Easy Cinnamon Roll Bites Recipe

So these aren’t your typical cinnamon rolls.  This easy cinnamon roll bites recipe is finger food size, uses white bread instead of yeast dough and is in a league of its own.  They look different than mini cinnamon rolls and are easier to pack in your purse, a lunch box or a back pack. 

Easy to eat-on-the-go because these rolls get their deliciousness from the sweetened cream cheese and cinnamon instead of the white glaze.  Now don’t get me wrong, I love white glaze as much as the next guy.  But the sticky glaze makes it pretty hard to eat the cinnamon rolls on-the-go.

I grew up eating these yummy treats.  They were a “not so secret” North Shore recipe from the Chicago area.  Childhood favorites are always the best.

Cheese Blintz or Cinnamon Roll Bites?

This recipe is updated from one that my Mom used to make when we were growing up.  EVERYONE loved these sweet little snacks.  My Mom called them blintzes.  I guess there is some relationship to a cheese blintz, but I renamed them Easy Cinnamon Roll Bites because it is a better description of what you get.

OK, so when you think of blintz what comes to mind?  A reindeer?  Oh right, that’s Blitzen.  Maybe a crepe like dish?  Our easy cinnamon roll bites recipe is actually a shortcut on the latter.  An incredibly delicious and easy recipe.

A typical cheese blintz is more like a thin pancake with a cheese filling.  Between a crepe, which is super thin, and a thicker pancake.  A blintz always has some kind of filling, often cheese or fruit.  You can see our breakfast crepe recipe here or our Nutella crepes here which can be called a crepe or a blintz and are delicious but more time consuming than this recipe.

Santa Cookies Recipe

Talk about different Santa cookies. Santa will thank you this year if you serve him these sweet cinnamon roll bites. It will be easy for Santa to take them on his sleigh because there is no gooey glaze to get on his mittens.

They are finger food size so Santa can be pulling gifts from his bag and placing them under the tree while he munches on your gift.

Don’t forget the carrots for Blitzen and the other reindeer.

How To Make Our Easy Cinnamon Roll Recipe Bites

You start with extra thin white bread and add a sweetened cream cheese filling dipped in melted butter and cinnamon sugar……..do I have you yet?

Optional step is to cut the crusts off the bread. If you are using the extra thin white bread, like Pepperidge Farm then it’s really not necessary. If you are using regular bread then definitely cut off the crust.

Melt butter over low heat.  Once melted remove from heat, add to a wide, shallow bowl to cool just a bit.

Mix the room temperature cream cheese with the sugar and egg yolk.

If you don’t have cinnamon sugar already made, then add 2 Tablespoons cinnamon to ½ cup sugar.  Adjust to your liking.  Make in a small bowl.

Use a rolling pin to flatten the bread.  Spread about 2 teaspoons filling on the bread. 

Basically you want to put as much filling as you can without it spilling out as you roll them.

Spread the filling out, keeping about a ½” on the opposite side of the bread empty.  That way when you make the easy cinnamon rolls the filling won’t squirt after you finish rolling.

Cut the ends to make the cinnamon rolls look pretty (you can skip this step), then in half again.

Dip in melted butter, then roll in cinnamon sugar mix and place on parchment lined baking tray.

Bake under the broiler for about 2 minutes until the sugar coating gets glossy.  It’s better to pull them earlier rather than later, sugar can burn quickly.

If you are worried about burning these easy cinnamon roll bites under the broiler, then use the original way from my childhood, which is to put them in a 350 degree oven for about 15-20 minutes.  They won’t get as glossy or crunchy, but hey, some people prefer it this way anyhow.

Easy Cinnamon Roll Bites Tips & Techniques

The quickest way to do this is to lay out five pieces of bread.  Roll flat.  Spread all five with the filling.  Line them up and with a sharp knife cut off the ends if you want the cinnamon rolls to look pretty.  Then cut in half for bite size pieces.

You’ll figure out how much filling you need to use without having to measure after spreading and rolling one or two easy cinnamon rolls.  Otherwise you’ll be stuck on this step forever.

Keep a clean paper towel handy so if any filling spills onto your counter top, then swipe with your towel to keep the outside of the cinnamon rolls clean.

Parchment paper will make clean up easier and will keep the easy cinnamon roll bites from sticking to the tray.  If you don’t have parchment paper, which you should because it’s awesome, then line with foil and spray with non-stick spray.

To keep the cinnamon sugar bowl from clumping too much, you’ll want to use three spoons or forks.  Use your hands to put the rolls in the butter dish.  Turn with a fork.

Use two forks or spoons to lift out of the butter, turn on side and drain excess butter.  Place in cinnamon sugar without touching the wet forks to the sugar.  Use a fresh fork to turn the cinnamon rolls in the sugar.  To save time you can do about 5 rolls at a time in the butter and then the cinnamon mixture.

If you don’t have a rolling pin then a clean wine bottle can be substituted to flatten the white bread.

How To Store Cinnamon Roll Bites

Store at room temperature in covered container for up to a week. 

How To Freeze Easy Cinnamon Roll Recipe Bites

Ideally you want to flash freeze the cinnamon roll bites by placing them on a tray in the freezer for a couple of hours.  You can skip this step, but if you do the bites will likely stick together when frozen.

After freezing for a couple of hours, place the cinnamon roll bites in a freezer bag labelled with date and contents.

It makes a difference to lay the bites side by side in a layer or two, then freeze as flat as possible.  That way you can grab a few straight from the freezer instead of having to defrost or reheat the whole bag.

How To Reheat Easy Cinnamon Roll Bites

You can eat at room temperature, or reheat for only 10 seconds in the microwave.  Be careful because sugar can get really hot, really fast!

From frozen you’ll want to reheat in the microwave on the defrost button for about 30 seconds or on high for about 15-20 seconds.

You can also reheat directly from the freezer on a parchment lined baking tray in a 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes.

Ingredient Substitutions

Extra thin white bread – you can use any white bread but the extra thin keeps the breading to a minimum and it’s easier to roll out the cinnamon roll bites.  Heavier breads like wheat don’t roll easy either.  You’ll want to cut off the crusts if not using the extra thin white bread.  Pepperidge Farm(ADDLINK) has a great loaf for this.

Cream cheese – you can use Neufchatel to cut down on fat and calories.  Goat cheese is good too and lends a savory flavor, but be careful because the majority of people will prefer the cream cheese.

What To Serve With Our Cheese Blintz Recipe

Actually, the cheese blintz recipe is great on its own as a small treat or for breakfast.  But if you have the luxury of putting them on a plate, then add some fresh berries or whipped cream. 

The cheese blintzes are also a great side for a traditional breakfast of eggs and bacon.

They also are great for buffets or picnics as they can hold out of the refrigerator for hours.

Try on a buffet with Baked Eggs in Ham Cups, Pimento Cheese Breakfast Sandwich, Healthy Egg Sausage Muffins, Breakfast Taco, Waffles With Nutella or Jelly, Banana Muffins or Blueberry Muffin Tops.