven.
TO BAKE:
Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake cinnamon rolls for about 25-35 minutes or until golden brown and the center is cooked through. Cool 20 minutes before frosting.
MAKE THE FROSTING:
Beat butter and cream cheese in a large bowl until creamy using a hand mixer. Mix in powdered sugar and vanilla.

Video

Notes

No need to dry the zucchini, unless it seems extra wet or if it's been thawed from frozen.
Skip making your own dough and use crescent roll dough, bread dough, or pizza dough.
You can make the frosting the day before as well, and cover and refrigerate it overnight. Just take it out to come to room temperature when you take the cinnamon rolls out of the refrigerator.
Rolls will last on the counter for up to 3 days or you can freeze them for up to 3 months. You can also freeze them before baking (at the overnight step).

Using Active Dry Yeast:

Place milk in a microwave safe measuring cup. Heat for 30-45 seconds in the microwave, until it’s about 120 degrees. Add yeast and stir. Let it sit for a few minutes.
Place 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. Then 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.
Fill, bake, and frost cinnamon rolls as directed in the recipe above.

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