Cinnamon Roll Focaccia
About This Cinnamon Roll Focaccia
This Cinnamon Roll Focaccia is the perfect mash-up of soft, airy focaccia and gooey cinnamon rolls. I kept seeing this trend everywhere and finally took it as a sign to try it myself — and it exceeded every expectation. Instead of tasting like sweet bread, this version is rich, dessert-y, and full of caramelized cinnamon “goo” that pools into delicious crunchy-chewy valleys once cooled. Finished with a cream cheese drizzle, it’s cozy, indulgent, and incredibly fun to make.
Why You’ll Love This Cinnamon Roll Focaccia
Dessert-meets-bread in the best way
Deep, caramelized cinnamon pockets throughout
Super fluffy focaccia texture
Easy cream cheese drizzle on top
Customizable — add raisins, pecans, walnuts, etc.
No-knead dough (hands-off and beginner-friendly)
Ingredients You’ll Need
For the Cinnamon Goo
Sugar
Dark brown sugar
Ground cinnamon
Salt
Ground cloves
Melted salted butter
For the Cream Cheese Drizzle
Cream cheese
Vanilla extract
Powdered sugar
Milk
For the Focaccia Dough
Bread flour or all-purpose flour
Instant or active yeast
Salt
Water
How to Make Cinnamon Roll Focaccia
Mix together a sticky no-knead dough and let it rise for 18–24 hours until bubbly and doubled. Transfer to a greased 9×13 pan and let rise again until puffy. Mix together the cinnamon goo and drop it across the surface — it will bake into caramelized valleys. Dimple the dough, bake until golden and bubbling, let cool slightly, then drizzle generously with cream cheese frosting.
Full step-by-step instructions are in the recipe card below.
Tips for Success
Make sure the dough is very sticky — this is key for focaccia texture
Let it rise fully twice for maximum fluff
Drop the cinnamon goo in clusters for “goo valleys,” or spread evenly for a smoother top
Let the focaccia cool so the caramelized edges set
If using unsalted butter, add 1 teaspoon of salt to the goo
Variations
Add raisins, pecans, or walnuts
Swirl in a little orange zest for brightness
Drizzle with maple cream cheese frosting instead of classic
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use all-purpose flour?
Yes — it works perfectly fine.
Can I make this ahead?
Yes. Let it fully cool, cover tightly, and store at room temperature for 1 day, or refrigerate up to 3 days.
Can I freeze leftovers?
Yes. Slice, wrap individually, and freeze up to 2 months.
Can I use unsalted butter?
Yes — add 1 teaspoon of salt to the cinnamon goo.
What to Serve With Cinnamon Roll Focaccia
Hot coffee or espresso
Fresh fruit
A savory brunch spread (eggs, bacon, sausage)
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Cinnamon Roll Focaccia
Ingredients
- 150 g sugar
- 165 g dark brown sugar
- 12 g ground cinnamon
- 3 g salt (optional if you don't want additional salt)
- 1 g ground cloves
- 168 g salted butter (1 1/2 sticks), melted
- 113 g cream cheese, room temp/softened
- 2.46 ml vanilla extract
- 60 g powdered sugar
- 14.79 ml milk or more (until you get the consistency that you like)
- 375 g bread flour, all-purpose is fine too, plus more to work with
- 1 g instant or activated yeast
- 12 g salt
- 316.00 ml water or more (I used 1 1/2 cups)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, stir together the flour, salt, and yeast. Add water and mix together with a wooden spoon until the dough is wet and sticky. Make sure that it’s sticky to the touch, you’ll have to keep mixing to get this texture- you can add another tablespoon or two to get this consistency if you can’t get it with 1 1/3 cups.
- Cover bowl with some plastic wrap and/or a tea towel and set in a warmer draft-free area for 18-24 hours until the dough is doubled in size and the surface is dotted with bubbles.
- When the dough is done proofing, grease a 9 x 13 pan or line with parchment paper. Oil your hands a little bit and transfer the dough into the greased pan and lightly press out the dough to create a rectangle. The dough won’t go all of the way to the sides at first, cover again with plastic wrap and let it rise again until it’s fully touching all of the sides and has doubled in size. This took another 2 hours, but can vary depending on the temperature of your house.
- When the dough is finished proofing, preheat the oven to 400°F
- Mix together the cinnamon goo by mixing all ingredients in medium-sized bowl, and stir until combined.
- Oil your hands and sprinkle/drizzle the cinnamon goo throughout the top of the focaccia. Because there is a decent amount of cinnamon goo, the weight of the spots where you drop it will be more like caramelized valleys and the dough without the cinnamon goo will be the peaks.
- Now that the cinnamon mixture is on the dough, gently press your fingertips into the dough to create dimples.
- Place the focaccia in the oven for 30-40 minutes until golden and bubbly.
- Let cool for about 20 minutes.
- In a mixing bowl, beat the softened cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Add Vanilla and beat until combined.
- Gradually add the powdered sugar until well combined.
- Slowly add milk, a little at a time, until you reach your desired drizzling consistency. You want it thin enough to drizzle over the cinnamon focaccia but thick enough to hold its shape.
- Drizzle on top of focaccia and then cut to serve!
