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Carrot Cake Cinnamon Rolls

Carrot cake cinnamon rolls with swirled cinnamon filling and shredded carrot bake into soft, golden spirals. Finished with thick cream cheese frosting that spills over the edges for an easy spiced sweet roll breakfast.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
rising 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 40 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the dough
  • 3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2.25 tsp instant yeast
  • 0.25 cup sugar
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 0.75 cup warm milk
  • 0.25 cup butter, softened
  • 1 egg
For the filling
  • 4 tbsp butter, softened
  • 0.333 cup brown sugar
  • 1.5 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.5 tsp nutmeg
  • 0.25 tsp ginger
  • 1 cup shredded carrots
For the cream cheese frosting
  • 6 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 1.5 cup powdered sugar
  • 3 tbsp milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Make the dough
  1. Mix all-purpose flour, instant yeast, sugar, and salt, then add warm milk, softened butter, and the egg. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 8–10 minutes.
  2. Shape the dough into a ball, place it in a lightly greased bowl, and cover. Let it rise at room temperature for 1 hour until puffy and doubled in size (visual cue: it should spring back slowly when pressed).
Fill, shape, and bake
  1. Roll the dough into a rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Spread softened butter evenly over the surface.
  2. Sprinkle brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and shredded carrots over the butter. Press lightly so the toppings cling (visual cue: toppings look evenly distributed).
  3. Roll the dough up tightly from one long side to the other. Keep the roll snug so you get clear swirls when sliced.
  4. Slice into 12 rolls and place them in a greased 9x13 pan. Cover and let them rise 30 minutes until noticeably puffy (visual cue: rolls fill out the pan).
  5. Bake at 375°F for 20–25 minutes until the tops turn golden. Let the pan cool briefly before frosting so the icing stays thick (visual cue: no wet dough on the edges).
Frost and serve
  1. Beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth and spreadable. Spread the frosting over the warm rolls so it melts slightly and spills over the edges (visual cue: creamy coverage with swirled carrot visible through the icing).

Notes

Pro tip: weigh your flour or fluff-and-scoop it so the dough stays soft and doesn’t turn dense—then spread the fillings right up to the edges for stronger swirls. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days; rewarm individual rolls 15–20 seconds in the microwave. Freeze unfrosted rolls up to 2 months, thaw overnight in the fridge, then frost after reheating. For a dairy-light option, use lactose-free cream cheese and lactose-free milk in both the dough additions and frosting.