Pistachio Cinnamon Rolls

I first tried pistachio cinnamon rolls while sitting with my partner in a plaza in Seville. The August day was just getting started, and the Spanish sun was already tanning our legs. We had just left the pasteleria with a box full of breakfast pastries—a croissant rolled with jamon Iberico, a sugary palmier, a mini Basque cheesecake (when in Spain!)—and we were saving one glorious pistachio cinnamon roll for last.

I peeled the cinnamon roll away from the parchment paper, leaving a sticky, swirled imprint behind. I took a bite, letting the muted green frosting press on my nose, and leaving all politeness and decorum behind. The roll was pillowy, its filling a warm and sweet mixture of cinnamon, butter and crunchy pistachios. The pistachio cream cheese frosting was tangy, nutty and unctuously rich. I closed my eyes to savor every moment, knowing I wouldn’t be able to find this back in the States.

Shortly after coming home, pistachio desserts boomed in the U.S., and I found myself devouring pistachio cheesecakes, pistachio lattes and Dubai chocolate. Finally, Taste of Home’s Test Kitchen editor Maggie Knoebel came up with a near exact replica of the pistachio cinnamon rolls I enjoyed in Seville. Thanks to this recipe, I’ve relived that carefree, indulgent Spanish morning more times than I care to admit.

Ingredients for Pistachio Cinnamon Rolls

• All-purpose flour: We found that the best cinnamon roll recipes use all-purpose flour, not bread flour. The latter makes the pastries too tough and bready. All-purpose flour strikes a nice balance between strong and stable, yet tender and supple.
• Sugar: A little sugar sweetens the cinnamon roll dough, feeds the yeast and promotes browning during baking.
• Quick-rise yeast: Also known as instant yeast, quick-rise yeast does not need to be activated beforehand. Don’t confuse it with active dry yeast (another common type of yeast found at the grocery store), which needs to be activated beforehand.
• Egg: One egg binds all the dough ingredients together. Bring it to room temperature so it combines easily with the other ingredients.
• Butter: You’ll need one stick of butter for these cinnamon rolls. Melt one half into the milk and melt the other half for the filling.
• Cinnamon: Quality cinnamon rolls use good cinnamon. The common cassia variety works perfectly, but if you’re an avid baker, explore the other types of cinnamon—each has its own flavor nuance.
• Pistachios: Purchase unsalted shelled pistachios from the store, then chop them up for the filling. You can toast them beforehand to deepen the nuttiness if you’d like.
• Frosting: The pistachio cream cheese frosting might be the best part of these rolls. Soften one block of cream cheese to room temperature so the frosting doesn’t turn out lumpy. You’ll also need pistachio cream (not to be confused with pistachio butter), confectioners’ sugar and a little extra cinnamon.

Directions

Step 1: Mix the dough

In a large bowl, whisk together 2-1/4 cups flour with the sugar, quick-rise yeast and salt. In a small saucepan, heat the whole milk and butter to between 120° and 130°F. Add the warm milk mixture to the flour mixture, and use a stand mixer or a wooden spoon to beat everything together just until moistened.

Add the egg and beat until the dough is smooth. Stir in just enough of the remaining flour to form a soft dough. The dough will be sticky!

Editor’s Tip: Depending on the humidity in your kitchen, you may not need all the flour, so add 1/3 cup at a time.

Step 2: Knead the dough

Turn the dough onto a floured surface. Using your hands, knead the dough until it’s smooth and elastic, six to eight minutes. Cover the dough with storage wrap or a clean kitchen towel and let it rest for 10 minutes.

Step 3: Add the fillings

Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a 15×10-inch rectangle. Spread the melted butter to within 1/2 inch of the edges. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon, and evenly spread the mixture over the butter. Sprinkle it with the chopped pistachios.

Step 4: Cut the rolled dough

Roll up the dough and fillings jelly-roll style, starting with the long side. Pinch the seams to seal up the dough roll.

Cut the log into 12 slices. Place the cut side down in a greased 13×9-inch baking pan. Cover the pan with storage wrap or a clean kitchen towel and let the rolls rise in a warm place for 30 minutes. During the last 15 minutes, preheat the oven to 325°.

Step 5: Bake the rolls

Uncover from the rolls and bake them until they’re golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes.

Step 6: Add the pistachio frosting

In a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and pistachio cream together until they’re combined and lump-free. Add the confectioners’ sugar and cinnamon and beat the frosting until it’s smooth. Spread the pistachio cream cheese frosting over the warm rolls.

Recipe Variations

• Try a different topping: If cream cheese frosting is too much for you, just top the baked cinnamon rolls with pistachio cream or pistachio butter. You may need to slightly melt the spread in the microwave so it drizzles a little more easily.
• Include chocolate chips: For the ultimate indulgence, sprinkle chocolate chips into the cinnamon roll’s filling when you add the chopped pistachios. The warm, melty chocolate chips are a rich, indulgent addition to the pistachios and cinnamon butter.
• Add orange zest: Orange and pistachio pair beautifully together. It’s why you’ll normally find orange blossom water in Middle Eastern pistachio desserts like baklava. Zest the orange like you’d zest a lemon, making sure to avoid the bitter white pith.

How to Store Pistachio Cinnamon Rolls

Allow leftover pistachio cinnamon rolls to cool completely to room temperature, then transfer them to an airtight container. They can be refrigerated for up to two days. Warm them gently in the microwave if desired.

Can you make pistachio cinnamon rolls ahead of time?

Yes, you can make pistachio cinnamon rolls ahead of time. After placing the rolls in the 13×9-inch pan, immediately cover them with storage wrap and chill them overnight. In the morning, remove the pan from the fridge, replace the storage wrap with a clean kitchen towel, and allow the rolls to rise in a warm place until they’ve doubled in size. This may take longer than the suggested 30 minutes because the rolls will be thoroughly chilled. Once they’ve doubled in size, remove the kitchen towel and bake the rolls according to this pistachio cinnamon rolls recipe.

Pistachio Cinnamon Rolls Tips

Can you make pistachio cream cinnamon rolls gluten free?

Yes, you can make gluten-free pistachio cream cinnamon rolls. Just follow our gluten-free cinnamon rolls recipe, add chopped pistachios to the filling, and use this recipe’s pistachio cream cheese frosting instead. Make sure all other packaged goods are certified gluten free, and double-check that your baking spray does not contain flour. So many of them do!

How do you know if the dough is kneaded enough?

You’ll know the dough is kneaded enough when it’s smooth, not sticky and not rough-looking. I like to press the dough ball with two fingers to see if it springs back. If the dough doesn’t spring back, keep kneading the dough.

Can you just frost store-bought cinnamon rolls with the pistachio cream cheese frosting?

Yes, you can just frost store-bought cinnamon rolls with the pistachio cream cheese frosting if making the rolls from scratch feels like a little too much work for the morning. Even the best store-bought cinnamon rolls won’t have chopped pistachios in the filling, but the pistachio cream cheese frosting packs enough of a rich pistachio punch to make up for it.