Swirly Garlic Rolls

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Swirly Garlic Rolls: The savory, cheesy cousin to cinnamon rolls you never knew you needed in your life (and now can’t imagine another day without).  AMAZING!  

Do you know how long I’ve stared at the computer screen today trying to figure out how to describe these rolls?  I’m embarrassed to say.

As someone with a sugar sensitivity who hasn’t eaten a classic cinnamon roll in YEARS, these savory cinnamon rolls brought me to tears . . . you think I’m joking.

Swirls of garlic parmesan butter inside the most tender, melt-in-your-mouth rolls.  And if that wasn’t enough, it gets topped with a lusciously smooth cream cheese “frosting” packed with just the right amount of garlic-y flavor.

And then the cream cheese topping starts to melt just the tiniest bit into the warm rolls and becomes a glorious dining adventure of pulling each section apart, swooping up drips of “frosting”, licking it off your fingers, I mean COME ON!  This is why I can’t describe it.  YOU HAVE TO EXPERIENCE IT!

It gets better.

I’ve tried this recipe with all-purpose white flour and 100% white whole wheat flour, and guess what?  Both versions knock it out of the park.

Let’s make some Swirly Garlic Rolls!

WHY YOU WILL LOVE SAVORY GARLIC ROLLS

In case the above wasn’t enough . . .

• SIMPLE DOUGH RECIPE:  Are there a few components? Yeah.  But each is simple to mix together and the dough recipe is the easiest I’ve ever come by.  You can do this!
• GARLIC BREAD, BUT BETTER:  Like garlic bread but more fun with swirls and “frosting”.
• FAMILY FRIENDLY:  Meaning everyone will like them, but warning: things turn not-so-friendly when there’s only one left in the pan . . .

HOW TO MAKE A SAVORY CINNAMON ROLL

1. Spread garlic butter on the dough and roll up cinnamon roll style
2. Place in pan and let them rise, then bake
3. Let rolls cool for 15 minutes, then slather on the cream cheese topping.  Eat them while they’re warm!

SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR DETAILED COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

TIPS FOR SUCCESS

• WHITE VS WHOLE WHEAT: I like to use whole wheat flour as often as possible, so most of the time I make these with WHITE whole wheat flour.  This is the lighter, milder-tasting cousin to RED whole wheat flour, which is dense, dark, and strong tasting.  But they taste amazing with 100% all-purpose flour or a mix of both, so choose your own adventure!
• WHEAT GLUTEN:  When I do 100% whole wheat flour, I like to add 2 tablespoons of wheat gluten to keep the texture of the bread soft.  If you have it, use it.  If you don’t, I suggest using a mix of white and wheat flour.
• CREAM CHEESE TIMING:  Like traditional sweet cinnamon rolls, you want to put the topping on when the rolls are still warm, but not HOT.  I wait 10-15 minutes and then serve the rolls immediately.
• LEFTOVER CREAM CHEESE TOPPING:  You will have leftover topping (and you won’t be sad about it).  It makes a fantastic spread for bagels, toast, or biscuits, and works great on steamed veggies or as a topping to a grilled steak — YUM!  Also, it freezes well if you want to save it for another day.
• TOPPING TIPS:  If you aren’t going to eat all of the rolls in one sitting, only “frost” the rolls you plan to eat.  This will make the leftovers extra yummy.

HOW TO STORE, REHEAT, AND FREEZE

• STORE:  Store leftover cream cheese topping in the fridge.  Store leftover rolls in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
• REHEAT: Warm gently in the microwave in 10-15 second increments (don’t overdo, or the bread will be tough), then place a dollop of cream cheese on top to warm up, then spread.
• FREEZE:  Leftover rolls freeze well.  I suggest freezing them without the topping.  Wrap them in plastic wrap and store in a sealed container for a month or so.  When ready to eat, let thaw on the counter for a few hours, then reheat as directed above.

MAKE AHEAD TIPS   

• The garlic butter and the cream cheese topping can be made in advance and refrigerated.  Bring back to soft, room temperature on the day you make the rolls.

WHAT TO SERVE WITH ROLLS

• SOUP:  The best side dipper ever.  Tomato Soup, Vegetable Soup, ALL THE SOUPS!
• PASTA:  If you like a side of carbs with your carbs, this is great for pasta night (this Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta would be the perfect pairing!).  I prefer to just eat more swirly garlic rolls for my bonus carbs 🙂
• SALAD:  I love a spinach salad with a light vinaigrette for these rolls.  This Mixed Berry Spinach Salad is my favorite of ALL time.

Can we all agree to knock out a pan of these rolls this week and then book a Zoom call to swoon and cry together over the life-changing concept of savory cinnamon rolls?

Not embarrassed to say, I’d be on board with that Zoom meeting all. day. long.

Enjoy this one, friends!

MORE IRRESISTIBLE BREAD RECIPES

• Air Fryer Whole Wheat Bagels
• Instant Pot No-Knead Whole Wheat Bread
• Whole Wheat Focaccia Bread

TOOLS/INGREDIENTS USED TO MAKE SWIRLY GARLIC ROLLS

• Bosch Mixer – BEST MIXER OF ALL TIME
• Pastry Cloth – My favorite thing ever to roll out dough on.  This link will take you to an older post my sister Cami did about how to make your own (and back to a time when I had short hair, haha!).
• Instant Yeast – My go-to brand for years.

Swirly Garlic Rolls

Print Recipe

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5 from 2 reviews

Swirly Garlic Rolls packed with garlic bread flavor and topped with a luscious cream cheese topping.  Irresistible!

• Author: Marci
• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 2 hours
• Yield: 12 1x
• Category: Bread
• Method: Oven
• Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

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For the Garlic Butter

• 1 stick (½ cup) butter, softened to room temperature
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (use 3 for stronger garlic flavor)
• ½ cup finely grated parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• Pinch of kosher salt
• Few cracks of black pepper

 

For the Rolls

• 1 ½ cups warm water
• 1 Tablespoon honey
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 4 teaspoons instant yeast
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• 3 ½ – 4 cups all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, or a mixture of both (see notes)

 

For the Cream Cheese Topping (Note: this makes more than you need.  Leftovers are wonderful on rolls, bagels, etc.  Halve the recipe if you don’t want leftovers)

• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
• 2 sticks (1 cup) butter, softened to room temperature
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon oregano
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• ⅛ teaspoon thyme
• ⅛ teaspoon basil
• ¼ teaspoon dried parsley
• ⅛ teaspoon celery salt (okay to omit if you don’t have this)
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 3-4 Tablespoons 2% or whole Greek yogurt

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Instructions

1. For the Garlic Butter: Place butter, garlic, parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper in a small bowl and stir to combine.  If the butter is room temperature, it will mix easily.  Set aside.
2. For the Rolls: In an electric stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, stir together water, honey, olive oil, yeast, salt, and 3 cups of flour.  With the mixer on slow speed, continue to add flour until the dough clears the sides of the bowl.  The dough should be tacky, but not wet and sticky.  Knead for 3-4 minutes at medium speed.  Cover dough and let rest for 10 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 425°F.  Spray a 9×13 pan with nonstick spray.
4. Place dough on a lightly floured surface and press or roll into a thin rectangle, about 14 x 20 inches.
5. Dollop the garlic butter all over the dough.  Use a spoon or fork to spread the butter evenly across the top.
6. Starting with the long side, roll up cinnamon roll style and pinch the seam together to seal.
7. Use a sharp knife to cut the dough into 12 sections.  I like to cut the roll in half, then cut those halves into halves.  Then cut each of those into 3 sections each.  This will ensure your 12 rolls are all even in size.
8. Place rolls in pan and cover with a towel or plastic wrap coated in nonstick spray.  Let rest 30-45 minutes until almost doubled in size (you want them puffed up, but they don’t need to be doubled, as they will rise more in the oven).
9. Bake rolls for 15-20 minutes until golden.
10. For the Cream Cheese Topping: While the rolls bake, make the cream cheese topping: In a medium bowl, whip the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy.  Add 3 tablespoons of yogurt and whip for another 30 seconds.  The mixture should be light and easily spreadable.  If not, add another tablespoon of yogurt and whip.  Add herbs and spices and mix until combined.  Set aside.
11. When the rolls are done baking, let them cool for about 10 minutes then add a dollop of the cream cheese mixture on top of each roll – this will warm the cream cheese a bit to make it easy to spread.  Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the rolls.  Serve warm.

Notes

• I’ve made these rolls with 100% all-purpose flour, 100% white whole wheat flour, and a mixture of both.  My go-to is a mixture of both, but 100% all-purpose is an absolute treat!  If using 100% white whole wheat flour, add 2 tablespoons of wheat gluten.
• Only spread the cream cheese mixture on the rolls you will be enjoying in one sitting.  Then, you will be able to warm any leftovers and spread the cream cheese on when you serve them. 
• The leftover cream cheese is amazing on everything from bagels and biscuits to meat like steak, turkey breasts, and whole chicken.  Try putting it under the skin layer of turkey and chicken before roasting — AMAZING!

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