Cinnamon Sugar Buns

These Cinnamon Sugar Buns are the perfect handheld treat. They’re super soft and have the most delicious cinnamon sugar filling. These rolls require only 1 rise and can be made in under 2 hours.

THESE! If I were to pick a treat to serve at a brunch with friends and family it would be these. The mini form along with the individually portioned rolls just truly make them perfect to serve at a brunch, holiday, or get together with friends and family.

I’ve always been a fan of cinnamon rolls. The soft dough combined with the cinnamon sugar filling is just divine. I created these Cinnamon Buns with Mother’s day in mind, since it’s coming up in a month. How is it almost May already?! I wanted a roll that was ultra soft, and would deliver on the gooey cinnamon sugar filling. These rolls use a special method to create that ultra soft texture, and the perfect ratio of cinnamon sugar filling that creates a gooey sauce when baked.

Alright let’s get into the details and make these fun mini cinnamon rolls!

The details

Making your own parchment paper liners

This is not required, but it DOES make the cinnamon buns look elegant. You may even fool people into thinking you bought them from the local bakery! Making your own liners is truly easy and only takes a few extra minutes to do.

To make your own, cut 12 pieces of parchment paper that measures 5×5 inches. Place a piece of parchment paper on the bottom of a glass, then use your hands to press the parchment paper along the sides of the glass. This will create the shape of the liner. Place the liners in the muffin tin. It’s okay if they don’t fit perfectly. The cinnamon sugar buns will hold the parchment paper liners in the muffin tin, once added.

the key to the softest buns

Okay, this special method to make the SOFTEST cinnamon buns is called the Tangzhong method. This is an Asian technique which results in softer, more tender and fluffy bread. It also extends the shelf life of the bread. With this method, you cook a portion of your flour and milk until a paste forms. The starch gelatinizes as the liquid is absorbed into the starch, creating the thick, sticky paste. This paste is added directly to the bread dough.

To make Tangzhong, you’ll add a small portion of the bread flour and milk over medium heat to a saucepan. Whisk constantly until the mixture turns into a thick, sticky paste. Allow the mixture to cool a few minutes before adding it to the dough mixture.

mixing the dough

Since this cinnamon bun recipe uses instant yeast, there is no need to activate the yeast. You can simply add it directly in with the other ingredients. I highly recommend using instant yeast as it does rise quicker than active dry yeast. However, if active dry yeast is all you have on hand, you can substitute for a 1:1 ratio. Just make sure you add the active dry yeast to the warm milk and allow it to sit for 5 minutes to activate it.

Knead the cinnamon roll dough on medium speed for 5 minutes, then transfer to a greased bowl.

first rise

I like to preheat my oven to 100F, then turn the oven off. This warm oven environment helps the dough rise faster. The Cinnamon buns take only 30 minutes to rise in the warm oven. However, you can also allow the cinnamon buns to rise in a warm place in your house until roughly doubled in size.

assemble and bake

Roll the dough into a 12×18 inch rectangle on a floured surface. Spread the filling on the dough, then roll into a cylinder, starting at the short end. Cut the dough into 12 cinnamon rolls, then place into your prepared muffin liners.

These rolls do not need a second rise. Instead, they rise while you preheat the oven which takes roughly 10-15 minutes. This amount of time is enough for the rolls to rise a bit more before baking. Make sure you cover the cinnamon buns while the oven preheats so they don’t form a skin on them and dry out.

Bake the rolls until golden brown in color. Immediately after removing the rolls from the oven, brush with melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Allow the cinnamon buns to cool 2 minutes in the muffin tin, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to finish cooling.

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