small batch cinnamon rolls (no egg!)

these are the best small batch cinnamon rolls – like little pockets of warmth on a chilly, autumn morning, featuring pillowy soft dough swirled around a buttery cinnamon filling, all tucked under a blanket of cream cheese frosting.

THESE small batch cinnamon rolls are the perfect, cozy treat for slow mornings, with soft, pillowy dough wrapped around a warm cinnamon-butter filling and topped with a silky cream cheese frosting. the recipe for the dough here is adapted from the ‘fluffy cinnamon rolls’ by the woks of life. it has been adapted to make it a smaller batch, and to make it an egg free dough.

why you will love this small batch cinnamon rolls recipe

• perfect size for smaller households – the perfect small batch cinnamon rolls for those who have small families or for those who want to indulge in some fresh, homemade cinnamon rolls without having too many leftovers.

• rich flavour without eggs – the heavy cream in this recipe gives these small batch cinnamon rolls a uniquely rich flavour and tender texture. this recipe is great for those who can’t have eggs or for those who just prefer eggless baking.

• simple process – the stand mixer does most of the work in this small batch cinnamon rolls recipe, which makes the dough-making part of the process a lot less intimidating, especially if you’re a beginner baker!

learn how to make these simple small batch cinnamon rolls

to make this small batch of cinnamon rolls, we’re going to start off by making the dough. in a stand mixer, we’ll add room temperature heavy cream, room temperature milk, sugar, flour, instant yeast and then salt. then we’ll just let this mix on the lowest setting for about 15 minutes, until a soft dough forms. cover the bowl, and let it rest in a warm place for 1-2 hours, until the dough has doubled in size.

to make the cinnamon sugar filling, we’re going to mix together brown sugar, ground cinnamon and a bit of salt if you like. we’re going to spread the butter directly on the dough, then spread the cinnamon sugar filling on top.

once the dough is ready, punch the air out, or place it back in the stand mixer and mix for about 5 minutes to get rid of any air bubbles.

next, we’ll assemble our small batch cinnamon rolls. roll out the dough into a 1/4 inch thick rectangle. leave a gap of one inch at the bottom of the dough, then spread softened butter over the rest of the dough. add the cinnamon sugar mixture on top and gently press it into the dough until it’s covered in the mixture. roll up the small batch cinnamon roll dough away from you, and slice into slightly larger than 2 inch thick pieces.

place the cinnamon rolls into a greased baking dish, putting some space between them to allow them to expand. cover these, and let them rest in a warm place for around 40 minutes to an hour.

once your small batch cinnamon rolls have expanded, pour some extra heavy cream over the top of each one, then place in a preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes.

while the cinnamon rolls are in the oven, start making the small batch cinnamon roll frosting. in a bowl, add softened butter and softened cream cheese. use a mixer to beat the butter and cream cheese together until combined. whip icing sugar or powdered sugar into the mixture in small amounts at a time until it’s completely mixed in and your cinnamon roll frosting looks smooth. mix in vanilla extract and a small amount of lemon juice.

remove the cinnamon rolls from the oven, add a generous amount of the icing onto each cinnamon roll while they’re still hot, and we’re done!

small batch cinnamon rolls ingredients

• heavy cream or double cream – i’m using heavy cream in the cinnamon roll dough as well as some extra to pour on top of the cinnamon rolls before baking – this will make our small batch cinnamon rolls extra soft and rich. make sure this is at room temperature before you add it.

• milk – we’ll be using full fat milk in the dough. make sure this is at room temperature.

• granulated sugar – we’re going to be using granulated sugar to sweeten the small batch cinnamon roll dough.

• flour – i’m just using all purpose flour or plain flour for this small batch cinnamon rolls recipe.

• instant yeast – i’m just using instant yeast for this recipe – there is no need to activate the yeast first, you can just add it straight into the mixture.

• salt – we’ll just be adding around 1/2 tsp of salt to the cinnamon roll dough.

• butter – once the dough is done, we’re going to roll it out and spread softened butter over it. i actually prefer to use salted butter in this, but if you would prefer to use unsalted butter, just add a pinch or two of salt to the cinnamon sugar mixture. i’m also using salted, softened butter for the small batch cinnamon roll icing – again, if you would prefer to use unsalted butter here, feel free to just add a pinch or two of salt to the icing.

• brown sugar – i’m using brown sugar in the cinnamon sugar filling mixture for a nice, caramel-like flavour.

• ground cinnamon – this recipe uses about a tablespoon of ground cinnamon in the cinnamon sugar mixture.

• cream cheese – you’re going to need softened, room temperature cream cheese so that it’s able to combine easily with the rest of the ingredients and give you a smooth, lump-free frosting.

• vanilla extract – optional, but a splash of it will add a nice, subtle vanilla flavour to your cream cheese frosting.

• lemon juice – again, this is optional but a small amount of lemon juice in the cream cheese frosting adds a lovely brightness to it.

tools:

• stand mixer with dough hook attachment – this will make it a lot easier to make the dough (if you don’t have a mixer, you can knead by hand but this will take a lot longer)

• something to cover the bowl with when you leave the dough to rise

• small bowl – to mix the ingredients for the cinnamon sugar filling together

• rolling pin – to roll out the dough

• sharp knife or floss – to slice up the roll of dough into individual cinnamon rolls

• medium bowl – for the cream cheese frosting

• hand mixer or stand mixer – to beat cream cheese and butter together when making the cream cheese frosting

• baking dish – any size baking dish works, just make sure that there’s enough room between each cinnamon roll to allow them to expand

step by step instructions

for full measurements, keep scrolling down to the recipe below.

step one: in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment, add heavy cream, milk, sugar, flour, instant yeast and salt. make sure that all the ingredients are at room temperature and that you add them in the order that is stated here.

step two: turn on the mixer to the lowest setting, and let it mix the ingredients together for around 15 minutes. once the 15 minutes are over, the dough will have come together. it might be sticking to the bottom of the bowl slightly, but it shouldn’t be sticking to the sides of the bowl at this point.

step three: cover the bowl, and let the dough rest in a warm place for an hour or two, or until the dough has doubled in size.

step four: make the cinnamon sugar filling. in a small bowl, add brown sugar, ground cinnamon and a bit of salt if needed. mix all of these together.

step five: once the dough has doubled in size, punch the air out, then mix again using the stand mixer on the lowest setting for 5 minutes to get rid of any air bubbles.

step six: roll out the dough. flour your surface if necessary. roll it out into a rectangle, until the sides are about 1/4 inch in thickness.

step seven: add softened butter to the dough. use a knife or spoon or offset spatula to spread the soft butter all over the dough.

step eight: add the cinnamon sugar mixture on top of the butter and gently press it in until all of the butter is covered in the mixture.

step nine: slice the the rectangle of dough into six equal-sized strips and roll each strip into a thick cinnamon roll.

step ten: grease a baking dish, then place the cinnamon rolls on the dish, making sure that there is space between them so that they have enough room to expand.

step eleven: cover the baking dish, then let it rest in a warm place for about 45 minutes to an hour.

step twelve: preheat oven to 180c (350f) around 15 mins before baking your small batch cinnamon rolls.

step thirteen: once your cinnamon rolls have expanded slightly, pour heavy cream on top of each cinnamon roll, then bake the cinnamon rolls at 180c for 15-18 minutes on the bottom rack and 15-18 minutes on the middle rack.

step fourteen: while they’re baking, make the small batch cream cheese icing for cinnamon rolls – in a bowl, add room temperature butter and room temperature cream cheese. beat the cream cheese and butter together until combined. the mixture should look soft and creamy.

step fifteen: add powdered sugar to the cream cheese and butter mixture in small amounts at a time, whipping it in with a hand mixer each time. continue to do this until you’ve added all of the powdered sugar and the frosting looks completely smooth.

step sixteen: add vanilla extract and lemon juice and mix them into the cream cheese frosting.

step seventeen: remove your small batch homemade cinnamon rolls from the oven, and top each cinnamon roll with a generous amount of frosting while the cinnamon rolls are still warm.

step eighteen: let’s eat!

tips and notes

• make sure your ingredients are at room temperature to ensure that they incorporate nicely with the rest of the ingredients. leave out the heavy cream, milk, butter and cream cheese on the counter around 30 minutes before using them.

• if you forgot to remove these ingredients from the fridge, you can warm them in the microwave in 10 second intervals until they reach room temperature.

• make sure you add all of the ingredients to the bowl in the order that is stated in this recipe.

• make sure you check the expiration date on your yeast – old yeast might not activate properly, which might lead to dough that doesn’t rise.

• once the dough has been mixed for a total of 15 minutes, it should be soft, only slightly sticky and very easy to handle. there should be no need to add any extra flour to the dough. however, if you are in a humid climate and find that the dough is too sticky, you can add an extra tablespoon of flour at a time until the dough comes together.

• to keep these small batch cinnamon rolls easy, i’m using a stand mixer to make the dough. however, it is definitely possible to make these cinnamon rolls without a stand mixer if you don’t have access to one. you can knead the dough by hand, just bear in mind that kneading the dough by hand will take longer. it’ll take about 20-25 minutes for the dough to come together if kneading by hand instead of the 15 minutes written in the recipe.

• you’ll know the dough is ready when it feels soft and smooth, and springs back slightly when you press it gently.

• if you live in a cooler environment and don’t have a warm place to place your dough so that it can rise, there are a few things that you can do:

  – turn your oven on, on its lowest setting for just 1-2 minutes, then turn the oven off. then just place your covered dough inside and let it rise – the heat from the oven will create a perfectly warm environment for your small batch cinnamon rolls to rise.

  – place a mug of hot water in the microwave for around 2 mins to create a warm environment inside. then, after those 2 minutes, place the covered dough inside the microwave next to the mug of hot water. do not turn the microwave on, just place the dough inside the warm microwave and let it rise.

• don’t rush the rising process. the dough should roughly double in size during the first rise, and the cinnamon rolls should also increase in size slightly during the second rise.

• adding dark brown sugar to the cinnamon sugar filling instead of light brown sugar will give you a richer, more molasses-like flavour. feel free to do this if you’d like a stronger flavour in your cinnamon rolls.

• spread the filling evenly over the rolled out rectangle of dough – you can use the back of a spoon for this. let the filling spread over all of the edges, apart from the one inch gap at the bottom of the dough, which we’ll be leaving empty so that it’s easier to roll the dough up.

• use unflavoured dental floss or a sharp knife to slice the dough into individual cinnamon rolls without squishing them. alternatively, you can cut the rolled out rectangle of dough into strips, and then roll each of the strips up tightly to make cinnamon rolls if this method is easier for you.

• if using unsalted butter instead of salted, add an extra pinch or two of salt to the cinnamon sugar filling and the cream cheese frosting.

• i would recommend using a baking dish that’s on the smaller side over one that is overly big, as even though you need some room between each cinnamon roll so that they’re able to expand, having less space between them means they will be able to expand upwards – this makes for a nicer looking cinnamon roll. you want a balance between too much space and not enough space.

• if you don’t want to be switching racks in the oven, i would recommend covering the cinnamon rolls with foil and baking for the first ten minutes, and then removing the foil and baking for the other 10-15 minutes. this will ensure that the cinnamon rolls are cooked through and don’t have tops that are overly brown.

• you’ll know that your small batch cinnamon rolls are done when the tops look golden brown and the center roll is fully cooked. .

• adjust baking time as needed. every oven is different, so i recommend keeping an eye on your small batch cinnamon rolls as they bake.

• once your small batch fluffy cinnamon rolls are out of the oven, let them cool in the baking dish slightly for around 5-10 minutes. they will still be warm at this point but not overly hot, so the cream cheese icing won’t completely melt into them, and only melt slightly when you add it on top.

• use a kitchen scale to measure your ingredients. while i add both metric and cup measurements for this recipe, i always recommend using a kitchen scale to weigh out your ingredients for most accurate results.

• if you do decide to use cups, bear in mind that this recipe uses higher than typical flour measurements, as it takes into account the fact that most people tend to scoop their flour.

• store any leftover cinnamon rolls in an airtight container – you can reheat any leftovers gently in the microwave when needed.

frequently asked questions

1. can i make these small batch cinnamon rolls without a stand mixer ?

   – to make these small batch cinnamon rolls quick and easy, i opted for using a stand mixer instead of kneading the dough by hand. however, if you don’t have a stand mixer, you can absolutely make these small batch cinnamon rolls without one. you can knead the dough by hand, just be aware that it will take a bit longer. when using a stand mixer, it took about 15 minutes for the dough to come together, so when kneading by hand, it will likely take a good 20-25 minutes to get a soft, smooth dough.

2. can i use milk instead of heavy cream in this small batch cinnamon roll dough ?

   – i use a mix of milk and heavy cream in this recipe for small batch cinnamon rolls – this is what helps give these cinnamon rolls their richness and makes them extra soft and fluffy, especially since their is no egg in this recipe. you can use extra milk instead of the heavy cream, but bear in mind that the cinnamon rolls won’t be as rich and soft.

3. do i have to pour heavy cream over the cinnamon rolls before baking them ?

   – no, you don’t, but i would highly recommend doing this. pouring heavy cream over these cinnamon rolls before baking them not only makes them extra soft and rich, it also gives you that gooey, caramelised bottom that brings these cinnamon rolls to another level.

4. how do i know when the dough has risen enough ?

   – you’ll know when the dough has roughly doubled in size. it should take about an hour or two for this to happen – for me, it took about an hour and thirty minutes.

5. can i prepare these cinnamon rolls in advance – e.g. prepare them the night before and bake them in the morning ?

   – yes, you can. once you’ve assembled the cinnamon rolls and placed them in a greased baking dish, just cover the dish and place it in the fridge overnight. in the morning, let them come to room temperature, then just pour heavy cream over the cinnamon rolls and bake them.

6. why is my dough not rising ?

   – this could be because of a number of different reasons. check your yeast’s expiration date as yeast that is out of date might not activate properly. another thing you need to make sure of is that all of the liquid ingredients such as the milk and heavy cream that you add to the dough are at room temperature and are not too hot, as this can kill the yeast. lastly, you need to make sure that you cover your dough and let it sit in a warm place so that it’s able to rise properly.

7. how long do these small batch cinnamon rolls stay fresh ?

   – these small batch soft cinnamon rolls are best eaten on the day that they’re made, but will stay fresh for 2-3 days stored in an airtight container at room temperature.

8. my cinnamon rolls are touching after rising – is this okay ?

   – yes, that’s absolutely fine! if you’re cinnamon rolls are touching before you bake them, it just means that they will rise upwards instead of outwards – this is going to give you taller and fluffier cinnamon rolls.

9. what do i do if the tops of my cinnamon rolls are browning too quickly in the oven ?

   – if you notice that the tops are browning too quickly, loosely cover the pan with some foil. this will protect your cinnamon rolls from direct heat while allowing them to finish baking. i would actually recommend baking the cinnamon rolls with foil over the dish for the first ten minutes, then removing the foil and baking for the rest of the stated time.

10. why did my small batch cinnamon roll icing curdle ?

    – cream cheese icing can curdle if the cream cheese or butter is too cold when mixed. to avoid this, make sure your cream cheese and butter is soft and at room temperature before you start making the frosting. beat the soft cream cheese and butter together using a hand mixer or stand mixer until the mixture is completely smooth, then gradually add the powdered sugar and beat that into the mixture in small amounts at a time. this will ensure that you get a smooth, lump-free icing that doesn’t curdle.

11. can i make these small batch cinnamon rolls with no cream cheese ?

    – you can definitely make these without cream cheese, and opt for a simple vanilla icing instead. this would just be made using powdered sugar, milk or cream, and some vanilla extract. alternatively, you could also just make a small batch of cinnamon rolls and have that on its own instead, without any frosting.

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