Make good choices, this is a good choice.

What's the best part of a cinnamon roll? Of course it's the center, if you answered otherwise you are just wrong. Sorry, but not sorry. These little bites are amazing and taste just like the center of a cinnamon roll. These were easy enough to make on a Saturday, toss them in the fridge to bring out Sunday morning to rise in the oven with the light on while I walked. Mix up the goo and warm up the heavy cream, bake them up and you have a pan full of cinnamon roll centers covered in frosting, that is if you add the frosting too, which why wouldn't you? Now don't go telling my doctor about these... she'll want to know how much protein is in them and well... probably not much. Sometimes you just need something delicious to have for breakfast! This was that something.

Best Cinnamon Roll Bites
1 cup whole milk (warmed to about 110°F)
2 ¼ tsp. instant yeast (1 packet)
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs (room temperature)
1 large egg yolk (room temperature)
1/2 cup unsalted butter (softened)
1 ½ tsp. kosher salt
4 ¾ cups bread flour (plus more for dusting)
1 Tbsp. lukewarm milk (if needed)
Cinnamon Sugar Coating
6 Tbsp. unsalted butter (melted and slightly cooled)
1/2 cup light brown sugar (packed)
1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
Pinch kosher salt
Before Baking
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter (melted)
4-5 Tbsp. light brown sugar (packed)
1 ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup heavy cream (warmed slightly)
Cream Cheese Frosting
4 oz. cream cheese (softened)
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter (softened)
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
Pinch kosher salt
2-3 Tbsp. heavy cream

Prepare the dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the warm milk, yeast, and granulated sugar. Let sit for about 5 minutes, or until the yeast looks foamy.
Add the eggs, egg yolk, softened butter, and salt. Mix until combined. (Might look funny at this step but it’s ok it’ll all come together in next step)
Warm milk and yeast being combined, followed by eggs and softened butter, to begin making cinnamon roll bite dough.
Add flour: Gradually add the flour, about 1 cup at a time, mixing until a soft dough forms.
Bread flour being gradually added to the wet ingredients in a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook.
Knead: Knead for 8-10 minutes, until the dough is smooth, elastic, and only slightly tacky.
If the dough feels dry, add lukewarm milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, kneading well after each addition. Avoid adding too much flour.
Soft, smooth cinnamon roll dough kneading with a dough hook in the bowl of a stand mixer.
First rise: Transfer to a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let rise for 60-90 minutes, or until doubled in size.
Cinnamon roll dough before and after the first rise, showing the dough doubled in size.
Make the cinnamon sugar: In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar, cinnamon, and pinch of salt.
Shape the bites: Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide it into 5-6 equal portions. Working with one portion at a time, pinch off small pieces (about 1 inch or roughly 20 g each) and roll into smooth balls.
Risen cinnamon roll dough divided into portions and rolled into small balls before coating with butter and cinnamon sugar.
Coat the dough: Working in batches, place ~8 dough balls into a large bowl. Drizzle with a little of the melted butter and gently toss to coat. Sprinkle with some of the cinnamon sugar mixture on top of the dough balls and toss again until evenly coated. Transfer the coated dough balls to the prepared baking dish. Repeat until all of the dough has been coated. Arrange the dough balls in 1-2 layers. They should fit snugly together but not be tightly packed.
Cinnamon sugar-coated cinnamon roll bites arranged snugly in a greased baking pan before the second rise.
Second rise: Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and let rise for 30-45 minutes, or until noticeably puffy.
Before baking: Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a measuring cup or small bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and vanilla. It should be a pourable consistency. Pour this over the bites. Then, pour the slightly warmed heavy cream evenly over the risen dough.
Bake: Bake for 28-32 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and the center reaches 190-195°F.
Allow the bites to cool for about 10 minutes before frosting.
Make the frosting: Beat together the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt and beat until combined. Mix in the heavy cream, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the frosting is smooth. Spread generously over the warm cinnamon roll bites and serve immediately