These homemade cinnamon rolls are baked in a muffin pan then topped with a cream cheese frosting while still warm! These ooey gooey cinnamon rolls are made without yeast which means they're ready to eat in only 45 minutes.
Tender and moist on the inside, crispy on the outside, with the perfect cream cheese frosting. These rolls are rich, decadent, and everything you love about cinnamon rolls.
If you love cinnamon (like me!), try these Applesauce Cinnamon Muffins (a quick recipe that uses Bisquick! Another favorite breakfast around here are these Banana Chocolate Chip Pancakes! We eat them for supper, too.
Why You'll Love Them
Quick and easy - with no yeast to wait on and only 15 minutes of cook time, you'll be enjoying a warm cinnamon roll with melty cream cheese frosting in no time flat!
Small batch recipe - sometimes you need a small batch of cinnamon rolls for whatever reason. If you need more, just double (or triple) the recipe!
Muffin pan - sure, baking cinnamon rolls in a muffin pan is super cute but it actually helps to keep them all uniform in shape.
Flavor - that warm cinnamon flavor is perfect for any cozy morning but that sweet, melty cream cheese frosting keeps me coming back for seconds!
More Cinnamon Rolls to Love
I have three more scrumptious cinnamon roll recipes I think you’ll also enjoy:
Banana Cinnamon Rolls (tastes like Banana Bread)
Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls (uses canned cinnamon rolls!)
Banana Cinnamon Rolls (rich and decadent!)
What Goes in Them
For the complete list of ingredients, check out the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
All-purpose flour - plus additional flour for rolling out the dough. Do not use self-rising flour.
Three kinds of Sugar - white sugar for the dough, brown sugar for the filling, and powdered sugar for the icing.
Apple cider vinegar - adds a nice tangy flavor (just a hint!) and also helps to give them a little lift (rise). You can substitute with lemon juice if you don't have any apple cider vinegar.
Dairy - you'll need butter, milk, and cream cheese.
Cinnamon and vanilla extract - for that classic flavor combination.
Baking powder, baking soda, and salt - helps the dough to rise.
How to Make Them
These muffin pan cinnamon rolls do not contain yeast which means there's no waiting for the dough to rise! I love this!
(1) In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, 2 tablespoons of sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
(2) In a separate small bowl, add 4 tablespoons of melted butter, milk, and apple cider vinegar. Stir to combine.
(3) Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients and mix well until a consistent dough forms. Use your hands to shape the dough into a ball.
(4) Lay a piece of parchment paper on a flat surface and sprinkle it with flour. Place the dough on top and sprinkle additional flour on top. Add another piece of parchment paper on top of the floured dough and roll it into an approximately 8-inch by 14-inch rectangle.
(5) Melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter and evenly spread onto the dough (a pastry brush works well for this step).
(6) In a small bowl, combine the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar with the brown sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle evenly on top of the buttered dough.
(7) Starting with one of the short ends of the dough, use the bottom piece of parchment paper to help you roll the dough into a tight log. Pinch the ends shut and use a knife to slice the dough into 6 even pieces.
(8) Place the rolls into the prepared muffin pan and bake for 13-15 minutes.
(9) While cinnamon rolls are baking, prepare the frosting as follows: Add room temperature cream cheese and butter to a bowl. With an electric mixer, blend on medium speed until creamy. Add vanilla, salt, and powdered sugar, and blend again until combined. Add 1 tablespoon of milk at a time until desired frosting consistency is reached.
(10) Remove the cinnamon rolls from the muffin pan and spread the icing evenly on top of warm cinnamon rolls. Yum!
Recipe Tips
My top 4 tips to ensure the best results for these muffin pan cinnamon rolls!
- Make sure to spray the muffin pan cups with non-stick spray before filling them.
- When measuring dry ingredients, slightly overfill the measuring cup (or measuring spoon) then use the back of a butter knife to level it off.
- Don't leave out the apple cider vinegar! It actually adds a nice flavor and helps fluff up the cinnamon rolls.
- The cream cheese needs to be room temperature to ensure a creamy texture for the frosting. Allow 1 hour for it to sit on the countertop to become softened. Alternatively, you can unwrap it, place it on a plate, and microwave it in 5-second increments until soft. Just make sure not to melt it!
Frequently Asked Questions
If you don't have a muffin pan, you can use a round cake pan or a square pan. Metal is best because glass cooks hotter and faster.
You can sprinkle chopped nuts on top before baking. Or can add raisins to the dough as well.
If you have leftover cinnamon rolls (that's a big IF), store them in an airtight container. They'll keep for a couple of days.
Of course! After they have completely cooled, wrap individually in plastic wrap, then place them into a larger airtight container. Write the date on there so you'll remember when you put them in the freezer. They'll stay fresh for up 3 months. Thaw and reheat in the microwave in short increments.
More Breakfast Sweets
If you'd like more easy recipes sent straight to your email, subscribe and get a free 5-day meal plan! How easy is that!
If you tried this recipe, please let me know by leaving a comment! I'd love to hear from you.
Recipe
Muffin Pan Cinnamon Rolls
Equipment
- mixing bowls
- Measuring cups and spoons
- whisk
- Rolling Pin
- serrated knife (cuts dough better than a smooth edge knife)
Ingredients
CINNAMON ROLLS
- 1-½ cups all-purpose flour (plus additional flour for rolling out the dough)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar, divided
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup butter, divided
- ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon milk of choice
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
FROSTING
- 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- ¼ cup milk of choice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F. Spray 6 cups in a muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, 2 tablespoons of sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a separate small bowl, add 4 tablespoons of melted butter, milk, and apple cider vinegar. Stir with a spoon to combine. Note - This mixture will be lumpy and that's OK!
- Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients and mix well until a consistent dough forms. Use your hands to shape the dough into a ball. If the dough seems too dry and is falling apart, add another tablespoon of milk.
- Lay a piece of parchment paper on a flat surface and sprinkle it with flour. Place the dough on top and sprinkle additional flour on top of the dough. Add another piece of parchment paper on top of the floured dough and roll it into an approximately 8-inch by 14-inch rectangle. Tip - Don't be shy with with flour! If any part of the dough is sticky, sprinkle a little flour on it. You don't want the dough to stick to the parchment paper.
- Melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter and evenly spread onto the dough (a pastry brush works well for this step).
- In a small bowl, combine the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar with the brown sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle evenly on top of the buttered dough.
- Starting with one of the short ends of the dough, use the bottom piece of parchment paper to help you roll the dough into a tight log. Pinch the ends shut and use a knife to slice the dough into 6 even pieces.
- Place the rolls into the prepared muffin pan and bake for 13-15 minutes. Note - as the cinnamon rolls bake, they will completely fill the muffin cups.
- While cinnamon rolls are baking, prepare the frosting as follows: Add room temperature cream cheese and butter to a bowl. With an electric mixer, blend on medium speed until creamy. Add vanilla, salt, and powdered sugar, and blend again until combined. Add 1 tablespoon of milk at a time until desired frosting consistency is reached.
- Remove the cinnamon rolls from the muffin pan and spread the icing evenly on top of warm cinnamon rolls. Yum!
Notes
- Make sure to spray the muffin pan cups with non-stick spray before filling them.
- When measuring dry ingredients, slightly overfill the measuring cup (or measuring spoon) then use the back of a butter knife to level it off.
- Don't leave out the apple cider vinegar! It actually adds a nice flavor and helps fluff up the cinnamon rolls.
- The cream cheese needs to be room temperature to ensure a creamy texture for the frosting. Allow 1 hour for it to sit on the countertop to become softened. Alternatively, you can unwrap it, place it on a plate, and microwave it in 5-second increments until soft. Just make sure not to melt it!
- If you have leftover cinnamon rolls (that's a big IF), store them in an airtight container. They'll keep for a couple of days.
- How to freeze baked cinnamon rolls: After they have completely cooled, wrap individually in plastic wrap, then place them into a larger airtight container. Write the date on there so you'll remember when you put them in the freezer. They'll stay fresh for up 3 months. Thaw and reheat in the microwave in short increments.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy to my readers. I'm not a nutritionist and I don't guarantee the accuracy of this data. The data may differ according to the brands I used versus the brands you use. To calculate the data yourself using your brands, try using an online nutrition calculator or app.
Comments
No Comments