These Cinnamon Roll Bites are the easiest way to cinnamon roll flavor! Uses homemade or store bought biscuit dough, a great make ahead breakfast or dessert!
Cinnamon, sugar and butter just make everything better, am I right?
I love these little bites, especially as the days get cooler and all you want is some fresh, hot, sugary bread straight from the oven.
I also love that they’re so easy, you can make them ahead and quickly finish up and bake them in the morning. That way, you can even bring them still warm and gooey to your colleagues at work.
If you’re willing to share, that is.
I love a good monkey bread made with yeast dough — who doesn’t? But there are days (okay, most of them) that yeast dough can take a little too much time and effort.
This biscuit dough comes together in 5-10 minutes max, and you can easily make the dough ahead, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate until the next morning or whenever you want to bake these bites.
I’ve included more tips for prepping ahead and baking later down below if you’re interested!
They really are so simple that you have no excuse to make them!
No excuse not to have warm, sugary, buttery bites of fresh bread coming out of your oven in about 35 minutes. That sounds like a pretty good deal to me 😉
Tips for making these Cinnamon Roll Bites even easier:
Feel free to substitute store bought biscuit dough for this homemade dough
for the homemade stuff — it will make things even easier and you don’t need to make any changes to the recipe!*
How to prep these Cinnamon Roll Bites ahead:
Make ahead and refrigerate:
You can prep these Cinnamon Roll Bites up to the point of baking, and then wrap tightly and store in the refrigerator up to one week.
Biscuit dough stores perfectly in the fridge, so this is a great recipe to prep ahead for a weekend brunch or treat.
Make ahead and freeze:
You can roll your biscuit balls, coat in sugar and place in the pan and then cover with plastic wrap and foil and freeze completely.
Keep frozen for up to 3 months, then let thaw on the counter at least 30 minutes-1 hour before baking as directed.
You may need to increase baking time up to 5 minutes.
*Post and photos updated from September 17, 2014
Cinnamon Roll Bites
written by Ashley Fehr
Ingredients
Biscuit dough
- 2 cups flour (whole wheat, all purpose, or a mix)
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup cold butter
- 3/4-1 cup cold milk
Cinnamon Sugar Coating
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 3/4 cup butter, melted
Glaze:
- 1/3 cup icing sugar
- 1-2 tbsp milk just enough to bring the glaze together
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt (I mix with my pastry cutter).
- Cut the butter into cubes and add to the bowl. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter or fork until butter is in pea-sized pieces.
- Stir in milk gradually, adding just enough so that the dough comes together. Bring together in a ball with your hands (if you accidentally add too much milk and it becomes sticky, just add a little more flour).
- *See post above for make ahead directions.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 10" pie plate or baking dish.
- In a medium bowl, combine brown sugar, granulated sugar and cinnamon. Roll dough into 1" balls. Dip balls in remaining melted butter and then coat in cinnamon sugar mixture and place in the pie plate.
- Drizzle remaining butter over the dough balls in the pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes until biscuits are cooked and butter/sugar mixture is bubbling in the bottom of the pan.
- *If you’re using a pie plate smaller than 10″, it’s a good idea to place a piece of tin foil in the oven under the plate to catch any possible drips.
Nutrition Information
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Nancy says
Anxious to try these and that’s my question I have for you…can I make these ahead of time but not bake them till the next morning? My family that’s coming in will love these I’m sure!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Nancy! Yes you can! I have a whole section in the blog post on how to Make Ahead and Refrigerate. Hope this helps!
Nancy says
Love this recipe! Was wondering if I could use canned biscuits and cut them up to roll in to balls in place of making the biscuits from scratch? Thought it could save me even more time in the kitchen.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Nancy! Feel free to substitute store bought biscuit dough!
Shelby says
I was craving something cinnamon-y and WOW these hit the spot!! They remind me of the “monkey bread” my mom used to make for me growing up. Thanks for the awesome recipe!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Shelby!
Amelie says
These were so good! I made this for school because we got to pick any recipe
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Amelie!
Amy C says
I used frozen sweet dough and it was perfect. I also added some cream cheese to the icing but that is just a personal preference. Thank you for the recipe.
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Amy!
Jeanette says
Delicious and easy. It was the best way to start our weekend. Thanks for this yummy recipe!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Jeanette!
Kim S says
I LOVED these!!! They are my new favorite cinnamon treat. My husband loved them too.
Ashley Fehr says
I’m so happy to hear that!
April says
Made these delicious little bites and they were a hit with the kids ! Super fast and easy when you want something warm and cinnamony from the oven to enjoy with your coffee or for an after school treat. The recipe is going in the keeper book! Thanks for sharing.
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks April! I’m so happy to hear that!
Jazz Owen says
I LOVE this recipe! Delicious and easy, turned out perfect. Always a sucker for cinnamon! Thanks so much!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Jazz! I’m so glad to hear that!
lauren kelly says
I love having comfort food in the morning! Thank you for a delicious recipe!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Lauren!
Tanya Schroeder says
Wow! I would be such a hero if I made these for my family!
Ashley Fehr says
My family goes crazy for them!
Jen says
I had no problem getting my family out of bed once they smelled this deliciousness! We all loved it!
Ashley Fehr says
I’m so glad to hear that!
Cheryl S says
My family loves this!! Cinnamon, sugar and butter make everything better!!
Ashley Fehr says
I most definitely agree!
Julia says
These cinnamon rolls bites are exactly the type of a treat I’d like to make for my kids now that they are home for the summer. Easy and scrumptious. Thanks for sharing!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Julia!
Leah says
I watched the video after I had already put the balls in the oven and I’m wondering about the part when you rolled them in the butter before rolling in the sugar mixture but that isn’t in the recipe. My dish turned out really bitter, do you think that could have been the problem? Thanks!
Ashley Fehr says
The ingredients are the same and I make the recipe both ways, so that wouldn’t give them a bitter flavour. I’m sorry that happened!
Lindsay says
Hey! I just made this and the dough is like really bitter. Would it help to put sugar in the dough? Or make the balls smaller? Thanks!
Ashley Fehr says
Hi Lindsay! That’s honestly something I’ve never heard before. The dough is regular, plain biscuit dough, so it won’t be sweet but it’s definitely not bitter. The amount of sugar the dough is coated in should definitely give you a sweet result!
Leah says
I also had them turn out bitter…like there was too much baking powder and salt, or baking soda. I followed your recipe exactly, but didn’t get the results I was expecting.
Kathy says
It’s possible that they weren’t using aluminum free baking powder.
I’m very sensitive to the taste, and always make certain to use aluminum FREE baking powder.
It really helps with the flavor.
Good luck!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks for the tip Kathy!
Susan says
Can you bake them a day ahead?
Ashley Fehr says
Yes, they’re easily reheated!
Lucy says
You’re right, Ashley! Cinnamon, sugar and butter make everything perfect. We’re in rainy season now. These cinamon rolls and a cup of hot tea are perfect in a rainy day.
Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Ashley Fehr says
These are perfect for a rainy day! Thanks Lucy!
Sarah @Whole and Heavenly Oven says
My mom used to make a breakfast very similar to this and it was totally my favorite!! I haven’t had it in years and I’m super excited to try this one, Ashley!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Sarah! Every time I make it I can’t get enough!
Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice says
Oh wow does this look AMAZING! I love how this is like monkey bread, but in cinnamon roll form. And I love that it’s completely homemade, too! What a fun breakfast or dessert!
Ashley Fehr says
Yes totally! It’d be so easy to use store bought dough but I find biscuit dough comes together so quickly, there’s no need!
Sarah says
I noticed that your recipe says to put the 3-4 tbsp of butter in the pie plate, then dip the biscuits in the cinnamon/sugar; your video shows you dipping the biscuits into the butter and then rolling them in the cinnamon/sugar without putting the 3-4 tbsp of butter in the pie plate. Which way do you typically make them? Maybe this discrepancy is accounting for those who say there is too much butter? (Mine are in the fridge waiting to be baked in the morning, so we will see how they turn out–they look delicious!)
Ashley Fehr says
I didn’t show the adding of the butter in the pie plate in the video but I did do it. The video is just to be used as a guide, the recipe is always the way I make them. I hope you enjoy them!
Dorothy Walker says
These are very easy to make but I found there is way too much butter. The bottom was literally soaked in butter. I definitely will make them again but I will use less butter.
Ashley Fehr says
Hi Dorothy! That’s too bad! I have never found there to be any extra butter in the pan actually — they always are slightly crispy around the edges because of the sugar. Feel free to change it up as you see fit!
Beverly says
Yes I found it to have way too much butter as well…
Trinity says
I love this recipe! But is it possible that for the glaze, that you would be able to replace the powdered sugar with something else? Thanks!
Brynn bass says
I use powder sugar and milk and just keep adding them together until it is a thin consistency and it tastes wonderful!!
Neeli says
Hi Ashley, I wanted to stop by and let you know that I tried your recipe for cinnamon roll bites a while back and they were delicious. My daughter and I made them for breakfast and we had a great time. One question, though, can I cut down the butter to about 1/2 a cup without compromising the taste and texture? These were tasty, but 1 cup of butter for me was a bit too rich and I would love to make them again. Thanks for the great recipe.
Ashley Fehr says
Hi Neeli! I’m glad to hear that! You would really need to substitute the butter with something. I’ve used margarine before. The butter in the biscuits would be difficult to replace, unless you found a completely different biscuit recipe that uses something other than butter (though I’m not sure what, because that’s what makes a biscuit a biscuit!). The butter that you melt to dip the balls in could likely be replaced with another oil or margarine, but you need something to get the sugar to stick and to crisp them up. I hope that helps!
Neeli says
Thanks for responding so quickly to my question. I will make this recipe again by cutting down on the melted butter and see how that works. I don’t want to replace the butter with another fat, although I love my lard biscuits, too. Either way, this recipe is still delicious and something that I look forward to making again.
Ashley Fehr says
No problem Neeli! I hope it works out well! I’d love to hear back after your try it 🙂
Anne Marie says
I found this recipe on your site the other day and I have literally made them everyday. My children love them and eat them for breakfast as well as snack, my husband loves them with a coffee and I’ll pop one in my mouth when ever I get a chance. I have even sent them into my kids teachers as a little treat and have heard nothing but praise for how delicious they are! I did add a little sugar and about a teaspoon of cinnamon to the flour mix just to give it another little pop but these are the most delicious and easy treat ever!!!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Anne! I’m so glad to hear they’re a hit!