em jusI was making these Garlic Knots to go with dinner and thought that I should double the dough recipe and try a sweet version of the savory appetizer… which is where these Cinnamon Cream Cheese Knots come into play! if you like these, check out my other breakfast recipes here! if you’d like a savory version, check out my garlic knots (used with the same dough) here!
THE CINNAMON CREAM CHEESE KNOTS EXPLAINED:
Starting out with my traditional pizza dough with cream cheese and cinnamon sugar spread out in the center. I then folded it in half and cut it into strips, twisted the strips into knots, and then topped with a buttery cinnamon sugar mixture that will be baked until golden perfection. As a result, you’ll get a cream cheese cinnamon knot with a crunch on the outside and a sweet fluffy pillow of dough on the inside.
FAQ’S:
what if I don’t have instant yeast?
you can use regular active dry, it will just need to be proofed. Do this by warming up the water to between 105 F – 110 F and stirring in the 1 tbsp of sugar. Pour in the package ( or 2 1/4 tsp) of yeast. Let it sit for about 5-10 minutes or until foamy. Then pour the mixture into the flour and salt and continue following the recipe.
can they be made ahead of time?
yes! I recommend making them ahead of time and freezing them. In fact, I have a bag of them (already baked) in the freezer right now! when you’re ready to eat, let them thaw out at room temperature and then bake
grocery list:
- flour
- yeast (see above for details)
- sugar
- salt
- butter
- cream cheese
- ground cinnamon
- brown sugar
equipment list:
*link to my amazon storefront to purchase equipment*
- mixing bowls
- rolling pin
- baking sheet
- stand mixer
AN EASIER WAY:
To make these knots quicker and without the extra hassle, buy pre-made pizza dough (the Pillsbury kind in the tube) and skip the directions on how to make the dough. Proceed to make the filling and assemble as instructed. The same measurements and baking times will still work with this method.
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Crunch Knots
Ingredients
Dough:
- 2 ¾ - 3 cups (410-450g) flour
- 1 pkg yeast 2 ¼ tsp
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup water
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp butter
Filling:
- 4 oz cream cheese
- 1 tbsp butter
- ¼ cup sugar
Topping:
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 1 tbsp sugar
Instructions
- In a stand mixer with a non-attached whisk, combine 2 ¾ cups flour, yeast, sugar and salt. Add in 1 tbsp of the softened butter, along with the water and let it mix with dough hook attachment until it starts to come together, so about 1-2 minutes. The dough should pull away from the sides of the bowl, if not, add more flour as needed up to a ¼ cup more (so in total it should only be 3 cups of flour, max.)
- Cover the bowl of the stand mixer with the dough inside and let rise in a warm place for about an hour. Preheat oven to 375 F and prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium/small mixing bowl, whisk together softened cream cheese and 1 tbsp of softened butter. Set aside.
- On a generously floured surface, roll out the dough to about ¼ inch thick, inches long and inches wide. Spread cream cheese mixture evenly onto the dough. Sprinkle 1 ½ tsp cinnamon and ¼ cup sugar on half of the dough and then fold the other half over onto the cinnamon sugar half. Cut into 12 strips, twist them, and then start to roll into each other forming a knot that won’t unravel. Place on prepared baking sheet.
- Melt remaining butter (2 tbsp) and mix in 1 tsp cinnamon, brown sugar, and 1 tbsp sugar. Refrigerate mixture for about 15 minutes and then sprinkle over top of the knots. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden and crunchy on top
[…] check out the sweet version, the Cinnamon Cream Cheese Knots, here! […]