Abstract We compute the inclusive dihadron cross-section in Deep Inelastic Scattering at next-to-leading order (NLO) and small x in the Color Glass Condensate. We focus on the kinematic limit where the hadrons are produced at forward rapidities (in the direction of the virtual photon) and back-to-back in the transverse plane. Our calculation demonstrates that the coefficient of the Sudakov double logarithm for this process is $$ -\frac{\alpha_s}{2\pi}\left[{C}_F+\frac{N_c}{2}\right] $$ − α s 2 π C F + N c 2 instead of $$ -\frac{\alpha_s{N}_c}{4\pi } $$ − α s N c 4 π when back-to-back jets are measured in the final state. To preserve the universality of the Sudakov soft factor associated with the Weizsäcker-Williams transverse momentum dependent (TMD) gluon distribution, we promote the collinear fragmentation functions into TMD fragmentation functions. We then perform the resummation of the Sudakov logarithms through Collins-Soper-Sterman evolution of the TMD fragmentation functions and the Weizsäcker-Williams TMD gluon distribution. Finally, analytic expressions are obtained for the NLO coefficient functions in the $$ \overline{\textrm{MS}} $$ MS ¯ -scheme. These results pave the way towards numerically calculating dihadron correlations at small x at the future Electron-Ion Collider with full NLO accuracy.