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Sweet warming Cinnamon Knots with Coffee Icing, for the ideal autumn treat. All made using pantry staple ingredients. Including a good amount of cinnamon, a touch of sweet brown sugar, and the most delicious coffee icing – for an extra special cinnamon knot. Beyond delicious and the easiest to make, these extra cinnamony knots have a little crunch with every bite.
For the most part, I reserve my cinnamon rolls for Christmas time…and Christmas time only. It makes them feel even more special to me and we always look forward to them on Christmas Eve.
I did, of course, make an exception for the apple cinnamon rolls I shared a few weeks back. But those felt so very fall, and not at all holiday, so they were OK in my mind.
These are my cinnamon knots. They’re not quite a cinnamon roll, but kind of similar. And either way, they’re so delicious that I just had to share them. Plus knots allow me to get around my little rule.
What I love most about these rolls is just how quickly they can be made. All you need is one hour! I used Fleischmann’s® RapidRise® Instant Yeast, which makes the process of making and baking the cinnamon knots so simple and easy.
Fleischmann’s® RapidRise® Instant Yeast cuts down on rising time, allowing you to skip those lengthy waits. It contains fine granules that activate faster, without the need to dissolve first. Using their rapid rise yeast makes baking any kind of yeasted dough simple and straightforward.
You don’t even need a stand mixer for these knots!
Here are the details
The dough is the simplest to make. Simply mix flour with Fleischmann’s® RapidRise® Instant Yeast and add a pinch of salt. Next, add in warmed milk, a touch of brown sugar, eggs, and salted butter. Mix until smooth and let the dough rest for ten to fifteen minutes. And that’s the beauty of Fleischmann’s® RapidRise® Instant Yeast!
We get to skip an entire hour-long rise. Yet we still get the softest, fluffiest cinnamon knots!
The filling
For the filling, I spread the dough with butter, then sprinkle on a simple mix of brown sugar and cinnamon.
I like to use brown sugar for a nice depth of flavor. And I go heavy on the cinnamon for a knot that’s super delish.
Shaping the knots
Shaping the knots is easy. You shouldn’t stress about making them perfect.
In fact, the more imperfect they end up being, the better. Trust me, once they bake up they’ll be delicious and pretty…because cinnamon sugar has that effect on everything.
To make them even more special, we’re also making a cinnamon topping. This is a mix of brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter. Simply sprinkle the topping over top each knot before baking. As the knots bake, the topping begins to caramelize over the knots.
I do want to note that some of the cinnamon will fall off the knots onto the pan. What I like to do is spoon/scoop the sugar up off the pan. Then simply spoon it back over each knot. This is why it’s important to line your baking sheets with parchment paper.
The icing
While the knots are baking, I like to make the icing. It’s simply butter, maple syrup, powdered sugar, and instant coffee.
Not too strong, not too sweet, but just right. Especially when drizzled on top of a warm knot. Delicious!
As the knots bake, your home will be filled with scents of sweetness and cinnamon.
As soon as the rolls come out of the oven, ice them and serve. These knots are beyond good, soft, fluffy, perfectly sweet, and there’s a little crunch with every bite.
Looking for other easy fall breakfast? Here are my favorites:
Apple Cinnamon Rolls with Brown Butter Maple Icing
Cider Pumpkin Waffles with Salted Maple Butter
Baked Apple Cider Doughnuts with Cinnamon Maple Glaze
Lastly, if you make these Cinnamon Knots with Coffee Icing, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Cinnamon Knots with Coffee Icing
Servings: 14 knots
Calories Per Serving: 363 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
Dough
- 3 1/2 – 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 1 packet Fleischmann’s® RapidRise® Instant Yeast
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup warm milk
- 3 large eggs
- 4 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature
Cinnamon Filling
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon, plus 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 6 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature
Coffee Icing
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 3/4-1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon instant coffee
Instructions
- 1. In a mixing bowl, combine 3 ½ cups flour, the yeast, brown sugar, and salt. Add the milk, eggs, and butter. Mix until the flour is completely incorporated. If the dough seems sticky, add the remaining ½ cup of flour a little at a time. 2. Cover the bowl and let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes. 3. Meanwhile, make the filling. In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1 tablespoon cinnamon. Preheat the oven to 375° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment. 4. On a floured surface, roll the dough out into a rectangle about 1/4 inch thick (about 16×14 inches), adding flour as needed. Spread the dough with 5 tablespoons butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Fold the dough in half, directly over the cinnamon, pressing to adhere. Cut into 12-14 strips. Twist each strip into a loose knot, they don't need to be perfect. Place on the prepared baking sheet.5. In a bowl, combine 1 tablespoon melted butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Spoon clumps of the brown sugar over the knots (see above photo). 6. Bake 20 minutes, until golden. 7. Meanwhile, make the glaze. Melt together the butter and maple syrup in a small pot set over medium heat. Remove from the heat and whisk in the powdered sugar and instant coffee. Drizzle over the knots.
Notes
To Make Ahead: prepare the rolls through step 5. Cover the knots and place in the fridge (up to overnight). When ready to bake, remove the knots from the fridge 15 minutes prior to baking, then bake as directed.
To Prepare and Freeze: assemble the rolls through step 5, then cover and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw the knots overnight in the fridge or on the counter for a few hours. Once thawed, bake as directed.
To Use Active Dry Yeast: Mix 1 packet (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast with the warm milk and the brown sugar. Let sit 5-10 minutes, until bubbly and foamy on top. Add the flour and follow the directions as listed for the remainder of the recipe.
This post was originally published on October 12, 2021
I made this recipe and I must be doing something wrong as the texture of the knot was more biscuit than a roll. Should I knead dough more and/or let the dough rise longer? The gluten didn’t seem developed as the dough kept breaking. I loved the method, just need some guidance. Help!
Our guests loved them. My wife loved them. I loved them. The dog . . .
Great recipe!!!
Haha! So glad it was enjoyed by all! xTieghan
This looks delicious! Any chance I could use almond milk as a sub for the milk and use dairy free butter? We have a milk allergy in the family. Thank you!
i used almond milk and it was ??? (chefs kiss) ?
Can I substitute the maple syrup for something else?
Easy to make and so good!
Extremely good! I’m going to bake them next time in a large muffin pan to keep the brown sugar on the knot.
If I want to make 28 small knots, how long should I bake them for and at what temperature?
I already made regular sized ones once and they’re delish!!!
Hello! I would bake for about 20 minutes still 🙂 xTieghan
Made these the other day, and they are perfect for fall! They would be great on their own, but the coffee maple glaze makes them even better. And my 7 year old had so much fun helping me make the knots. Definitely making these again!
Hi there! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed it! xTieghan
I’m so eager to make these but I have a large block of Fleishman’s instant yeast (not individual packets)…so, how many grams of yeast is in a packet? One of the photos displaying the packet says 21g, another is a bit blurry but looks like it might say 7g (?) but the comments say 8g. Could you please revise the recipe to include the correct measurement for those of us who buy yeast in “bulk”? 🙂
Each packet is 2 1/4 teaspoons ?
I was up at 3am feeding my newborn and saw this video just as you uploaded. Decided to make them this morning with her strapped in her carrier. They came out amazing! Love that I didn’t need a stand mixer. Definitely recommend measuring out the glaze because mine came out less creamy, I think because of less powdered sugar. I didn’t bother trying to knot them pretty but they still came out really nice once fluffed up in the oven and coated in glaze. Note: the video posted used granulated sugar as well but the write up has only brown (which is what I stuck to). So delicious, they won’t last long in our house 🙂
Suddenly, everyone likes me at the office after I brought these to share.
Fantastic recipe!!!!! Easy, FAST, delicious! Thank you so much.
Good morning! What temperature do you bake these on? I saw to bake for 20 mins., but didn’t see the temp. These look amazing and I can’t wait to try them!
Thanks so much!!
it says preheat the oven to 375….so im guessing thats the baking temp : )
These look amazing, especially for a cinnamon lover like me. Do you twist the dough strips then circle them & make knot at the end to hold together a bit, probably doesn’t matter but the look of yours is so appealing when serving to others. TY
These look amazing but can you pretty please do a video tutorial or show a photo specifically on how to make the knot?
I’m wondering what the purpose of the yeast is if you don’t actually let the dough and then knots rise? I’ve never used yeast where I didn’t have a few hours rising period
Hi there! I will be making a reel of this soon! 🙂 xTieghan
No pictures
I see about 5 or 6 pictures.. ?
I just realized, if you’ve saved the recipe and go to it, the pictures go away. You can go back and find the original recipe by typing it in for pictures. I sometimes do that for things I need to see, like the knots in this case.
There’s 8 beautiful pictures. (???)
There are several photos
Could you possibly share how much yeast is in a packet? I am not able to buy Fleischmann’s where I live! Thanks ?
Emily there is 8g in a packet