Sticky toffee cinnamon buns with dates

Make sticky toffee cinnamon buns sweetened with dates and topped with a toffee syrup. These cinnamon rolls are so soft and buttery, and every bite is a dream! The filling is made with a butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and Medjool date spread. After the buns are baked, they are topped with a sweet and sticky toffee syrup that you make on the stovetop with brown sugar, butter, and cream. This finishing touch makes them perfect.

Full disclosure, growing up Greek I didn’t really eat cinnamon buns! My parents would occasionally offer us a sweet breakfast, but that was usually a delicious sugar doughnut, like the ones we would eat on the beaches in Greece, or a slice of galaktoboureko. Otherwise breakfast was something savoury, like kouloures with feta, or a fried egg with toast. Still, lately I have been on a cinnamon roll craze.

It all started last year when I developed the recipe for Melomakarona cinnamon rolls. I became obsessed with the idea of making more and more versions of cinnamon buns. Then, a few days ago my daughter made a sticky toffee pudding microwave mug cake. The idea of it was great, and so I started to think of ways to showcase amazing flavours of sticky toffee and dates, but in cinnamon roll form – and here we are!

Why I love this recipe

You can choose any filling you want, but the truth is, if you don’t have a good dough, your cinnamon roll will not be what it should be. Don’t worry though – I have the best dough recipe for cinnamon rolls you will find! Honestly! First of all, it is SO easy to work with! When it comes time to roll out the dough into a rectangular shape so that you can add the filling, it is effortless!

Along with being easy to work with, the dough will give you the softest, most flavourful cinnamon rolls.

The filling is a combination of brown sugar, cinnamon and butter spread evenly over the dough. This is then topped with chopped of Medjool dates. They are soft, sweet and richly creamy. Dates have a bit of a caramel sweetness to them and so they are great with the toffee theme!

Another thing that makes these cinnamon rolls stand apart from the rest is the cream that I add before baking them. Prior to popping them in the oven, I top each cinnamon roll with some heavy cream. Trust me, this is not a step to be missed! It gives the moistest, cinnamon rolls ever!

Key ingredients

Flour I use all purpose flour (also called regular or plain flour) for this recipe. It is versatile, easy to find and does the job just fine!

Lukewarm water I use lukewarm water to dissolve my yeast. You have to make sure that the water is warm enough to dissolve the yeast, but not so hot that it essentially kills it. If you can insert your finger in the water without burning yourself, but can feel that it is warm it should be fine.

Dry yeast I use regular dry yeast that I purchase in bulk and store in my refrigerator; I feel that it stays fresher longer this way.

Sugar White granulated sugar is used in the dough, and to help activate the yeast. It gives sweetness, but not too much flavour.

Egg There is a whole egg, and an egg yolk in the cinnamon bun dough, making it extra rich.

Butter I include unsalted butter in the dough, in the filling and in the sticky toffee sauce. For the dough the butter has to be melted, for the filling it has to be softened, and for the topping it melts along with the cream and brown sugar to make the sauce. No wonder these buns are so amazing!

Medjool dates. Sweet, juicy, soft and utterly delicious. I love Medjool dates and especially love the way they work in this recipe. Be sure to remove all the pits and any hard stem ends which may be present.

Brown sugar I use brown sugar in the filling and to make the sticky toffee sauce. That way I get a rich caramel flavour along with the sweetness. So good!

Cinnamon I could not imagine a cinnamon bun without cinnamon! I use a good quality ground cinnamon and I am generous with how much I include in the filling.

Cream My secret to making the most amazing cinnamon rolls is pouring a little bit of heavy cream over each one right before baking. Don’t skip this step guys – it is magic! I also use heavy cream to make the sticky toffee sauce which takes these buns from amazing to Oh Goodness Me amazing!

How to make

There are a few steps to making these sticky toffee cinnamon buns with dates, and although it may seem too complicated, trust me, it’s not! Just plan ahead and give yourself enough time for dough rising. Here we go!

Prepare the dough

Step 1
Prepare your yeast mixture by combining the yeast, lukewarm water and sugar. Mix well and allow to sit in a warm place for 10 minutes. You should see that bubbles have formed on the surface of your mixture.

Step 2
In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment combine all of your dough ingredients, including the yeast mixture. Mix on medium speed for approximately 8 – 10 minutes or until the dough is smooth and has pulled away from the sides of the mixing bowl.

Step 3
Transfer to a large bowl that has been lightly coated with flour. Cover with plastic wrap and then a clean towel. Leave in a warm spot for at least 2 hours, or until the dough has doubled in size.

Step 4
After the dough has risen, punch down the dough and then transfer it to a floured work surface. Roll the dough out until you make a rectangle that is about 13 x 18 inches.

Prepare the filling

Step 1
Combine the softened butter and the brown sugar in a food processor or blender and pulse until well combined. Add the cinnamon, mix once again and transfer to a small bowl. Without cleaning the food processor, add the pitted dates and pulse until chopped up; you do not need to make a puree but you do want your dates chopped into smaller pieces.

Step 2
Spread the butter and brown sugar mixture over the dough, making sure to get as close to the shorter edges as possible while leaving ½ – 1 inch space on the longer edges. Add the dates evenly over the butter/brown sugar spread.

Step 3
Roll the cinnamon rolls as tightly as possible, being careful not to tear or break the dough.

Step 4
Using dental floss (the easiest way), cut the roll into approximately 2 inch sections; you should get 8 rolls. Transfer them to a parchment lined baking pan. Cover them loosely with plastic wrap and a clean kitchen towel and allow them to rise for 30 minutes.

To bake

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Once your sticky toffee cinnamon buns with dates have rested for 30 minutes, top each one with about ½ tablespoon of heavy cream. Bake in the middle rack of your oven for 25 – 30 minutes.

Prepare the sticky toffee sauce

Step 1
In a saucepan combine the butter, brown sugar and cream. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the sauce to medium so that it does not boil over and cook for an additional 4 minutes or so, stirring regularly. Your sauce should darken, and thicken slightly.

Step 2
Once the cinnamon buns are done, let them cool in the pan for about 2 – 3 minutes and then top with the sticky toffee sauce. Pour evenly over the rolls, slowly so that the sauce has a chance to seep into the folds of the cinnamon buns.

Recipe substitutions

If you prefer to use salted butter, you can do so. Simply cut down or omit any other salt in the recipe.

I like to use Medjool dates because I find them the most flavourful. They are also the softest making them easy to chop up. If you prefer however, you can. use a different type of date. Actually, you can replace the dates with raisins if you prefer.

Baking tips

Use a food processor or blender to chop up your dates

Although you can do this with a knife, I find that it is quicker and easier to chop the dates up (after you remove the seed of course) with a food processor or blender. Before I do that however, I mix together my butter and brown sugar. The reason I do that first is that the butter will naturally grease the blades of the food processor. Then, when I use it to chop up my dates, the greased blades minimize the sticking of the sticky dates to the blades.

Make sure your yeast is good

When proofing the yeast you should note that after 10 minutes there is a lot of foaming or bubbling on the surface of the water. It should look like the yeast has puffed up. This is a sign that the yeast is still active, which is exactly what you want. If you do. not see any bubbling, it is probably best to try again. It could be that your water was not the right temperature; either too hot, or too cold. If you try again and it is still not being activated, then it is time to buy a new container of yeast.

Check the temperature of the water

If you can stick your finger in the water and leave it there comfortably, while acknowledging that it is warm – then the temperature is probably just right. It is important to have lukewarm water otherwise your yeast may not be activated.

Choose the right pan

I use an 8 x 11 inch rectangular pan to make these 8 cinnamon rolls. This is the perfect sized pan which will give space for the cinnamon buns to rise, and will not leave too much space between them.

Serving size

This recipes makes 8 medium sized cinnamon rolls.

How to serve

I like to serve these sticky toffee cinnamon buns with dates as a sweet breakfast along with coffee or tea. Otherwise, I would even serve them as dessert after a meal, or as an afternoon snack.

Storing & serving

These cinnamon rolls will keep well at room temperature, covered, for a day or so. Any longer and I would store in the refrigerator. To serve, I would ideally warm them up a bit in the microwave. This will soften up the dough, and the sticky toffee pudding sauce which is so good!

Related recipes

If you love this recipe for a sweet treat that uses dates, I think you might also like these recipes that includes dates.

Orange muffins with dates and figs A healthy way to start the date! These muffins are simply great, and so easy to make.

Vegan date cake This cake is LOADED with dates, in the cake itself, and in the topping. It is rich, moist, sweet and vegan! That’s right, this cake includes no eggs or dairy, making it vegan and also perfect for Orthodox lent.

Healthy banana bread with dates This incredible banana bread will make you feel good just for eating it – it is loaded with nutritious and delicious ingredients. This recipe too is lenten because it contains no eggs or dairy. You won’t miss a thing!

Thanks for sharing!