Though I don’t make them often, cinnamon rolls are a favourite in my household and a hit in my social circle. The only drawback is that few of us want to eat a whole one after dinner. I mean, maybe we do, but we know we don’t need it. So, instead of making 24 big ones, I started cutting them in half to feed everyone and avoid needing to seek a buddy to split one.
But then you miss out on the cinnamon swirl and the fun of unrolling the dough as you eat.
So, I started making two-bite cinnamon rolls instead.
Here’s the recipe with an optional buttercream frosting!
Two-Bite Cinnamon Buns Recipe
Prep time: 20 minutes | Rise time: 90 minutes | Cook time: 20 minutes
Total time: approximately 2 hours and 10 minutes
Servings: 24
Dough ingredients
- 2 1/4 teaspoons of instant yeast
- 1 cup milk, lukewarm*
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
Filling ingredients
- 1 cup of brown sugar packed
- 2 1/2 tablespoons of cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg (optional)
- 1/3 cup butter, softened
Optional buttercream frosting ingredients
- 3 cups of powdered sugar
- 1/3 cup butter, softened
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 to 2 tablespoons of milk*
Cinnamon roll directions
- In a medium-sized measuring cup or bowl, add the yeast and a teaspoon of sugar to the lukewarm milk and let it dissolve for five minutes.
- Combine the rest of the dough ingredients in a separate, large bowl or one that works with your stand mixer.
- Pour the yeast mixture on top and mix until the ingredients form a dough that comes clean off the sides of the bowl.
- Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl and put it in a warm place to rise for an hour.
- Once an hour is up, grease a 9 x 13 baking dish with butter, margarine, or cooking spray and combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg for the filling in a small bowl.
- On a floured surface, roll the dough into an 18 x 12-inch rectangle and cut the 12-inch length in two so you have two 18 x 6 rectangles.
- With both rectangles, spread the 1/3 of softened butter from edge to edge, leaving a half inch along one of the long sides. Sprinkle the filling mixture overtop.
- Roll the long edge to make a log, then cut it into 1 1/2-inch rolls. You can use unflavoured floss to pinch it into pieces rather than a knife to keep the shape.
- Lay the rolls in the greased pan, and cover them with a clean kitchen towel. Let them rise for an additional 30 minutes.
- Close to the end of the second rise, preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Bake the rolls for 20 minutes until golden. Cook time can vary depending on your oven so you may need an extra minute or five.
Icing directions
- In a medium bowl, cream the sugar and butter together.
- Add the vanilla and milk.
- Keep mixing until it’s smooth and spreadable. It might seem like it’s not, but give it time. If it’s truly stubborn after a few minutes, pour in an additional tablespoon of milk and keep stirring. If you overdo the milk, add a bit of extra sugar.
- Spread the icing over the buns once they’ve cooled.
*Note: for the milk, I use oat, which works out fine.
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Here’s a link to the Cinnabons Cinnamon Roll Recipe I adapted this one from.
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Love cinnamon? You might also like this simple apple cake recipe here on Somewhat Minimalist.