Cinnamon Roll Bites are a tasty and enjoyable breakfast treat made with small balls of homemade cinnamon roll dough. They’re covered in a sweet mixture of cinnamon and sugar and topped with cream cheese icing.
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Classic Cinnamon Rolls are a fantastic breakfast treat, especially for holidays and special occasions when you have a lot of people to feed. This delicious recipe captures all the beloved flavors of the classic bakery cinnamon bun in a small, delightful bite that’s perfect for sharing and dipping.
Who doesn’t love the indulgence of fresh-baked, gooey cinnamon rolls? The combination of buttery dough, cinnamon goodness, and cream cheese icing is hard to resist. However, making traditional cinnamon rolls can be time-consuming. These bite-sized dough balls give you the same delicious flavors without the extensive prep work.
These Cinnamon Roll Bites are not only great for breakfast but also make an excellent party snack or sweet dessert. The warm vanilla cream cheese icing can be drizzled over the bites for a sticky sweet glaze, or you can serve it on the side as a dipping sauce to keep things neat. For an extra fun touch, offer your guests a variety of dipping sauces like Hot Fudge, Strawberry Topping, and Whipped Cream in addition to the vanilla icing.
Here are the key ingredients for these Cinnamon Roll Bites and why they matter:
- Instant Rapid Rise Yeast: This yeast acts quickly, making the dough rise faster than traditional yeast. It’s ideal when you want a shorter proofing time (about 40 minutes in total) and don’t need large pieces of dough to double in size or create lots of air.
- Warm Milk: Warm whole milk adds moisture and richness to the dough. It’s also crucial for activating rapid rise yeast. The yeast activates in liquid that’s 110-115 degrees, and the sugars in the milk feed the yeast, leading to a better rise compared to using warm water.
- Butter: Unsalted butter is a key ingredient for both the dough and icing. It contributes flavor, moisture, and tenderness. Using unsalted butter allows better control of the overall salt content in the recipe.
- Flour: all-purpose flour works best with this yeast dough. It has the right amount of gluten for creating lighter dough bites. Since you don’t knead the dough extensively, using gluten-heavy bread flour could result in denser balls.
- Cinnamon Sugar Coating: Cinnamon rolls usually have a filling of softened butter, white or brown sugar, and ground cinnamon. For these bites, the dough balls are rolled in a cinnamon-sugar mixture before baking, creating an inside-out cinnamon roll effect. The sugar slightly caramelizes around the bites, forming a sweet, cinnamon crust.
- Cream Cheese Icing: Most cinnamon rolls are topped with a thick white frosting, often cream cheese or vanilla. These bites get glazed with a warm vanilla cream cheese icing right after coming out of the oven. You can also serve extra icing on the side for dipping.
FAQs for Cinnamon Roll Bites
- Where did cinnamon rolls come from? Cinnamon rolls have their roots in Sweden, where they are known as “kanelbulle.” These traditional cinnamon buns follow a similar process, but instead of rolling into one log, the dough is folded over the filling, cut into strips, twisted, and then connected at the ends to create the round bun shape. In Sweden, they are typically topped with a sugar syrup glaze rather than thick, creamy vanilla icing.
- What is cinnamon roll filling made of? The filling for cinnamon rolls usually consists of softened butter, brown sugar, and ground cinnamon. These ingredients are spread on the dough before rolling it up and slicing it into individual rolls. In the case of Cinnamon Roll Bites, the dough is rolled in the cinnamon-sugar mixture so that the filling is baked on the outside.
- What is the difference between cinnamon buns and cinnamon rolls? While the terms “cinnamon buns” and “cinnamon rolls” are often used interchangeably, there are slight differences. Cinnamon buns may include additional fillings like nuts or raisins and often have a sticky syrup topping, sometimes baked on the bottom and then inverted from the pan. On the other hand, cinnamon rolls typically have a simple cinnamon-sugar filling and are topped with a thick, sweet, and creamy frosting.
Variations
- Vanilla Glaze: If you prefer to skip the cream cheese, you can make a simpler glaze. Sift 2 cups of powdered sugar into a bowl, add ¼ cup melted butter, 2 tbsp milk, and 1 ½ tsps vanilla extract. Stir until smooth. Adjust the consistency by adding more milk if needed.
- Canned Biscuit Dough: For a quicker version, replace the homemade dough with store-bought canned biscuit dough. Chop the biscuit dough into pieces and roll as usual in the cinnamon sugar.
- Brown Sugar: For a richer, darker caramel coating, use brown sugar instead of white sugar in the cinnamon mixture. Enhance the caramel flavors by swapping the original icing with Salted Caramel Sauce.
Air Fryer Cinnamon Roll Bites
- Make the dough as per the original recipe, including covering it in cinnamon sugar and letting it rest for 20 minutes.
- After the dough has rested, heat your Air Fryer to 330 degrees.
- Put parchment paper in the Air Fryer basket to prevent sticking. Make sure there’s space between the dough balls for air circulation. You might have to cook them in batches based on your Air Fryer’s size.
- Place the sugar-coated dough balls in the lined Air Fryer basket without them touching.
- Cook for 8-10 minutes or until the bites are golden brown and cooked inside.
- While the bites are cooking, make the cream cheese icing following the original recipe.
- Take out the cooked bites, let them cool a bit on a wire rack.
- Drizzle the bites with the cream cheese icing and serve while warm
Storage Instructions:
- Serve: Enjoy these Cinnamon Roll Bites within 2-3 days at room temperature by keeping them in an airtight container. If you plan to make them ahead, store them before adding the glaze to prevent sogginess.
- Store: Allow the bites to cool, then store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. For the best results, store the icing and cinnamon bites separately. Reheat them and add the icing when you’re ready to serve.
- Freeze: To prepare Mini Cinnamon Roll Bites in advance, freeze them before adding the glaze. First, freeze the baked and cooled bites on a tray, and then transfer them to a sealed container. They can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw them to room temperature before reheating and applying the glaze.
Love Cinnamon roll? Be sure to check out these other great cinnamon roll recipes!
Oreo Cinnamon Rolls
Mini Cinnamon Rolls
Cinnamon Rolls
Cinnamon Roll Bundt Cake
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