Guava Cinnamon Rolls
Updated: Oct 16
Some cinnamon rolls are tender. Some are gooey. These are both, with a glossy ribbon of guava tucked into cinnamon sugar and a creamy guava frosting that melts into every swirl.
These Soft Guava Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting are a Puerto Rican-inspired twist on classic homemade cinnamon rolls. The dough is rich with milk, cream, egg, and butter, but the real reason it bakes up so fluffy is tangzhong, a simple cooked flour-and-water paste that helps the dough hold moisture.
The result is a pan of soft, pillowy rolls with a sweet guava center, warm cinnamon flavor, and a tangy cream cheese topping. They feel special enough for a holiday breakfast, but they are also exactly the kind of bake you will want to make on a slow weekend morning.
Why tangzhong makes these rolls so soft
Tangzhong is a cooked mixture of flour and liquid. In this recipe, it is made with bread flour and water. When heated, the starches in the flour gelatinize and turn into a thick paste. Once that paste cools, it gets mixed into the dough.
That small step makes a real difference. Tangzhong helps the dough hold onto moisture, which gives the baked rolls a softer crumb and a fluffier pull. It is often used in milk bread, but it works beautifully in enriched doughs like cinnamon rolls.
The dough here is also enriched with:
Whole milk
Heavy cream
Egg
Softened butter
Sugar
That combination gives the rolls tenderness, flavor, and structure. The tangzhong keeps the texture plush instead of dry.
A few tips make the dough easier to handle:
Let the tangzhong cool before adding it to the dough.
Warm the milk and cream only until lukewarm.
Add the butter gradually so it blends into the dough.
Give the dough enough mixing time to become elastic and smooth.
If the dough feels very soft at first, that is normal. As the butter incorporates and the gluten develops, it should become smoother and easier to shape.
The guava filling brings the Puerto Rican-inspired flavor
Guava paste is sweet, fruity, and dense, so it needs a little help before it can spread across soft dough. Heating it with water turns it into a smooth, jam-like filling that can be layered over the cinnamon sugar.
The flavor works so well because guava has enough brightness to balance the richness of the dough and frosting. It is sweet, but not flat. When it bakes into the rolls, it melts into the spirals and gives every bite a fruity, almost candy-like ribbon.
Let the guava filling cool completely before spreading it on the dough. Warm filling can soften the butter in the cinnamon sugar too much, which makes rolling messier. A cooled filling is easier to spread and helps the rolls keep their shape.
Be sure to reserve 2 to 3 tablespoons of the guava filling before assembling the rolls. That little bit gets mixed into the cream cheese frosting, tying the whole recipe together.
Ingredients for guava cinnamon rolls
This recipe has four main parts: tangzhong, dough, filling, and frosting. It looks like a lot at first, but each piece is simple.
Tangzhong
⅔ cup water
¼ cup bread flour
Dough
3⅔ cups bread flour
⅓ cup sugar
2 tsp instant yeast
1 tsp salt
⅓ cup whole milk
⅓ cup heavy cream
1 large egg, room temperature
Prepared tangzhong, cooled
8 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
Cinnamon sugar filling
½ cup unsalted butter
⅔ cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
Guava filling
300 g guava paste
¼ to ½ cup water
Guava cream cheese frosting
12 tbsp unsalted butter
8 oz cream cheese
2 cups powdered sugar
2 to 4 tbsp reserved guava filling
2 tbsp heavy cream
1 tbsp vanilla
You will also need additional heavy cream to pour over the risen rolls before baking: warm it first, then pour it into the cracks and around the rolls to help them bake up extra gooey and soft.
How to make the dough
Start by making the tangzhong so it has time to cool.
Whisk the water and bread flour together in a small saucepan. Cook over low-medium heat for a few minutes, whisking often, until the mixture thickens into a paste or slurry. Remove it from the heat and set it aside to cool.
Next, mix the dry ingredients for the dough. Add the bread flour, sugar, instant yeast, and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix until combined.
Warm the whole milk and heavy cream for about 25 seconds. They should feel lukewarm, not hot. If the liquid is too hot, it can affect the yeast.
Add the warm milk, warm cream, room-temperature egg, and cooled tangzhong to the dry ingredients. Mix for 2 to 3 minutes, until everything is well combined.
Add the softened butter 1 tablespoon at a time while mixing. Let each addition begin to blend in before adding the next. Once all the butter has been added, continue mixing on medium-low for about 10 minutes. The dough should become elastic and form into a smooth ball.
Transfer the dough to a greased bowl. Cover it and let it rise in a warm spot for 30 minutes to 1 hour, or until almost doubled in size.
How to make the fillings
While the dough rises, make both fillings.
For the cinnamon sugar filling, mix the unsalted butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon together until combined. The texture should be soft and spreadable.
For the guava filling, add the guava paste and water to a saucepan. Start with ¼ cup water, then add more as needed to help it loosen. Heat the mixture until the guava melts into a smooth, spreadable, jam-like consistency.
Let the guava filling cool completely before adding it to the dough. Reserve 2 to 3 tablespoons for the frosting.
If the guava thickens too much as it cools, stir it well before spreading. It should not be watery, but it should spread without tearing the dough.
How to assemble the rolls
Once the dough has almost doubled, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll it into a 15X24 rectangle. Try to keep the thickness even so the rolls bake at the same pace.
Spread the cinnamon sugar filling over the dough first. Take it close to the edges, but leave a small border so the filling does not spill out too much when rolling.
Next, spread the cooled guava filling over the cinnamon sugar. Do not worry if the two fillings mix together a little. That is part of what makes the center so good.
Roll the dough up tightly, starting from one long side. A snug roll gives you defined spirals and helps keep the filling inside. Cut the roll into 2 inches if you want 12 rolls.
Place the rolls in a greased baking pan. Leave enough room for them to expand as they rise. Cover the pan and let the rolls rise again in a warm place for about 2 hours, or until doubled in size.
Before baking, warm some additional heavy cream. Pour it over the rolls, making sure it gets into the cracks and around the rolls. This helps create that soft, gooey texture cinnamon rolls are known for.
Bake at 325°F for about 35 minutes, until the rolls are puffed and baked through.
Make the guava cream cheese frosting
The frosting is rich, tangy, and sweet, with just enough guava to echo the filling.
Beat together the unsalted butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, reserved guava filling, heavy cream, and vanilla until smooth and creamy. Start with 2 tablespoons of reserved guava filling, then add more if you want a stronger guava flavor.
Spread the frosting over the warm cinnamon rolls. The warmth helps it soften and sink into the tops, but the cream cheese keeps it thick enough to sit in a creamy layer.
For the best texture, frost the rolls while they are warm, not piping hot. If they are too hot, the frosting may melt quickly. If they are too cool, the frosting will sit more firmly on top.
Helpful tips for the best texture
A few small details can make the difference between good rolls and bakery-soft rolls.
Use bread flour if possible. Bread flour gives the dough structure and chew while still staying fluffy thanks to the tangzhong.
Let the tangzhong cool. Hot tangzhong can warm the dough too much and affect the yeast.
Do not rush the butter. Adding softened butter slowly helps it mix evenly into the dough.
Watch the dough, not only the clock. Rise times can change depending on the temperature of your kitchen. The first rise should be almost doubled. The second rise should be doubled and puffy.
Cool the guava before spreading. Warm guava can make the filling slippery and harder to roll.
Pour the warm cream into the spaces. The additional heavy cream should get around the rolls and into the cracks so it can help create that soft, gooey finish.
Frost while warm. This gives you the best mix of melty, creamy, and soft.
Storing and reheating
These rolls are best served warm on the day they are baked, when the dough is at its softest and the frosting is creamy.
If you have leftovers, store them covered in the refrigerator because of the cream cheese frosting. Reheat individual rolls gently until just warm. Avoid overheating, since that can make the frosting separate and the bread tougher.
For a softer reheated roll, warm it slowly and cover it loosely so it does not dry out.
A sweet roll worth saving
These guava cinnamon rolls are soft, fluffy, gooey, and full of flavor. The tangzhong gives the dough its tender pull-apart texture, the guava adds a fruity Puerto Rican-inspired twist, and the cream cheese frosting brings everything together.
Save this recipe for a weekend bake, a holiday brunch, or any morning that calls for something warm and sweet. If you already love classic cinnamon rolls, this guava version may be the one you make again and again.
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