Fluffy Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Rolls

These sourdough discard cinnamon rolls are exceptionally light, fluffy, and so easy to make. I love making them with a chai spice buttercream, but they're just as good with a standard buttercream, glaze, or cream cheese frosting. This recipe makes 12 rolls and is ready in about 2–3 hours.

For more cozy treats, try my pumpkin banana bread muffins and my sweet braided cardamom bread. In the warmer months, use this dough in my lemon raspberry sweet rolls to make them sourdough!

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Exceptionally light and fluffy: A soft, tender, enriched dough that bakes up pillowy every time.
• A great way to use discard: A perfect home for that jar of starter in your fridge — a sweeter cousin to my sourdough discard cinnamon swirl bread or my sourdough pumpkin french toast.
• Endlessly customizable frosting: Chai buttercream, cream cheese, glaze, or plain buttercream — just like the options on my pumpkin cream cheese cinnamon rolls and chocolate espresso cinnamon rolls.
• Perfect for the holidays: Gooey, cozy, and make-ahead friendly for Thanksgiving and Christmas breakfast.
• Switch up the spice: Chai, pumpkin pie spice, or apple pie spice all work beautifully. If you love cozy breakfasts that you can make ahead, make sure my biscoff overnight oats are on your radar.

Ingredients You'll Need

For the dough:

• whole milk + yeast + sugar: Warmed and bloomed for a fluffy rise.
• sourdough discard: Room temperature, for tang and tenderness.
• egg + egg yolk + softened butter: For a rich, enriched dough.
• all-purpose flour + salt: The structure and seasoning.

For the filling:

• softened butter + dark brown sugar + cinnamon: The gooey, spiced swirl.
• salt + heavy cream + vanilla: Round out and bind the filling.

For the chai cream cheese frosting:

• cream cheese + butter + powdered sugar: The rich, tangy base.
• vanilla + optional chai spice + a splash of milk: For flavor and a spreadable finish.

See the recipe card for quantities (including my homemade chai spice mix).

Easy Substitutions & Variations

• Milk: Use a high-fat non-dairy milk like full-fat oat milk to keep them dairy-free.
• Butter: A plant-based butter (or neutral oil in the dough) works well.
• Cream cheese: A dairy-free cream cheese works in the frosting.
• Frosting: Use 1 cup butter for pure buttercream, or ½ cup butter + 4 oz cream cheese for cream cheese frosting.
• More spice: Add 2 teaspoons of chai spice to the frosting, or swap in pumpkin pie or apple pie spice — the same cozy chai I love in my sourdough malted chai chocolate chip cookies.
• Different filling: Try an apple or pumpkin filling, like my apple pie cinnamon rolls.

How to Make Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Rolls

Note: I bake by weight for accuracy. Cup measurements are approximate and may vary depending on how you scoop.

Step 1: Make the dough: Bloom the yeast in the warm milk with a little sugar. Add the remaining dough ingredients and knead with a dough hook 8–10 minutes until smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky. Let rise until doubled, 60–90 minutes. Roll into an 18x12-inch rectangle.

Step 2: Fill and shape: Mix the filling into a spreadable paste and spread it evenly over the dough, leaving a small border. Roll into a tight log and cut into 12 equal rolls (dental floss or a sharp knife works well).

Step 3: Second rise and bake: Arrange the rolls in a lined 9x13-inch pan, cover, and let rise until puffy and touching, 30–45 minutes. For extra-gooey bakery-style rolls, pour the warm heavy cream around them just before baking. Bake at 350°F for 22–28 minutes, until lightly golden and the center rolls reach about 190–195°F.

Step 4: Frost: While the rolls cool slightly, beat the frosting until smooth. Spread over the warm rolls and serve immediately — the warmth lets the frosting melt into every swirl.

Weigh your ingredients! Using a kitchen scale ensures your measurements are accurate, which is key for getting consistent results in baking. It takes the guesswork out of measuring and helps your recipes turn out exactly as intended every time.

Expert Tips

1. Don't overflour the dough. It should feel tacky but manageable — too much flour is the fastest way to dry cinnamon rolls.
2. Use room-temperature discard. Cold discard can slow the rise, so let it sit out before mixing when possible.
3. Pour cream for gooey rolls. A splash of warm heavy cream around the rolls before baking makes them extra gooey and bakery-style.
4. Don't overbake. Pull them when the centers reach about 190–195°F and the tops are just lightly golden.
5. Frost while warm. Topping the warm rolls lets the frosting melt into all the swirls for extra-gooey bites.

What Makes This Recipe Special?

These are genuinely fluffy — the enriched dough with sourdough discard, an extra egg yolk, and plenty of butter bakes up pillowy soft, not dense. The discard adds a subtle tang that balances all that sweetness, and the optional splash of warm cream before baking gives you that gooey, bakery-style center. Plus the chai spice frosting takes them somewhere a little more special than a standard cinnamon roll.

They're also endlessly adaptable and make-ahead friendly, perfect for a cozy holiday breakfast alongside sourdough French toast or a batch of my same-day sourdough crescent rolls for a full brunch spread.

Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Rolls FAQs

Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Rolls Troubleshooting Guide

Storage

• Store frosted rolls covered at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerated for up to 5 days. Warm briefly before serving.
• Freeze baked, unfrosted rolls tightly wrapped for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight, warm, then frost.

Fluffy Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Rolls

Audrey Grubb

These sourdough discard cinnamon rolls are exceptionally light, fluffy, and easy to make with an optional chai spice buttercream.

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Resting Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Total Time 2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Servings 12 Rolls

Calories 635 kcal

Equipment

• ▢
  Stand Mixer
• ▢
  Kitchen Scale
• ▢
  9x13 pan
• ▢
  5-wheel pastry cutter (or sharp knife/pizza cutter)
• ▢
  icing knife or regular butter knife
• ▢
  Parchment Paper
• ▢
  Cling wrap

Ingredients

  

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For the Sourdough Cinnamon Roll Dough

• ▢ 200 g whole milk warmed to about 105–110°F
• ▢ 7 g active dry yeast
• ▢ 75 g granulated sugar divided
• ▢ 100 g sourdough discard room temperature
• ▢ 1 large egg room temperature
• ▢ 1 large egg yolk room temperature
• ▢ 100 g unsalted butter softened
• ▢ 480 g all-purpose flour plus more for rolling
• ▢ 8 g fine sea salt

For the Cinnamon Roll Filling

• ▢ 113 g unsalted butter softened
• ▢ 170 g dark brown sugar packed
• ▢ 18 g ground cinnamon
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
• ▢ 1 tablespoon heavy cream
• ▢ ½ teaspoon vanilla extract optional

Optional Bakery-Style Cream Pour

• ▢ 60–80 g heavy cream warmed slightly

For the Chai Cream Cheese Frosting

• ▢ 113 g cream cheese softened
• ▢ 113 g unsalted butter softened
• ▢ 345 g powdered sugar
• ▢ 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ▢ 2 teaspoons chai spice mix optional
• ▢ 1-2 tablespoon whole milk or heavy cream as needed
• ▢ Pinch of fine sea salt

For the Chai Spice Mix (optional)

• ▢ 2 tablespoons ground ginger
• ▢ 1½ tablespoons ground cinnamon
• ▢ 2½ teaspoons ground cardamom
• ▢ 2 teaspoons ground cloves
• ▢ 2 teaspoons ground allspice
• ▢ 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg

Instructions

 

• Make the dough. Add the warm milk, yeast, and 1 teaspoon of the sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer. Stir, then let sit for 5–10 minutes, until foamy.
  200 g whole milk, 7 g active dry yeast, 75 g granulated sugar
• Add the remaining sugar, sourdough discard, egg, egg yolk, softened butter, flour, and salt. Mix with the dough hook on low speed until a shaggy dough forms. Increase to medium-low and knead for 8–10 minutes, until the dough is smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky. It should pull away from the sides of the bowl but still feel soft.
  100 g sourdough discard, 1 large egg, 1 large egg yolk, 100 g unsalted butter, 480 g all-purpose flour, 8 g fine sea salt
• Let the dough rise. Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a lightly greased bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 60–90 minutes.
• Make the filling and shape the rolls. Grease or line a 9x13-inch baking pan with parchment paper. In a small bowl, mix together the softened butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, heavy cream, and vanilla until a thick, spreadable paste forms.
  113 g unsalted butter, 170 g dark brown sugar, 18 g ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt, 1 tablespoon heavy cream, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• Punch down the risen dough and turn it onto a lightly floured surface. Roll it into an 18x12-inch rectangle. Spread the cinnamon filling evenly over the dough, leaving a small border along one long edge.
• Starting with the long side, roll the dough into a tight log. Use unflavored dental floss or a sharp knife to cut the log into 12 equal rolls. Arrange them in the prepared pan.
• Let the rolls rise again. Cover the pan loosely and let the rolls rise until puffy and touching, about 30–45 minutes. Near the end of the rise, preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Bake the cinnamon rolls. For extra gooey bakery-style rolls, pour the warm heavy cream around the risen rolls just before baking. Bake for 22–28 minutes, until the tops are lightly golden and the center rolls reach about 190–195°F. Do not overbake.
  60–80 g heavy cream
• Make the frosting. While the rolls cool slightly, beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, chai spice, salt, and 1 tablespoon milk or cream. Beat until creamy, adding another tablespoon of milk only if needed.
  113 g cream cheese, 113 g unsalted butter, 345 g powdered sugar, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 2 teaspoons chai spice mix, 1-2 tbsp whole milk or heavy cream, Pinch of fine sea salt
• Spread the frosting over the warm cinnamon rolls and serve immediately.

Notes

Use soft, active sourdough discard. Cold discard can slow the rise slightly, so let it sit at room temperature before mixing when possible.

Do not overflour the dough. It should feel tacky but manageable. Adding too much flour is the fastest way to make cinnamon rolls dry. For overnight rolls: After shaping, cover the pan tightly and refrigerate overnight.

Let the rolls sit at room temperature for 60–90 minutes, or until puffy, before baking.

Storage: Store frosted rolls covered at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerated for up to 5 days. Warm individual rolls briefly before serving.

Freezing: Freeze baked, unfrosted rolls tightly wrapped for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight, warm, then frost.

Nutrition

Calories: 635kcalCarbohydrates: 87gProtein: 7gFat: 30gSaturated Fat: 18gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 108mgSodium: 362mgPotassium: 164mgFiber: 3gSugar: 50gVitamin A: 995IUVitamin C: 0.5mgCalcium: 98mgIron: 3mg

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