These mini cinnamon rolls come together in 90 minutes and are the perfect half-size treat with delicious brown sugar and cinnamon filling.
You might also like our pumpkin cinnamon rolls, our lemon rolls, or our cinnamon swirl bread.
Watch our step by step video!
I've been making quick-rise cinnamon rolls for years and years. They are the only kind that I make! Soft, delicious, and loaded with my favorite brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon filling. As an added bonus they only take 90 minutes from start to finish. The only thing that could possibly take them up a notch would be to turn up the cuteness factor. These mini cinnamon rolls do just that. Half the size, but all of the flavor.
Quick Rise Mini Cinnamon Rolls
The recipe is very similar to my go-to cinnamon roll recipe with only a couple of changes.
1: Instead of rolling the dough into one giant log, you slice it and then roll it into small strips. It's easy to do! Just grab a pizza cutter and slice the dough into strips after the filling has been spread all over the dough. Then roll them up into these tiny pinwheels.
2: This version has more filling. That's because you roll the dough into a larger rectangle before slicing it into small strips and need to cover a larger surface area with the brown sugar and cinnamon goodness.
The beauty of quick-rise cinnamon rolls is that they take just 90 minutes to make. No need to make the dough the night before (although you can---check out the directions for that in this post), or get up early to make them. The dough rests for 10 minutes then the formed rolls rise for 30 minutes. That's it.
Smother the mini cinnamon rolls in buttercream or cream cheese frosting. One batch makes 24 bite-sized rolls.
I like eating them warm and leftovers can easily be reheated in the microwave for a few seconds. Ready to make a batch? Let's get started!
Mini Cinnamon Rolls Ingredients
(scroll to the end of the post for a printable version)
Dough
- ¾ cup milk
- ¼ cup butter
- 3 ¼ cups flour
- 1 Tbsp. instant yeast
- ¼ cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup water
Filling
- ¾ cups (1 ½ sticks) softened butter
- 1 ½ cups brown sugar
- 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Frosting
- ¼ cup softened butter
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 2 Tbsp. milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
How To Make Mini Cinnamon Rolls
Heat milk and butter in a small saucepan over the stove or in the microwave until the milk bubbles and the butter has melted. Allow mixture to cool until it is lukewarm (NOT hot).
Combine flour, yeast, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Add warm milk/butter mixture, egg, and water and stir with a wooden spoon or Danish dough whisk until soft dough forms (it will be a little sticky).
Sprinkle your work surface generously with flour then knead the dough until smooth and elastic.
Cover the dough with a cloth and let it rest for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the filling ingredients until spreadable.
Roll the dough out into a 16" x 20" rectangle.
Spread the filling mixture evenly across the dough.
Slice the dough in half, using a pizza cutter, so that you have two sections that are each 20" long and 8" wide. Evenly slice each side into 12 strips, 24 strips in total.
Roll up each strip into a cinnamon roll and place in a greased 9x13" baking dish.
Cover rolls and let rise for 30 minutes in a warm place.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees and bake mini cinnamon rolls for 18-22 minutes, or until tops are lightly golden.
To make the frosting, beat the frosting ingredients together until smooth. Spread warm cinnamon rolls.
Let cinnamon rolls cool for 10 minutes before spreading them with frosting.
If you prefer cream cheese frosting you can make half of a batch of this recipe.
Mini Cinnamon Rolls Recipe
Mini Cinnamon Rolls (90 Minute Recipe!)
Ingredients
Dough
- ¾ cup milk
- ¼ cup butter
- 3 ¼ cups flour
- 1 Tbsp. instant yeast
- ¼ cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup water
Filling
- ¾ cups 1 ½ sticks softened butter
- 1 ½ cups brown sugar
- 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Frosting
- ¼ cup softened butter
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 2 Tbsp. milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Heat milk and butter in a small saucepan over the stove or in the microwave until the milk starts to bubble and the butter has melted. Allow mixture to cool until it is lukewarm (NOT hot).
- Combine flour, yeast, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Add warm milk/butter mixture, egg, and water and stir with a wooden spoon or Danish dough whisk until soft dough forms (it will be a little sticky).
- Sprinkle your work surface generously with flour then knead the dough until smooth and elastic.
- Cover the dough with a cloth and let it rest for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the filling ingredients until spreadable.
- Roll the dough out into a 16" x 20" rectangle.
- Spread the filling mixture evenly across the dough.
- Slice the dough in half, using a pizza cutter, so that you have two sections that are each 20" long and 8" wide. Evenly slice each side into 12 strips, 24 strips in total.
- Roll up each strip into a cinnamon roll and place in a greased 9x13" baking dish.
- Cover rolls and let rise for 30 minutes in a warm place.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees and bake mini cinnamon rolls for 18-22 minutes, or until tops are lightly golden.
- To make the frosting, beat the frosting ingredients together until smooth. Spread warm cinnamon rolls.
- Let cinnamon rolls cool for 5-10 minutes before spreading them with frosting.
Seana says
If I wanted to divide these and freeze could i do that and what would be the process or order? Before icing? After? Etc.
Brandy says
I haven’t frozen them after being baked before, but here is what I found online:
Instructions for Freezing Baked Cinnamon Rolls
Cool Completely: Ensure the cinnamon rolls are fully baked and completely cooled before wrapping. If they are frosted, the frosting should be set.
Wrap Tightly: Wrap the rolls tightly in a layer of plastic wrap, followed by a layer of aluminum foil. This dual layer is essential to prevent air exposure and freezer burn, which can dry them out.
Individual Rolls: For easy single servings, wrap individual rolls separately before placing them in a large freezer-safe bag or airtight container.
Entire Pan: If freezing the whole batch together, wrap the entire baking pan with the same double-layer method.
Giselle Zárate says
Love this receipe! Am I able to substitute with another milk alternative such as almond or oat milk? As well as a plant based butter? 🙂
Brandy says
I haven’t tried substituting with those ingredients, but I don’t see why not!