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Maple Bacon Cinnamon Rolls are the ultimate weekend breakfast or holiday brunch. Fluffy, homemade sweet dough is rolled up with brown sugar and bacon, then drizzled with a sweet maple frosting and topped with even more bacon.
These maple bacon cinnamon rolls are one of our favorite indulgent treats. With a sweet dough, bacon in the middle, and even more sprinkled on top, they're the perfect balance of sweet and salty flavors. Each bite leaves you wanting more.
We love to serve these gooey cinnamon rolls with a Lemon Dutch Baby, Pastina with Egg, and a Spicy Bloody Mary!
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Key Ingredients and Notes
- Dough - My sweet dough recipe is made from scratch, super soft and fluffy, and perfect for filling with tasty ingredients. Made with active dry yeast, granulated sugar, egg, salt, and flour, it's the same dough I use for my Overnight Cinnamon Rolls and my Apple Cinnamon Rolls.
- Filling - The filling for these rolls is butter, brown sugar, and crispy bacon pieces. I love using maple-flavored bacon, but you can use any type you like.
- Topping - The maple glaze for these rolls is made with pure maple syrup with the addition of a little bit of bacon grease. Extra crispy bacon pieces are added on top for the perfect balance of both sweet and salty.
Possible Variations
- Frosting - Use maple cream cheese frosting or whipped mascarpone frosting for a slightly different taste.
- Candied Bacon - Embrace the sweetness of this cinnamon roll recipe by crumbling candied bacon over the warm rolls.
- Nuts - Add chopped walnuts or pecans to the filling for a little extra crunch.
Want the quick version? Jump to the recipe card below. Or, keep reading for a detailed, step-by-step guide.
How to Make Maple Bacon Cinnamon Rolls
Cook the bacon - Heat the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crispy. Drain on paper towels, reserving some of the grease for the maple frosting.
Prepare the dough - In a large bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer, mix the warm water, yeast, and sugar, and let it sit until it foams. Add the egg, salt, and part of the flour to the yeast mixture, and mix until everything is combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed. Slowly add the remaining flour, if needed, until the dough is tacky, but not sticky.
Proof the dough - Knead the dough by hand or in a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook until the dough is smooth and elastic. Place the dough in a clean bowl greased with cooking spray or butter, and cover it with a light towel or plastic wrap. Let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled in size. Then, gently punch it down to release the air.
Layer - Use a rolling pin to gently roll the dough out into a large rectangle on the counter. Spread it evenly with the butter, brown sugar, and half of the bacon. Tightly roll up the dough, starting on the long side.
Proof again - Slice the dough into 12 equal pieces using a serrated knife. Place cut rolls in a greased 9x13-inch baking pan, seam side down. Cover and let the rolls rise for a second time in a warm spot until doubled in size.
Cook - Bake the cinnamon rolls in a preheated oven until bubbly and golden brown.
Make the icing - While the cinnamon rolls are cooling, mix the powdered sugar with the maple syrup, milk, and reserved bacon grease in a small bowl.
Frost - Spread the maple icing over the slightly cooled rolls and sprinkle with the remaining pieces of crispy bacon. Cool on wire racks if not serving right away.
Amanda's Expert Tips
- Mixing and kneading the dough by hand will give you a better sense of when the dough has enough flour and is done kneading. It should be tacky, not sticky, and should be soft and spring back when you push your finger into it.
- Start by adding just 4 cups of flour. Then slowly add the remaining flour until the dough is tacky to the touch, but does not stick to your hands.
- Make sure to let your dough rise in a clean, greased bowl that is covered with a thin kitchen towel or plastic wrap. This helps to ensure it rises properly and does not dry out.
- Let the rolls cool after baking for 10-15 minutes before adding the frosting. This trick will make sure it sticks and does not melt right off of them.
Make-Ahead Instructions
These maple bacon cinnamon rolls can be made up to 1-2 days ahead of time. Store them in an airtight container at room temperature.
They can also be made all the way up to before the second rise, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, and stored in the freezer for 6-8 weeks. Frozen unbaked rolls should be defrosted in the fridge and then allowed to rise overnight in the refrigerator or in a warm spot for about 1 hour until doubled in size. Bake risen rolls as directed.
How to Store
Leftover maple bacon cinnamon rolls can be stored at room temperature for 3 days in an airtight container and can be warmed in the oven or microwave, if desired.
Glossary
If you don't recognize a tool or skill I mentioned, you can look it up in my Glossary of Cooking Terms and Definitions for more information!
More Breakfast and Brunch Recipes
If you loved these homemade Maple Bacon Cinnamon Rolls, try these other delicious breakfast and brunch recipes that I know you will love too!
- Cinnamon Brown Sugar French Toast - A family favorite that's sweet, buttery, crisp on the outside, and fluffy in the center.
- Old-Fashioned Buttermilk Pancakes - A classic breakfast made with seven simple ingredients in 25 minutes!
- Fluffy Italian Zeppole - Easy, authentic Italian donuts that are light, fluffy, and dusted with powdered sugar.
- Nutella Pancakes - Fluffy pancakes with Nutella mixed right into the batter for an indulgent breakfast treat.
Recipe
Maple Bacon Cinnamon Rolls Recipe
Ingredients
Bacon Cinnamon Rolls
- ½ pound bacon, diced in small pieces
- 1 cup warm water
- 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast, or one packet
- ⅓ cup white granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- 4-5 cups all purpose flour
- ½ stick unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup light brown sugar
Maple Frosting
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 3 Tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 3 Tablespoons whole milk
- 1 Tablespoon reserved bacon grease
Instructions
- Add diced bacon to a medium skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is browned and crispy.
- Remove the cooked bacon from the pan with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel to drain. Reserve one tablespoons of the bacon grease from the pan for use in the frosting later.
- In a large bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer, mix the warm water, yeast, and sugar. Let it sit for approximately 5 minutes, until the yeast starts to get foamy.
- To the yeast mixture, add the eggs, salt and 4 cups of the flour and mix until the ingredients are well incorporated.
- Slowly add in the remaining flour until the dough is tacky to the touch, but not sticky. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead until the dough is elastic and springs back when a finger is pressed into the dough.
- Grease a clean large bowl with baking spray or butter and place the kneaded dough into it. Cover with a thin towel or plastic wrap and let sit in a warm place until doubled in size, approximately 1 hour.
- Once the dough has risen to double in size, punch down the dough to deflate it. Turn out on a floured surface and gently roll out into a large rectangle that is approximately ½ to 1 inch thick.
- Spread the surface of the dough evenly with butter and then sprinkle with the brown sugar and half of the crispy bacon pieces.
- Starting on the long side of the cinnamon rolls, tightly roll up the dough. Using a serrated knife, cut the roll into 12 equal pieces.
- Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan with baking spray or butter and place the rolls, cut side up in the pan. Cover the rolls with a towel or plastic wrap and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, approximately one hour.
- When the rolls are almost done rising, preheat the oven to 350°. Bake the rolls uncovered in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes until bubbly and lightly browned. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes.
- While the rolls are cooling, mix together the powdered sugar with the maple syrup, milk and reserved bacon grease.
- Drizzle the frosting over the slightly cooled rolls and then sprinkle with the remaining crispy bacon pieces.
Amanda
Can I use 2% milk instead of whole milk?
Amanda Scarlati
Yes, 2% milk will work just fine.
Jen
Your recipe does not list cinnamon in the ingredients, only in the instructions. How much cinnamon do you use??
Amanda
Thank you for bringing that to my attention. This recipe doesn't use cinnamon in the filling, however, if you want to add it then I would use 1 1/2 - 2 teaspoons. I have corrected the instructions.