It’s hard not to love Mini Cinnamon Rolls because they are soft and sweet with a gooey brown sugar cinnamon filling and topped with a delicious cream cheese frosting. Yes, all that goodness in bite-sized form! The dough comes together quickly, rests for just a few minutes, then rolls into 24 little cinnamon rolls that are perfect for sharing.
We love making these for holidays, brunches, baby showers, weekend breakfasts, and anytime we want easy cinnamon rolls without making giant ones. They bake up golden, soft, and sweet, then get topped with creamy frosting while still warm. Not only are they delicious, but they are the perfect mini dessert for all your family gatherings!
If you ever need a variation of your classic Cinnamon Rolls, you can always try this bite sized version, or even our Maple Bacon Cinnamon Rolls.
Why you’ll love it + Why it works:
- The Perfect Serving: Bite-sized cinnamon rolls that are perfect for brunches, holidays, and parties.
- Great for Sharing: Makes 24 mini rolls, making them easy to share.
- Warm Liquid Activates the Yeast: Letting the milk mixture cool to 120°F keeps it warm enough to help the dough rise without being too hot.
- Mini Strips Bake Faster: Cutting the dough into 24 strips creates smaller rolls that bake up soft and golden in less time.
Mini Cinnamon Roll Ingredients
Cinnamon Rolls
- All-purpose flour (2¾ cups): Provides the structure for the dough while keeping the rolls soft and tender. We use all-purpose flour because it creates a light, fluffy texture without being too dense.
- Granulated Sugar (¼ cup): Sweetens the dough and helps feed the yeast, which encourages a better rise. It also helps the rolls brown beautifully as they bake.
- Unsalted butter (2 tablespoons): Adds rich flavor and creates a softer, more tender dough. We prefer unsalted butter so you can control the amount of salt in the recipe.
- Egg (1): Enriches the dough, adds structure, and helps create soft, fluffy cinnamon rolls with a golden color.
- Instant yeast (1 tablespoon): Leavens the dough so the rolls rise quickly and bake up light and airy. Instant yeast can be mixed directly with the dry ingredients, making the recipe extra easy.
- Water (½ cup): Hydrates the dough and activates the yeast. Warm water works best to encourage a good rise.
- Whole milk (¼ cup): Adds richness and moisture, resulting in softer, more flavorful cinnamon rolls. Whole milk provides the best texture, but 2% milk can also be used.
- Salt (1 teaspoon): Enhances the flavor of the dough and helps balance the sweetness while strengthening the gluten for better texture.
Filling
- Butter, melted (¼ cup): Helps the cinnamon sugar mixture stick to the dough while adding rich, buttery flavor throughout every swirl.
- Brown sugar (⅔ cup): Sweetens the filling and creates a soft, caramel-like center. Light or dark brown sugar both work, though dark brown sugar gives a deeper molasses flavor.
- Cinnamon (1¼ tablespoons): Gives the rolls their classic warm, comforting flavor. Fresh cinnamon provides the best taste.
- Vanilla extract (1 teaspoon): Adds extra warmth and rounds out the sweetness of the filling with a subtle homemade flavor.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Cream cheese, room temperature (4 ounces): Creates a smooth, tangy frosting that perfectly complements the sweet cinnamon rolls. Full-fat cream cheese gives the richest flavor and texture.
- Unsalted butter, room temperature (¼ cup): Adds richness and helps create a creamy, spreadable frosting. Room temperature butter blends more easily for a smooth finish.
- Powdered sugar (1 cup): Sweetens the frosting while keeping it smooth and fluffy without any graininess.
- Whole milk (1 to 2 tablespoons, to desired thickness): Thins the frosting to your preferred consistency. Add it a little at a time until it is easy to spread.
- Vanilla extract (½ teaspoon): Adds a warm, sweet flavor that brings all of the frosting ingredients together. Pure vanilla extract provides the best flavor.
How to Make Mini Cinnamon Rolls
DOUGH. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, yeast, and salt. In a small microwave safe bowl (or glass measuring cup), combine the sugar, butter, water, and milk.
Heat in the microwave until the mixture is hot and the butter is almost melted (it took about 1 minute on HIGH in my microwave). Let the mixture come down to 120 degrees. Gradually add the milk mixture into the flour mixture. Add the egg and mix until a soft and sticky dough forms.
OVEN. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Lightly grease a 9×13 baking dish.
KNEAD + REST. If using a stand mixer, switch to the dough hook and set on the lowest mixing setting for 4 minutes, or until the dough becomes elastic, or knead by hand on a lightly floured surface for 3-4 minutes. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and allow it to rest on the counter for 10 minutes.
FILLING. Once the dough has rested, roll it out on a lightly floured surface until it measures a 24×16 inch rectangle. Prepare the filling by combining all of the ingredients in a small mixing bowl except for the butter. Spread the butter over the top of the rolled dough, then cover with the filling.
CUT + ROLL. Using a pizza roller/cutter, to cut the long rectangle in half, and then each half into twelve pieces to make 24 strips. Roll each up into a tight roll.
Place the rolls into the prepared baking dish and gently place a piece of aluminum foil over top.
RISE. Turn OFF your oven and place the covered rolls inside to rise for 45 minutes.
BAKE. Remove the rolls from the oven and turn ON your oven to 375 degrees. Once heated, remove the foil and bake the rolls for 16-22 minutes or until the centers are lightly golden brown in color.
FROST. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes before frosting. While rolls are cooling, prepare the frosting by combining all of the ingredients in a small mixing bowl and beating by hand or with a hand mixer until smooth. Spread over the tops of the rolls.
Kristyn’s Recipe Tips
- Let the heated milk mixture cool to about 120°F before adding it to the flour mixture.
- Knead until the dough becomes elastic so the rolls bake up soft and fluffy.
- Roll the dough into an even 24×16 inch rectangle so the mini rolls are the same size.
- Turn the oven off before placing the covered rolls inside to rise.
- Make-ahead tip: assemble the rolls the night before, cover and refrigerate, then let them rise before baking in the morning.
Mini Cinnamon Rolls Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
Cinnamon Roll
- 2¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon instant yeast
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon salt
Filling
- ¼ cup butter, melted
- ⅔ cup brown sugar
- 1¼ tablespoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons whole milk, (to desired thickness)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, yeast and salt.
- In a small microwave safe bowl (or glass measuring cup), combine the sugar, butter, water and milk. Heat in the microwave until the mixture is hot and the butter is almost melted (it took about 1 minute on HIGH in my microwave). Let the mixture come down to 120 degrees. Gradually add the milk mixture into the flour mixture. Add the egg and mix until a soft and sticky dough forms.
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9×13 baking dish.
- If using a stand mixer, switch to the dough hook and set on the lowest mixing setting for 4 minutes or until the dough becomes elastic or knead by hand on a lightly floured surface for 3-4 minutes. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and allow it to rest on the counter for 10 minutes.
- Once the dough has rested, roll it out on a lightly floured surface until it measures a 24×16 inch rectangle. Prepare the filling by combining all of the ingredients in a small mixing bowl except for the butter. Spread the butter over the top of the rolled dough, then cover with the filling. Using a pizza roller/cutter, to cut the long rectangle in half, and then each half into twelve pieces to make 24 strips. Roll each up into a tight roll.
- Place the rolls into the prepared baking dish and gently place a piece of aluminum foil over top. Turn OFF your oven and place the covered rolls inside to rise for 45 minutes.
- Remove the rolls from the oven and turn ON your oven to 375 degrees F. Once heated, remove the foil and bake the rolls for 16-22 minutes or until the centers are lightly golden brown in color.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes before frosting. While rolls are cooling, prepare the frosting by combining all of the ingredients in a small mixing bowl and beating by hand or with a hand mixer until smooth. Spread over the tops of the rolls.
Notes
- Let the heated milk mixture cool to about 120°F before adding it to the flour mixture.
- Knead until the dough becomes elastic so the rolls bake up soft and fluffy.
- Roll the dough into an even 24×16 inch rectangle so the mini rolls are the same size.
- Turn the oven off before placing the covered rolls inside to rise.
- Make-ahead tip: assemble the rolls the night before, cover and refrigerate, then let them rise before baking in the morning.
Nutrition
Recipe FAQ
You can shape the dough ahead of time and refrigerate or freeze it before baking. Just know the rolls may not rise quite as much, but they will still be delicious.
Fridge: Cover shaped rolls with greased plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Let rise at room temperature for 30 to 45 minutes before baking.
Freezer: Cover rolls tightly with plastic wrap and foil and freeze for 1 to 2 months. Thaw and let rise for several hours before baking.
Keep frosted rolls covered at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate for up to 5 days
Freeze for up to 6 months. When freezing, be sure to wrap them in plastic wrap and then in foil, or place them in a freezer Ziploc bag.
Allow the frozen rolls to thaw and then reheat them in the oven. Preheat it to 275⁰F and heat for 10-15 minutes or until warm throughout. You can also reheat them in the microwave. Just eat them before they cool; otherwise, they get pretty hard and stale.
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This recipe was first shared April, 2017.
I’m making these tomorrow for a Christmas gathering on Sunday. Can I bake them completely and then store them in the fridge once cooled? It’s also an hour drive to my destination where I’ll reheat them and apply the frosting. What’s the best way to go about this? TIA!
Bake completely and let them cool fully. Store in the fridge in an airtight container or wrapped tight so they don’t dry out. You can warm them in the oven at low temp (about 275F) for 10 to 15 minutes or until warm. Once warm, spread on the frosting so it gets all melty and yummy right before serving.
The dough recipe calls for butter. Is that salted?
I noticed you specified unsalted butter for the frosting. Thanks!
I used unsalted for the rolls. Happy Baking!
Is the 24×16 the roll out suze for the single batch recipe?
Yes, for the one batch of mini cinnamon rolls the dough should be rolled out to 24 × 16 inches.
Can I bake them and then freeze them to warm up at a later date? What would that process look like? I need to make x200 for a Christmas Festival.
Yes, you can bake the rolls ahead and freeze them. Let them cool completely, then freeze them unfrosted in an airtight container or freezer bag with parchment between layers. When ready to serve, thaw overnight in the fridge, cover loosely with foil, and warm in the oven at 300°F for about 10 minutes. Add the frosting after reheating so it stays soft and fresh.
For the yeat do you not have to activate it? Or do you use instant yeast
This recipe uses instant yeast, so you do not need to activate it separately first. If you only have active dry yeast, you would want to dissolve it in the warm milk mixture first and let it sit for a few minutes until foamy before mixing it in.
Can you divide and freeze?
Yes, you can divide and freeze them! After shaping the rolls, place them on a baking sheet to flash-freeze, then transfer to an airtight container or freezer bag. When ready to bake, thaw overnight in the fridge, let rise until puffy, and bake as directed.
I just made these and they are delicious!! ! I had to add another few tablespoons of flour to make the dough more manageable in my climate right now (which I expected), and poured warm heavy cream on top right before they went in the oven to bake (a trick I’ve recently learned). Everything else I followed to the T and I couldn’t be happier with how they turned out!! This will replace my go-to recipe.
Great idea adjusting for your climate and adding warm cream before baking. That sounds like the perfect touch!
How much cream did you add?
Hi Natalie,
If I am making the dough ahead of time, do I skip the proofing in the oven step or do I proof in the oven and then store in the fridge overnight? Thank you!
I followed the recipe step by step. But my buns didn’t rise at all!
I’m so sorry to hear that. It really is a letdown when a recipe, especially a yeast-based one, doesn’t turn out.
The only thing I can think of is that the yeast wasn’t activated for some reason. Perhaps the wrong type of yeast was used, or it was too old, or maybe the room temperature was too cool for the dough to rise? I’m not entirely sure without more details.
I do have a “How to Activate Yeast” post https://lilluna.com/how-to-activate-yeast/ that you can read through, and I really hope you’ll give the recipe another chance!
Are we sure the dough should be 24 inches when rolled out? That seems off especially from the picture
Can you make these in bread machine ?
A full dough cycle on a bread machine uses a significantly longer kneading and rise time than this recipe calls for, which could affect the original texture. To adapt: add the liquid ingredients to the bread machine, then the dry ingredients, and finally make a well in the flour for the yeast. Use the ‘Dough’ setting to mix the ingredients, but pause the machine after only 8 minutes of kneading. Then, let the dough rest for 10 minutes before shaping into rolls.