Cinnamon Roll Bites with Rhodes Dinner Rolls
Cinnamon Roll Bites made with Rhodes dinner rolls are a quick, cozy treat with warm cinnamon‑sugar flavor and gooey pull‑apart texture. They bake up fast, are topped with a simple icing, and make an easy breakfast, snack, or sweet little crowd‑pleaser!
Gooey Cinnamon Roll Bites
While I’m usually a bake‑with‑yeast kind of gal, I love the occasional shortcut with Rhodes dinner rolls. My mom did the same thing, and there’s something sweet about carrying that little tradition forward – if it worked for her, it works for me too.
Let me shout it from the rooftops – if you’ve always wanted to make homemade cinnamon rolls but don’t bake with yeast, this recipe is absolutely for you. They taste every bit as delicious as the longer, from‑scratch version, with a fraction of the effort.
Why This Recipe Works:
- Simple – just a handful of ingredients and minimal prep.
- Quick – they come together fast, perfect for a last‑minute sweet.
- Cozy – all the cinnamon‑sugar goodness of a classic roll in bite‑size form.
- Crowd‑pleasing – easy to share and always the first thing to disappear.
What You’ll Need:
- Rhodes dinner rolls (in the freezer section)
- unsalted butter
- brown sugar
- cinnamon and nutmeg
- heavy cream
- quick icing – a combo of butter, milk, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar
How to make Cinnamon Roll Bites:
NOTE: You’ll need to thaw the Rhodes dinner rolls in advance. Normally they take between 2-3 hours at room temperature but this will depend on the temperature in your home. You can also thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Just set on a pan lined with parchment paper, cover, and refrigerate.
Step 1
Prep. Preheat your oven to 350°F and lightly grease a pie plate or 9×9 baking dish.
Step 2
Prep ingredients. Melt butter. Stir together the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.
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Step 3
Coat cinnamon roll bites. Cut each thawed roll into 4 pieces. Dip each dough piece in melted butter, then roll it in the cinnamon‑sugar mixture.
Step 4
Arrange bites and let rise. Place the coated pieces in the baking dish so they are touching. Add any extra brown sugar mixture to the top of the bites. Drizzle the heavy cream around the bites. Cover with a clean towel and let rest for about 30 minutes or until slightly puffy.
Step 5
Bake. Bake for 25-30 minutes in preheated oven, until puffed and golden.
Step 6
Make icing. While the bites are baking, mix together icing ingredients – melted butter, milk, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar. Stir well to combine. You may need to adjust icing – add extra milk if it’s too thick or extra powdered sugar if it’s too thin.
Step 7
Add icing to warm cinnamon roll bites. After the cinnamon roll bites have baked and rested for about 10 minutes, drizzle icing evenly over top the baked bites.
Step 8
Serve. Serve these warm! They are heavenly!
Recipe Tips:
- Store leftover bites covered, on your countertop for a day or so. Then place them in the refrigerator.
- To make ahead, prep the coated dough pieces and refrigerate them for a few hours before baking. Add cream and bake right before serving for the best texture.
Recipe FAQs:
Usually 2-3 hours at room temperature. You want them thawed but still cold so they’re easy to cut.
Yes, the dough will need 20-30 minutes to rise after assembled in baking dish.
You can prep the coated dough pieces and refrigerate them for a few hours before baking. Add cream and bake right before serving for the best texture.
A quick cream cheese icing or a simple powdered‑sugar glaze both work beautifully. Drizzle while warm so it melts into all the little crevices.
Other Delicious Cinnamon Rolls:
Kitchen Tools Used: (affiliate links)
xoxo ~Sue
Cinnamon Roll Bites with Rhodes Dinner Rolls Recipe
Ingredients
For the rolls:
- 10 Rhodes dinner rolls – thawed but still cold
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter – melted
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
- pinch of nutmeg
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
For the icing:
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 ½ Tablespoons unsalted butter – melted
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ Tablespoons milk – or to desired to consistency
Instructions
- NOTE: You’ll need to thaw the Rhodes dinner rolls in advance. Normally they take between 2-3 hours at room temperature but this will depend on the temperature in your home. You can also thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Just set on a pan lined with parchment paper, cover, and refrigerate.10 Rhodes dinner rolls
- Prep. Preheat your oven to 350°F and lightly grease a pie plate or 9×9 baking dish.
- Prep ingredients. Melt butter. Stir together the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.1/3 cup unsalted butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon, pinch of nutmeg
- Coat cinnamon roll bites. Cut each thawed roll into 4 pieces. Dip each dough piece in melted butter, then roll it in the cinnamon‑sugar mixture.
- Arrange bites and let rise. Place the coated pieces in the baking dish so they are touching. Add any extra brown sugar mixture to the top of the bites. Drizzle the heavy cream around the bites. Cover with a clean towel and let rest for about 30 minutes or until slightly puffy.1/3 cup heavy cream
- Bake. Bake for 25-30 minutes in preheated oven, until puffed and golden.
- Make icing. While the bites are baking, mix together icing ingredients – melted butter, milk, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar. Stir well to combine. You may need to adjust icing – add extra milk if it’s too thick or extra powdered sugar if it’s too thin.1 ½ cups powdered sugar, 1 ½ Tablespoons unsalted butter, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 ½ Tablespoons milk
- Add icing to warm cinnamon roll bites. After the cinnamon roll bites have baked and rested for about 10 minutes, drizzle icing evenly over top the baked bites.
Notes
- Store leftover bites covered, on your countertop for a day or so. Then place them in the refrigerator.
- To make ahead, prep the coated dough pieces and refrigerate them for a few hours before baking. Add cream and bake right before serving for the best texture.
These are SO delicious! 10/10