Brioche Cinnamon Rolls (Small Batch)

I'll eat dessert any time of day, but there's something extra special about breakfast dessert. And when we're talking about breakfast dessert, cinnamon rolls are always the first thing to come to mind. There's something comforting and nostalgic about the pillowy soft dough packed with cinnamon and sugar and glazed with cream cheese icing.

I've baked tons of cinnamon rolls - everything from the canned variety at the grocery store to Cinnabon copycat recipes - and these brioche cinnamon rolls are truly the best! Nothing can beat their richness, tenderness, and cinnamon cream cheese flavor.

Making these small batch cinnamon rolls from scratch requires just about one hour of hands on time (plus time for the dough to rise and the rolls to bake) - and it will be well worth it when you sink your teeth into these soft and tender rolls!

What is Brioche?

Brioche is a type of bread dough that's enriched with egg and butter. While the bread itself isn't sweet, it has a rich, buttery flavor and a soft, tender (even puffy) crumb that makes it perfect for sweet treats like cinnamon rolls and French toast.

Why This Recipe Works

Whether you're baking for Christmas morning, hosting overnight guests, or just trying to make Sunday morning a little more special, this recipe will serve you well! It's a favorite for many reasons, and here are a few:

Brioche Dough: You just can't beat the pillowy texture and buttery flavor of brioche, especially when it comes to baking cinnamon rolls.

Spice Filling: The filling includes a delicate but flavorful boost from nutmeg and cloves (in addition to classic cinnamon), giving it a little something extra.

Make Ahead: The true key to breakfast dessert is doing the prep work ahead of time so that you don't have to wake up at the crack of dawn to indulge. Here the dough is made the day before and allowed to rise at a warm room temperature before it's transferred to the refrigerator to rest overnight. The cool temperature of the fridge slows the yeast's rising so that the dough won't overproof (rise too much) before the cinnamon rolls are assembled and baked in the morning. And you'll still get a full night's rest!

Ingredient Notes & Substitutions

Whole Milk - Water is commonly used in bread recipes, but since this is a rich bread dough we're using whole milk instead.

Instant Yeast - Yeast is crucial to this recipe because it's what causes the dough to rise. You can substitute active dry yeast for instant yeast, but you will need to allow a bit of extra time for the dough to rise. Also, if using active dry yeast be sure to proof the yeast by letting it sit in the milk for 5 minutes. It should activate and become foamy. If it doesn't, the yeast is dead and you'll need to start over with a new batch of yeast.

Sugar & Brown Sugar - While the dough includes a little bit of white granulated sugar, the filling includes both white and brown sugar to take advantage of brown sugar's molasses flavor.

Cinnamon, Nutmeg & Cloves - A classic cinnamon and sugar filling is typical, but the addition of a little bit of ground nutmeg and cloves helps to up the spice flavor without going over the top.

Heavy Cream - This ingredient is an optional add-on, but if ooey-gooey cinnamon rolls is what you're after then don't skip it! Pouring a bit of heavy cream over the rolls just before baking is the trick to ultra-pillowy cinnamon rolls.

Cream Cheese - Cream cheese icing is the classic cinnamon roll topping for a reason... it's delicious and pairs with the rich dough and cinnamon filling perfectly! Just like when making cream cheese frosting, make sure your cream cheese is room temperature to avoid lumps is your icing.

See recipe card at the bottom of this post for full ingredient list and measurements.

Special Equipment

In addition to essential baking equipment (like a mixing bowl and spatula), I recommend some special tools for making this recipe.

• An instant read thermometer, for checking the temperature of the milk.
• A stand mixer with dough hook attachment for mixing and kneading the brioche dough.
• Unflavored dental floss (or pizza cutter or serrated knife) for cutting the cinnamon roll dough.
• A stand mixer with paddle attachment or electric hand mixer for mixing the cream cheese frosting.

Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions

Step 1: Make the brioche dough. Pour the warm (between 110ºF and 115ºF) milk into the bowl of a stand mixer and add the yeast.

Step 2: Add the egg, melted butter, flour, sugar, and salt and mix until the ingredients are blended. Let the mixture stand for 5 minutes.

Step 3: Using the stand mixer's dough hook attachment, beat on medium speed until a sticky dough forms. Increase speed to medium-high and beat for another 5 minutes, or until the dough is soft and smooth.

Step 4: Knead the dough gently with your hands on a lightly floured surface for 1 minute before gently forming the dough into a ball. Transfer the ball of dough to a lightly greased bowl and cover the bowl with a clean dish towel.

Step 5: Place the dough in a warm spot and let it rise until doubled in size, about 45 to 60 minutes. Cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour or up to overnight.

Step 6: Prep the cinnamon filling. In a small bowl, whisk together the sugars and spices. Set aside.

Step 7: Shape the cinnamon rolls. Place the dough onto a lightly floured surface and, using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a rectangle that's 9 inches x 12 inches.

Step 8: Use a small spatula to spread the softened butter over the rectangle of dough. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture evenly over the butter, covering the dough all the way to the edges.

Step 9: Beginning at the short (9 inch) end of the rectangle of dough, roll the dough tightly to form a log that's 9 inches long.

Step 10: Slice the log into 6 equal pieces. (See Best Way to Cut Cinnamon Rolls below for more information.)

Step 11: Place the rolls cut side up onto your baking sheet or pan.

Step 12: Cover the pan with a clean dish towel and place it in a warm spot until the rolls have doubled in size, about 20 to 30 minutes.

Step 13: While the rolls rise, position the oven rack in the bottom third of the oven and preheat the oven to 375ºF.

Step 14: Once the rolls have risen, pour heavy cream over them immediately before baking.

Step 15: Bake the rolls for 15-20 minutes, or until they're golden brown.

Step 16: Make the cream cheese icing. Beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth and combined. Add the salt and vanilla and beat until combined. Add the confectioners' sugar slowly and continue to beat until blended and smooth.

Step 17: Spread the icing over the still warm cinnamon rolls and enjoy!

Best Way to Cut Cinnamon Rolls

If you've made homemade cinnamon rolls before, then you already know that it's easy to squash the rolled up log of dough when cutting it into rolls. Try these ideas instead to avoid flattening your rolls!

Option 1 - Dental Floss

This option is my personal favorite, and I've been using this trick for years since I first learned it on Instagram. Instead of using a knife, use unflavored dental floss to keep the beautiful cinnamon spirals perfectly intact while slicing them. Cut a length of floss approximately a foot long and lay it underneath the rolled up log of cinnamon roll dough where you would like to make your cut. Holding one end of the floss in each hand, bring the floss up over the log of dough, crossing the two ends over one another, and pull them taught until the floss severs the log to create one cinnamon roll. Repeat this process until you have 6 equally-sized cinnamon rolls.

Option 2 - Pizza Cutter

Another option is to cut each cinnamon roll before rolling them up. After spreading the filling over the dough, use a pizza cutter to cut the dough into strips. Then roll up each strip and proceed with the rest of the recipe.

Option 3 - Serrated Knife

If you absolutely must cut your cinnamon rolls with a knife, use a serrated knife in a gently sawing motion to cut the log of rolled up dough without squishing it.

Recipe Tips

Be sure to read the recipe all the way through before you begin and allow plenty of time for the dough to rise and chill before the rolls are baked. It's always a good idea to read the recipe through and familiarize yourself before you begin mixing ingredients, but it's especially important with a recipe, like this one, that has several rise and chill times.

Ingredient temperatures are important here, so don't ignore the temperature notes in the ingredient section of the recipe. This recipe calls for several ingredients to be warm or room temperature. Here's why:

• Milk (warm) - The first step in making the cinnamon roll dough is to warm the milk, which is necessary for activating the yeast, which makes the dough rise.
• Egg (room temperature) - A room temperature egg will blend more efficiently into the cinnamon roll dough.
• Cream cheese and butter (room temperature) - Beginning with room temp cream cheese and butter will allow you to blend the cream cheese icing to a much smoother consistency.

Need a warm spot for the dough to rise? Stick it in the oven with just the oven light on! The warmth from the oven light warms the inside of the oven just enough to create a perfect dough proofing box. Just be sure not to accidentally turn on the oven while the dough is proofing inside!

Be careful not to roll the dough too tightly or place them too close together in the pan, since this could cause the rolls not to rise properly and the centers to pop up when the rolls bake. Roll the dough tightly but gently and leave 1 to 2 inches between the rolls when placing them in the pan to rise before baking.

Recipe Variation

Orange Spice Rolls - An orange and spice version of these rolls is truly delicious, and it's especially perfect for the holiday season! Simply add the zest of one orange to the dough, and add a little bit or ground cardamom plus some extra ground cloves to the filling.

Recipe FAQs

Storage Instructions

Cinnamon rolls are best when they're fresh from the oven, which is just one more reason small batch cinnamon rolls are so great! But if you need to store leftovers, here's the best way to do it.

Room Temperature: Any cinnamon rolls that have not yet been iced can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Reheat the cinnamon rolls (see recommendation below) and cover with cream cheese icing before serving. Do not store iced cinnamon rolls at room temperature.

Refrigerator: Leftover cinnamon rolls that have already been iced should be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat the cinnamon rolls (see recommendation below) before serving.

How to Reheat: The best way to reheat cinnamon rolls (either iced or not) is in the microwave to preserve the softness of dough. Heat the roll(s) on a plate in the microwave for about 20 seconds on full power. The roll should be warm and soft and the icing slightly melty.