These pistachio cinnamon rolls are filled with pistachio cream and topped with pistachio frosting, extra pistachio cream, and chopped pistachios.
These pistachio cinnamon rolls are a delicious twist on the classic, made for anyone who loves pistachio desserts.
The dough bakes up soft and fluffy, and instead of the usual cinnamon filling, each roll is layered with creamy pistachio spread that melts into the swirls as they bake.
Once warm, the rolls are topped with a silky pistachio cream cheese frosting, an extra drizzle of pistachio cream, and crunchy chopped pistachios.
These pistachio rolls are made without any cinnamon, making them a great option for anyone who’s allergic to cinnamon or simply doesn’t enjoy traditional cinnamon rolls.
For more cinnamon roll recipes, check out my Biscoff cinnamon rolls, chocolate cinnamon rolls, strawberry cinnamon rolls, and apple cinnamon rolls with apple pie filling.
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Why this recipe works
- Gooey and soft texture– The dough bakes up extra fluffy and tender, with perfectly gooey centers in every swirl.
- Pistachio flavor– From start to finish, these rolls are packed with rich, nutty pistachio flavor that makes them stand out from classic cinnamon rolls.
- Pistachio cream filling + topping– The melted pistachio cream inside the rolls and the extra drizzle on top add incredible flavor and moisture.
- Pistachio cream cheese frosting– The frosting is silky, slightly tangy, and full of pistachio, making every bite even more irresistible.
- Chopped and toasted pistachios– Sprinkled on top for crunch, color, and even more pistachio flavor, giving the rolls a beautiful, bakery-style finish.
Ingredients
Before you start to make this recipe, measure and prepare your ingredients so the cooking process will go smoothly and easily.
Full measurements are in the recipe card below.
Bread flour – Provides structure and helps the rolls become soft, tall, and fluffy. Bread flour has a higher protein content, which gives cinnamon rolls their signature chew.
Instant yeast – Rises quickly and doesn’t need to be activated in water first, making the dough easier and faster to prepare.
Granulated sugar – Sweetens the dough and helps the yeast activate.
Salt – Balances the sweetness and enhances all the flavors in the dough.
Vanilla extract – Use vanilla bean extract for a deeper, richer flavor. You can also use vanilla bean paste or scrape a whole vanilla bean for an extra aromatic dough.
Milk – Warm milk (around 110°F / 43°C) creates a tender dough and helps activate the yeast. Whole milk works best, but 2% will also work.
Eggs – Add richness and moisture, helping create a soft, enriched dough. Use large, room-temperature eggs.
Butter – Melted and cooled unsalted butter adds moisture, flavor, and softness to the dough.
Filling
Pistachio cream– A rich, sweet, and nutty spread made from pistachios. You can find it online, in specialty grocery stores, Italian markets, or Mediterranean shops.
Pistachio Cream Cheese Frosting
Butter– Use unsalted, room-temperature butter for a smooth, creamy frosting.
Cream cheese– Full-fat, room-temperature cream cheese gives the frosting the best texture and richness.
Powdered sugar – Sweetens and thickens the frosting while keeping it fluffy.
Pistachio cream – Adds a sweet, nutty flavor and a beautiful pale green color to the frosting.
Assembly
Chopped toasted pistachios– Sprinkle over the frosted rolls for extra crunch, color, and nutty flavor.
Instructions
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, instant yeast, and granulated sugar. Stir with a spoon to blend, then add the salt and mix again.
Add the eggs, warm milk, vanilla extract, and melted (but cooled) butter. Using the dough hook, start mixing on low speed until the dough comes together.
Increase to medium speed and knead for 8–10 minutes, or until the dough is soft, smooth, and slightly elastic.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean towel and let the dough rise in a warm spot for 1–2 hours, or until it doubles (or even triples) in size.
Once the dough has doubled in size, gently punch it down to release the air. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and roll it into a large rectangle, about ¼ inch thick.
Spread the pistachio cream evenly over the entire surface of the dough. Starting from the long side, roll the dough tightly into a log.
Cut into even rolls (about 12 rolls), using a sharp knife or unflavored dental floss for clean slices. Place the rolls into a greased or parchment-lined 9×13-inch pan, leaving space between them.
Cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap or a clean towel and let the rolls rise for 30–45 minutes, or until doubled in size and puffy. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F).
Bake the rolls for 20–25 minutes, or until lightly golden on top and cooked through. Avoid overbaking to keep them soft and gooey.
While the rolls cool slightly, make the pistachio cream cheese frosting: In a medium bowl, beat the room-temperature butter and cream cheese until smooth and creamy.
Add the vanilla extract, salt, powdered sugar, and pistachio cream.
Spread the warm rolls generously with the pistachio cream cheese frosting. Drizzle each roll with extra pistachio cream and make swirls using an offset spatula.
Finish with a sprinkle of chopped toasted pistachios for extra crunch and flavor. Serve warm and enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Use room-temperature ingredients. Soft butter, warm milk, and room-temperature eggs help the dough come together smoothly and rise evenly.
- Measure flour correctly. Too much flour leads to dense rolls. Spoon and level the flour, or use a kitchen scale for the most accurate results.
- Warm the milk to the right temperature. Around 110°F (43°C) is perfect. Too hot will kill the yeast; too cold will slow the rise.
- Knead until smooth and elastic. A well-kneaded dough will feel soft, stretchy, and slightly tacky, giving you fluffy rolls after baking.
- Check that your yeast is active. If you’re unsure about your yeast, test it by mixing 1 teaspoon of yeast with ¼ cup of warm water and a pinch of sugar. If it gets bubbly after 10 minutes, it’s good to go.
- Let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free place. A slightly warm oven (turned off) or a sunny spot works great for consistent rising.
- Don’t roll the dough too thin. Aim for about ¼ inch thickness so the rolls stay soft and tall instead of tight and dry.
- Use room-temperature filling. Soft butter and spreadable pistachio cream blend more evenly and won’t tear the dough when spreading.
- Cut the rolls with floss. Unflavored dental floss creates clean slices without squishing the dough.
- Roll the dough evenly and snug. Roll it up tightly but gently so the cinnamon swirl stays inside and the rolls bake evenly. Pinch the edge to seal the log before slicing.
- Don’t overbake. Remove the rolls when lightly golden. Overbaking will dry them out instead of keeping them soft and gooey.
- Avoid underbaking. Check the rolls/cookies a few minutes before the timer ends. They should be lightly golden on top and set around the edges. If the center still looks raw or doughy, give them 2–3 more minutes.
- Frost while warm. Spreading the cream cheese frosting on warm rolls helps it melt slightly into the layers, making them extra indulgent, before adding your pistachio cream drizzle and chopped pistachios.
- Top with pistachios for texture. Toasted chopped pistachios add crunch and extra nutty flavor, making the rolls feel bakery-style.
Faq's
Absolutely! While a stand mixer makes the process easier, you can knead the dough by hand. Just mix the ingredients in a large bowl until combined, then knead on a floured surface for about 10–12 minutes, or until smooth and elastic.
The secret to the best cinnamon rolls is using soft, enriched dough, spreading on plenty of buttery filling, and not overbaking.
Letting the dough rise properly and frosting the rolls while they’re still warm also helps make them extra soft, gooey, and flavorful.
This is often due to expired or improperly activated yeast, or because the dough didn’t get enough time to rise in a warm environment. Using milk that’s too hot can also kill the yeast.
Storing
Store the cinnamon rolls unfrosted at room temperature for up to 3 days, either covered tightly in the pan or in an airtight container. If they’re already frosted, keep them in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Warm each roll for 10–15 seconds before serving to bring back its soft, gooey texture.
Freezing
To freeze baked rolls:
Cool completely, wrap tightly, and freeze for up to 2 months. Reheat in the microwave for 20–30 seconds or warm in the oven until soft and gooey again.
To freeze unbaked rolls:
Prepare the rolls up to the point of slicing and placing them in the baking pan.
Instead of rising again, place the whole pan in the freezer until the rolls are firm, then transfer the frozen rolls to a freezer-safe bag or container. Freeze for up to 2 months.
When ready to bake, place the frozen rolls in a greased pan, cover, and let them thaw and rise in the fridge overnight or at room temperature until puffy, then bake as usual.
Substitutions
Dairy-free– Replace the milk with almond, oat, or soy milk, use vegan butter instead of regular butter, and swap the cream cheese with a dairy-free cream cheese alternative.
Different nuts– If you don’t have pistachios, you can use chopped almonds, walnuts, pecans, or hazelnuts. Toasting them first will give the rolls even more flavor and crunch.
Variations
Cinnamon– Mix cinnamon into the filling or sprinkle it on the dough before spreading the pistachio cream for a pistachio–cinnamon roll.
Homemade pistachio cream– Blend roasted pistachios, powdered sugar, a bit of melted white chocolate, and a splash of milk to make your own creamy pistachio spread.
Pistachio chocolate rolls– Add mini chocolate chips or drizzle melted dark chocolate into the filling for a rich, chocolatey twist.
Pistachio raspberry rolls– Spread a thin layer of raspberry jam over the pistachio cream before rolling.
White chocolate rolls– Fold chopped white chocolate or white chocolate chips into the filling. The sweetness pairs perfectly with the nutty pistachio.
Equipment
- Stand mixer with the dough hook– Makes kneading the dough easy and hands-free.
- Mixing bowl set- A few sizes for prepping dough, filling, and icing.
- Measuring cups and spoons- For accurate measuring of wet and dry ingredients.
- Digital kitchen scale- Great for weighing flour and butter precisely.
- French rolling pin- For rolling out the dough evenly.
- Pastry brush or offset spatula- To spread the filling smoothly.
- Serrated knife or unflavored dental floss- For slicing clean, even rolls.
- 9x13 baking pan- Fits a full batch of 12 cinnamon rolls perfectly.
- Whisk set- For mixing the cream cheese icing.
More cinnamon recipes
Homemade Cinnamon Rolls- These homemade cinnamon rolls are made with a pillowy soft dough filled with cinnamon filling and are topped with cream cheese frosting.
Cinnamon Roll Cookies- These cinnamon roll cookies are chewy and delicious and are made with a cookie swirled with cinnamon filling and topped with a cream cheese glaze.
Cinnamon Roll Cheesecake- This cinnamon roll cheesecake is made with a cinnamon crust, creamy cinnamon swirled cheesecake, and topped with cream cheese glaze.
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If you liked this recipe
📖 Recipe
Pistachio Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
- 5 ½ cups Bread flour
- 1 tablespoon Instant yeast
- ⅓ cup Granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cups Milk
- 2 Eggs
- ¼ cup Butter melted and cooled
For the filling
- ⅓ cup Pistachio cream
For the pistachio cream cheese frosting
- ¼ cup Butter
- 4 oz Cream cheese
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 2 cups Powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoon Pistachio cream
Assembly
- 12 teaspoon Pistachio cream
- ¼ cup Pistachios toasted, and chopped
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, instant yeast, and granulated sugar. Stir with a spoon to blend, then add the salt and mix again.
- Add the eggs, warm milk, vanilla extract, and melted (but cooled) butter. Using the dough hook, start mixing on low speed until the dough comes together.
- Increase to medium speed and knead for 8–10 minutes, or until the dough is soft, smooth, and slightly elastic.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean towel and let the dough rise in a warm spot for 1–2 hours, or until it doubles (or even triples) in size.
- Once the dough has doubled in size, gently punch it down to release the air. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and roll it into a large rectangle, about ¼ inch thick.
- Spread the pistachio cream evenly over the entire surface of the dough. Starting from the long side, roll the dough tightly into a log.
- Cut into even rolls (about 12 rolls), using a sharp knife or unflavored dental floss for clean slices. Place the rolls into a greased or parchment-lined 9×13-inch pan, leaving space between them.
- Cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap or a clean towel and let the rolls rise for 30–45 minutes, or until doubled in size and puffy. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F).
- Bake the rolls for 20–25 minutes, or until lightly golden on top and cooked through. Avoid overbaking to keep them soft and gooey.
- While the rolls cool slightly, make the pistachio cream cheese frosting: In a medium bowl, beat the room-temperature butter and cream cheese until smooth and creamy.
- Add the vanilla extract, salt, powdered sugar, and pistachio cream.
- Spread the warm rolls generously with the pistachio cream cheese frosting. Drizzle each roll with extra pistachio cream and make swirls using an offset spatula.
- Finish with a sprinkle of chopped toasted pistachios for extra crunch and flavor. Serve warm and enjoy!
Notes
- Use room-temperature ingredients. Soft butter, warm milk, and room-temperature eggs help the dough come together smoothly and rise evenly.
- Measure flour correctly. Too much flour leads to dense rolls. Spoon and level the flour, or use a kitchen scale for the most accurate results.
- Warm the milk to the right temperature. Around 110°F (43°C) is perfect. Too hot will kill the yeast; too cold will slow the rise.
- Knead until smooth and elastic. A well-kneaded dough will feel soft, stretchy, and slightly tacky, giving you fluffy rolls after baking.
- Check that your yeast is active. If you’re unsure about your yeast, test it by mixing 1 teaspoon of yeast with ¼ cup of warm water and a pinch of sugar. If it gets bubbly after 10 minutes, it’s good to go.
- Let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free place. A slightly warm oven (turned off) or a sunny spot works great for consistent rising.
- Don’t roll the dough too thin. Aim for about ¼ inch thickness so the rolls stay soft and tall instead of tight and dry.
- Use room-temperature filling. Soft butter and spreadable pistachio cream blend more evenly and won’t tear the dough when spreading.
- Cut the rolls with floss. Unflavored dental floss creates clean slices without squishing the dough.
- Roll the dough evenly and snug. Roll it up tightly but gently so the cinnamon swirl stays inside and the rolls bake evenly. Pinch the edge to seal the log before slicing.
- Don’t overbake. Remove the rolls when lightly golden. Overbaking will dry them out instead of keeping them soft and gooey.
- Avoid underbaking. Check the rolls/cookies a few minutes before the timer ends. They should be lightly golden on top and set around the edges. If the center still looks raw or doughy, give them 2–3 more minutes.
- Frost while warm. Spreading the cream cheese frosting on warm rolls helps it melt slightly into the layers, making them extra indulgent, before adding your pistachio cream drizzle and chopped pistachios.
- Top with pistachios for texture. Toasted chopped pistachios add crunch and extra nutty flavor, making the rolls feel bakery-style.
Rachael
It turned out amazing! Will make for Christmas morning