Description
Fluffy, gooey, and perfectly portioned cinnamon roll bites baked in a muffin tin. This easy recipe skips the rolling pin and traditional rising stress, delivering delicious results in under an hour with a tangy cream cheese icing.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast (1 packet)
- 1 cup warm milk
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened (for filling)
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)
- 4 oz block cream cheese, full-fat and room temperature
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 1–2 tablespoons milk or cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Activate the yeast: In a small bowl or stand mixer bowl, combine warm milk, sugar, and yeast. Stir gently and let sit for 5-10 minutes until foamy.
- Make the dough: Add melted butter, egg, and salt to the yeast mixture. Attach a dough hook if using a mixer. Add flour gradually until the dough comes together. Knead for 5-7 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- First rise: Place dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size (30-45 minutes).
- Prepare filling: While dough rises, mix brown sugar and cinnamon (and nutmeg if using) in a small bowl.
- Shape the bites: Punch down dough and roll out into a 12×8 inch rectangle on a floured surface. Spread softened butter evenly over the dough. Sprinkle cinnamon-sugar mixture generously over the butter. Roll dough tightly from the long side into a log.
- Cut the dough: Use dental floss or a sharp knife to cut the log into 12 equal pieces.
- Second rise: Place pieces into a greased 12-cup muffin tin. Cover loosely and let rise for 15-20 minutes until puffy. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) during the last 5 minutes.
- Bake: Bake for 15-18 minutes until golden brown. They should sound hollow when tapped.
- Make the icing: While bites cool for 5 minutes, whisk cream cheese, sifted powdered sugar, milk/cream, and vanilla until smooth.
- Serve: Drizzle or pipe icing over warm bites.
Notes
Ensure milk is warm, not hot, to avoid killing the yeast. Use block cream cheese, not spreadable tub cheese, for the icing to prevent it from being runny. Sift powdered sugar to avoid lumps. For best results, use dental floss to cut the dough log for clean cuts without squishing.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bite
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 22
- Sodium: 180
- Fat: 10
- Saturated Fat: 6
- Carbohydrates: 42
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 5
Keywords: cinnamon roll bites, easy breakfast, muffin tin cinnamon rolls, cream cheese icing, homemade cinnamon rolls, weekend breakfast, freezer friendly