Mini Cinnamon Rolls: Step By Step Directions

These Mini Cinnamon Rolls are a bite-sized model of a traditional cinnamon roll with a delicate, 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

In the event you love the style of cinnamon rolls however are in search of a more healthy possibility, these mini cinnamon rolls are for you! Made with a delicate, complete grain dough and sweetened with a contact of sugar, these mini rolls are a tasty and nutritious twist on the traditional pastry.

I knew I wished a more healthy cinnamon roll recipe on my website for a very long time.   My daughter is absolutely good at making cinnamon rolls, and there have been many weekends we loved them. Nonetheless, 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 a lot of the sugar we have 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!

Elements Wanted for This Recipe

• Flour:  If you need the advantages of complete wheat flour, however like the feel of baked items with all-purpose flour, a very good compromise is complete wheat pastry flour. The sort of flour is created from finely floor complete wheat and has a decrease protein content material than common complete wheat flour. It may be used as an alternative choice to all-purpose flour in a lot of recipes, together with cinnamon rolls. It provides a barely nutty taste and can provide the rolls a barely extra dense texture.
• Yeast: Energetic dry yeast is what is named for on this recipe.  The 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 no less than 1% milk fats is what I like to recommend for this recipe.  Milk provides moisture to the dough and helps to create a delicate 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 elements 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 Complete Wheat Pastry Flour?

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

Many individuals ask how complete wheat pastry flour is completely different from complete wheat flour. It’s easy: complete wheat pastry flour is milled from white delicate wheat, whereas common complete wheat flour is milled from purple onerous wheat. It has a decrease protein content material than common complete wheat flour and it makes splendidly tender complete 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 Finest for Mini Cinnamon Rolls?

There are two principal kinds 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 among the moisture. In consequence, 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 lively) by including it to a small quantity of heat water with a small quantity of sugar (or honey)  and anticipate it to turn out to be foamy earlier than utilizing it in your recipe.

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

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

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 lively dry yeast.  You’ll combine the remainder of the elements 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 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 really issues as a result of while you roll it up, you need it to be lengthy and thin so you’ll be able to lower cute little items of dough that may match into your mini muffin tin.  You have to 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 might 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 one more 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 out to be too puffy and should not maintain its form when baked. The cinnamon rolls might also turn out to be too giant, which might make it tough to bake them evenly.  

In the event you discover that the dough is rising too shortly, you’ll be able to punch it all the way down to launch among the air after which let it rise once more for a shorter time frame. You can too refrigerate the dough to decelerate the rising course of.

Suggestions 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 received’t rise correctly. In case you are utilizing dried yeast, be sure it’s nonetheless lively by proofing it in heat water earlier than including it to the dough.
2. Knead the dough properly: Kneading the dough helps to develop the gluten, which supplies the rolls a delicate 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 delicate and tender.

Extra Favourite Baked Treats

• 2 1/4 cups complete wheat pastry flour or white complete wheat flour
• 1 tablespoon lively 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 simply 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 might 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 one more 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 luxuriate 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