Small Batch Cinnamon Rolls Recipe

As a home baker of 10 years who loves creating simple comfort desserts, I’ve perfected these Easy Small Batch Cinnamon Rolls — soft, fluffy, and filled with gooey cinnamon sugar. Baked to golden perfection in a small dish, they deliver the same rich flavor and texture as bakery-style rolls, only in a perfectly portioned size.

Try my Chai Spice Cinnamon Rolls, Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls, and Easy Cinnamon Roll bites if you love experimenting with new roll recipes!

Jump to:

• Why You’ll Love This Recipe
• Ingredients
• Substitutions & Variations
• FAQs
• Small Batch Cinnamon Rolls
• Recipe Variations

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

You don’t need fancy equipment or hours of rising time. Just mix, roll, and bake using basic tools like a bench scraper and a stand mixer if you have one!

This recipe is beginner-friendly and dairy-free, using coconut oil and oat milk instead of butter and cream. For an indulgent touch, top with a simple cream cheese frosting or dust with powdered sugar.

Cinnamon may help regulate blood sugar, and using light brown sugar adds rich flavor with less sweetness than refined sugar. A pinch of kosher salt balances the sweetness perfectly.

Ingredients

Listed below are all the ingredients you will need:

• Instant yeast
• Light brown sugar
• Coconut oil
• Oat milk
• All-purpose flour
• Coarse salt
• Cinnamon

See the recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

Prepare the dough:

1. In a large mixing bowl, stir together brown sugar, oat milk, and yeast until the sugar dissolves. Then, add the flour and salt, and mix until mostly combined.

2. Add the oil and mix to completely combine and form a soft dough. Then, knead for 5-7 minutes on a lightly floured surface until the dough is smooth and stretchy.

3. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl. Cover with parchment paper and let rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size.

Prepare the pan sauce:

4. In a small bowl, mix cinnamon and brown sugar. Grease an 8” x 8”/20cm x 20cm baking dish with melted butter.

5. In a small saucepan, combine coconut oil, oat milk, and brown sugar over medium heat. Stir until all of the sugar is dissolved and the solution is syrupy and bubbling.

6. Then, cook for 15 seconds before removing from the heat. Pour the sauce into the base of the baking pan, spreading evenly.

Assemble the rolls:

7. In a small bowl, mix the cinnamon and brown sugar evenly for the filling. Then, set aside.

8. Next, turn out the risen dough onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into a ½-inch thick rectangle (about the size of printer paper).

9. Brush 1 tbsp / 15ml of melted coconut oil over the dough and sprinkle the cinnamon sugar evenly over the surface, getting to the edges.

10. Roll the dough gently but tightly from the short side and place the seam underneath.

Substitutions & Variations

• Ingredient Swap
  Use almond or soy milk instead of oat milk.
  Swap coconut oil for softened butter if you prefer a richer dough.
  Substitute a room-temperature egg to make the dough even softer.
  
• Variation
  Add chopped nuts or raisins to the filling for extra texture.
  
• Mistake to Avoid
  Don’t overheat the milk - it can kill the yeast and ruin the dough. Make sure all wet ingredients are just warm, not hot. Also, dry ingredients should be measured accurately.
  
• Storage Tips
  • These rolls don’t freeze well unbaked, but you can freeze the baked rolls for up to 1 month.
  • Store leftovers in the fridge for 2–3 days and reheat before eating.

FAQs

You Might Also Like:

Other cinnamon recipes I have are down here:

• Cinnamon Crunch Popsicles
• Cinnamon Twists
• Cinnamon Streusel Pumpkin Bread
• Mocha Cinnamon Cake

Recipe Variations

Suddenly craving something sweet, but don’t want to bake for hours? These Small Batch Cinnamon Rolls satisfy your craving fast, and fill your kitchen with cozy smells too!