Easy Cinnamon Rolls (no yeast required!)
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These no yeast cinnamon rolls are the easiest homemade cinnamon rolls you’ll ever make. With no dough-punching & no waiting for the dough to rise, the hardest thing about these cinnamon rolls is waiting for them to come out of the oven!
This is one of my older recipes on the blog (originally published April, 2015), and also one of my favorites. My old pictures didn’t do justice to these amazing easy cinnamon rolls, so I’m updating the pictures and re-publishing today. Originally I was going to re-write the whole post, but instead I’m leaving about 90% of the original writing, because it just didn’t feel right to change it. I left the old photos at the very bottom of the post, too, in case you wanted to have a laugh.
I present to you: The lazy girl’s cinnamon roll recipe.
No yeast. No dough-punching. No two-hour rise time followed by another hour of rise time.
Nothing but cinnamon-y, gooey, need-a-fork-to-eat-it goodness <3.
I (obviously) enjoy baking, and considering that you’re reading this I assume you don’t hate spending time doing it either. I’ve even previously posted a recipe for orange sweet rolls that require all of those heinous, time-consuming things mentioned above, taking over 3 hours from start to finish.
However… if you want cinnamon rolls for breakfast on a Saturday morning, you shouldn’t have to get up at the crack of dawn just to have them ready before it’s actually lunch time. These cinnamon rolls can be ready in less than one hour (probably faster if you spend more time actually baking and less time sampling the cinnamon filling… or is that just me…).
Since these rolls don’t use yeast they have a softer, flakier texture to them, which is perfect for those of us who love melt-in-your-mouth cinnamon rolls that require a fork to enjoy.
And wait! We haven’t even discussed the frosting yet!
That lovely, crowning cream cheese-based, sticky frosting that any cinnamon roll would just be sad and naked without. Pour this cream cheese frosting on heavy over these cinnamon rolls while they’re still warm, and enjoy!
If you try these out, I’d love to know how you like them! Please leave a comment or tag #sugarspunrun on Instagram!
Easy Cinnamon Rolls (no yeast required!)
Ingredients
Rolls
- 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
- 3 Tablespoons (38 g) sugar
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 5 Tablespoons cold unsalted butter, + additional 2 Tbsp butter for baking
- ¾ cup (178 ml) milk
Filling
- ⅔ cup (133 g) brown sugar
- 3 Tablespoons (38 g) white sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 4 Tablespoons salted butter, melted
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Icing
- 1 oz (28 g) cream cheese, softened
- 1 Tablespoon salted butter, softened
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla
- ½ cup (63 g) powdered sugar
- ½ Tablespoon (7 ml) milk
Instructions
Rolls
- Preheat oven to 375F (190F).
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour, 3 Tablespoons (38 g) sugar, 1 Tablespoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt
- Use a box grater to grate 5 Tablespoons of butter into the dry ingredients (alternatively use a pastry cutter to cut in the butter).5 Tablespoons cold unsalted butter, + additional 2 Tbsp butter for baking
- Add milk and stir until all ingredients are just combined.¾ cup (178 ml) milk
- Transfer dough onto a very well floured surface and use your hands to work the dough together until it forms a cohesive ball. Continue to flour the surface you are working with as needed.
- Generously sprinkle flour on the top of the ball of dough and use a rolling pin to roll dough out to roughly a 10x12" rectangle. Set aside and prepare your filling.
Filling
- Prepare your filling by combining brown sugar, sugar, and cinnamon and then stirring in butter and vanilla. This mixture will be very much like a paste.⅔ cup (133 g) brown sugar, 3 Tablespoons (38 g) white sugar, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, 4 Tablespoons salted butter, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Spread the filling over the rectangle of dough, leaving about ¼" of space as a perimeter around the filling.
- Carefully roll dough starting with one of the 12" ends and rolling tightly. Press the edge of the roll into the dough so that it sticks.
- Cut into 10 slices. If the log is not holding its shape well, transfer it to your freezer for about 10 minutes and then try to cut again (it should hold it's shape this way so you will have mostly round cinnamon rolls)
- Place the reserved 2 Tbsp of butter into a 9" pie pan and set it in your preheating oven for a few minutes until the butter has melted. Remove from oven.
- Place your cinnamon rolls in baking dish, they do not need to be touching, they will spread to fill their surrounding area.
- Bake on 375F for 28-30 minutes (beginning to lightly brown around edges). Prepare your icing while the rolls are baking.
Icing
- Use an electric mixer to cream together softened cream cheese, butter and vanilla extract.1 oz (28 g) cream cheese, 1 Tablespoon salted butter, ¼ teaspoon vanilla
- Gradually add sugar, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.½ cup (63 g) powdered sugar
- Add milk, stirring until combined.½ Tablespoon (7 ml) milk
- When cinnamon rolls are finished, remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before spreading icing over rolls.
- These cinnamon rolls are nice and soft. Keep in mind that the warmer they are, the harder it will be to separate one from the other. But if you go in for one cinnamon roll and end up with one and a half, it's really not the worst thing that could happen, right?
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
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Sooooooo Good! Will be making these more often. Thank u for sharing!
I am so glad you enjoyed the cinnamon rolls, Theresa! 🙂
Hi! Would it be okay to use bread flour instead? Unfortunately, my grocery store ran out of all purpose flour 🙁
Hi Mona! You can use bread flour. The cinnamon rolls will be a little bit chewier. 🙂
My son is allergic to corn and powder sugar had corn starch in it. Can I substitute regular sugar for the cream cheese frosting??
Hi Amanda! If you use granulated sugar it probably won’t work the frosting would be too soupy. If you have tapioca starch you can make powdered sugar by blending 1 tablespoon of tapioca starch with 1 cup of granulated sugar and blending until it is powdery. 🙂
Thank you! I don’t have any of that on hand but I’ll figure something out!
I know this isn’t the same as an icing but I think I might try brushing the cinnamon rolls with a little bit of milk or cream and then whisking together some cinnamon and sugar and sprinkling that over the top of the cinnamon rolls. Not the same as a glaze, but some added sweetness for the rolls. Just a thought!
Great idea! Thank you so much!
I found a recipe that didn’t require powder sugar for the frosting and it turned out really good! Mixed milk, flower, sugar, salted butter and the second batch of it I added in some cream cheese and vanilla extract. Also I thought these cinnamon rolls were super yummy, I might of had 3 😳 they are more biscuit like but they are easy to make and delicious! Thank you!!
I am so glad you enjoyed the cinnamon rolls! I can’t say I haven’t had 3 in a sitting before 🤷♀️🤣
Haha that would be flour! Not flower 🤪
I’ve had success with just blending granulated sugar by itself on high speed; it will eventually become powdered.
Delicious and super easy! I cut the butter in with my fingers and the dough rolled out and cut easily with no sticking. These remind me more of monkey bread or coffee cake in terms of texture, which is not a bad thing at all! Definitely check early – mine were perfectly browned at 25min. Will make this again for sure!
Thank you so much! I am so glad you enjoyed the cinnamon rolls so much! 🙂
Hi
Hope you are doing well with all this lockdown. Want to try these, but don’t have milk any suggestions?
Thanks
Hi Jackie! I’m so sorry I don’t have any suggestions for a substitute here. 🙁
I have read many recipes call for dipping with warm heavy cream before baking … what’s your thoughts. May try tonight.
Hi Donna! It’s really not necessary here. 🙂
Hi! I am hoping to make for Easter breakfast tomorrow but haven’t been able to find baking powder anywhere. Would baking soda work as a substitute? Or is there anything else you would suggest?
Thank you!!
Hi Ivy! Unfortunately baking soda won’t work well. Do you have yeast? You could try my one hour cinnamon roll recipe instead.
Don’t forget to ask a neighbor if you can borrow baking powder. Remember when we used to do that? 🙂 Hoppy Easter! 🙂
Holy cow these are delicious. I made just a simple glaze instead of the cream cheese frosting and still wonderful!
I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed, Katherine!! 🙂
Just took them out of oven. Wow yummy!! Thank you for sharing this.
I am so glad that you enjoyed them, Gina! Thank you for trying my recipe. Enjoy! 🙂
Hello! Could I use almond milk? Think it would work?
Hi, Chancy! I usually do not recommend using almond milk because it will alter the taste and texture of rolls. With that being said, another user tried it and it turned out well for her. I hope that you have the same success.
Hi!
I was planning on making these tonight and was wondering if I can use a stand mixer? Thanks!
Hi, Georgia! Yes, you can! Enjoy! 🙂
Do you use unsalted butter or salted?
Hi, Brenda! I tend to use unsalted butter in most of my recipes. If you only have salted on hand that will work too, but you will want to omit the additional salt listed on the ingredient list. Enjoy! 🙂
Can this be assembled the night before and refrigerated for baking in the morning?
Hi, Winnie! Yes, that will be fine. Enjoy! 🙂
How do you think they would freeze?
I think it would be fine to freeze them. 🙂
These are sooo delicious and super moist. I was afraid they were going to dry out like many other recipes I’ve tried before but I think I found the one. These are going to be my new go to ☺️ Thank you!
Thank you for trying my recipe, Amy! I am so glad that you enjoyed them and they exceeded your expectations. 🙂
My son is asking for cinnamon rolls and was looking for yeast free recipe. Can I use evaporated milk instead? I don’t have regular milk.
I have yet to try it, Mariah So I am not certain how it will do. From what I read online, 1/6 cup evaporated milk and 1/6 cup of water will equal 1/3 cup whole milk. Using that as I guide, I would give it a try. 🙂
Can I use self-raising flour? And if so how much would it change the baking powder and salt?
Unfortunately I am not sure how substituting self-rising flour would work here, Holly, as I haven’t tried it. If the bag includes instructions for substituting I think it would work, I just can’t advise as I haven’t tried it myself.