Dirty Chai Latte Cinnamon Buns
Soft, fluffy dirty chai cinnamon buns with warm spices and espresso icing. Perfectly balanced, easy to make, and ideal for sharing.
Servings: 12
Calories: 430kcal
Rate & Review
Equipment:
- Deep baking tray or tin (approx. 20×20 cm)
- Bench Scraper:
Ingredients:
Dough Ingredients:
- 500 g strong white bread flour - (11.5–12.5% protein works best)
- 7 g instant yeast
- 60 g caster sugar
- 8 g salt
- 250 ml full fat milk - warm
- 1 large egg
- 60 g unsalted butter - soft
Chai Filling Ingredients:
- 80 g butter - very soft
- 120 g light brown sugar
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp ginger
- 1 tsp cardamom
- 1/4 tsp cloves - or allspice
- 1 Pinch of salt
Dirty Espresso Icing Ingredients:
- 150 g cream cheese - room temp (I used Philadelphia)
- 30 g butter - room temp
- 120 g icing sugar
- 1 espresso shot - or strong coffee, cooled
- 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 1 Pinch salt
- ½ lemon - juice only - to taste
Instructions:
- Mix flour, yeast, sugar, and salt. Add milk and egg and mix to a soft dough, then knead until smooth and elastic. Knead in the butter and keep going until fully incorporated. Cover and leave to rise until doubled (about 60–90 minutes).Quick proof tip: for a faster rise, place the covered bowl in a sink with a little warm water (bath-warm, not hot).
- Mix the filling ingredients into a spreadable paste.
- Roll the dough into a rectangle. Spread filling over the surface. Roll up tightly, slice into 12 pieces, and place in a parchment-lined snug tray.
- Let the buns rise until puffy and touching (around 60 minutes), then bake at 180°C (160°C fan) for 22–27 minutes until golden.
- Beat cream cheese and butter smooth, mix in icing sugar, then add espresso, vanilla, salt, and a little lemon juice to taste. Spread over warm buns.
Nutrition:
Serving: 115g | Calories: 430kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 70mg | Sodium: 320mg | Potassium: 170mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 520IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 90mg | Iron: 2.5mg
