How to Roll Out Cinnamon Rolls in a Small Space

Want to make homemade cinnamon rolls but only have a small space to roll out oyur dough in? Don't let that stop you. Read below for our tips on how to make it possible to do when you only have a small kitchen to work in. We actually made them in the small kitchen space in our 27 foot travel trailer!

A small rolling pin on top of half of the dough that has been floured and placed on parchment paper.

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Do you have dreams of freshly baked cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning?

But does one look into your small kitchen give you nightmares on the thought of trying to turn out a batch?

We are here to help, with tips on how to make cinnamon rolls in the smallest of spaces.

As I am writing this post, we are living full time in our 27 foot travel trailer. Here is our kitchen. Sorry it's so dark, but don't always have the best natural lightning in it.

The kitchen inside a travel trailer with the sink covered with a cutting board.

So I definitely know a thing or two about working in small kitchens!

Jump to:

💡 Top Tips
📏 Divide the Dough in Half
🔪 Cutting Board Over the Sink
🧼 Clean As You Go
👶 Small Rolling Pin
🚫 No Mixer
❓ More Questions
🧇 Make These for Breakfast

💡 Top Tips

My two biggest tips for working with dough in a small space are

Divide the Dough in Half
Have a cutting board over the sink

A bench scrapper is being used to cut dough in half on a cutting board.

📏 Divide the Dough in Half

Having the space to roll out the dough can be a problem in a small kitchen. One way to resolve this issue is to divide your dough ball in half. Then roll out one half of the dough. Add half of your filling and roll it up. Cut into rolls (usually 6). Then repeat with the other half of the dough.

Make sure you try roll your dough into a rectangle still just as you would if you were rolling out the entire dough at once.

A cutting board over top of a sink. The board is covered in parchment paper.

🔪 Cutting Board Over the Sink

If counter top space is a major problem for you, I would suggest investing in a cutting board that fits over top your sink. Our camper came with a cutting board that fits perfectly over the sink. We wouldn't be able to survive without the extra counter space.

Make sure you measure your sink first before shopping for a cutting board. You want something that is going to be a good fit. You don't want it to be sliding everywhere or falling into the sink while working.

If you have a board and it does slide, you can try putting a kitchen towel at each end to help better keep it in place.

To make clean up easier you can put some parchment paper over your cutting board. Then when you are all done just gather it together and your cleaning up is done.

If you divide the dough in half and use a cutting board over the sink that will certainly make your life easier. But here are some more tips that will help you out as well.

🧼 Clean As You Go

In small spaces, it's really important to clean as you go. A cluttered surface easily makes things more stressful. There is nothing that slows down the process more than stress or disorganization.

Taking the time to clean as you go will help you work in the smallest of spaces.

👶 Small Rolling Pin

Rolling pins can take up a lot of space in your kitchen. You can opt for a smaller rolling pin instead. On our camper trip we brought along this small rolling pin. It may take a little longer but it will still get the job done. If you are doing the halving the dough technique as mentioned above a smaller rolling pin will work just fine.

🚫 No Mixer

What if you have no room for a stand mixer in your kitchen? Can you still make cinnamon rolls? I am here to say that you can do it by hand. How do I know? I did it myself. I left our stand mixer in storage when I left for our trip. Simply no room to store it. Plus it adds a good amount of weight.

It certainly was more work than having a mixer. I had to do all the kneading by hand. The dough I was working with was pretty sticky. In order to help that I sprayed some oil directly on my hands. In the end, the rolls came out just as good as the last time I made them in my house.