Mini Cinnamon Rolls: Step By Step Instructions

These Mini Cinnamon Rolls are a bite-sized model of a basic cinnamon roll with a smooth, pillowy inside and a golden brown exterior that’s barely crispy drizzled with a candy glaze. These bites are made with half the sugar of different cinnamon roll recipes and are simply as scrumptious!

Why We Love These Mini Cinnamon Rolls

For those who love the style of cinnamon rolls however are searching for a more healthy possibility, these mini cinnamon rolls are for you! Made with a smooth, entire grain dough and sweetened with a contact of sugar, these mini rolls are a tasty and nutritious twist on the basic pastry.

I knew I wished a more healthy cinnamon roll recipe on my web site for a very long time.   My daughter is absolutely good at making cinnamon rolls, and there have been many weekends we loved them. Nevertheless, the recipe we sometimes use was drenched with butter, topped with HUGE quantities of brown sugar, white sugar and cinnamon. Don’t get me incorrect… they WERE wonderful. However I knew we might do higher, and I knew that with only a few modifications, we might nonetheless have them be scrumptious, whereas slicing again on many of the sugar we had been utilizing.

And we did it! These mini cinnamon rolls are so yummy, straightforward to make and don’t make you’re feeling heavy after consuming them!

Components Wanted for This Recipe

• Flour:  If you’d like the advantages of entire wheat flour, however like the feel of baked items with all-purpose flour, a very good compromise is entire wheat pastry flour. This sort of flour is constituted of finely floor entire wheat and has a decrease protein content material than common entire wheat flour. It may be used as an alternative choice to all-purpose flour in numerous recipes, together with cinnamon rolls. It provides a barely nutty taste and may give the rolls a barely extra dense texture.
• Yeast: Energetic dry yeast is what is named for on this recipe.  This sort of yeast must be activated in a small quantity of heat water or milk earlier than including it to your recipe.  
• Milk: Unsweetened, with a minimum of 1% milk fats is what I like to recommend for this recipe.  Milk provides moisture to the dough and helps to create a smooth and tender texture. It additionally provides a richness and taste to the cinnamon rolls.
• Butter: unsalted is finest. 
• Egg: One giant egg is all that’s wanted.  It helps to bind the components collectively. It additionally contributes to the colour and texture of the completed rolls.
• Brown Sugar: helps to create a caramelized, gooey middle when baked.
• Cream Cheese: Wanted for the glaze.

What’s Entire Wheat Pastry Flour?

These cinnamon rolls began with some entire wheat pastry flour.  Common entire wheat flour is heavier and extra dense. Whenever you need to create a extra delicate pastry, however are attempting to make use of as a lot entire wheat as doable, entire wheat pastry flour is a good possibility.  In accordance with the Bob’s Red Mill site,

Many individuals ask how entire wheat pastry flour is completely different from entire wheat flour. It’s easy: entire wheat pastry flour is milled from white smooth wheat, whereas common entire wheat flour is milled from pink exhausting wheat. It has a decrease protein content material than common entire wheat flour and it makes splendidly tender entire grain baked items like pie crust, muffins, fast breads, pastries and cookies, but it nonetheless retains the vitamins of the bran and germ.  (source)

What Yeast is Greatest for Mini Cinnamon Rolls?

There are two important forms of yeast utilized in baking. Energetic dry yeast and prompt yeast.  

Energetic dry yeast is made by drying the yeast cells in a course of that removes a number of the moisture. Because of this, it’s much less potent than prompt yeast and requires longer to rise. Energetic dry yeast needs to be dissolved in heat water (110-115°F) earlier than being added to the dough. It’s best to proof the yeast (check it to ensure it’s energetic) by including it to a small quantity of heat water with a small quantity of sugar (or honey)  and await it to turn into foamy earlier than utilizing it in your recipe.

Prompt yeast, also called rapid-rise or fast-acting yeast, is extra finely floor than energetic dry yeast and has the next moisture content material. It’s stronger than energetic dry yeast and doesn’t must be dissolved in water earlier than being added to the dough. It additionally requires much less rising time.

Normally, you should utilize prompt yeast or energetic dry yeast in a recipe, however it’s possible you’ll want to regulate the rising time barely. In case you are utilizing energetic dry yeast in a recipe that calls for immediate yeast, it’s possible you’ll want to extend the rising time and proof the yeast earlier than including it to the dough.

How one can Make Mini Cinnamon Rolls?

• Combine.  Begin by combining the nice and cozy milk and yeast. Let it sit for five minutes till the yeast is foamy.  That is key with energetic dry yeast.  You’ll combine the remainder of the components collectively after which want it for 5-7 minutes.  I at all times use my stand mixer with the dough hook.  
• Rise.  You’ll let this dough rise for 1-2 hours relying on how heat your own home is.  As soon as it’s about double in dimension, then it has risen sufficient.  
• Roll.  That is the enjoyable half!  Punch the dough down after which you’ll roll it right into a rectangle.  The scale right here truly issues as a result of whenever you roll it up, you need it to be lengthy and thin so you possibly can minimize cute little items of dough that can match into your mini muffin tin.  You will want to roll out the dough right into a rectangle that’s 9 inches by 18 inches.
• Unfold. In a small bowl, combine collectively the brown sugar and cinnamon. Unfold the softened butter over the floor of the dough, then sprinkle the cinnamon sugar combination excessive. Tightly roll the dough right into a log form.  
• Slice.  With a pointy knife, or a bit of dental floss, slice the dough into 24 even items which can be roughly 1 inch large.  Place the mini rolls right into a greased mini muffin tin.  Cowl the rolls with a towel and allow them to rise for an additional half-hour.
• Bake.  Preheat your oven to 350°F. Bake the rolls for 12-Quarter-hour, or till they’re golden brown. Allow them to cool for a couple of minutes earlier than including the glaze.  

What Occurs if Your Cinnamon Rolls Rise Too Lengthy?

Because the dough rises, air pockets are created within the dough. If the dough rises for too lengthy,  the dough could turn into too puffy and will not maintain its form when baked. The cinnamon rolls may additionally turn into too giant, which may make it tough to bake them evenly.  

For those who discover that the dough is rising too shortly, you possibly can punch it all the way down to launch a number of the air after which let it rise once more for a shorter time frame. It’s also possible to refrigerate the dough to decelerate the rising course of.

Ideas for Making Wonderful Mini Cinnamon Rolls

1. Use recent yeast: In case your yeast is outdated, it won’t be as potent after which your cinnamon rolls gained’t rise correctly. In case you are utilizing dried yeast, be sure that it’s nonetheless energetic by proofing it in heat water earlier than including it to the dough.
2. Knead the dough nicely: Kneading the dough helps to develop the gluten, which provides the rolls a smooth and tender texture. Knead the dough for 5-7 minutes till it’s clean and elastic.
3. Don’t over-bake the rolls: Mini cinnamon rolls can overcook shortly, so regulate them as they bake. They need to be golden brown and cooked by, however nonetheless smooth and tender.

Extra Favourite Baked Treats

• 2 1/4 cups entire wheat pastry flour or white entire wheat flour
• 1 tablespoon energetic dry yeast
• 3/4 cup milk heat
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
• 1 giant egg
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Glaze

• 2 ounces cream cheese softened
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

• In a small bowl, mix the nice and cozy milk and yeast. Let it sit for five minutes till the yeast is foamy.

• Within the bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook, add the melted butter, egg, brown sugar, and salt. Add the yeast combination and blend to mix.

• Add the entire wheat pastry flour to the bowl and blend till the dough comes collectively. If the dough is just too sticky, add extra flour 1 tablespoon at a time as wanted. The dough needs to be cheesy, however not sticky. Knead the dough for 5-7 minutes till it’s clean and elastic.

• Place the dough in a greased bowl and canopy it with a towel. Let it rise in a heat place for 1-2 hours, or till it has doubled in dimension.

• As soon as the dough has risen, punch it down and roll it out on a floured floor into a big rectangle that’s 9 inches by 18 inches.

• In a small bowl, combine collectively the brown sugar and cinnamon. Unfold the softened butter over the floor of the dough, then sprinkle the cinnamon sugar combination excessive.

• Tightly roll the dough right into a log form, then slice it into 24 items which can be about 1-inch large. Place the mini rolls right into a greased mini muffin tin.

• Cowl the rolls with a towel and allow them to rise for an additional half-hour. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the rolls for 12-Quarter-hour, or till they’re golden brown. Allow them to cool for a couple of minutes including the glaze.

• To make the glaze, add softened cream cheese to a medium dimension mixing bowl. With a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese till clean. Add the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla and beat till clean and creamy. Unfold over the mini cinnamon rolls and revel in!

Energy: 93kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 2g | Fats: 3g | Saturated Fats: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fats: 1g | Trans Fats: 0.1g | Ldl cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 64mg | Potassium: 69mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 120IU | Vitamin C: 0.01mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 1mg