This small batch cinnamon rolls recipe makes 6 perfectly gooey and soft cinnamon rolls covered in cream cheese frosting! This recipe is perfect for when you don't need a huge batch of cinnamon buns. I use the Tangzhong method (I promise, it's so easy), which guarantees the softest cinnamon roll you've ever had.
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This Christmas, I'm spending it in London, rather than heading home to be with my extended family. I love making a big breakfast spread for the holidays, although usually I have wild plans and then realize people aren't going to eat a whole bunch of cinnamon mini muffins, cinnamon rolls, and french toast. But still, I love making a batch of my cinnamon rolls the night before so we can pop them in the oven on Christmas morning!
Since I'll be spending it here in London with Will and his family, I thought it would be fun to make small-batch cinnamon rolls to bring to his family's home! Going from 10+ people to just 5 of us, this small batch cinnamon roll recipe is perfect.
Testing This Recipe!
After making cinnamon coffee rolls with the Tangzhong method, I knew I wanted to use that same cinnamon roll base recipe.
I dialled down the milk because I find the dough a bit too sticky, but otherwise it's very similar! I tested this recipe using an eighth sheet pan, which is the perfect size for six lil cinny rolls! (Ok, I'm never saying cinny rolls again)
Grab your ingredients!
- Bread Flour: If you can, try to use bread flour. In a pinch, you can use regular all-purpose flour! I've used both, they both work.
- Heavy Cream: To make these cinnamon rolls extra pillowy, I like to pour warm heavy cream over them just before baking.
- Yeast: Technically, you can use either active or instant yeast. If you're using active dry yeast, you'll need to place it in the milk first (and slightly warm up the milk too) and the dough will take longer to rise. Because of this, I recommend using instant yeast if you can!
Let's Make This Recipe!
- Make the tangzong. Mix water, milk, and flour in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk until it thickens; it should look like mashed potatoes. This is the secret to getting those extra soft and fluffy cinnamon rolls!
- Combine with the other dough ingredients. Let the dough rest until doubled in size.
- Roll out your cinnamon roll dough. Brush with softened butter and sprinkle over your cinnamon sugar. Slice into your rolls. Place on a lined eighth sheet pan and cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel. Let rise.
Slicing Up Your Rolls
I have tried so many methods of slicing up cinnamon rolls, trying to get that perfect swirl. I think I may have found it! I used to use a serrated knife - easy, but they get squished. Then I used dental floss - until now, my favorite method. But behold, the best method to get that perfect swirl: a pizza cutter.
A pizza cutter?! That's right. Once you've spread your filling over the dough, use a pizza cutter to slice the dough into 6 equal strips. Then one by one, you can roll up the strips. This gave me perfect cinnamon rolls!
I will say, it does cause a little bit of a mess on the kitchen counter (sorry!!), and if you have a delicate kitchen counter (marble, quartz, I'm looking at you), I recommend doing this on a cutting board.
- Once risen, pour over heavy cream. This is totally optional, but it will make your rolls super gooey!
- Bake the cinnamon rolls in the oven for 18-22 minutes and enjoy! I covered these cinnamon rolls with a cream cheese icing, but honestly, they're just as good on their own.
Made This Recipe?
Make sure to leave a ⭐️ rating and review below! You can tag me on Instagram @alpineella or follow along on Pinterest, Facebook and TikTok!
Thank you!
Ella
Recipe
Homemade Small Batch Cinnamon Rolls
Equipment
- Eigthth Sheet Pan
- Stand Mixer
- Kitchen Scale
- Measuring Spoons
- Rolling Pin
Ingredients
Tangzhong
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) water
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) whole milk
- 2 tablespoons (15 grams) all-purpose flour
Dough
- 2 cups (240 grams) bread flour
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1½ teaspoons instant yeast
- ⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon (90 ml) whole milk
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 3 tablespoons (42 grams) unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons (30 grams) granulated sugar
- 4 tablespoons (50 ml) heavy cream
Cinnamon Filling
- ½ cup (100 grams) light brown sugar
- ½ tablespoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch kosher salt
- 4 tablespoons (55 grams) unsalted butter room temperature
Cream cheese icing
- 2 oz (56 grams) cream cheese room temperature
- 6 ½ tablespoons (50 grams) icing sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon (14 grams) butter room temperature
Instructions
Make Dough
- Mix the water, milk and flour together in a small saucepan with a whisk.2 tablespoons (30 ml) water, 2 tablespoons (30 ml) whole milk, 2 tablespoons (15 grams) all-purpose flour
- Place over medium-low heat and cook, whisking constantly, until it becomes thick. Make sure to scrape along the sides of the saucepan. It should look like mashed potatoes. Take off the heat and pour into your mixing bowl. Set aside for a few minutes so it cools down.
- Add the milk, egg, flour, salt, sugar, butter and yeast to the bowl with the tangzhong.2 cups (240 grams) bread flour, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, 1½ teaspoons instant yeast, ⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon (90 ml) whole milk, 1 large egg, 3 tablespoons (42 grams) unsalted butter, 2 tablespoons (30 grams) granulated sugar
- Mix on medium speed for about 12-15 minutes, until it become smooth but slightly sticky. If too sticky, add up to quarter cup of flour, one tablespoon at a time. Depending on the weather, sometimes I needed to add more flour so it wasn't too sticky so feel free to add a bit more!
- Take the dough out of the bowl and use oiled hands to shape it into a ball. Lightly grease the bowl and place the dough ball back in. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise for 60-90 minutes (the time depends on how hot your kitchen is!).
- Whisk the cinnamon and brown sugar together with a pinch of salt.½ cup (100 grams) light brown sugar, ½ tablespoon ground cinnamon, Pinch kosher salt
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Roll it into a 16x12-inch rectangle.
- Spread the butter on the dough, leaving about ¼ inch border around the edges. Sprinkle over the cinnamon sugar. I like to use my hands to press the cinnamon sugar into the dough!
- Use a pizza cutter to slice it into six equal slices, from the long edge. Gently roll up each one.
- Place in a greased and lined 8-inch round pan or an eighth sheet pan.
- Cover the pan with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let rise for 40-50 minutes. If you want to make these rolls the night before, let them rise overnight in the fridge, making sure they're tightly covered.
- Preheat the oven to 350℉/175℃.
- This is optional, but you can heat up the heavy cream in the microwave so it's warm but not boiling. Pour the warm cream over the rolls.4 tablespoons (50 ml) heavy cream
- Bake for 18-22 minutes. They should be golden brown. While the rolls cool slightly, make the frosting.
Frosting
- In a stand mixer or with a handheld mixer, beat all of the frosting ingredients together. Spread over warm rolls and enjoy!4 tablespoons (55 grams) unsalted butter, 2 oz (56 grams) cream cheese, 6 ½ tablespoons (50 grams) icing sugar, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon (14 grams) butter
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