Preheat the oven to 375°F. Place a piece of foil (or a large baking sheet) on the bottom rack to catch any drippings (these can be gooey).
Spray a 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick baking spray (like Baker's Joy), set aside.
Separate the rolls, cut them into 6ths, set aside.
In a gallon-sized ziploc bag add the brown sugar and cinnamon, close it and toss to combine.
Add the cinnamon roll pieces to the cinnamon mixture in the bag.
Close the bag and toss it around so the rolls are coated.
Place 8 pieces of the rolls into each muffin tin, press it down slightly, set aside.
In a small saucepan add the butter and brown sugar. Place it over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until it comes to a boil.
Pour this mixture evenly over each muffin well.
Bake for 14-16 minutes until the glaze is bubbly and the tops of the muffins are browned and crisp. The glaze may overflow the pan, this is why you need to add a baking sheet or piece of foil on the rack below in the oven.
Let the muffins cool in the tin for 5-8 minutes. Take the muffins out by running a butter knife around the perimeter and scooping them out underneath. Place on a wire rack to cool.
Note: you can skip this step if you are using the icing that comes with the cinnamon rolls. While the muffins cool, make the icing by creaming the cream cheese in a small bowl until smooth.
Add the powdered sugar and mix it in until smooth. Add the vanilla extract and the milk, starting with 1 tablespoon of milk, mix it in until smooth. The mixture should be thick but pourable, add more milk if needed.
Drizzle the icing over the muffins and serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
We use original cinnamon rolls for this, feel free to try other kinds.
Feel free to use the icing that comes with the cinnamon rolls rather than making the icing from scratch.