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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Can I use almond milk or water instead of milk
I think that will work here, but I haven’t tried it to be 100% sure. 🙂
THANK YOU!!!! My husband loves fresh cinnamon rolls and the only ones I can make are the ones in the can. So I did my research and found your recipe. He loves them. Thank you for making me #1 cooking wife.
I am so glad everyone enjoyed them so much! 🙂
These were delicious! Lots of WW points, but worth it!
I am so glad that you found them worth it and enjoyed them, Dawn! Thanks for trying my recipe! 🙂
I had to add a lot more flour, but otherwise it turned out great!
Will I be able to replace the all-purpose flour with self-rising?
Hi Evette! I don’t recommend it here. 🙁
I love love love this recipe. Thank you for sharing😊
I am so glad you enjoyed them so much, Lisha! 🙂
Best recipe ever. My family loved the way they tasted thank you!!! You know im going to have to make them more often
I am so glad everyone enjoyed them so much, Jessica! 🙂
Not gooey. We like a bread that gooey and stretches.
Hi Sondra! These are not supposed to be gooey and stretchy. To achieve that you would need to use a yeast recipe. I actually have a cinnamon roll recipe that requires yeast you could try. 🙂
Made these with my granddaughters today
They were so yummy and the best no yeast cinnamon rolls I’ve ever made
I’m so glad you enjoyed them so much, Cindy! 🙂
Thanks so much for this recipe, it was perfect for when we couldn’t get hold of yeast. The whole family loved them and I’ve already made them a few times.
I am so glad everyone enjoyed them so much, Fred! 🙂
Can I use air fryer for this?
Hi Aileene! I’m not sure how that would work but if you do try it I would love to know how it goes.
It was amazing! Super simple and delicious- it’s my favorite recipe!
I did over bake it though- so it kind of turned out like a biscuit- but still delicious!
I am so glad you enjoyed them so much! 🙂
Just did it and it was amazing. Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe.
I am so glad you enjoyed them so much, Francisco! 🙂
How much do I want to cut the butter into the flour? So the butter is still visible like pea-size or finer so the mixture resembles cornmeal?
Pea sized is perfect, maybe a bit smaller but you don’t need to go all the way to cornmeal. I’ll have to add a video to this post to give a better visual 🙂
They turned out well. Had a bit of trouble with the rolling out, but I haven’t rolled out dough in forever. My wife is loving them
I’m so glad to hear they were a success overall!
Yes pls pls!😃
You awesome!
This wasn’t a very easy recipe to follow and to follow and delicious! My kids and I gobbled them up. I only used half of the powdered sugar for the icing and it was perfect for our taste. Next time I will try making them with breast flour to make them chewier 🙂
I am so glad everyone enjoyed them so much, Nicole! 🙂
If i make and roll the dough/filling and put the ready to go cinnamon rolls in the fridge to pop em in the oven the next morning, that should be okay right?
Hi Ruhika! That should work just fine. Make sure to keep them wrapped tightly so they don’t dry out. 🙂