Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls Recipe with Brown Sugar & Walnuts
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Jump to RecipeSourdough cinnamon rolls area a fluffy overnight treat, made with brown sugar & walnut filling. Everyone will want seconds of this pantry staple breakfast! These brioche cinnamon buns are warm and delicious, a perfect brunch treat for hungry families or guests.
The dough is made the night before, just roll. fill, and bake in the morning. A fantastic weekend treat for breakfast or brunch.
These Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Rolls Are:
- Light
- Sticky
- Sweet
- Flaky
- Decadent
- Flavorful
- Made without Kneading
- Perfect for hosting brunch guests
Sourdough Starter Cinnamon Rolls
The dough for these Sourdough Brioche Cinnamon Buns recipe is the perfect way to use your sourdough discard from a starter. I hate throwing out food (or rather, composting it!)- so I’m always looking for ways to reuse kitchen scraps to cut back on waste. Instead of tossing your discard when you feed your sourdough starter, try this awesome recipe instead.
Browse all our sourdough discard recipes. That way you can add a hint of sourdough flavor to your baked goods, and cut back on food waste. This recipe uses unfed starter, so just use the discard straight from the bowl.
What’s In This Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls Recipe?
Be sure to visit the recipe card below for full ingredient amounts and recipe instructions!
- Sourdough Starter Discard: you can buy sourdough starter, or I have a great guide on how to make your own in one week!
- All Purpose Flour
- Granulated Sugar
- Active Dry Yeast: I stocked up on this active yeast which I always find plenty of uses for in my kitchen! Active dry yeast is great for overnight breads and this easy quick bread recipe too! Sourdough starter has naturally occurring yeast, but I like to add some volume with a packet of dry yeast too.
- Milk
- Butter
- Eggs
- Water
- Cinnamon: which gives this cinnamon buns recipe is classic spice-y flavor! I love to load it in the filling for a wonderful and fragrant experience. Adding a little sprinkle of cinnamon buns on top before baking will make your house smell amazing.
- Brown Sugar: I like to use a dark brown sugar for baking because I find it has a really nice flavor.
- Walnuts
One of the BEST Pantry Staple Cinnamon Rolls from Scratch Recipes
These cinnamon buns with sourdough starter recipe is a fantastic pantry-staple meal! It uses almost all ingredients you would have in your dry pantry or cupboards. You probably have a lot of these ingredients on hand. Keeping a well-stocked pantry makes it easy to come up with delicious meals using a few staples you can rotate.
I made a list of my Top 125 Plant-Based Pantry Staples that always keep on hand. And you can check out all my favorite pantry staple recipes on TheHerbeevore.com here. By stocking up on whole ingredients you can cook delicious recipes without a trip to the store!
How Do I Make Cinnamon Rolls with Sourdough Starter?
- In a large mixing bowl, add the sourdough starter, flour (start with 4 1/2 cups), sugar, active yeast, and salt. Mix well to combine, and make a well in the center of the flour mixture.
- Add melted butter, milk, and egg to a bowl, scramble well with a fork until combined. Add the egg mixture to the center of the flour well. Pour the warm water over the egg mixture. With a large spoon, mix well to combine all ingredients into a dough. Dough should be sticky and thick. If your dough is sticking to the sides of the bowl, add the remaining 1/2 cup flour.
- Cover with plastic wrap and place bowl in the refrigerator overnight (8 to 12 hours).
- The next morning, grease 2 9×9 loaf pans. Turn dough out onto a well-floured work surface.
- Roll out the dough into one large rectangle.
- In a saucepan, heat the butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon and stir until well combined. Pour the cinnamon mixture over the dough, and use a spoon or pastry brush to make an even layer over the top of the dough. Sprinkle on the walnuts and ground flaxseeds.
- Take the long side of the dough, and tightly roll the edges towards the other side, roll all the way until you have a long log of dough. With a sharp knife, cut the buns into 2 inch slices. Place the slices in your greased loaf pans (mine fit 6 in each).
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake rolls for 30-45 minutes (mine took the full 45). Tops should be brown, but if it starts to look burnt, then cover with foil and continue to bake.
- Allow buns to cool on a rack for at least 20 minutes before enjoying. Top with icing, butter, or powdered sugar if desired.
Dietary Modifications
- To make this buns vegan: substitute out the eggs, butter, and milk for plant based varieties. I’ve actually make brioche with almond milk before and it tastes great!
- To make dairy free: use plant-based milk and butter.
- To make gluten free: use a gluten free baking mix instead of the flour, and a gluten free sourdough starter instead of one that has wheat.
More Sourdough Discard Recipes We Love!
Sourdough Bagels Recipe (Vegan)
Vegan Sourdough Muffins with Blueberries
Sourdough Garlic Naan Recipe (Vegan, Dairy Free, Egg Free)
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If you made this recipe, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I’d love to hear from you!
Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
Equipment
- 2 9×9 inch loaf pans
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 1 cup sourdough starter unfed
- 4 1/2 to 5 cups flour plus extra for sprinkling
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons Sea Salt
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active yeast or 1 packet
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- 1 egg
- 1 cup warm water
For the Filling
- 1/2 cup butter melted
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup ground flaxseeds
- 1 cup walnuts crushed
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, add the sourdough starter, flour (start with 4 1/2 cups), sugar, active yeast, and salt. Mix well to combine, and make a well in the center of the flour mixture.
- Add melted butter, milk, and egg to a bowl, scramble well with a fork until combined. Add the egg mixture to the center of the flour well. Pour the warm water over the egg mixture. With a large spoon, mix well to combine all ingredients into a dough. Dough should be sticky and thick. If your dough is sticking to the sides of the bowl, add the remaining 1/2 cup flour.
- Cover with plastic wrap and place bowl in the refrigerator overnight (8 to 12 hours).
- The next morning, grease 2 9×9 inch loaf pans. Turn dough out onto a well-floured work surface.
- Roll out the dough into two large rectangles.
- In a saucepan, heat the butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon and stir until well combined. Pour the cinnamon mixture over the doughs, and use a spoon or pastry brush to make an even layer over the top of the dough. Sprinkle on the walnuts and ground flaxseeds.
- Take the long side of the dough, and tightly roll the edges towards the other side, roll all the way until you have a long log of dough. With a sharp knife, cut the buns into 2 inch slices. Place the slices in your greased loaf pans (mine fit 9 in each).
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake rolls for 30-45 minutes (mine took the full 45). Tops should be brown, but if it starts to look burnt, then cover with foil and continue to bake.
- Allow buns to cool on a rack for at least 20 minutes before enjoying. Top with icing, butter, or powdered sugar if desired.
Nutrition
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I think this recipe is why I’m going to re-start a sourdough starter! I’ve had 2 packets waiting in my ‘pantry’ to be activated(?) for too long.
Also, thanks for the suggestions to modify your recipe for different diet needs and choices.
Sooooo good