Mini Cinnamon Rolls

A metal spatula holding up a mini cinnamon roll in front of a baking sheet full of frosted cinnamon rolls.

Easily the BEST cinnamon rolls you will ever have! This easy recipe makes 24 mini cinnamon rolls that will be gobbled up before you know it!

Course bread, Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 35

Cook Time 12

Rest Time 1 10

Total Time 1 57

Servings servings

Calories 250kcal

Author Whitney Wright

Equipment

Ingredients

Cinnamon Rolls

1/2 cup warm water
1/3 cup buttermilk at room temperature
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
2 1/2 - 3 cups bread flour will vary depending on your climate and elevation

Cinnamon Sugar Filling

3 tablespoons unsalted butter softened to room temperature
3/4 cup light brown sugar packed
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon almond extract

Cinnamon Roll Icing

6 tablespoons unsalted butter softened to room temperature
3 cup powdered sugar sifted, see notes
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3-4 tablespoons milk

Instructions

Make the Dough

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, add the water, buttermilk, sugar, melted butter and yeast. Mix. Let sit for 10 minutes, the yeast will get nice and bubbly. Once the yeast is bubbly add the salt, eggs, and flour. Mix for 8 minutes on medium/low speed. The dough should come away from the sides and bottom of the bowl, but should still be tacky to the touch. After mixing, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rest for 20 minutes in a warm area. The dough should puff up slightly, but it won’t double in size. If your kitchen is cool you may need the dough to rest for 30 minutes to give it a chance to puff up some.

Cinnamon Sugar Filling

In the meantime, prepare the filling. In a small bowl add the brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, and almond extract. Stir to combine.

Roll the Dough

Spray a rimmed jelly roll pan (15.5”x10.5”inches) with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
Lightly spray a clean countertop with nonstick cooking spray. Roll the dough into a 24x8 inch rectangle (see notes). Using the back of a spoon to smear the softened butter over the top of the dough. Sprinkle the cinnamon brown sugar filling evenly over the softened butter.
Roll the dough up, lengthwise. Cut into 24 cinnamon rolls, about 1” inch wide.
Place the cinnamon rolls the prepared jelly roll pan, 4 rolls going across and 6 rolls going down. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 30 minutes or until puffed up.

Bake the Cinnamon Rolls

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Once the rolls are quite puffy bake them for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown on top and cooked throughout.
When the cinnamon rolls are finished baking remove them from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Frost the rolls while warm.

Cinnamon Roll Icing

In the bowl of an electric mixer or with hand beaters beat the butter, powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth.

Notes

Buttermilk: Use room temperature buttermilk. If you forget to pull out the buttermilk to bring it to room temperature you can heat it in the microwave in a microwave-safe bowl for 10-15 seconds or until slightly warmed and no longer cold. Don't overheat. Stir with a whisk or fork (as buttermilk can get clumpy when you heat it).

Powdered Sugar: Sifting powdered sugar before making any kind of frosting or icing will help it be very smooth with no clumps, although it's not a necessary step.

Rolling the dough into a rectangle: when I roll out the dough into a 24x8 inch rectangle, I tend to roll it more towards 25” inches in length just to give myself a margin of error.

The blog post associated with this recipe has great step-by-step photos if you have questions or need more visuals.

Nutrition