These Mini Cinnamon Rolls with cream cheese frosting are perfect for brunch or special occasions! They’re gooey bite-size pieces of perfection!
A few weeks ago our family got hit by a bug, and it seemed to last for weeks. Our kids were quarantined (or at least that’s what it felt like) for several days, which means things went from unpleasant to miserable in a hurry. I decided it was time for a sweet little distraction, so we hopped in the kitchen and got to work rolling out a batch of these mini cinnamon rolls. Now, I know everyone has their go-to cinnamon roll recipe, but this one is a must-try! They bake up light, fluffy, and full of gooey cinnamon brown sugar filling. And that cream cheese frosting? Heavenly.
Why mini cinnamon rolls? Well, because sometimes you just want a bite, right? Also, they were the perfect size for our tiny little humans to consume. They’d also be great to take to parties or special occasions- think finger food! We rolled out the dough, spread the filling over top, and then cut them into 24 strips using a pizza cutter. They don’t have to be perfect, which I love (also a bonus when you’re baking with kids).
The kids helped me roll them into “snails” and then we placed them into a baking dish to rise before we popped them into the oven. After 18 minutes they were golden brown and baked throughout.
While they were cooling I mixed up the cream cheese frosting. It’s a relatively mild frosting, meaning it doesn’t have an overpowering cream cheese flavor. I love cream cheese, but I think this frosting works well because it lets every part of the cinnamon roll shine.
If you need something to make for brunch or a tired of those BIG gigantic cinnamon rolls, give these mini ones a try! They’re ready to go in about 90 minutes and taste better than any bakery cinnamon roll I’ve had. Don’t trust me? Make them and see for yourself! Happy baking! ?
Mini Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 3/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp instant yeast
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup whole milk
- 1 tsp salt
For the Filling
- 1/4 cup butter - melted
- 2/3 cup brown sugar
- 1 tbsp +1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 oz cream cheese - room temperature
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter - room temperature
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1-2 tbsp whole milk - to desired thickness
- 1/2 tsp 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.
- 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 24x16 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, cut out 24 strips of dough (show in pictures below). Roll each up into a tight roll.
- Place the rolls into a lightly greased 9x13 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. Once heated, remove the foil and bake the rolls for 15-18 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.
A much easier way to make cinnamon rolls and they taste like mini Cinnabon’s!
Can I use the same Dough that I use with the normal Rolls ? Thanks!!!
Yes you can! Depending on your rolls recipe the texture might be a bit different than this cinnamon roll dough recipe but it will still taste great. Once your dough is made you can roll it out just like you would with the cinnamon roll dough.
Can these be made in mini muffin pans instead of one big pan? I am worried about them drying out when they are so small but need to have them be uniform in size.
I personally have not tried. One way to find out! Let me know if you try, before I do 🙂
Can these be made thru step 6, and baked and iced the next morning?
Honestly, I am not sure how they’d turn out. I like to make them from start to finish, only because of the yeast & I never know if they’d keep rising or collapse or what. So, I don’t want to say for sure, since I haven’t tried. I’ve heard people say it’s ok & others say, they don’t like to do that. I guess it’s up to you 🙂
Why does your printable recipes, come out “Grey” and not black? Those of us with vision problems, have a terrible time, reading the copy. I tried everything on my end, and just get grey results.
I will look into that, thank you for letting me know. My father had low vision, so I know how frustrating that is! I will get back to you ASAP.