This cinnamon roll focaccia is about to become your new favorite thing to bake! It’s a fun mix of chewy focaccia bread filled with gooey cinnamon-sugar and topped with a cream cheese glaze.
The buttery cinnamon swirls and soft texture make this cinnamon focaccia perfect for weekend brunches. The cream cheese glaze adds a special touch for holiday mornings.
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🗝️ Recipe’s key points
- This cinnamon roll focaccia tastes just as good (maybe better!) the next day – make it ahead and thank yourself later.
- It’s comforting and looks impressive, with sweet cinnamon filling swirled through the bread and a tangy glaze on top. The focaccia’s chewy texture and dimples are perfect for catching all that cinnamon-sugar filling.
- While this cinnamon sugar focaccia is perfect for fall and winter when you’re craving warm spices, I make it all year round!
If you think cinnamon rolls are the ultimate comfort food, try this focaccia version. One bite will leave you wanting more and the whole family will love it!
🛒 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients for the cinnamon focaccia recipe. You’ll find the full measurements and instructions in the recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
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Focaccia dough base
- Bread flour (we like King Arthur flour) – has more protein than all-purpose, which gives you that perfect chewy texture
- Warm spring water (untreated water) – needs to be between 100°F-110°F to properly activate the yeast without killing it
- Active dry yeast – creates all those beautiful air pockets and helps the dough rise
- Dark brown sugar – feeds the yeast and adds a bit of molasses flavor to the dough
- Kosher salt – brings out all the other flavors
- Olive oil – adds richness and helps create those golden brown edges
- Unsalted butter – melted butter gives the dough extra richness
Cinnamon Roll Filling
- Unsalted butter – melted butter creates a smooth, spreadable filling
- Dark brown sugar – sweetens the cinnamon sugar filling
- Cinnamon – brings all those warm flavors to the focaccia
- Kosher salt – just a pinch balances all that sweetness and makes the cinnamon pop
Cream Cheese Glaze
- Cream cheese – must be softened to room temperature or it won’t blend smoothly
- Unsalted butter – also needs to be softened. Cold butter will give you a chunky glaze instead of silky smooth
- Confectioners’ sugar – also called powdered sugar. Sift it for the smoothest glaze!
- Vanilla extract – pure vanilla extract is worth it here if you have it
🗒 Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions for the sweet focaccia. Full instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Make the dough by combining warm water, yeast, and brown sugar in your stand mixer.
- Let the yeast mixture sit until foamy.
- Add flour and salt, then beat until the dough is smooth and clinging to the hook.
- Drizzle olive oil in a large mixing bowl.
- Transfer the dough to the oiled bowl and cover.
- Let the dough rise until it has tripled in size, about 1½ to 2 hours.
- While the dough rises, make the cinnamon filling by measuring out the brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt.
- Add melted butter to the cinnamon sugar mixture and stir until combined.
- Prepare your baking pan by brushing with oil and melted butter.
- After the dough has risen, turn it into the prepared pan.
- Spread the dough gently with greased hands.
- Dollop half the cinnamon filling on top.
- Spread the cinnamon filling out so it covers the dough evenly.
- Fold the bottom third of the dough up to cover the middle.
- Fold the top third down to cover the middle again, like a letter.
- Pour the remaining filling over the top.
- Using your fingers, spread the dough so that it fills the pan again. Cover and let the dough puff for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 400°F and dimple the dough deeply with oiled fingers. Bake for 25-27 minutes until golden, covering loosely with foil if needed to prevent overbrowning.
- While the focaccia bakes, make the glaze by beating cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla until smooth.
- Transfer the baked focaccia to a platter, let cool 10 minutes, then spread the glaze on top. Cut into 12 pieces and serve warm!
🥫 Storage
The dough can be prepared in advance. After mixing, let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Then, cover it with plastic wrap and put it in the fridge. You can refrigerate it for at least 12 hours or up to 48 hours.
During this time, it will rise slowly, doubling or even tripling in size. When you’re ready to continue, let the dough rest at room temperature in its container for 30 minutes before baking.
Store leftover focaccia wrapped in plastic wrap, then placed in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Don’t refrigerate, as this will dry it out.
Freeze individual slices for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight at room temperature before serving.
📚 Variations
- Extra Indulgent: Add mini chocolate chips to the cinnamon filling for a chocolate-cinnamon combination.
- Nutty Crunch: Sprinkle chopped pecans or walnuts over the cinnamon filling before folding for added texture.
- Orange Twist: Add 1 tablespoon orange zest to the cream cheese glaze for a citrusy variation.
👩🏻🍳 Tips
- Don’t skip the dimpling step! Those dimples create pockets for the cinnamon filling to pool into, making every bite extra gooey.
- Grease the baking pan with butter or oil using your hands. When transferring the proofed dough to the pan, your hands will already be greased.
- To check doneness, insert a thermometer into the bread; it should register 200°F.
- If your dough is resisting when you try to spread it in the pan, let it rest for 15 minutes before trying again. The gluten needs time to relax.
🤔 FAQs
Yes! The dough can be refrigerated for up to 48 hours after mixing. Let it come to room temperature 30 minutes before shaping and baking.
Absolutely. Wrap individual slices tightly and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight at room temperature before serving.
Yes. Use 1⅜ teaspoons instant yeast and add it directly to the flour — no blooming necessary.
Check for golden edges and a set top. For accuracy, insert a thermometer — it should read 200°F in the center.
You can, but honestly… the glaze adds the signature cinnamon-roll tang and balance that makes this focaccia shine.
Wrap slices individually and store at room temperature for up to 3 days. Avoid refrigeration — it dries the bread out.
📗 Related Recipes
You’ll love these other sweet breads that are best served at breakfast or brunch!
- Holiday Macademia Coconut Bread – This bread has a tropical flair and is perfect for the holidays!
- Amish Cinnamon Breakfast Bread – Another one for the cinnamon lovers, this bread is soft, fluffy, and loaded with raisins.
- Savory Pumpkin Pistachio Bread – Hello, fall! This pumpkin bread has crunchy pistachios that set it over the top.
🍽 What to serve with Cinnamon Roll Focaccia
This cinnamon sugar focaccia would be lovely served with a fresh fruit salad, hot coffee, or Chai. And when you’re serving devilish good eggs, you need a bit of heavenly sweetness.
🔪 All Our Way recommends the following
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You’ll need the following items to make this recipe successfully.
- Stand mixer with dough hook – for easy dough mixing. This is the one we have.
- 13×9-inch baking pan – the perfect size for this focaccia
- Large mixing bowls – for rising dough and mixing filling
- Dry measuring cups, liquid measuring cup, and spoons – the only way to make sure you have the accurate amounts.
- Insta-Read Thermometer – takes the guesswork out of wondering if the focaccia is baked.
- Offset spatula – helps spread the glaze evenly
- Instant-read thermometer – to check if your focaccia is perfectly baked
📞 Chiacchierata (chat)
Truth be told, amici, this Cinnamon Roll Focaccia might just be my new favorite “shortcut comfort bake.” It’s everything I love about cinnamon rolls. You get the warmth, the gooey sweetness, and that lovely bakery smell. And the best part? You don’t have to worry about all the shaping, slicing, and tricky steps. Just mix, rise, dimple, bake, and drizzle… facilissimo.
Can you imagine it on the brunch table next to hot coffee cups? Or sliced thick and wrapped up for a potluck? Everyone will ask, “Wait… how did you make this?” And honestly, I love those recipes best — the ones that look fancy but are totally doable.
This is exactly the kind of bread my Mamma would have adored: comforting, shareable, and just a little bit indulgent. So grab your ciotola, swirl in that cinnamon sugar, and bake yourself some cozy memories.
Buon appetito, amici — and may your kitchen always smell like cinnamon dreams and sweet focaccia joy. 💛✨
Tutti a tavolo, è pronto!
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.
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📖 Recipe
Sweet Cinnamon Roll Focaccia With Cream Cheese Glaze
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Equipment
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Stand Mixer
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Mixing bowls
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Measuring Spoons
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Dry measuring cups
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Liquid measuring cup
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Silicone spatula
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Spatula – offset
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Instant Read thermometer
Ingredients
Focaccia Base:
- 1 ½ cups warm tap water 100°F to 110°F
- 1 ¾ teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon dark brown sugar
- 3 ½ cups bread flour
- 2 ½ teaspoons kosher salt preferably Diamond Crystal
- 4 tablespoons olive oil divided, plus more for dimpling
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
Cinnamon Filling:
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- ¾ cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- Cream Cheese Glaze
Cream Cheese Glaze:
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- ¼ cup unsalted butter softened
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
Make The Dough:
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Mix warm water, yeast, and brown sugar in a stand mixer bowl with a dough hook. Let it sit for about 5 minutes until it gets foamy.
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Add flour and salt to yeast mixture and beat on low speed until everything is combined, scraping sides of bowl as needed, about 30 seconds. Increase speed to medium and beat dough until smooth and clinging to dough hook, about 5 minutes.
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Drizzle 2 tablespoons of oil in a large bowl. Transfer the dough to the bowl and turn it over to coat it with the oil.
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Cover the dough with plastic wrap. Let it sit in a warm spot, around 75°F. Make sure it’s free of drafts. Wait until the dough is very puffy, bubbly, and about three times its original size. This should take about 1 ½ to 2 hours.
Make the Filling:
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While dough rises stir together melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl until smooth. Brush remaining 2 tablespoons oil and melted butter up sides and on bottom of a 13- x 9-inch baking pan. Set aside.
Continue working with the dough:
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After dough has risen, remove plastic wrap from dough; turn dough into prepared pan, and spread gently with greased hands to fill the pan.
Dollop half (about heaping ⅓ cup) of the cinnamon filling on top of dough and spread with your fingers.
Fold bottom third of dough into the center and the top third of dough on top, like folding a letter.
Spread remaining heaping ⅓ cup cinnamon filling on top of dough, pressing to spread dough to fill pan. (If dough is resisting, let rest 15 minutes before trying to stretch and spread again.)
Cover pan tightly with plastic wrap, and let stand in a warm place until dough puffs slightly, about 30 minutes to 1 hour.
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Preheat oven to 400°F. Oil your fingers and dimple the dough deeply and evenly all over.
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Bake in a preheated oven until the focaccia is golden around the edges and on top. This will take about 25 minutes for a gooey texture or 27 minutes for crispier edges. If it starts to brown too much, loosely cover it with aluminum foil.
Make the glaze as focaccia bakes:
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Mix the cream cheese and butter in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. Beat them together until smooth and fluffy, which should take about 1 minute.
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Add powdered sugar and vanilla; beat on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 30 seconds.
When the focaccia finishes baking:
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Immediately loosen and transfer focaccia to a serving platter or cutting board using a large spatula. Let cool 10 minutes before spreading glaze on top. Cut into 12 pieces and serve warm.
Notes
To store baked focaccia: Wrap each slice in plastic wrap. Then, put them in an airtight container or a resealable plastic bag. Keep at room temperature for up to three days. Please don’t refrigerate it, as that will dry it out.
For more extended storage: Wrap in plastic wrap, then freeze for up to two months. Thaw overnight at room temperature before serving.
Notes from the All Our Way Kitchen
Instant yeast can be added directly to the flour — no blooming needed. Use 75% of the amount of active dry yeast; for this recipe, that’s 1 ⅜ teaspoons of instant yeast.
💛 If you loved this recipe card, you’ll adore the full post — it’s bubbling with extra tips, serving inspo, and a sprinkle of Italian charm.
Nutrition
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