Mini Cinnamon Rolls: Step By Step Instructions

These Mini Cinnamon Rolls are a bite-sized model of a basic 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

If you like the style of cinnamon rolls however are searching for a more healthy choice, these mini cinnamon rolls are for you! Made with a delicate, 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 admittedly good at making cinnamon rolls, and there have been many weekends we loved them. However, the recipe we sometimes use was drenched with butter, topped with HUGE quantities of brown sugar, white sugar and cinnamon. Don’t get me unsuitable… they WERE superb. But 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 have been utilizing.

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

Ingredients Needed for This Recipe

• Flour:  If you need 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 kind of flour is constituted of finely floor entire wheat and has a decrease protein content material than common entire wheat flour. It can be utilized as an alternative to all-purpose flour in plenty of recipes, together with cinnamon rolls. It provides a barely nutty taste and can provide the rolls a barely extra dense texture.
• Yeast: Active dry yeast is what is known as for on this recipe.  This kind 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 greatest. 
• Egg: One massive 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: Needed for the glaze.

What is Whole Wheat Pastry Flour?

These cinnamon rolls began with some entire wheat pastry flour.  Regular entire wheat flour is heavier and extra dense. When you wish to create a extra delicate pastry, however are attempting to make use of as a lot entire wheat as potential, entire wheat pastry flour is a good choice.  According to the Bob’s Red Mill web site,

Many folks ask how entire wheat pastry flour is totally different from entire wheat flour. It’s easy: entire wheat pastry flour is milled from white delicate wheat, whereas common entire wheat flour is milled from crimson laborious 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.  (supply)

What Yeast is Best for Mini Cinnamon Rolls?

There are two most important sorts of yeast utilized in baking. Active dry yeast and instantaneous yeast.  

Active dry yeast is made by drying the yeast cells in a course of that removes a few of the moisture. As a end result, it’s much less potent than instantaneous yeast and requires longer to rise. Active dry yeast ought to be dissolved in heat water (110-115°F) earlier than being added to the dough. It is greatest to proof the yeast (check it to verify it’s lively) by including it to a small quantity of heat water with a small quantity of sugar (or honey)  and watch for it to grow to be foamy earlier than utilizing it in your recipe.

Instant yeast, often known as rapid-rise or fast-acting yeast, is extra finely floor than lively dry yeast and has a better moisture content material. It is stronger than lively dry yeast and doesn’t must be dissolved in water earlier than being added to the dough. It additionally requires much less rising time.

In basic, you should use instantaneous yeast or lively dry yeast in a recipe, however it’s possible you’ll want to regulate the rising time barely. If you’re utilizing lively dry yeast in a recipe that calls for fast yeast, it’s possible you’ll want to extend the rising time and proof the yeast earlier than including it to the dough.

How to Make Mini Cinnamon Rolls?

• Mix.  Start by combining the nice and cozy milk and yeast. Let it sit for five minutes till the yeast is foamy.  This is essential with lively dry yeast.  You will 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 will let this dough rise for 1-2 hours relying on how heat your home is.  Once it’s about double in measurement, then it has risen sufficient.  
• Roll.  This is the enjoyable half!  Punch the dough down after which you’ll roll it right into a rectangle.  The measurement right here truly issues as a result of if you roll it up, you need it to be lengthy and thin so you possibly can reduce cute little items of dough that may match into your mini muffin tin.  You might want to roll out the dough right into a rectangle that’s 9 inches by 18 inches.
• Spread. In a small bowl, combine collectively the brown sugar and cinnamon. Spread 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 vast.  Place the mini rolls right into a greased mini muffin tin.  Cover 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. Let them cool for a couple of minutes earlier than including the glaze.  

What Happens if Your Cinnamon Rolls Rise Too Long?

As the dough rises, air pockets are created within the dough. If the dough rises for too lengthy,  the dough could grow to be too puffy and should not maintain its form when baked. The cinnamon rolls may grow to be too massive, which might make it tough to bake them evenly.  

If you discover that the dough is rising too rapidly, you possibly can punch it right down to launch a few of the air after which let it rise once more for a shorter time frame. You also can refrigerate the dough to decelerate the rising course of.

Tips for Making Amazing Mini Cinnamon Rolls

1. Use contemporary yeast: If your yeast is outdated, it won’t be as potent after which your cinnamon rolls gained’t rise correctly. If you’re utilizing dried yeast, be certain it’s nonetheless lively 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 supplies the rolls a delicate and tender texture. Knead the dough for 5-7 minutes till it’s easy and elastic.
3. Don’t over-bake the rolls: Mini cinnamon rolls can overcook rapidly, so regulate them as they bake. They ought to be golden brown and cooked by way of, however nonetheless delicate and tender.

More Favorite Baked Treats

• 2 1/4 cups entire wheat pastry flour can use all-purpose
• 1 tablespoon lively dry yeast
• 3/4 cup milk heat
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
• 1 massive 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.

• In 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 ought to be cheesy, however not sticky. Knead the dough for 5-7 minutes till it’s easy 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 measurement.

• Once 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. Spread 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 vast. Place the mini rolls right into a greased mini muffin tin.

• Cover 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. Let them cool for a couple of minutes including the glaze.

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

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