Small Batch Honey Butter Cinnamon Rolls
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This simple recipe for Small Batch Honey Butter Cinnamon Rolls only makes 4 rolls! Make this easy recipe if you have a smaller family or if you just don't want a lot of leftovers around.
If you love homemade cinnamon rolls as much as I do, be sure to check out some of my other favorite recipes like my One Rise Cinnamon Rolls, Funfetti Cinnamon Rolls, or my Healthy Cinnamon Rolls.
Table of Contents
Small batch Honey Butter Cinnamon Rolls are a delightful small recipe that only makes 4 cinnamon rolls! Making a small batch ensures that each roll is made fresh, offering a warm, gooey, and perfectly spiced treat straight from the oven without the need for leftover storage.
So, I made this version of homemade cinnamon rolls that only makes 4 cinnamon rolls. I also made them with honey butter which adds a nice flavor profile, one that's a bit more sophisticated than my classic Homemade Cinnamon Rolls. If you like this recipe and you want to make more, you can always double or triple the recipe as well.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
Small Batch: I love this recipe because this only makes 4 cinnamon rolls! We are a small household and cinnamon rolls are best when they are fresh, so we don't need a lot. This recipe is perfect as we get to eat cinnamon rolls for two days!
Balanced Sweetness: The combination of honey and butter in the filling provides a natural, mellow sweetness that perfectly complements the cinnamon, resulting in a rich and balanced flavor that isn’t overly sugary.
Indulgent and Comforting: This indulgent breakfast treat is incredibly comforting. When you're looking for a warm and cozy breakfast, this checks all the boxes.
Ingredients
- Instant Yeast: I prefer to buy organic, which you can usually find in the grocery store baking aisle by Red Star.
- Warm Water: When activating yeast, you need to have warm water. Even though we're using instant yeast here, I still always add it with warm water and sugar to be sure it's bubbly and ready to go! This is just something I do to make sure my yeast is good and ready. The water should be about 105°F to 110°F. If it's hotter than this, it can kill the yeast, then your dough won't rise. I turn my sink on to hot water, and just grab it immediately from there, so it hasn't gotten fully hot yet. If you have hot water for tea you should not use this! If you're unsure, then you can also heat water with a thermometer as well.
- Cane Sugar: I use organic cane sugar in the dough for these homemade cinnamon rolls. You can find organic cane sugar at every grocery store these days, so no excuses not to get the good stuff. It is a darker color than the traditional granulated sugar, although you can use either one. But organic cane sugar is not as processed, therefore leaving it with a darker color and better flavor!
- Light Brown Sugar: I use organic light brown sugar in the filling for these homemade cinnamon rolls. I like the combination of the light brown sugar with the honey for flavor, as it creates a little lighter cinnamon roll. If you only have dark brown sugar, you can use that in its place, but the flavor will be richer. I prefer to make my own Homemade Light Brown Sugar.
- All Purpose Flour: I use organic all purpose flour in this dough. You can easily find organic all purpose flour in every grocery store the days. But, my favorite organic flour is from Cairnspring Mills, they mill fresh flour up in Washington, try it out!
- Salted Butter: I use organic salted butter in this recipe, but you can also use unsalted butter if that's all you have. The small amount of salt won't make a difference in this recipe as it's such a small batch. My favorite is Organic Valley.
- Honey: I use organic raw local honey. You can use any kind of honey you like, even ones like Orange Blossom Honey or different flavors, and those subtle flavors will shine through in these homemade cinnamon rolls. That's something I really love about honey is you can switch up a recipe just by changing the honey you use, so if you have a recipe you like, you can easily make it again and again with different honey.
- Milk: I use organic whole milk always! In any recipe, always always use whole milk as milk provides fat and flavor. Never use skim milk, but if you only have 2% you can use in a pinch. But, I would recommend to use to whole milk.
Tools Needed
- Scale: Always use a digital food scale for the best results.
- Stand Mixer: I use my stand mixer for ease, but if you want to make this dough by hand you can do that too.
- Baking Dish: You'll need a small baking dish to bake these homemade cinnamon rolls. I use ceramic, but glass or aluminum is also fine.
- Mixing Bowl: You'll need a mixing bowl to mix up the glaze.
- Whisk: I use a whisk to mix up the glaze.
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Step by Step Instructions
Step 1
To make the dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, add the yeast, ½ teaspoon cane sugar, and warm water. Stir to combine and let sit for 5 minutes, until bubbly.
Step 2
In a small pot over medium heat, add the butter, milk, and honey. Stir until completely melted, remove from heat.
Step 3
Add the flour, remaining 2 tablespoons cane sugar, and sea salt to the mixing bowl in that order. Add the milk mixture and knead on speed 2 to 4 for 5 minutes. Place the dough in a greased bowl, and cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let rise for 2 to 3 hours, until doubled in size.
Step 4
Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a small baking dish.
Step 5
To make the filling: In a small bowl, add the brown sugar and cinnamon and mix to combine completely. Then add the butter and honey into a small bowl and stir together.
Step 6
On a floured surface, roll out the dough to a rectangle that is about 12 x 16 inches. Using a spatula spread the butter and honey mixture all over the rolled out dough. Sprinkle the brown sugar and cinnamon mixture to completely cover the butter.
Starting at the longer side, fold the dough over and start to roll the dough until it is completely rolled into a log. Trim off each of the ends, then cut the dough log into 4 cinnamon rolls. Place in a greased baking dish.
Step 7
Bake for 40 minutes or until golden brown. Let rest for 10 minutes.
Step 8
To make the glaze: In a mixing bowl, add the powdered sugar and milk and whisk until you have a smooth glaze. Slather the glaze over the tops of the warm cinnamon rolls.
FAQ's
Although homemade cinnamon rolls are best when eaten the same day, you can store cinnamon rolls. The best way to store homemade cinnamon rolls is in a cake dome. This keeps the dough from drying out. And then you can eat them at room temperature, or you can pop them in the microwave for a few seconds to warm them up as much as you'd like. If you don't have a cake dome, then a tupperware would be the best option.
Yes! You can make homemade cinnamon rolls ahead of time. You can make the dough, let it rise, roll it out, fill it, cut it, and place it in the baking dish. When you get to this step, then just cover the baking dish with plastic wrap. Foil will not do here! Foil is not airtight, and you want plastic wrap because it's airtight so the dough won't dry out. Place the wrapped baking dish in the fridge overnight. The following morning, preheat the oven and take out the dish at the same time. That way the rolls can come to room temperature before they go into the oven.
Craving More?
Small Batch Honey Butter Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
Dough
- 5 grams instant yeast
- ½ teaspoon cane sugar
- 2 tablespoons warm water
- 28 grams salted butter
- ½ cup milk
- 1 teaspoon raw honey
- 223 grams all purpose flour
- 28 grams cane sugar
- ½ teaspoons fine sea salt
Filling
- 57 grams light brown sugar (packed)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 28 grams salted butter (softened)
- 2 teaspoons raw honey
Glaze
- 106 grams powdered sugar (sifted)
- 1 tablespoon milk
Instructions
- To make the dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, add the yeast, ½ teaspoon cane sugar, and warm water. Stir to combine and let sit for 5 minutes, until bubbly.
- In a small pot over medium heat, add the butter, milk, and honey. Stir until completely melted, remove from heat.
- Add the flour, remaining 2 tablespoons cane sugar, and sea salt to the mixing bowl in that order. Add the milk mixture and knead on speed 2 to 4 for 5 minutes.
- Place the dough in a greased bowl, and cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let rise for 2 to 3 hours, until doubled in size.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a small baking dish.
- To make the filling: In a small bowl, add the brown sugar and cinnamon and mix to combine completely. Then add the butter and honey into a small bowl and stir together.
- On a floured surface, roll out the dough to a rectangle that is about 12 x 16 inches. Using a spatula spread the butter and honey mixture all over the rolled out dough.
- Sprinkle the brown sugar and cinnamon mixture to completely cover the butter.
- Starting at the longer side, fold the dough over and start to roll the dough until it is completely rolled into a log. Trim off each of the ends, then cut the dough log into 4 cinnamon rolls. Place in a greased baking dish.
- Bake for 40 minutes or until golden brown. Let rest for 10 minutes.
- To make the glaze: In a mixing bowl, add the powdered sugar and milk and whisk until you have a smooth glaze. Slather the glaze over the tops of the warm cinnamon rolls.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Notes
Nutrition
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