Go Back

Frosted Animal Cookie Rolls

Prep Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Rise Time 2 hours 15 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 55 minutes
Servings: 12
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American

Ingredients
  

ANIMAL CRACKER MILK
  • 380 g 1½ cups + 1 tbsp whole milk
  • 125 g frosted animal crackers broken into large chunks
TANGZHONG
  • 20 g 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 100 g ⅓ cup + 1 tbsp whole milk
DOUGH
  • 300 g 2½ cups bread flour
  • 40 g 3 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 6 g 1 tsp fine sea salt
  • 7 g 2¼ tsp instant yeast
  • All of the tangzhong
  • 120 g ½ cup warm animal cracker milk
  • 1 large egg
  • 60 g 4 tbsp VERY soft unsalted butter
FILLING
  • 145 g 10 tbsp unsalted butter, VERY soft
  • 175 g frosted animal crackers
  • 35 g 2 tbsp + 2 tsp granulated sugar
  • ¼ tsp fine sea salt
  • 40 g 2 tbsp + 2 tsp animal cracker milk
  • ¼ tsp almond extract
ICING
  • 160 g 1⅓ cups powdered sugar
  • 60 g ¼ cup animal cracker milk
  • 28 g 2 tbsp melted butter
  • ¼ tsp vanilla extract
  • Tiny drop almond extract
  • Extra cookies for topping

Equipment

  • Stand mixer with dough hook
  • Fine mesh strainer
  • Medium saucepan
  • Rolling Pin
  • Pizza Cutter
  • Digital kitchen scale
  • Offset spatula
  • 9x13-inch metal baking pan
  • Ziplock bag (for crushing cookies)
  • Large glass measuring cup
  • Glass bowl
  • Measuring tape
  • Small blender or nutribullet
  • Ice cream scoop

Method
 

STEP 1: ANIMAL CRACKER MILK
  1. Place the 125 g (1 1/3 cup) frosted animal cookiesinto a large ziplock bag and lightly crush them into large chunks.
  2. Heat the 380 g (1 1/2 cups + 1 tbsp) whole milk until steaming, not boiling.
  3. Remove the milk from the heat and stir in the crushed cookies.
  4. Cover and let steep for 30 minutes.
  5. Strain the milk through a fine mesh strainer into a large glass measuring cup.
  6. Do not press the cookie solids through the strainer with a spoon. Instead, gently swirl the strainer to help the milk move through the open areas. As the strainer becomes clogged with cookie solids, dump out the solids as needed and continue straining the remaining milk.
  7. You should end up with about 300–340 g of infused milk depending on how much milk your cookies absorb.
  8. Use: 120 g for dough, 40 g for filling, 24 g for pre-bake soak, 60 g for icing
STEP 2: TANGZHONG
  1. Whisk the 20 g (2 tbsp) all-purpose flour and 100 g (1/3 cup + 1 tbsp) plain whole milk NOT INFUSED MILK together in a small saucepan until smooth.
  2. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until a thick pudding-like paste forms.
  3. Transfer the tangzhong to a small bowl and let cool completely before using.
WHAT IS TANGZHONG?
  1. Tangzhong is a simple cooked flour-and-milk paste that helps create exceptionally soft, fluffy bread. Cooking the flour with milk before adding it to the dough allows the flour to absorb significantly more moisture than it normally could. This creates:
  2. softer rolls, fluffier texture, better moisture retention, rolls that stay soft longer.
WHY THIS DOUGH IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT
  1. Because we’re infusing the milk with frosted animal crackers, the dough behaves a little differently than a traditional cinnamon roll dough.
  2. Those cookies contain: fats, sugars, starches, stabilizers, which all transfer slightly into the milk during the steeping process. While that gives these rolls their incredible nostalgic flavor, it also creates a richer dough that needs a little extra time and attention during mixing.
  3. That’s why: we use a tangzhong, we allow the dough to rest before adding butter, and we knead until a strong windowpane forms
  4. These extra steps help create a dough that’s still incredibly soft, fluffy, and airy despite the richness of the infused milk. The final texture is absolutely worth it.
STEP 3: DOUGH
  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the 300 g (2 1/2 cups) bread flour, 40 g (3 tbsp) sugar, 6 g (1 tsp) salt, and 7 g (2 1/4 tsp) instant yeast. Use a spatula to briefly stir everything together so the ingredients are evenly distributed.
  2. Add all of the tangzhong, 120 g (1/2 cup) warm animal cracker milk, and 1 large egg.
  3. Attach the dough hook and turn the mixer to the lowest speed/stir setting. Mix for about 3–5 minutes until a shaggy dough forms. While mixing, use a spatula to occasionally push dry flour from the sides of the bowl toward the center so all of the flour hydrates evenly.
  4. You are NOT looking for a smooth dough yet. The dough should simply come together into a rough shaggy mass with no major dry flour pockets remaining.
  5. Once the shaggy dough forms, stop the mixer and let the dough rest for 10 minutes. This rest period allows the flour to fully hydrate before the butter is added and helps create a softer, fluffier dough with better gluten development.
  6. Divide the 60 g (4 tbsp) very soft butter into 4 separate pieces.
  7. Turn the mixer to speed 2. Add the first piece of butter and allow it to mostly incorporate before adding the next piece. Continue this process until all of the butter has been added.
  8. Depending on your mixer size, you may occasionally need to scrape butter from the sides of the bowl. Larger mixers sometimes take longer to fully catch smaller amounts of dough.
  9. Once the final piece of butter has been added, continue kneading on speed 2 for about 20 minutes, or until the dough becomes smooth, elastic, soft, stretchy, and slightly tacky. Smaller mixers may reach this stage sooner.
  10. The dough is ready when it passes the windowpane test. Pinch off a small piece of dough and gently stretch it between your fingers. If it stretches into a thin translucent sheet without tearing immediately, it’s ready.
  11. The dough should feel: soft, airy, stretchy, plush. If the dough tears quickly or feels dense, continue kneading a few minutes longer and test again.
BULK RISE
  1. Transfer dough to a lightly greased glass bowl, cover, and let rise for 1–1½ hours, or until: puffy, airy, visibly lighter, the dough may not fully double.
STEP 4: FILLING
  1. Add the 175 g (2 1/2 cups) frosted animal cookiesto a small blender or Nutribullet and blend until very finely crushed. The finer the cookie crumbs are, the easier the filling will spread onto the dough.
  2. Add the crushed cookies to a bowl with the 145 g (10 tbsp) butter, 35 g (2 tbsp + 2 tsp) sugar, ¼ tsp salt, 40 g (2 tbsp + 2 tsp) animal cracker milk, and ¼ tsp almond extract.
  3. Mix until smooth, creamy, and spreadable.
STEP 5: SHAPING
  1. Lightly flour your counter and roll the dough into a 12-inch tall × 20-inch wide rectangle.
  2. As you roll, occasionally lift and gently stretch the dough slightly to help create straighter edges and prevent sticking.
  3. Spread the filling evenly edge-to-edge in a thin, smooth layer. Avoid thick ridges of filling.
  4. Use a measuring tape and pizza cutter to cut the dough into 12 strips, each strip about 1.65 inches wide.
  5. Roll each strip individually into spirals, rolling snugly, but not overly tight.
  6. As you finish each roll, gently pull and tuck the tail underneath slightly so the rolls do not unravel during baking.
  7. Arrange the rolls into a greased 9x13-inch metal baking pan in 4 rows of 3. Leave slight spacing between rolls.
SECOND RISE
  1. Cover loosely and let rise for 45–70 minutes, or until: visibly puffy, lightly touching, marshmallowy looking
STEP 6: PRE-BAKE SOAK
  1. Whisk together the 56 g (1/4 cup) heavy cream and 24 g (1 tbsp + 2 tsp) animal cookie milk and heat until warm.
  2. Right before baking, slowly pour around and lightly over the rolls.
STEP 7: BAKE
  1. Bake at: 335°F
  2. Place the pan on the center oven rack.
  3. Bake for 25–27 minutes. Start checking around 24 minutes. Rotate the pan if needed.
  4. The rolls are done when: the tops are lightly golden, the centers are fully baked but still soft, the cream is mostly absorbed, the rolls look puffed and set
  5. Do not overbake.
STEP 8: ICING
  1. Whisk together the 160 g (1 1/3 cup) powdered sugar, 60 g (1/4 cup) animal cracker milk, 28 g (2 tbsp) melted butter, ¼ tsp vanilla extract, and tiny drop almond extract until smooth and glossy. The icing will naturally have a light pink color from the infused milk.
  2. If needed: add more powdered sugar for a thicker frosting, or a splash of milk for a thinner glaze
FINISH
  1. Ice the rolls while warm.
  2. Top with: crushed frosted animal crackers, whole frosted animal crackers for garnish
  3. Serve warm for the softest texture.

Notes

Tips & Tricks

  • The tangzhong is one of the key reasons these rolls bake up so soft and fluffy. Don’t skip it.
  • Because the dough uses infused animal cookie milk, it behaves a little differently than a traditional cinnamon roll dough. Be patient during mixing and knead until the dough reaches a strong windowpane stage.
  • The dough should feel soft, stretchy, airy, and slightly tacky — not dry or stiff.
  • Letting the dough rest for 10 minutes before adding the butter helps fully hydrate the flour and creates a softer final texture.
  • The finer the animal cookie crumbs are blended for the filling, the easier the filling will spread across the dough.
  • These rolls should be baked until just lightly golden. Do not wait for deep golden brown tops or they may lose their ultra-soft texture.
  • For the softest texture, serve warm.

Storage

  • Store tightly covered at room temperature for up to 3 days.
  • To reheat:
    Microwave individual rolls for 15–20 seconds until warm and soft again.

Make Ahead Instructions

After shaping the rolls and placing them into the pan, cover tightly and refrigerate overnight.
The next morning:
  • allow the rolls to sit at room temperature for 1–1½ hours until puffy
  • pour over the warm cream soak
  • bake as directed