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.
Equipment
- Stand mixer with a dough hook (optional)
- Cooking spray or neutral oil
- Unflavored dental floss or baking twine (optional)
- ⅛ sheet pan, small metal casserole dish, or an 8-inch or 9-inch cake pan
Ingredients
Cinnamon Roll Dough
- 120 milliliters whole milk (½ cup)
- 4 grams active dry yeast (1 ¼ teaspoons)
- 50 grams granulated sugar, divided (¼ cup)
- 60 grams unsalted butter, melted & cooled (¼ cup)
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 255 grams bread flour or all-purpose flour, plus more as needed (2 cups + 2 Tablespoons)
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
Filling & Assembly
- 60 grams unsalted butter, very softened (¼ cup)
- 105 grams brown sugar (½ cup)
- 8 grams cinnamon (1 heaping Tablespoon)
- Pinch of Kosher salt
- 30 milliliters heavy whipping cream, room temperature (2 Tablespoons)
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 28 grams unsalted butter, softened (2 Tablespoons)
- 60 grams full-fat cream cheese, softened (2 ounces)
- 60 grams powdered sugar (½ cup)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Pinch of Kosher salt
Instructions
Cinnamon Roll Dough
- Warm the milk in the microwave or on the stovetop until it reaches between 100-110°F (38-43°C). Add the warmed milk to a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Sprinkle the active dry yeast and 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar over the top. Whisk gently and then set the mixture aside until it's foamy, 5-10 minutes.
- Once the yeast is foamy, add the rest of the granulated sugar, melted butter, egg, and vanilla extract. Whisk the mixture until it's smooth.
- Add the flour and salt. Using a stand mixer with a dough hook or a wooden spoon, mix the flour into the wet ingredients until the dough is tacky (not sticky) and pulling away from the sides of the bowl. If the dough is sticky, add more flour, 1 teaspoon at a time, until it has a smooth, tacky texture.
- Knead the dough with the dough hook for 5-7 minutes. If you're kneading the dough by hand, you'll need to knead it for closer to 7-10 minutes. To check if the dough is properly kneaded, give it a firm poke. If the dough springs back slowly, it's ready to go. If it springs back quickly, knead it for a few more minutes.
- Oil a clean mixing bowl. Place the dough in the bowl and cover it with a clean linen or plastic wrap. Put the bowl in a warm spot (like the oven or top of the fridge) and let it rise until it's doubled in size, about 1 ½-2 hours.
Filling & Assembly
- Meanwhile, combine the very softened butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and a pinch of Kosher salt in a small bowl until the mixture is smooth. Set aside.
- Once the dough is doubled, tip it onto a floured surface. Using a rolling pin, evenly roll the dough into a 9x12-inch rectangle. (It doesn't have to be perfect.) Spread the filling over the dough, leaving a ¼-inch gap on all sides. With the long side facing you, tightly roll the dough into a log. If the log stretched out longer than 12-inches, press it gently on each side to re-shape it.
- Using an 8-inch piece of unflavored dental floss or baking twine, cut out 6 rolls that are about 2 inches wide. Just shimmy the floss or twine under the log, bringing both sides around the log like you're about to tie a bow. Pull the two sides of the floss in opposite directions to slice through the rolls. (See the blog post for a visual.) Alternatively, use a very sharp knife to slice the rolls instead.
- Grease a ⅛ sheet pan, small metal casserole dish, or an 8-inch or 9-inch cake pan with butter or neutral oil. Space the cinnamon rolls in the prepared pan about 1-inch apart. Cover the rolls with a clean linen or plastic wrap and place the pan in a warm spot. Let the rolls rise for another 45-60 minutes, until they're puffy.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F. When the rolls are puffy, pour the heavy whipping cream over the tops of the rolls, making sure the cream gets into every nook and cranny. (This will make them extra gooey!) Bake the rolls for 20-25 minutes, or until the tops are golden-brown and the centers reach 190-200°F (88-93°C). Don't over-bake or it'll dry out the rolls.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Add the softened butter and cream cheese to a medium mixing bowl. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar until it's creamy.
- Add the powdered sugar and beat until you have a thick frosting. Mix in the vanilla extract and a pinch of salt. Then, turn the hand mixer or stand mixer to medium-high speed and whip the frosting until it's fluffy, 2-3 minutes.
- While the cinnamon rolls are still warm (but not super hot!), spread the cream cheese frosting over the tops. Enjoy!
Notes
Always use fresh yeast! If the yeast is dead, the cinnamon rolls won't rise. I like to store mine in the freezer.
I use ½ teaspoon of Morton's Kosher salt in this recipe. If you're using Diamond, add another ¼-1/2 teaspoon.
I prefer bread flour in this recipe, but all-purpose works too. Something to keep in mind is that bread flour absorbs more water than AP flour. I find that I usually need closer to 270 grams (2 ¼ cups) when I use bread flour.
Only add more flour if you need to. The dough will be a little tacky, but shouldn't stick to your hands. If it's sticky, add more flour 1 teaspoon at a time.
Where you live can totally change the amount of flour you'll need to use. For example, I live in the high desert of Reno (a.k.a. dry) so I typically need less flour than my friends who live in rainy Portland. If you live somewhere humid, don't be surprised if you need around 300 grams (2 ½ cups) of flour.
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.
Feel free to skip the heavy whipping cream. The rolls won't be as gooey but will be just as delicious.
You can also make an overnight version of these rolls. Please see the blog post for lots of details and tips!
Nutrition
Serving: 1cinnamon rollCalories: 553kcalCarbohydrates: 69gProtein: 8gFat: 27gSaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 102mgSodium: 255mgPotassium: 146mgFiber: 1gSugar: 36gCalcium: 83mgIron: 0.8mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!