Small batch cinnamon rolls are perfect for when you're craving fresh baked cinnamon rolls but don't want to make a whole pan. You get the same soft and fluffy cinnamon rolls but in a more manageable batch of 4 rolls. Enough that you could share. Yet not too many that you couldn't keep them all for yourself either.
I love cinnamon rolls. I mean I really, really, really love them. They are one of my very favorite breakfast pastries. I usually take my overnight cinnamon rolls for brunch potlucks when there's a big group. But, sometimes, I don't need a whole pan. Sometimes, I just need a small batch. This recipe is perfect for the times when you need rolls for a smaller group, or just yourself, without having too many extras.
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Ingredients
- All purpose flour
- White sugar
- Whole milk
- Salted butter
- Egg
- Active dry yeast
- Salt
- Brown sugar
- Cinnamon
- Cream cheese
- Powdered sugar
- Heavy cream
See recipe card for quantities.
Best way to cut small batch cinnamon rolls
For small batch cinnamon rolls, we roll the dough into a smaller rectangle of 4 inches by 10-12 inches and then top with the filling. Instead of rolling the dough into a log, use a pizza cutter and cut the dough into 4 strips. Roll each strip individually and tightly and place them into a small baking pan or individual baking cups. Since we have only 4 rolls, this makes cutting the rolls a lot easier. This method works for regular batch cinnamon rolls too, but it's super helpful for small batches.
Substitutions
- Vegan - You can make these small batch cinnamon rolls as vegan sweet rolls. To replace the egg, you can make a flax egg or use an egg replacer like Bob Mill's. [For one flax egg, mix one tablespoon of flaxseed meal and three tablespoons of water and let sit for 10 minutes]. For the butter, substitute your favorite plant based butter. My current favorite is Miyoko's Plant Milk Butter, but it's not always easy to find. Most grocery stores now carry some version of plant based butter like Earth Balance or Country Crock brands. For the milk, substitute your favorite plant based milk. I recommend oat milk for a neutral milk when baking. For the heavy cream, you can substitute plant based heavy cream (Trader Joe's is the best I've tried so far), or use a little less of a plant based milk. And, of course, use vegan sugar.
Variation
You can also make my other flavored sweet rolls in smaller batches. Try the Lemon Raspberry Sweet Rolls or the Chocolate Rolls with Espresso Frosting.
Equipment
A hand mixer, or small stand mixer, is helpful in making small batch cinnamon rolls.
Storage
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days or in the refrigerator for 5-7 days. To warm up cinnamon rolls on day 2 or thereafter, just microwave them for 15-20 seconds. Not long, just enough to warm them up!
Next Level Tips
- Use a high quality cinnamon. There are different types of cinnamon and a good cinnamon can take your sweet rolls to a whole other level! Try a single source organic brand. I'm currently in love with Ceylon cinnamon from Indonesia. Think of cinnamon like coffee and chocolate. Where it's made and how it made make a difference!
- You can bake this 4 cinnamon roll small batch in a small baking pan, ramekins or you can little aluminum baking cups like shown in the photos. For the baking cups, I suggest using the 5 ounce square or round baking cups. Cinnamon rolls expand out and up when baking. If you use a cup that's too small around, then the sweet rolls have no where to go but up. If that happens, you can lightly press them down a bit, but it's best to give the sweet rolls enough room to rise when baking.
FAQ
Definitely! To make these ahead of time, follow the instructions up through the Making the Filling instruction #6. Immediately after cutting the sweet rolls and placing them in the baking pan or baking cups, cover the pan/cups and place them in the refrigerator. The following day, take them out and let them sit covered on the counter to come to room temperature, approximately thirty minutes. Remove the cover and continue with the baking instructions.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Small Batch Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
Dough
- ¼ cup whole milk
- ¾ teaspoon active dry yeast
- 2 tablespoons white sugar
- 3 tablespoons salted butter room temperature
- 1 egg
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Filling
- 2 teaspoons salted butter*
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 teaspoon cinnamon
Cream cheese frosting
- 2 ounces cream cheese
- 1 tablespoon salted butter
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream
Instructions
Making the dough
- Take out the 3 tablespoons of butter and the egg to bring them to room temperature.
- Heat the milk in the microwave until warm 105℉ - 110℉. [It's best to use a kitchen thermometer if you have one.] Add the warm milk, yeast and a little of the white sugar to the mixing bowl. Let sit for 5-10 minutes.
- Add the rest of the sugar, the softened butter and the egg to the mixing bowl. Mix on low speed until the eggs are incorporated. The butter will not incorporate at this stage, which is normal.
- Add the flour and salt to the mixing bowl and mix on low until the flour has been incorporated.
- Switch to the dough hook on the mixer and mix on low, or knead by hand, for 5 minutes.
- Spray a small bowl (or reuse the mixing bowl) with cooking spray. The dough is sticky and that's normal. Let the dough rise in a covered bowl for a total of two hours. After one hour, knead the dough using the stretch and fold method. If you're familiar with this method, do it in the bowl. If this is your first time, take the dough out of the bowl and set on a floured surface. Take a hold of a large piece of dough at the 12 position, stretch it away from your body, and then fold it back toward the middle of the dough ball. Rotate the ball ⅛ to ¼ of a turn and repeat the stretch out and fold back motions. Keep repeating until you have gone around 2 times and the dough becomes less stretchy. You DO NOT have to do this, BUT it does make the rolls more fluffy and soft. Put the dough back in the bowl to rise for another hour. So, the total rise time is two hours with the optional stretch and fold after one hour.
Making the filling
- Spray the baking pan or baking cups with cooking spray.
- After the dough has risen for the two hours, put it on a floured surface and roll it out into a 4 x 10 inch rectangle. [If the dough is ever resistant, let it rest for 10 minutes. Don't overwork the dough trying to roll it out. It should roll out easily.
- Brush less than one tablespoon of very soft butter on to the dough with a pastry or silicone brush. You want to use very soft but not melted butter. Think of the butter as the glue that will hold the brown sugar and cinnamon to the dough. You can also use your fingers or a knife to spread the butter.
- Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl until the cinnamon is incorporated into the sugar. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the buttered dough and lightly press it in.
- Cut the dough into 4 long strips using a pizza cutter.
- Add the cut sweet rolls to your sprayed pan or cups of choice and cover with aluminum foil.
- Allow the sweet rolls to rise in the pan for one hour.
- While the sweet rolls are rising, preheat the oven to 350 ℉.
- If you are using individual baking cups, place the baking cups on a baking sheet.
- Bake the sweet rolls for 15-20 minutes. Check at 15 minutes. The sweet rolls are done when they are lightly golden brown on top. Don't overtake them.
Making the frosting
- When the cinnamon rolls are close to being done, start the frosting.
- Put the softened cream cheese and softened butter in to a mixing bowl and mix on medium until thoroughly combined and fluffy.
- Add the powdered sugar and the heavy whipping cream and mix on medium until light and fluffy. It will take 2-3 minutes.
- While the cinnamon rolls are still hot, spread a very thin layer of frosting on every part of the outer layer of the cinnamon rolls. It will melt, and that's perfect. It softens the outer layer of the lightly browned rolls.
- Once the sweet rolls have cooled for at least 15 minutes, spread the rest of the frosting on the sweet rolls. If you are not serving them warm, wait until they have completely cooled to frost them.
Notes
- You need less than one tablespoon of butter for the filling. Just eyeball it when you're cutting the stick of butter since the hash lines are in one tablespoon increments.
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