Peach Crisp Cinnamon Rolls

Ultra fluffy and pillowy cinnamon rolls loaded with both buttery brown sugar cinnamon filling and fresh peach filling, topped with a brown sugary crumble and drizzled in cream cheese icing!

Here in Oregon we’re nearing the VERY end of peach season, so I decided to fit in one last peach recipe before it ends. And considering the fact that it’s almost fall (Hooray!!), I thought I’d combine my favorite stone fruit with one of the best fall comfort treats to ever exist…

CINNAMON ROLLS.

As you can tell by the title, these aren’t JUST Peach Cinnamon Rolls…these are Peach CRISP Cinnamon Rolls!! 

Swirled with fresh peach filling and sprinkled with buttery brown sugar crumble topping, these cinnamon rolls combine ALL of the delectable elements of a peach crisp with a fluffy cinnamon roll. Can you say HEAVENLY???

This past spring, I made these Blueberry Cinnamon Rolls, and needless to say, they were the BOMB.COM. (Showing my age, much?) They were extraordinarily fluffy and so soft that they almost collapsed in your hand when you picked one up. Even the corner pieces, which tend to be dryer and more well-done, were impeccably light and doughy. 

Since then, I’ve been DYING to experiment with that cinnamon roll recipe again. So peach cinnamon rolls seemed like the perfect idea to resurrect that flawless dough once again.

When it comes to cinnamon rolls, I have a few CRUCIAL tips for creating heavenly results. Below are a few pointers:

1. DON’T add too much flour. Adding too much flour to the dough can make cinnamon rolls dry and tough. This recipe calls for 3 cups – 3 and 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour. I usually start with 3 cups, and mix in my stand mixer until the dough just cleans the sides of the bowl. It should still stick to the bottom of the bowl. If it’s still really sticking to the sides of the bowl, add a tablespoon of flour at a time until you reach the right amount.
2. DON’T over-knead/over-work the dough. After the dough rises, plop it onto a generously-floured surface, and get to rolling. You might be tempted to knead the dough a little since the dough is really sticky, but try your best not to. Just sprinkle flour all over the ball of dough and rub a good amount onto the rolling pin. The less you work the dough, the softer the rolls will turn out.
3. Use good yeast. Ok, so this tip should be obvious, but I can’t stress enough how important it is to use good yeast. Make sure that it hasn’t expired or previously opened either. For these rolls, you’ll be using active dry yeast. Luckily, you can tell if your yeast is active/alive by proofing it BEFORE it goes in with the rest of the ingredients. To do so, just combine it with 1/4 cup of warm water (usually between 110ºF-115ºF) and a teaspoon of granulated sugar. After 5-10 minutes, it should be bubbly and foamy. If not, either the water was too hot and killed the yeast, or the yeast is no longer active.
4. Secret ingredient–PUDDING MIX. I’m a huge advocate of pudding mix due to the fact that it adds both sweetness and softness to most any baked good, whether it’s cakes, cookies, or in this case, cinnamon rolls. The pudding mix makes the dough nice and pliable, and ensures that the rolls bake up EXTRA fluffy.
5. Overnight Rise. This isn’t necessarily crucial, but as someone who DOESN’T enjoy getting up at the (butt)crack of dawn to prepare something as labor-intensive as cinnamon rolls, this is the way to go! Simply place your cinnamon rolls into the refrigerator immediately after you’ve sliced them and placed them into the baking dish. This needs to be done BEFORE their second rise. As they sit in the refrigerator, they’ll rise slowly, so when you wake up the next morning, they’ll be ready to bake! Just make sure to let them sit out at room temperature for about 20 minutes to take the chill off. And if they haven’t risen much overnight, let them sit out for about an hour.

Ok, now let’s discuss the luscious peach filling…

Instead of simply laying peach slices on top of the butter-brown sugar-cinnamon filling, I decided to make up a peach filling to spread over the dough. Not only does this give the peaches a head-start in cooking them, but it adds extra sweetness to the swirls.

Of course, BEFORE you make the peach filling, you MUST have the right peaches. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to make it to my nearby farmer’s market, so I was stuck with rock-hard grocery store peaches. Luckily, it’s super simple to ripen them quickly! Just place your peaches, stem side down (to prevent bruising), in a paper bag. Lay the paper bag down on its side to keep the peaches from touching, then close the bag up. After 24 hours, they should’ve ripened quite a bit.

Also, to make peeling easier, place the peaches into a pot of simmering water for about 30-60 seconds. Use a slotted spoon or a pair of tongs to transfer the peaches from the pot, into a bowl full of ice water to cool. Once cooled, use a knife to make a slit into the skin, and gently peel it off. 

To make the filling, start by slicing the peaches into 1/4-inch thin wedges, then slice each wedge into 3-4 pieces. Cutting them into pieces will make rolling and cutting the cinnamon rolls MUCH easier. Place the peaches into a saucepan and stir for 2-3 minutes, allowing them to soften. Stir in a mixture of granulated sugar, cornstarch, and salt, and continue cooking until you end up with a thick peach filling.

The peach filling needs to cool completely before you spread it on top of the dough. And just a forewarning, the peach filling will make things a tad bit messy when it comes time to roll the dough up. However, using unwaxed unflavored dental floss to slice the rolls instead of a knife will make it much easier to keep the rolls nice and neat. If some of the peach filling slides out of the rolls, don’t worry! As long as you get them into the baking dish, they’ll bake up just fine.

For the crumble topping, all you have to do is toss some melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and chopped pecans together until you end up with a crumbly sand-like mixture. You can also use chopped walnuts or sliced almonds, if you like!

Just before the rolls go into the oven, the crumble topping gets sprinkled over every delectable swirl of goodness. They’ll need to bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the rolls are golden brown and the topping looks nice and crisp.

Although I’m a bit of a glutton when it comes to how much icing I prefer on my cinnamon rolls, I decided to go “lighter” with these rolls since they’re baked with a crumble topping. So instead of slathering a generous layer of cream cheese icing on top, I drizzled a more “healthy” amount of cream cheese icing over the rolls. Oh, and to make the icing more “drizzleable”, it helps to heat it in the microwave for about 10-20 seconds first. 

Not to toot my own horn or anything, but…

TOOT TOOT!!!

Peach Crisp Cinnamon Rolls

Ultra fluffy and pillowy cinnamon rolls loaded with both buttery brown sugar cinnamon filling and fresh peach filling, topped with a brown sugary crumble and drizzled in cream cheese icing!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Servings 12 Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients

  

Peach Filling:

• 3 cups peeled and chopped fresh peaches (about 20 ounces)*
• ⅓ cup granulated sugar
• 5 teaspoons cornstarch
• Pinch of salt

Crumble Topping:

• ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
• ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup chopped pecans
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon

Dough:

• ¼ cup warm water**
• 2 ¼ teaspoon active dry yeast (one 1/4-ounce packet)
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• ¼ cup instant vanilla pudding mix
• 1 cup milk, warmed in microwave for 30-40 seconds
• ⅓ cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 Tablespoon Greek yogurt
• 1 egg
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 3-3 ¼ cup all-purpose flour

Cinnamon Brown Sugar Filling:

• 4 Tablespoons salted butter, softened
• ⅓ cup brown sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon

Cream Cheese Icing:

• 4 Tablespoons salted butter, softened
• 3 ounces cream cheese
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 ¼ cup powdered sugar

Instructions

 

Make the Peach Filling:

• In a medium saucepan, heat the peaches over medium heat until they soften and their juices start to release, about 2-3 minutes. In a separate bowl, combine the sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Add mixture to the peaches and continue cooking until it begins to form a thick sauce, about 2-4 minutes. Remove from heat, pour into a shallow bowl and place in the refrigerator to cool completely.

Make the Crumble Topping:

• Place the melted butter, flour, brown sugar, pecans, and cinnamon in a medium bowl, and stir with a fork until it resembles clumps of sand; set aside.

Make the Dough:

• In a glass measuring cup, combine the water, yeast, and sugar; set aside to foam for about 5-10 minutes.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the pudding mix and milk together until combined and thickened. Add the butter, Greek yogurt, egg, and salt, beating until fully combined.
• Switch to the dough hook, and add the yeast mixture and 3 cups of the flour. Mix the dough on low and allow it to knead for about 6-7 minutes. If dough is still too soft, add more flour, 1 Tablespoon at a time, until dough just cleans the bowl, but is very soft. It should still stick to the bottom of the bowl.
• Coat a large bowl with nonstick cooking spray and place dough in bowl. Seal tightly with plastic wrap. Place bowl in a warm place and allow dough to rise until doubled in size, about 2 hours. In the meantime, spray a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
• After dough has doubled in size, punch it down. Turn dough out onto a floured Silpat or floured countertop. With a rolling pin, roll it out to an 18-by-12-inch rectangle.
• Make the cinnamon brown sugar filling by combining the butter, brown sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl. Spread the filling evenly over the entire surface of the dough. Pour the peach filling on top of the brown sugar filling and spread evenly. Roll dough tightly into a log, ending with the seam side down. Pinch the ends to seal.
• Using plain, unwaxed dental floss (or a bench scraper), slice the rolls into 12 evenly-sized rolls. Arrange the rolls cut side down in the prepared baking dish. Cover tightly with plastic wrap.

*If Baking Immediately

• Allow the rolls to rise again in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

*Or...If You Want to Bake the Rolls the Next Day

• Place covered rolls in the refrigerator for up to 16 hours. Before baking, let the rolls sit at room temperature until they have nearly doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Baking:

• For either version, bake at 350ºF for 25-30 minutes, or until the brown sugar filling is bubbling and the rolls are lightly browned. While rolls bake, prepare the cream cheese icing.

Make the Icing:

• In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and cream cheese together on medium speed for about 1 minute. Add the vanilla, salt, and powdered sugar and beat for 2 minutes. Scrape down sides of the bowl, and beat for 1 more minute until light and fluffy.
• Once rolls have baked, remove from the oven. Drizzle the cream cheese icing over the warm rolls, allowing it to melt into every single crevice.*** Serve immediately.
• Rolls are best eaten fresh, but will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Reheat leftover rolls for 10-15 seconds in the microwave before serving.

Notes

*I sliced the peaches into thin wedges, then cut each wedge into 3-4 pieces.

**Different brands require different water temperatures for the yeast to react with. Make sure to use a food thermometer to get the correct temperature. You don't want the water too hot, or it will kill the yeast; too cold, and the yeast won't react. Mine had to be anywhere between 110ºF-115ºF.

***If icing is too thick or hard to drizzle, heat it in the microwave for 10-20 seconds to thin it out a little.