Pull-Apart Cinnamon Roll Bites
The softest dough balls coated in brown butter and cinnamon sugar, baked until golden, then finished with a generous drizzle of cream cheese icing. Every bite is buttery, pillowy, and packed with warm cinnamon flavor.
Why you’ll love this recipe
You’ll love this brown butter cinnamon sugar pull-apart bread because it’s incredibly soft, fluffy, and surprisingly easy to make. Browning the butter adds a rich, caramel-like flavor that takes every bite to the next level, while the cream cheese icing melts into all the warm crevices for the perfect finish. It’s ideal for holiday mornings, brunch, or whenever you’re craving something cozy. Best of all, everyone can simply pull apart a warm piece, making it just as fun to serve as it is to eat!
Ingredients you’ll need
For the Dough:
- Warm Milk: We prefer whole milk for the richness it adds to the dough, but 2% works too. It should feel warm to the touch but not hot.
- Instant Yeast: Helps the dough rise.
- Granulated Sugar: Sweetens the dough and helps feed the yeast.
- Egg + Egg Yolk: The whole egg adds structure, the extra yolk adds richness and makes the dough incredibly soft.
- Unsalted Butter: Melted butter adds flavor, moisture, and creates a tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture.
- Vanilla Extract or Paste: Enhances the flavor of the dough.
- All-purpose flour: Provides the structure for the balls.
- Salt: Balances the sweetness and enhances the flavor of every ingredient.
For the Glaze:
- Cream Cheese: Creates a rich, creamy glaze with a slight tang that perfectly balances the cinnamon sugar.
- Unsalted Butter: Adds richness and helps create a smooth, velvety texture.
- Powdered Sugar: Sweetens the glaze.
- Milk: Thins the glaze to your desired consistency so it’s easy to drizzle.
For the Brown Butter Cinnamon Sugar:
- Unsalted Butter: Browning the butter creates a deep, nutty flavor that makes these pull-apart rolls extra special.
- Granulated Sugar: Coats each dough ball and creates a lightly crisp exterior.
- Ground Cinnamon: Adds warm, cozy spice in every bite.
Recipe Q&A
Q: Can I make this ahead of time?
A: Yes! After arranging the coated dough balls in the baking dish, cover tightly and refrigerate overnight. The next day, let the dough sit at room temperature for 45–60 minutes, then bake as directed. For the best flavor and texture, make the cream cheese glaze fresh just before serving.
Q: Can I halve the recipe?
A: Absolutely! Divide all of the ingredients in half and bake the dough balls in an 8-inch round or square baking dish. The baking time may be slightly shorter, so begin checking for doneness around 18–20 minutes.
Q: Can I use active dry yeast instead of instant yeast?
A: Yes. Replace the instant yeast with the same amount of active dry yeast. First, stir it into the warm milk with a pinch of the sugar and let it sit for 5–10 minutes, or until foamy. Then continue with the recipe as written.
Q: How should I store leftovers?
A: Store any leftover pull-apart bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate for up to 5 days. Warm in the microwave for 15–20 seconds before serving to soften the bread and glaze.
Watch how we made them:
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Pull-Apart Cinnamon Roll Bites
Ingredients
Dough
- 3 cups all purpose flour plus more if needed
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 1/4 tsp instant yeast
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup warm milk
- 5 tbsp unsalted butter melted
- 1 whole egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Brown Butter Cinnamon Sugar
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
Cream Cheese Glaze
- 2 oz cream cheese softened
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter softened
- 6 tbsp powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp milk
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, add the flour, sugar, instant yeast, and salt. (Alternatively, whisk the ingredients together in a large mixing bowl if making the dough by hand).
- In a separate bowl, whisk together warm milk, melted butter, egg, egg yolk, and vanilla. Add to the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until a rough dough forms. (If mixing by hand, stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until a shaggy dough forms)
- Increase the speed to medium and knead for 10–12 minutes. (If kneading by hand, knead on a lightly floured surface for 12–15 minutes). The dough will be soft and sticky at first but will become smooth and elastic as it kneads. If it's still very wet and not coming together after kneading, add flour 1 tablespoon at a time until it forms a soft, workable dough.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let the dough rise for 1-1 1/2 hours until doubled in size.
- While the dough rises, make the brown butter. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter, constantly swirling the pan. Once melted, the butter will begin to foam and get bubbly. Watch closely, being careful not burn. After the butter turns golden brown, remove from the heat and let cool.
- Punch down the risen dough and divide it into 4 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a log, then cut each log into 12–13 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a smooth ball, making about 50 dough balls total.
- Place all of the dough balls into a large bowl. Pour the cooled browned butter over them and gently toss until evenly coated. Working one at a time, roll each dough ball in the cinnamon sugar until fully coated.
- Grease a 12-inch round baking dish. If you don't have one, you can also use a 10-inch cast iron skillet, a 9×13-inch baking dish, or two 9-inch round cake pans.
- Arrange the coated dough balls evenly in the prepared baking dish, leaving a little space between each one so they have room to rise. Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and let rise for 30–45 minutes, or until puffy and touching. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and the center is cooked through. If the tops begin browning too quickly, loosely tent with foil during the last few minutes of baking.
For the cream cheese glaze
- Using an electric hand mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and mix until smooth. Then, mix in the milk until you reach a pourable glaze consistency.
- Drizzle the cream cheese glaze generously over the warm pull-apart bread. Serve immediately while it's still warm and soft. Enjoy!
