Caramel Pecan Cinnamon Rolls

I used my Mom’s sweet bread dough, to make these caramel pecan cinnamon rolls. This is a first, since I’ve always made them the way she did – with a powdered sugar and milk glaze. But being the nut lover that I am, it was a matter of time before I turned these into caramel pecan cinnamon rolls! So here they are!

I made 1/2 of my Mom’s recipe from my prior post for Sweet Bread. You can make this the night before, then refrigerate the dough overnight, and bake in the morning. Or make it fresh same day! This made 10 large caramel pecan cinnamon rolls, and I made them in 2 separate baking dishes/pans. Go to my post below for dough recipe.

Sweet Bread

Prepare the caramel pecan sauce. Prepare 2 medium sized baking dishes with a light coat of butter. Set aside. (a single 13″ x 9″ pan will tend to overflow in the oven, so better to use 2 baking pans).

Rough-chop 1 c of pecans, and set aside.

Combine in a small saucepan:

1 1/3c light brown sugar
2/3 c unsalted butter
1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbsp heavy cream

Cook, stirring constantly over low heat for about 5-7 min, until sugar has melted, and sauce is smooth. Pour over the bottom of each baking dish.

Sprinkle each with the chopped pecans. Set aside.

I turned the 1/2 recipe of dough onto a floured surface, and rolled it out to an 18″ by 24″ rectangle. Top with plenty of softened butter, and light brown sugar, then sprinkle with cinnamon. Add some chopped pecans if you like. (follow cinnamon roll instructions from sweet bread post above).

Roll into a long log, and slice with a sharp knife into about 10 even slices. Place each cinnamon roll cut side up, on top of the pecan topping in each baking pan. Leave a little room between each roll, to allow for rising. I used 6 rolls in 1 pan, and 4 in the other.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Let rolls rise for about 30 min, then place each pan on a cookie sheet to catch any overflow. Bake for about 25 min – but baking time will depend on the size of the pan, and the # of rolls per pan. The tops will be light brown and firm to the touch. Don’t over-bake. You just want to get the center baked.

These are perfect!

Remove from the oven and cool for about 10 min. Then carefully invert each pan onto your desired serving dish/tray. Scrape out any remaining sauce, and spread over the top of the rolls. Don’t waste this!