Mini Cinnamon Rolls with Heavy Cream
These mini cinnamon rolls with heavy cream make any breakfast or brunch that much more special! When baked in heavy cream, the brioche soaks it up and transforms into the softest, most plush cinnamon rolls. Their miniature size makes them so cute and perfect to feed a crowd!
Ingredients
For the brioche:
- 113 g (½ cup) whole milk, warmed to 110 degrees F
- 20 g (1 ½ tablespoon) granulated sugar
- 7 g (2 ¼ teaspoon) instant or active dry yeast
- 2 large eggs, room temp
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 300 g (2 ½ cups) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 85 g (6 tablespoon) unsalted butter, room temp
For the filling & topping:
- 14 g (1 tablespoon) unsalted butter, softened
- 70 g (⅓ cup) dark brown sugar
- 6 g (1 tablespoon) cinnamon
- 113 g (½ cup) heavy cream
For the cream cheese glaze:
- 28 g (2 tablespoon) unsalted butter, melted
- 56 g (2 oz) cream cheese, room temp
- 113 g (1 cup) powdered sugar, sifted
- 14 g (1 tablespoon) heavy cream
Instructions
For the brioche:
- In a glass measuring cup, heat the milk to 110 degrees F and stir in the sugar and yeast. If using active dry yeast, allow to sit for 15 minutes for the yeast to activate. If using instant yeast, simply move on to the next step.
- Mix the eggs and vanilla into the milk yeast mixture.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, mix the flours and salt together.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the flour and mix on low-medium speed for about 3 minutes, or until it forms a ball around the hook.
- Add in a few pieces of butter at a time, allowing them to fully incorporate before adding more.
- Once all of the butter is incorporated, turn the mixer up to medium-high speed and mix for 8-12 minutes. The dough will eventually pull away from the sides of the bowl and have a silky smooth texture with minimal stickiness. To check if the dough is ready, use the windowpane test - tear off a small piece and carefully spread it out to see if you can see the light through it without it tearing. If it tears, mix for another minute or two and check again.
- Once the dough is ready, transfer it to a lightly greased bowl, cover, and allow to proof overnight in the fridge. Alternatively, you can let the dough rise in a warm place for about 1 hour or until doubled in size.
For assembly:
- On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to a long rectangle about 24"x5".
- Brush the softened butter all over the dough. Then, sprinkle the brown sugar and cinnamon evenly over the top.
- Roll the dough up into a log. Use a serrated knife to score lines every 1 ½” to get 15 rolls. Use unflavored dental floss to cut each roll by placing the floss under the dough, wrapping around, and pulling to cut through.
- Arrange the rolls in a 9" round pan. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise for about 30 minutes or until nearly room temperature, but still slightly cool to the touch. When pressed with a finger, the dough will slowly spring back.
- While the rolls are proofing, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Just before baking, pour the heavy cream all over the cinnamon rolls. Place the pan on top of a baking sheet, then place in the oven. Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until evenly golden on top.
For the cream cheese glaze:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter and cream cheese until smooth.
- Whisk in the sifted powdered sugar until no lumps remain. Then, mix in the heavy cream.
- Once the cinnamon rolls come out of the oven, immediately pour the glaze on top.
- Allow the cinnamon rolls to cool for about 30 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Proof the dough overnight: I recommend allowing your brioche dough to rise slowly overnight in the fridge. Cold dough is so much nicer to work with! But you can also let it proof at room temperature for one hour and make the brioche bread immediately.
- Bake the dough within 24 hours: To find that sweet spot between properly proofed with a developed flavor and over-fermented, I recommend giving the dough at least 5 hours to rise in the fridge, but no more than 24 hours.
- Cut the dough with dental floss. To get a clean cut of each cinnamon roll, use unflavored dental floss rather than a knife.
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 1cinnamon roll | Calories: 244kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 54mg | Sodium: 106mg | Potassium: 69mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 431IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 1mg
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