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Close up image of a zucchini cinnamon roll, torn in half to reveal the inside grated zucchini and cinnamon. The roll is topped with a vanilla glaze and sat on a piece of parchment paper in front of the rest of the rolls.

Zucchini Cinnamon Rolls

Liz Mincin
Moist and gooey zucchini cinnamon rolls! These homemade zucchini brioche rolls are packed full of grated zucchini, cinnamon sugar and crushed pineapple. Topped off with a quick vanilla glaze.
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 25 minutes
Proofing 10 hours
Course Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 9 rolls
Calories 319 kcal

Equipment

  • stand mixer fitted with a dough hook
  • 8" square baking tray

Ingredients
 
 

  • ¼ cup full fat milk or whole milk, warmed to 104°F (40C)
  • 2¼ teaspoon dry active yeast
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 1 cup all purpose flour or plain flour, plus extra for dusting the countertop
  • ¾ cup bread flour plus up to ¼ cup extra if needed
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 large eggs ideally at room temperature
  • ½ cup grated zucchini patted dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter softened at room temperature and cut into small pieces

Ingredients for Filling

  • 6 tablespoon unsalted butter softened at room temperature
  • ½ cup granulated sugar or caster sugar
  • 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 cup grated zucchini patted dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture
  • ¼ cup crushed pineapple well drained

Ingredients for Frosting

  • ¾ cup powdered sugar or icing sugar
  • 1-2 tablespoon milk exact amount dependent on the desired consistency
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions
 

Instructions for the Zucchini Brioche Dough

  • Start by greasing a bowl with some butter or flavorless oil and setting this aside.
  • In a small bowl, sprinkle the yeast and a teaspoon of your sugar over top of the warmed milk. Give this a stir and set aside for about 10 minutes to allow the yeast to activate and become foamy on top.
  • Meanwhile, place the flours, remaining sugar, salt and cinnamon in a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Give this a light stir.
  • Once the yeast is ready, pour this into the flour mixture, immediately followed by your eggs and about half of the zucchini. Begin kneading on a low setting until the mixture comes together into a dough.
  • Knead on a low setting for about 10 minutes and then add your butter a couple of pieces at a time, followed by the remaining zucchini. Continue kneading on a low setting for a further 15 minutes.
  • At this stage, check to see if you are able to touch the dough without it leaving a lot of residue on your finger. It will be a wet and sticky dough, but it shouldn't coat your finger. If it does, add a couple of tablespoons of bread flour and continue kneading for a couple of minutes more.
  • Scrape the dough into the greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Proof overnight in the refrigerator (or for about 8 hours, until doubled in size).

Instructions for Filling and Baking the Rolls

  • Start by lining a square baking pan with parchment paper. Set this aside.
  • Then mix together the butter, cinnamon and sugar in a small mixing bowl. Stir these together until you have a smooth spreadable paste.
  • Dust a countertop with flour and scrape your dough out.
  • Press the dough into a rectangle and then roll it out to be about 12" wide by 15" long.
  • Spread the cinnamon butter mixture over the surface of the dough, leaving a small gap around the edges. Then sprinkle the grated zucchini generously over top, followed by the pineapple pieces.
  • Roll the dough from the bottom to the top into a tight log.
  • Using dental floss or a thin kitchen twine, trim the ends of the log, removing about an inch off each end. This will remove unfilled and uneven dough.
  • Then using the floss divide the log into nine roughly equal rolls, placing these in the lined pan.
  • Cover with a clean kitchen towel and allow to proof at room temperature for about 2 hours, until doubled in size.
  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF (175C/155C Fan) and bake your proofed rolls in the centre for about 25-30 minutes, until risen and golden on top.
  • Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes while you prepare the frosting.

Instructions for Frosting

  • Stir together the powdered sugar, vanilla and milk until smooth and at the desired consistency. Add the milk slowly and sparingly to avoid making your icing overly runny. You can adjust the consistency, adding more milk to make the frosting runnier and adding more powdered sugar to thicken.
  • Drizzle over the top of the warm rolls and serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 319kcalCarbohydrates: 43gProtein: 5gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 71mgSodium: 280mgPotassium: 128mgFiber: 1gSugar: 24gVitamin A: 503IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 33mgIron: 1mg
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