Cinnamon Rolls
This brioche cinnamon rolls recipe is made with a simple brioche bread dough and topped with a light milk icing. These easy small batch cinnamon rolls recipe is a keeper.
Belula
November 28, 2016
February 03, 2022
These homemade brioche cinnamon rolls are so light and fluffy you won’t be able to wait until they have cooled down to eat them all! This small batch cinnamon rolls recipe makes only 8 rolls and itis easy to put together. It’s made with French brioche dough , that is refrigerated for 24 hours, then filled with a generous layer of butter, cinnamon, and brown sugar, and later covered in a light milk icing that makes these cinnamon rolls extra moist and irresistible. You will find all the tips, and tricks to make extra fluffy and moist homemade cinnamon rolls. Can’t wait for you to try this recipe!
Ingredient & Material Notes
- Butter: no less than 82% fat content and should be unsalted
- Bread flour: to give the brioche cinnamon rolls some extra strength.
- Pecans: they give the pinwheels an extra crunch!
- A 22 cm in diameter round cake pan or cast-iron pan. You can use a square pan if you prefer (personally, I think they look better in a round pan).
- Sewing string to cut the cinnamon rolls
How to make this recipe
To make this easy brioche cinnamon rolls recipe you must:
- Make the French brioche dough
- Prepare the cinnamon filling
- Roll out the dough to 24 cm x 30 cm.
- Spread the filling onto the dough.
- Roll the dough onto itself and cut the cinnamon rolls.
- Place the brioche cinnamon rolls on a round cake pan and let them rise
- Bake until golden.
- Cover with the light milk glaze.
Recipe Notes
- The brioche cinnamon roll dough must rest in the fridge for 24 hours after the initial raise; Prepare accordingly.
- For step-by-step instructions and tips on how to make this French brioche dough, you can check this post.
- Roll out the dough to a rectangle of about 24 cm x 30 cm.
- When rolling the dough onto itself. Start from the short side. Roll tightly.
- Use a piece of sewing string to cut the cinnamon rolls; this will avoid crushing the rolls and all those layers, as would be the case if using a knife.
- Rising time is about 1 hour 30 minutes. It will depend on how cold or hot your room temperature is. The ideal temperature is 29 C° if you were using a fermentation chamber.
- These rolls bake fast; about 20 minutes. Baking temperature is 170 C° (340 F)
- Let these small batch cinnamon rolls cool down before covering them with the milk glaze.
- A word on the icing: the recipe makes for an icing that is on the lighter side of things, as it adds moisture to the rolls. If you would like to make it thicker, add less milk to the sugar.
Expert Notes
- You can either butter the pan or line it with parchment paper. Both work well.
- When spreading the filling, it might look as if it is not enough, but it is. To make spreading the filling easier you can place little drops of filling all over the dough and then spread them evenly.
- This recipe calls for 8 rolls. You can use a knife or scraper to mark the log into 8 equal pieces - this will help you know where you must cut.
- Place the cinnamon rolls in a circle., with one roll at the center and 7 rolls around it, leaving space between them as they will grow quite a bit while proofing.
Making ahead
These small batch cinnamon rolls can easily be made into overnight cinnamon rolls! The next morning all you must do is bake them! To do so you:
- Make the brioche dough as instructed in the recipe.
- Refrigerate for 2 hours instead of 24 hours.
- Then remove from the fridge and assemble the rolls as instructed in the recipe.
- Place in the cake pan, cover in saran wrap, and refrigerate overnight.
- The next morning, remove them from the refrigerator and let them sit at room temperature for about 1 hour.
- Bake as instructed in the recipe!
- Enjoy!
Storing tips
They are better when freshly baked. However, these brioche cinnamon rolls keep nicely for about 2 to 3 days stored in an airtight container.
Freezer instructions
If you are not going to eat the whole batch (even if it’s a real small batch) you can freeze them. To do so you:
- Let them cool down completely.
- Pull as many rolls as you would like to freeze before you cover them with the glaze.
- Cover in saran wrap, then place in a freezer bag or container
- Place in the freezer. They keep for up to 2 months.
To defrost: Remove from the freezer and let them sit at room temperature for about 1 hour. Then warm them up for 3-5 minutes at 200 C° (400 F). Enjoy!
Variations to this recipe
You can make these brioche cinnamon rolls into chocolate cinnamon rolls if you change the filling. To do so, once you have rolled out the dough, spread chocolate pastry cream over the dough, then sprinkle with cinnamon, and proceed as instructed in the recipe.
You can change the icing and use a homemade cream cheese frosting instead. You can find a good recipe here.
Finally, you can bake these rolls individually. To do so you:
- Butter a small muffin tray.
- Place each brioche cinnamon roll inside the baking tray.
- Cover with saran wrap and proceed as instructed in the recipe.
The ingredients used in all recipes on this site are measured using the metric system. I use a
scale to be precise with my measurements and ensure good results. If you would also like to use a scale, here are some:
USA,
Canada,
UK,
Australia,
France.
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Prep Time: 4 hours
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 4 hours 40 minutes
Servings: 8 rolls
Nutrition: 198 cal
Cuisine: Scandinavian
Brioche Cinnamon Roll Dough
-
Whole Milk
10 g
-
Baker's Yeast
8 g
-
Eggs
(large)
2
-
Salt
1 pinch
-
Granulated Sugar
20 g
-
Bread Flour
200 g
-
Unsalted Butter
100 g
Cinnamon Roll Filling
-
Butter
105 g
-
Ground Cinnamon
7.5 g
-
Brown Sugar
75 g
Homemade milk icing for cinnamon rolls
-
Icing Sugar
155 g
-
Milk
30 g
- 1. Prepare the brioche cinnamon roll dough: Dissolve the baker's yeast in the milk and set aside. Whisk the eggs, salt, and sugar; Set aside. Place the flour into a stand mixer bowl and slowly pour in the baker's yeast/milk mixture and the egg/sugar mixture. Knead for 5 minutes, until the dough no longer sticks to the side of the bowl. Add half the butter cut into small cubes and knead at low speed until all the butter is incorporated into the dough. Add the second half of the butter and knead until the butter is incorporated into the dough. Knead at medium speed for about 10 minutes, until it no longer sticks to the side of the bowl, and it is smooth and shiny. Transfer the dough to a bowl lightly covered in flour, cover with saran wrap, and let it rise for about 1 hour 30 minutes. Press the dough down to release gases, place on a baking tray lined with saran wrap, cover with saran wrap, and refrigerate for 24 hours.
- 2. Make the cinnamon roll filling: Beat the softened butter, cinnamon, and brown sugar until there are no visible lumps and the mixture is fluffy.
- 3. Shape the brioche cinnamon rolls: Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll it out to 24 cm x 30 cm (9.4 x 11.8 inches). Spread the filling over the dough until it is evenly covered. Roll the dough tightly onto itself starting from the short side. Cut the log into 8 equal pieces using a sewing string or dental floss. Place in a round cake pan lined with parchment paper in a circle, leaving space between them. Cover with a loose piece of saran wrap and let the brioche cinnamon rolls rise for about 1 hour 30 minutes.
- 4. Bake the small batch cinnamon rolls: Preheat the oven to 170 C°/340 C. Remove the saran wrap and bake the rolls for about 20 minutes, until nicely puffed, and slightly golden.
- 5. Glaze the brioche cinnamon rolls: Prepare the milk glaze by whisking the milk and powdered sugar together. Remove the rolls from the oven and let them cool down at room temperature, then cover with the glaze and enjoy!
If you made this recipe I would really appreciate it if you leave a rating or comment below! Also, if you share on social media please use #cookwithbelula, I would love to see what you create!
