Cookie Monster Cinnamon Rolls (Printable)
Soft blue cinnamon rolls with chocolate chip filling, cream cheese frosting, and playful Cookie Monster decorations.
# What you need:
→ Dough
01 - 4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 packet (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast
03 - 1 cup warm milk (110°F)
04 - 1/3 cup granulated sugar
05 - 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
06 - 2 large eggs, room temperature
07 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
08 - Blue gel food coloring as needed
→ Filling
09 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
10 - 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
11 - 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
12 - 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
→ Blue Cream Cheese Frosting
13 - 6 oz cream cheese, softened
14 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
15 - 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
16 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
17 - Blue gel food coloring as needed
→ Cookie Monster Decoration
18 - 24 candy eyes or white chocolate chips with mini chocolate chips for pupils
19 - 6 mini chocolate chip cookies, halved
# Directions:
01 - Combine warm milk, yeast, and 1 tablespoon granulated sugar in a large bowl. Let stand for 5 minutes until mixture becomes foamy and activated.
02 - Stir melted butter, remaining granulated sugar, eggs, salt, and several drops of blue food coloring into the yeast mixture. Whisk until well incorporated.
03 - Gradually add flour while mixing until a soft, sticky dough forms. Add additional blue food coloring as needed to achieve vibrant blue color throughout the dough.
04 - Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for 6 to 8 minutes until smooth, elastic, and no longer sticky. Shape into a ball.
05 - Place dough in a greased bowl, turning once to coat. Cover with plastic wrap or clean towel. Let rise in a warm, draft-free area for 1 hour or until doubled in bulk.
06 - While dough rises, mix softened butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a small bowl until smooth and combined. Set aside.
07 - Punch down risen dough and roll out on a floured surface into a 16x12-inch rectangle. Spread cinnamon filling evenly over dough surface. Sprinkle mini chocolate chips over filling. Roll up tightly from the long edge. Slice into 12 equal rolls using sharp knife or dental floss.
08 - Arrange rolls cut-side up in a greased 9x13-inch baking dish. Cover and let rise for 30 to 40 minutes in a warm place until puffy and nearly doubled.
09 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake risen rolls for 22 to 25 minutes until golden brown and set in center. Remove from oven and let cool in pan for 10 minutes.
10 - Beat cream cheese and butter together until smooth and fluffy. Add powdered sugar and vanilla. Beat until creamy. Add blue food coloring and mix until vibrant blue color is achieved.
11 - Spread blue frosting generously over slightly warm rolls. Press two candy eyes and one cookie half into frosting on each roll to create Cookie Monster faces.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The blue color makes everyone gasp, but the flavor is what keeps them coming back
- Chocolate chips tucked into cinnamon sugar create these gooey pockets that taste like childhood
02 -
- Warm milk should feel like bath water, not hot tap water, or you will kill your yeast before it even starts working
- The dough will seem stubbornly sticky at first but keep kneading and it will transform into something smooth and cooperative
03 -
- Use unflavored dental floss to slice rolls instead of a knife for clean cuts that do not squish the spiral
- Make homemade candy eyes by dotting melted chocolate onto white chocolate chips and letting them set on parchment paper