Quick and healthy mini cinnamon rolls

Since my kids (and I) love a sweet treat (a lot!), I’ve developed a really big passion for making deliciously sweet recipes that are as healthy as possible. I love finding ingredient swaps and substitutions that make desserts and treats more nutritious without sacrificing any of the flavor. Enter these quick and healthy mini cinnamon rolls. The perfect treat (for kids)!

I also love to make a quick and easy recipe. If it takes too long I am often times reluctant to make it. Same for cinnamon rolls: Why does one make cinnamon rolls? They’re complicated, difficult and time consuming. That’s why. But not these. For the love of healthy and easy treats, I have come up with these quick and healthy mini cinnamon rolls:

Just 8 ingredients
No complex steps or difficult methods
No endless waiting for the rolls to rise
Practically fool proof so fun to make with kids
Just fluffy, soft cinnamon rolls that taste and smell incredibly good!

How I make these quick and easy mini cinnamon rolls?

made in a mini muffin tin!

While preheating the oven to 350F/175C, I lightly grease a mini muffin tin with (vegan) butter or nonstick cooking spray. Yes, a muffin tin. So much easier! The cinnamon rolls get the perfect shape and will get a little crunchy all around while staying soft and fluffy on the inside.

the dough

To prepare the dough for these quick and healthy mini cinnamon rolls, I whisk together half of the flour, yeast, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. In a large bowl, I stir together the milk, butter, and sugar. Now I mix in the prepared flour mixture. Then I continue to mix in the remaining flour, two tablespoons at a time, until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl.

I turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface, and knead for 3-5 minutes or until the dough springs back most of the way when you gently press your index finger into it. I let the dough rest while preparing the filling, for 8-10 minutes.

Prepare the filling

To prepare the filling, I stir together the coconut sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. And I melt the butter in a small saucepan. I make sure it is just melted.

Roll out and roll up the dough

On a clean, well-floured surface, I divide the dough in two and start by rolling out 1 of them into a 6×22” / 15×55 cm rectangle and brush it with the melted butter, leaving a 1”/2.5cm border on the two longer sides. I sprinkle it with the cinnamon sugar, leaving a 1”/2.5cm border on the two longer sides again. Carefully I roll up the dough into a log, starting at one long edge and rolling towards the other one.

I slice the log into 12 pieces using a sharp serrated knife. I place the rolls into the prepared mini muffin tin and cover them with a tea towel.

Now I continue doing the same for the other piece of dough. Once all 24 mini cinnamon rolls are in the muffin tin, I cover them again with a tea towel for 10-15 minutes until the oven is preheated and ready to bake the cinnamon rolls.

Bake the cinnamon rolls in a mini muffin tin

I bake the cinnamon rolls for 15-17 minutes or until the filling is bubbling and the top feels firm. I let them cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes before serving.

My kids love cream cheese frosting, so sometimes I make orange cream cheese frosting so they can spread some on their cinnamon roll when it is still warm.

For a step-by-step video tutorial click here.

My kids cheer when I pull these mini cinnamon rolls out of the oven. They are:

fluffy – soft – sweet – tender – cinnamony – easy to make – & so delicious

If you are interested in more healthy treats, check out these passionfruit lime bars, almond cinnamon owl cookies, brownie cookies, chocolate chip cookies or these healthy bounty bars.

More mini treats? What about these mini pizza buns? Same idea, just savory!

Quick and healthy mini cinnamon rolls

These mini cinnamon rolls are hard-to-resist, cozy, cinnamony, perfectly sweet spirals made in a mini muffin tin. No rising time so they will be ready within 35 minutes!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Course Bread, Brunch, Snack, Treat

Servings 24 rolls

Equipment

• Rolling pin
• mini muffin tin

Ingredients

  

The dough

• 250-315 gr white whole wheat flour (approx. 2-2½ cups)(or sub all purpose flour or regular whole wheat flour)
• 7 gr quick rising yeast (approx. 2 tsp)(or sub active dry yeast if you don't have quick rising yeast)
• 8 gr baking powder (approx. 2 tsp)
• ½ tsp fine grain sea salt
• 190 ml (plant based) milk (=approx. ¾ cup)(milk of choice. I used almond milk)
• 30 gr (vegan) butter (approx. 1¾ tbsp)(softened)
• 25 gr coconut sugar (approx. 2 tbsp)(or sub light brown sugar)

The filling

• 25 gr (vegan) butter (approx. 1½ tbsp/ ¼ stick)(melted)
• 1-1½ tbsp cinnamon (to taste)(OR SWAP FOR GINGERBREAD SPICE TO MAKE GINGERBREAD ROLLS!)
• 3 tbsp coconut sugar (or sub light brown sugar)

Instructions

 

• While preheating the oven to 350F/175C, lightly grease a mini muffin tin with (vegan) butter or nonstick cooking spray.

The dough

• Whisk together half of the flour, yeast, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. In a large bowl, stir together the milk, butter, and sugar.
• Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and mix to combine. Then continue to mix in the remaining flour, two tablespoons at a time, until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl.
• Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface, and knead for 3-5 minutes or until the dough springs back most of the way when you gently press your index finger into it.
• Let the dough rest while preparing the filling, for 8-10 minutes.

The filling

• Stir together the coconut sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.
• Melt the butter in a small saucepan (softened, just melted).

Roll out the dough

• On a clean, well-floured surface, divide the dough in two and start by rolling out 1 of them out into a 6×22” / 15×55 cm rectangle and brush it with the melted butter, leaving a 1”/2.5cm border on the two longer sides.
• Sprinkle the rolled out dough with the cinnamon sugar, leaving a 1”/2.5cm border on the two longer sides again.

Roll up the dough and cut it into rolls

• Carefully roll up the dough into a log, starting at one long edge and rolling towards the other one. 
• Slice the log into 10-12 pieces using a sharp serrated knife. Place the rolls into the prepared mini muffin tin and cover them with a tea towel.

  Now continue doing the same for the other piece of dough.
• Once all 24 mini cinnamon rolls are in the muffin tin, cover them again with a tea towel for 5-10 minutes until the oven is preheated and ready to bake the cinnamon rolls.

Bake the cinnamon rolls

• Bake the cinnamon rolls for 15-17 minutes or until the filling is bubbling and the sides feel firm. Let them cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes before serving.
• Optional: add frosting to the still warm cinnamon rolls just before serving (See notes for frosting recipe).

Notes

TO MAKE GINGERBREAD ROLLS: just swap cinnamon for gingerbread spice

 

Orange cream cheese frosting:

½ pack of (vegan) cream cheese, slightly softened

2 tbsp (vegan) butter, softened not melted

½ tbsp orange zest + ½ tbsp fresh orange juice 

½ tsp pure vanilla extract

½ cup powdered/ confectioner’s sugar

Mix all ingredients together with a mixer or by hand with a whip until  smooth. Now SLOWLY add the powdered sugar bit by bit. Combine until all lumps are gone.

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