Mini Cinnamon Rolls
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Fluffy bite-sized Mini Cinnamon Rolls with a 5-ingredient dough made from scratch in just 30 minutes, all topped with the best cream cheese frosting.
Want more cinnamon roll recipes to devour? Try my Mashed Potato Cinnamon Rolls, Easy Homemade Cinnamon Rolls, and One Hour Cream Cheese Cinnamon Rolls.
Cinnamon rolls have to be at the top of my favorite breakfasts, no questions asked. But then, I’ll take a cinnamon roll any time of day, doesn’t have to be breakfast, so they just might be one of my favorite food items period. They’re not far behind tacos and that is really saying something. There’s just something about the doughy roll plus cinnamon sugary filling and cream cheese frosting that speaks to me.
And it really does need to be cream cheese frosting. Straight frosting without the cream cheese, it’s just lacking the umph a good cinnamon roll really needs. This frosting is my go-to and I always end up making a double batch since half of it ends up going bowl to spoon to mouth without ever touching the food item it’s really intended for. Regular vanilla or chocolate frosting don’t have that effect on me, it’s gotta be a rich cream cheese frosting.
These little baby cinnamon rolls are so adorable I want to adopt them. After I eat them. Wait, that sounded weird… you know what I mean. They’re cute! So cute that they make incredible neighbor gifts or party desserts. You could even serve them instead of cake for a birthday party and stick candles in them. Come to think of it, I think that is exactly what I’ll be having for my next birthday. Cinnamon rolls in lieu of cake. I like it.
And these cinnamon rolls are both easy and insanely delicious. They are made from scratch with a simple 30-minute dough. Do not, I repeat, do not be afraid of the yeast in this dough – this is by far the easiest yeast dough ever to exist and you will find yourself whipping up additional batches of these cuties for every occasion. Don’t believe me? Try it, I dare ya. Just don’t blame me when you join Cinnamon Roll-aholics Anonymous. In fact give me a call, I’ll carpool with you.
What people are saying about these Mini Cinnamon Rolls
“Made this yesterday….absolutely perfect!! I was afraid it would be too rich or too sweet and it wasn’t — it was just lovely..” – Rebecca
“Great recipe! Since we are empty-nesters, I bake them in half-pint jars, seal them when they come out of the oven, and stick them in the freezer. One minute in the microwave and they taste fresh out of the oven! I’ve made this three times now and it never disappoints.” – Candace
“OMG! I used this recipe to try making cinnamon rolls for the first time ever, popped them in to my 12 medium sized muffin tin, and they turned out incredible! However, i think i overmixed the batter and the cinnamon roll itself had a slightly tough texture” – Aishah
Mini Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 ⅓ cups warm water
- 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 3 ½ cups flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
Filling
- 4 tablespoons butter, completely softened
- ⅓ cup sugar
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
Frosting
- 2 tablespoons butter, softened
- 2 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 and lightly grease a muffin pan. Add water, yeast, and honey to the bowl of a stand mixer fitting with a dough hook and stir to combine. Allow to rest for 5 minutes (mixture will rise and foam).
- Add flour and salt to bowl. Turn the mixer on low and allow to mix until ingredients come together, then increase mixing speed to medium-low for 5 minutes. Remove dough from bowl and allow to rise for 10 minutes on a lightly floured surface.
- While dough is rising, prepare the filling by whisking together sugars in a bowl.
- Use a floured rolling pin to roll dough into a 9×15 inch rectangle. Use a pizza cutter to trim off the sides if it isn’t perfectly rectangular. Spread softened butter over the surface of the dough. Sprinkle cinnamon-sugar mixture over the butter.
- Tightly roll one 15-inch side (the long side) of the dough toward the other 15-inch side to create a long log. Pinch the seam so it closes off the log. Use a very sharp knife or a pizza cutter to cut the ends off and then to cut the log into 24 equal parts. Place each cinnamon roll in the greased muffin tins. Bake 15-20 minutes until golden brown.
- While cinnamon rolls are baking, prepare the frosting. Cream together butter and cream cheese. Mix in the vanilla. Gradually add powdered sugar and mix until combined. Add milk 1 tablespoon at a time until frosting reaches a spreadable consistency. When cinnamon rolls are finished baking, drizzle or spread frosting over rolls and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Dough came out kind of tough…not making my list of favorites.
I had the exact same problem! The dough was so nice and soft and smooth before i Put the rolls in the oven and after they baked and cooked the dOigh was so yough!
I had the exact same problem! The dough was so nice and soft and smooth before i Put the rolls in the oven and after they baked and cooLed the dough was so tough!
These are sooo tempting! Going to try them today itself 🙂
Can I place the cinnamon rolls sticking to each other in a square pan and then bake them? Will the sides be baked enough?
even after adding about double the flour, the dough was still so sticky. it stuck to my floured surface and pulled away so that it didn’t resemble a roll anymore and became a rectangular, sticky mess.
I couldn’t cut these small enough without them getting squished to smithereens. So I ended up with 16 regular muffin sized cinnamon rolls. THey we’re still very delish. But wish I could’ve given the kiddos bite sized ones. (Simply for the cute factor)
Next time you try, get about 16′ of dental floss, slide it under the roll and slice that way. Its a nice clean cut that you can do without smooshing them. Happy baking!
I want to make these for easter breakfast but I would prefer them all together in a big oven dish. Would that work with this recipe? Or does it mess with the baking process?
What am I missing?? Mine were huge! I followed all of the recipe to a T but they were like normal size cinnamon rolls. These are supposed to be for mini muffin holders right?? Lol
Hi Cody! They are for the small muffin tins, but not the teeny tiny ones. Each of these cinnamon rolls are about 2 1/2 inches across!
Can I use cake flour instead of all purpose flour?
Great recipe! Since we are empty-nesters, I bake them in half-pint jars, seal them when they come out of the oven, and stick them in the freezer. One minute in the microwave and they taste fresh out of the oven! I’ve made this three times now and it never disappoints.
I’m assuming these bake in a mini muffin tin? To make them mini?
Nope you can just use a regular size muffin tin. Not a jumbo one though!
can i use bread flour? or is it all purpose flour?
It’s all purpose flour.
The cinnamon rolls look tempting, planning to try making it; would just like to know do you proof the rolls after you have placed them in the greased muffin pan? or I take it as is mentioned bake after its placed in the pan.
Thanks
Hi Suzita, After placing them in the muffin tins you just transfer them straight to the oven!