Perfect Small Batch Cinnamon Rolls
When you don’t want 4 dozen cinnamon rolls staring you in the face, what do you do? You make this amazing small batch cinnamon roll recipe and then gaze lovingly at 12 of the most perfect cinnamon rolls ever!
There is certainly a time and a place for a huge batch of cinnamon rolls.
But if you don’t need 20+ cinnamon rolls staring you in the face, this recipe for a small batch of cinnamon rolls is the perfect solution!
12 Cinnamon Rolls
This recipe makes twelve perfect cinnamon rolls nestled together in a basic 9X13-inch pan.
They’re amazing. And I’m going to show you just how easy they are to make.
How to make small batch cinnamon rolls
Mix the dough ingredients in a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook.
The dough should be soft and smooth after mixing, not over floured (dry rolls!) or under floured (sticky, doughy rolls!).
If you focus on the feel of the dough rather than the exact flour amount in the recipe, you’ll achieve the perfect dough.
Ultimately, when the dough goes from lumpy and shaggy and forms a ball that doesn’t leave a lot of sticky residue on your fingers, you’re good to go.
Perfect Texture for the Dough
You can see that this beautiful lump of cinnamon roll dough holds it’s shape and isn’t sticky, but it is still stretchy and soft.
Holding it up like this, if it starts pulling and sagging without sticking to your fingers, you have yourself a really good cinnamon roll dough.
Plop the dough in a lightly greased bowl and let it rise until noticeably puffy and pretty much doubled in size. The exact time will depend on the temperature of your kitchen, but it should be right around 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
Rolling out Cinnamon Rolls
Punch down the dough and turn it out onto a lightly greased countertop (I prefer using nonstick cooking spray over using flour so the rolls stay soft and not over floured).
This dough is so malleable and easy to work with that I never mess with a rolling pin. I just pat it into a rectangle, about 14X10-inches, and call it good.
Spread about 6 tablespoons of softened butter on top. Combine the brown sugar and cinnamon together (and the little bit of flour, if using – more details on that in the recipe below) and sprinkle that lovely concoction over the butter.
Starting with one long end, roll up the cinnamon rolls. The key to this rolling action is to roll them up as tightly as possible without stretching the dough.
Stretching and pulling on the dough while rolling them up will cause the rolls to shrink weirdly in the oven and can cause some of those dreaded gaps in the rolls after they bake and cool.
Once rolled, cut the dough into 12 equal pieces. I find it’s easiest to use a serrated knife (I have this inexpensive one and love it; it’s amazing – aff. link) or a piece of thread or unflavored dental floss.
Lightly grease a 9X13-inch pan with cooking spray and place those cute rolls evenly in the pan. I like to tuck the ends of the rolls underneath. Habit, I guess.
Let the rolls rise until puffy. I know they’re ready when they are starting to get in each others’ personal space. Sides touching and they’re ready to go!
Bake the rolls in a 350 degree F oven for about 18-20 minutes. A tiny bit of browning on top is ok, but don’t let them bake too long or they might be dry.
While they are cooling, I like to whip up the icing and slather it on when they are just warm. Not too hot, not too cold. It’s the perfect frosting situation.
I’ve made these several times over the last few months just for our family. The recipe is the perfect size without too many dangerous leftovers.
So easy, you’ll be asking yourself why you aren’t making cinnamon rolls every day! Haha. Ok, that was a stretch. But maybe cinnamon rolls every couple weeks/months is a very, very good idea. 🙂
How to make these cinnamon rolls ahead of time
It’s really easy to make cinnamon rolls ahead of time!
This post on making cinnamon rolls ahead of time can be used for any variety of sweet roll.
One Year Ago: Easy Homemade French Bread
Two Years Ago: Harvest Pasta Sauce {Trader Joe’s Copycat}
Three Years Ago: Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake with Chocolate Cookie Crust
Four Years Ago: Pumpkin White Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake {Egg-Free, Easily Gluten Free}
Five Years Ago: Apple Crumb Pie
Perfect Small Batch Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
Dough:
- 1 cup milk (see note)
- ¼ cup (57 g) butter (I use salted butter)
- ¼ cup (53 g) granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast (see note)
- 1 large egg
- 3 to 4 cups (426-568 g) all-purpose flour (see note)
Filling:
- 6 to 7 tablespoons (85-99 g) butter
- ⅔ cup (141 g) packed brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons flour , optional (see note)
Frosting:
- 3 tablespoons (43 g) cream cheese, softened
- 6 tablespoons (85 g) butter, softened (I use salted butter)
- 1 tablespoon milk or heavy cream
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cups (143 g) powdered sugar
Instructions
- For the dough, heat the milk in a medium saucepan until the milk is scalded (which is basically heating it until right before it simmers – it will start steaming and little bubbles will form around the edge of the pan; you can also do this in the microwave). Pour the milk into the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the dough hook (or you can do this by hand with a large bowl and wooden spoon).
- Add the butter, sugar and salt. Mix until the butter is melted and let the mixture cool until warm but not hot. Add the yeast and egg and mix until combined.
- Gradually add the flour until the dough clears the sides of the bowl. The exact amount will depend on the temperature, humidity and how you measure flour. I usually end up with right around 3 1/2 cups of flour. The dough should be soft and just slightly sticky without leaving a lot of residue on your fingers. Knead the dough for 2-3 minutes.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl. Cover with lightly greased plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and let it rise until doubled, about an hour. Roll or pat the dough into about a 14X10-inch rectangle. Spread the softened butter evenly across the top.
- Stir together the brown sugar and cinnamon (and flour if using) and sprinkle it evenly over the butter. Pat it in slightly with the palms of your hands. Starting with one long end, roll up the cinnamon rolls as tightly as possible without stretching the dough, pinching the seam lightly to seal.
- Using a serrated knife, cut the large roll in half. Then cut each half in half again (forming four equal portions). Cut each of the four portions into three rolls for twelve cinnamon rolls total.
- Lightly grease a 9X13-inch baking dish. Place the rolls in the pan (3 across, 4 down), tucking the loose end of the cinnamon roll underneath, if desired. Cover the pan with lightly greased plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and let the rolls rise until double, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake the rolls for about 18-22 minutes until only very slightly golden on top.
- While they cool (or before), prepare the icing by adding the cream cheese and butter to a medium bowl. Whip with a handheld (or stand) mixer until creamy. Add the milk or cream and vanilla. Mix again. Add the powdered sugar and whip until light and creamy. Spread the slightly warm rolls evenly with the icing. Serve immediately or let cool completely and serve at room temperature (or warm lightly before serving).
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe (adapted from this favorite recipe)
These are incredible. Perfect balance of sweetness and I like that they are not gooey. Frosting is on point. NOTE: The directions mention adding salt to the frosting but I didn’t see salt in the frosting section. I don’t think it needed salt though. I may add a bit more salt to the dough, but I’d really hate to modify the recipe because it’s amazing as is.
Hey Jason, thanks for mentioning that. I edited the recipe instructions (glad you liked them!)
AMAZING!! This was my first time making cinnamon rolls and I wanted to do something for Christmas morning. And they turned out great!! The recipe yielded more than 12, but who couldn’t eat more rolls! It was probably my cutting or size of the dough before rolling. Either way, my family LOVED them! This recipe is a keeper. Thanks Mel!
this isn’t a small batch
not sure why a long drawn out article is needed for every recipe.
tired of this site coming up in my google searches
Now, please don’t ask why Shay hates Mel. No one quite knows the reason.
It could be, perhaps, that her shoes were too tight.
It could be her head wasn’t screwed on just right.
But I think that the most likely reason of all
May have been that her heart was two sizes too small.
Lo
Just an internet tip, if you like or comment on something that comes up in your google search it will make it more likely to come up in future searches…
There is this handy little button. It’s called “jump to recipe.” You’re probably new to cooking blogs so just thought I’d share.
If a site comes up when you Google a recipe, you aren’t required to click on the link and open the site. Surprising, I know.
Can you make this dough by hand? I don’t have a mixer
Yes…it’s a bit more work, but you can definitely make it by hand.
Wow ! Finally ….a keeper ! Tried so many but this is definitely the easier one and the best , didn’t make the icing , just a glace
Ok, these cinnamon rolls really are perfection. I love that it only makes 12 (perfect for my limited amount of self control) and that it didn’t involve a huge amount of work. The rolls themselves are light and fluffy, melt-in-your-mouth delicious. I will say, my favorite frosting to use is the one from your vanilla pudding cinnamon rolls. I have made this frosting, and it is yummy. It is light and fluffy, with a hint of cream cheese, whereas the other one is thick and creamy, with a stronger cream cheese flavor. Both are good, but I prefer the latter.
I’m going to have to be hard pressed to try another cinnamon roll recipe. This one is my keeper!
My family loves these cinnamon rolls. They swear that they taste like Cinnabon the 2.5 yo can eat 2-3 of them and want more. I know what I’m bringing to family events from now on (after Covid, ofc)
I have always been intimidated to work with yeast, thank you for this recipe. I made it this weekend and my family loved them. I will be using yeast alot more often now. Also I made your Cashew Chicken OMG that was to die for. I didn’t change a thing.
This recipe is unbelievable! A great tip to use instant yeast, using yeast you have to activate is always hit or miss for me. I accidentally made this recipe without egg the first time and somehow it turned out okay, just not fluffy. But when I remade it correctly, it was so fluffy and gorgeous!!! I did use bread flour and halved the butter in the filling, but I know it would have still been phenomenal with the original ingredient.
Made these today ü I have to say these are the softest cinnamon rolls I’ve had. And so easy to make. Saving this recipe. Thank you so much for this!
Hi, Mel!! I can’t wait to make these!!! Quick question first….the only 9×13 baking pan I have is a nonstick dark metal one. I saw that you used a ceramic dish. Will the one I have affect oven time and temperature?
As always, you and your recipes rock!! Thanks!!
Hi Dalia, you’ll probably want to decrease the oven temp by 25 degrees for a dark pan like that. Good luck!
Hello I love your recipe first of all did them a couple of times and can never get enough. I wanted to ask for to filling do you use salted butter as well or normal butter? I cant seem to remember what I have done the last time I did them. Thankyou
I always use salted butter
Made these today and success! They are not too sweet and are light and soft. Add the cream cheese icing and yummmmmdefinitely will make again. Thanks for sharing.
Sweet Lord in heaven! These are simply the best cinnamon rolls I have ever made– and I have have made a lot in my day! Lighter and fluffier than any and cinnamon-ier. I thought it was a lot of cinnamon for just 12 rolls but I was so wrong. Not your average rolls by any means. Think in will make more tomorrow!
Just made these! I could cry I’m so happy! They are heavenly and absolutely the best cinnamon roll recipe! Follow the instructions, be patient while the dough rises, and you’ll have perfection! So happy I came across your recipe. Thank you for sharing! My grandma used to add a pinch of cardamom to her rolls so I did too! Only thing I did different just to add a little touch of nostalgia to the rolls she used to make me as a kid.
This was supposed to be FIVE FULL STARS-sorry something happened when I posted my comment!
Made these today but my have increased in size SO much even in the over to the point of spilling over my pan! What did I do wrong ahhh
Did they spill over while rising or while baking?
I got great oven spring on mine too. But not too much. I did do the second rise in the fridge. Slowly. Would that make a difference?
It might – what was the texture of the dough when shaping?
So, I’ve made these twice in the last two weeks and they turned out perfectly every time. Love them so much! Now in search of friends to share them with so we don’t eat them all in one sitting!
Have you doubled this dough and the recipe was fine? I need a little bit bigger of a batch!
Yes, you can double it. 🙂
Hi.
Could you please post the recipe using fresh yeast. Thank you
Hi, I used 19 grams of fresh yeast and it worked out great.
Made this exactly as written today and they are delicious. (I added the bit of flour into the brown sugar & cinnamon, as suggested.) I have 12 very full cinnamon buns in my 9×13 glass pan. The icing is to die for. My daughters only complain is that I didn’t make 24 or 48 cinnamon buns! Lol.
I made this recipe. It was good, however next time I make this I will double the dough, then make more filling & add more milk & icing sugar for the icing. The dough made 12 small cinnamon buns, not as shown in the recipe. The icing wasn’t nearly as white or thick as it was in the pictures. If you make this definitely adjust the recipe.
Hi Mel- I made these for the second time today, and they turned out great. But for our tastes, I made a few changes. I spread the rolled-out dough with only about 3 Tbsp. butter, and even that seemed like a lot. And also cut back on the brown sugar mixture-
about 1/3 c. which was still plenty, and about half the icing, since we like a light glaze rather than gobs of extra icing. I also really like the buttermilk cinnamon roll recipe.
These were incredibly easy to make and super delicious!
Happy Easter!! Thank you for this fabulous recipe! I made these last night and we had them for Easter Sunday breakfast. I don’t usually have time to do something so elaborate Easter morning, but this year is so strange, I decided to go all out. Recipe was fabulous!! Everyone loved them! Great directions, easy to follow – thank you so much and God Bless you for all that you do!
Hi there, Mel!
Long time follower, first time commenter.
First, thank you for all the effort you put into experimenting with/verifying recipes and then posting them. For about five years now, I have thoroughly enjoyed following your blog and making your recipes.
What will Mel post today, I wonder. I unlock my smartphone. I wait impatiently as the browser opens up. I go to MelsKitchenCafe.com, and my breath catches in my chest until I read a new posting title with those three little words: Latest & Greatest. I hear nothing. Not even a sound on the streets, just the beating of my own heart. I have a new recipe blog posting to read. By you. That actually is quite close to how I excited I am when there is a new posting.
Recently, I was talking with a friend about how she was going to make cinnamon rolls for Easter morning. I became inspired to also make them, but on Saturday (today). Where would I find a tried and true recipe though? MelsKitchenCafe, of course!
I re-read your recent post on the 10 best-ever cinnamon roll recipes, picked this recipe, and followed the directions exactly. No surprise here that they turned out great and are delicious. There was a little gapping and a little brown sugar crystalization, but nothing that would significantly affect the taste and prevent me from eating the first two.
Since 12 rolls are too many for one man, I dropped them off to friends on their doorstep making sure to keep my social distance. With how great these turned out, I am super excited to make the orange sweet rolls tomorrow for Easter morning.
Thank you again not only for the recipes, but also for the commentary you write before each recipe!
Looking to make a batch of these. Can I use almond milk instead of cow milk? If you think almond milk would work in a different cinnamon roll recipe you make I’d take the suggestion. Half the house is super intolerant to cow milk and everyone’s requesting cinnamon rolls
I haven’t tried that substitution but I think I recall others commenting they’ve used almond milk with good results.
Made these today. The BEST! Recipe was so easy. My family and friends loved them. Thank you.
These are ABSOLUTELY the best I have ever made. I have used many recipes over the years. Not only does this make just the right amount, the texture is perfect. They are soft and fluffy and stay that way even after they cool. I will never use another recipe. Thank you!!
Thank you so much, Laura!
I made these today and they were great. I will be making these again and again.
So incredibly light! I highly recommend!
Can you make these the night before and bake them in the morning?
Yes! Here’s a post about making cinnamon rolls ahead of time: https://www.melskitchencafe.com/how-to-make-cinnamon-rolls-ahead-of-time/
I halved the recipe. Used half of all the ingredients, but just used one whole medium egg. Had to add a little bit extra flour to compensate. Skipped the icing, just brushed some melted butter after baking. The rolls turned out absolutely delicious! Got 12 smaller rolls out of it. Thanks Mel for yet another foolproof recipe xx
Wonderful, fluffy and light. The frosting is so good too!
Hi Mel,
Thanks for the recipe! My 17 year old daughter loves to make these. And 12 rolls is the perfect size for our family. One quick question as we plan to make these for Christmas morning this week- do you use salted butter in the filling? I see that you mention using salted for the dough & frosting, but not the filling. Does that mean you use unsalted? Thanks!!!
Yes, I use salted butter for the filling too.
Will the cinnamon roll become hard if I let it cool down or leave it out at room temperature?
They stay soft after baking as long as they are well covered after they cool.
Th this was so good! The rolls were moist, there was the perfect amount of filling. Love the small batch option when there are so many massive recipes out there! This was very doable. I have to say, the best part is the ultra whipped, fluffy white cream cheese frosting. So amazingly good! Directions were clear and simple, easy to follow, as always. Thank you Mel!!! You make our lives better all the time.
These cinnamon rolls turned out surprisingly perfect even though I neglected to put the dry active yeast in water first.
I made these ahead of time – cooled and wrapped in heavy duty foil and froze. I heated them in the foil the oven at a low temp and frosted them while they were warm. They were a hit on Christmas morning!
So excited to find this small batch recipe! I will be baking these in a metal pan. Do you vary the temperature any vs. a glass/pyrex baking dish? Thank you.
For your readers: I exactly halved the dough and filling recipe and got 8 rolls that I baked in a 9 inch iron skillet. I didn’t exactly halve the icing, but used about 4.5 T total of cream cheese and butter and with 3/4 c powdered sugar it seemed perfect consistency and amount. I’m SO glad I decided to make your recipe, it is THE BEST cinnamon roll I’ve EVER had. How will I ever try your others?
Addendum to my last: with halving the recipe, you don’t have as much dough to actually roll, so they aren’t as pretty as the full recipe would be. I think that’s what icing is for :-).
For the benefit of other readers: I halved the dough and filling recipe exactly, I got 8 nice rolls and baked them in my 9 inch iron skillet. I added a little white whole wheat and still got an incredible light and fluffy roll, absolutely THE BEST cinnamon roll I’ve ever eaten. I didn’t exactly halve the frosting but used about four and a half total tablespoons of the cream cheese and butter, and with 3/4 c of powdered sugar, it seemed perfect consistency and amount. I am SO glad I decided to use your recipe! I don’t know how I will ever try your others because this one is so perfect. THANK YOU.
These are amazing! Best ever. Cinnamon buns are a Christmas morning tradition at our house. I make them a few days before in a greased parchment lined pan and freeze them right in the pan. I take them out the night before, reheat gently in the oven and top with icing before sliding them onto a platter via help of the parchment. Yum! Also, I’m lazy and just toss all the dough ingredients into the bread maker and it works great. Thank you for the great recipe!
I assume you just used your dough cycle on your bread machine? I would love to try these but I am lazy and really don’t feel like dragging out the stand mixer if I don’t have too.
Hi Mel,
I want to get a jump start on my Christmas baking. Is there a point up to where I could prepare this recipe ahead of time and finish on Christmas morning?
I make them for christmas every year and bake the in a greased parchment lined pan. Let cool and cover with foil and freeze. Take out Christmas eve before bed and gently reheat in the oven for breakfast. Top with icing and serve on a platter (the parchment makes it easy to transfer them with all the amazing sauce.) Enjoy! Mine are in the oven now!
Here’s a post about making cinnamon rolls ahead of time
https://www.melskitchencafe.com/how-to-make-cinnamon-rolls-ahead-of-time/
I’m new to yeast bread baking. Made these rolls and was pleased for my 1st try. Even hubby said they were OK and he dies not like cinnamon. Nicest batch will have less icing. Here is my question. What can i do so the brown sugar melts? You get the Rainey crunch. I mixed th ingredients with my new hand mixer.
Sorry for the typo. My tablet takes over and says what it wants. Should read does not like cinnamon and Rainey should be grainey.
What brand of brown sugar did you use?
Your advice to put in salt along with the yeast is HORRIBLE. It denatures yeast and prevented my dough from rising. Why would you suggest that?
Ruined a tray of otherwise good cinnamon rolls.
And I saw in the comments that I wasn’t the only one with this problem. BAD advice.
For anyone reading this, do some research and don’t blindly follow the steps in this article or you’ll be disappointed.
I’ve made this recipe a number of times and have never had an issue with the dough rising- I am always sure to activate my active dry yeast by letting it soak in warm water with a pinch of sugar for about 5 minutes while I scorch my milk and melt the butter, salt, & sugar in it- I hope this helps you!
Same here! This recipe is perfection. I don’t want to be rude but something else must have gone wrong when you made them i don’t think it was adding salt to the yeast.
Sorry you had this experience! I add salt to my yeast doughs (cinnamon rolls, bread doughs, rolls, etc) all the time without any adverse effects – I use SAF instant yeast in case that makes a difference.
I have blindly followed every yeasted dough recipe I’ve baked of Mel’s and never had an issue unless it was my mistake. These cinnamon rolls are in the oven right this minute and they look puffy and delicious!
I did a trial run bake if these cinnamon rolls in November, searching for the perfect recipe for Christmas. I actually preferred them the day after baking, instead of the same day, so I’m making them Christmas Eve to eat Christmas AM. This recipe was the winner, thanks Mel! I’m new to making cinnamon rolls and your recipe was excellent, especially the links to different tips.
The amount of salt in this recipe is too small to kill the yeast. However, I wonder if you did not cool your scalded milk enough before adding the yeast. I have made that mistake too many times before and it definitely killed my yeast! Old yeast or cold rooms can cause issues in rising as well. I hope you gave these another try! I’m with the other comments, Mel’s recipes have never failed me!
I’ve blindly followed this recipe, several times, along with two other cinnamon roll recipes, pizza dough and a handful of bread recipes and never had a problem.
Ok!!! These were delicious and I felt like a total rockstar when these turned out as good as they did. We definitely wanted to make these the very next day but resisted…these will become a staple in our family. Thank you, Mel! You rock my socks.
My sister in law is allergic to cinnamon. Is there anything else you can recommend to replace it? I’d love to surprise her with a batch!
Oh boy, not sure what to suggest for someone allergic to cinnamon. Maybe cardamom and nutmeg?
Is the egg a deal breaker? My chickens aren’t laying right now.
It will change the texture and consistency of the dough to leave it out…but you could experiment.
Fantastic. I’ve been nervous to make cinnamon rolls, but because of your post about yeast, I decided to be brave and try some. These were perfect since it is just my husband, toddler, and I. I started these after dinner and they came out of the oven around 9:30. We split a smaller roll after it had cooled and it was delicious. We heated up some in the morning for a delicious breakfast and froze the rest since we were going out of town. Really great! Will make again.
Great job, Kimberly!
Fantastic recipe! Followed exactly as written and they turned out perfectly. First prove (proof?) needed much longer than 1 hr, but I was pressed for time. Little to no rise, but I moved ahead. Slight rise on second prove after 1.5 hrs. Took out when just started to turn golden on edges at 18 min, as others suggested, and they were perfect! Great flavor, excellent texture, and easy peasy! Will use this recipe again.
Great recipe!! Ended up halving it because I only needed 6(still used a full egg though) it was just right! They came out wonderful❤