Best Ever Small Batch Cinnamon Rolls

Not to brag but I truly make the best cinnamon rolls of all time. And these small batch cinnamon rolls are based on the classic recipe that I originally developed when I was in pastry school, but scaled way down for 6 perfect rolls! They're fluffy, gooey (thanks to a secret ingredient), and have the best cream cheese frosting.

It snowed this past weekend and I practically cartwheeled my ass down to the kitchen. Snow days mean I'm not leaving the house, and not leaving the house means I'm baking cinnamon rolls. There's nothing I love more than wearing pajamas, throwing on some kind of indie-folk-emo playlist, and taking on a baking project like small batch, one banana muffins or one of my all-time favorites, small batch blueberry muffins!

And yes, these cinnamon rolls are a bit of a baking project. But don't worry, they're still nice and simple! First off, I developed the recipe way back when I was in pastry school so I've had over 10 years to get them right.

I also scaled the recipe way down so instead of making 24 rolls for a bakery, it makes just 6 perfectly fluffy rolls for breakfast or snacking. All you need is a big cup of coffee and your weekend plans are set.

Let me give you just a few more details, cause you need to make these rolls ASAP!

• This is a foolproof recipe. I'm giving you all the details whether you want them or not.
• Not-so-humble brag but these are the best cinnamon rolls. Fluffy, gooey, and caramelized on the edges.
• They're topped with cream cheese frosting but icing works too!
• And there's an overnight version so you can wake up to fresh cinnamon rolls in the morning.

Bread flour vs. all-purpose

I've made this recipe dozens of times both with bread flour and all-purpose. Both will work great, you'll just need to keep in mind that the results will be a bit different!

• Bread flour - if I have it on hand, it's my favorite for this recipe. The extra gluten makes these rolls taller, puffier, softer, and chewier. The bread flour also absorbs more liquid, which helps make the rolls moist and keeps them from drying out.
• All-purpose - totally fine if you don't have bread flour on hand. The rolls may not rise quite as much and might be a little denser, but it's still possible to make soft, fluffy rolls with AP flour.

Something to keep in mind is that bread flour absorbs more water than AP flour. Not a big deal, you just might need to add more flour to the dough so it doesn't turn into a sticky mess.

Then, you'll need a few other ingredients. Pick up some whole milk, active dry yeast, granulated sugar, unsalted butter, eggs, pure vanilla extract, Kosher salt, light or dark brown sugar, cinnamon, full-fat cream cheese, and powdered sugar.

The secret ingredient

If you love a gooey cinnamon roll, listen up. Because there's one little ingredient that will give you the gooiest cinnamon rolls every time - heavy whipping cream! This is a trick that recently went viral on TikTok but professional bakers have literally been doing it for decades lol.

All you have to do is pour heavy whipping cream over the rolls right before baking. The rolls will soak up the cream which makes them gooey (but not soggy!). And, the cream will mix with the cinnamon sugar to create this heavenly caramel on the bottom.

Also, if you want to skip the heavy whipping cream, all good. The cinnamon rolls will still taste amazing!

Make the dough

The dough is ready to knead when it's tacky (not sticky), smooth, and pulling away from the sides of the bowl. Don't worry, it'll get more stable as you knead it.

Assemble & bake

The floss method is a game changer. Every time I cut cinnamon rolls with a knife, they get smushed. Instead, I use unflavored floss or baking twine. Just wrap it around the cinnamon rolls and pull. Works every time!

Cream cheese frosting

If you have vanilla bean paste laying around, the frosting would be an excellent time to use it!

How to tell when the dough is kneaded

Kneading the dough is key! It helps develop the gluten which in turn, helps the dough rise. It also adds air for a fluffier, softer roll. To tell if it's properly kneaded, you can use a few tests:

• Poke test - simply give the dough a firm poke. If it springs by slowly, it's ready to go! If it springs back quickly, knead it for another few minutes. Or, if it doesn't spring back at all it's over-kneaded. But keep making the recipe anyways!
• Windowpane test - pull off a chunk of dough, about the size of a ping pong ball. Use your fingers to thinly spread the dough. If the light passes through the dough before it tears apart, it's ready. If it tears before the light passes through, keep kneading.

The poke test will also work during the rising phase! Once the dough is doubled, give it a poke. If it slowly starts to fill in, it's nice and risen.

DIY bread proofer

In professional kitchens, we use proofing boxes. A proofing box basically creates a warm, humid environment that helps the dough rise and ferment. But, since most of us don't just have these sitting around in our houses, this is how I create a DIY situation at home!

1. Place a rack in the middle of the oven and one on the bottom. Set the oven to the lowest setting and let it heat for a few minutes. You just want it to be warm, around 85°F (29°C). Don't let it get past 100°F (38°C). If the oven is too warm, it can kill the yeast or dry out the dough.
2. While the oven is heating, boil some water. Place a heat-proof container (like a cake pan) on the bottom rack of the oven. Pour the boiling water into the container.
3. Lastly, place the covered bowl of dough on the middle rack above the water. Shut the oven door. The combo of heat and boiling water will create the humidity we're looking for!

Overnight rolls

You can totally split this recipe into two parts if you want to bake the cinnamon rolls in the morning! Just a head's up, some recipes will have you refrigerate the assembled rolls. I don't recommend this method, because the cinnamon rolls tend to over-proof and the filling will seep out. Also, even if you refrigerate the assembled rolls, you still have to let them rise for about 2 hours in the morning.

So instead, I like to do a slow, refrigerated first rise. Enriched dough is much more forgiving during the first rise, so even if it over-proofs, the rolls will still come out great! In the morning, you'll just have to assemble the rolls real quick, which takes about 15 minutes.

Here's the full details:

1. Make the dough and knead it for 5-7 minutes. Cover and refrigerate the dough for 8-12 hours. You can go up to 16 hours if you have to, but 8-12 is ideal.
2. Make the filling, cover, and store it on the counter so it stays soft. Whip up the frosting and refrigerate it overnight.
3. The next morning, assemble the rolls. Let them rise for 1 hour, bake, and frost.

The dough should double overnight in the fridge. If not, let it sit at room temp until it's doubled and passes the poke test.

Store & reheat leftovers

Cover any leftover cinnamon rolls tightly with foil. Or, just place them in an airtight container. Refrigerate the rolls for 3-4 days.

To reheat them, all you have to do is microwave the rolls for 45-60 seconds or until they're nice and hot.

Use icing instead

If you want to bake these rolls last minute but don't have cream cheese on hand, you can make a simple icing instead. Just whisk 60 grams (½ cup) of powdered sugar, 24 milliliters (2 Tablespoons) of whole milk, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt.

The icing should be the consistency of glue. If it's too thick, add more milk 1 teaspoon at a time. If it's too thin, add more powdered sugar 8 grams (1 Tablespoon) at a time.

If you try this recipe, I would love if you left a star rating and review. I read every comment and love hearing what you think about my recipes. Thanks so much for supporting Midnight Bake Club!