These soft & gooey no-yeast cinnamon rolls are ready in just one hour, with no kneading and no waiting for dough to rise. Everything comes together in one bowl and makes four generous cinnamon rolls topped with tangy cream cheese frosting.
The Cinnamon Rolls I Bake When I Don't Want to Wait
For all those times I crave warm, homemade cinnamon rolls but I don't want to wait 4+ hours or end up with a ton of leftovers staring me down with temptation, I created these small batch no-yeast cinnamon rolls. The dough is flaky and soft, like a good old fashioned buttery biscuit. And while they're not exactly like your fluffy yeast rolls (as is the nature of a no-yeast dough) they're still just as satisfying with a caramelized brown sugar + cinnamon swirl filling. And they stay nice and moist in the oven, thanks to a pour of heavy cream just before they're baked.
These taste like you tried without actually trying, if you know what I mean. And while many no yeast cinnamon rolls either make a full dozen (which if you're a small family of three like ours, you're scrambling to freeze or find people to pawn off day-old rolls to) or they are small-batch but require half your entire morning. Instead, my version gives you four deliciously buttery cinnamon rolls topped with a simple cream cheese frosting in just one hour.
During testing, I had to make several tweaks to avoid dense, dry rolls. In place of yeast, both baking powder and baking soda are needed to create a tender, airy crumb. And these need to bake at a slightly higher temp than my other cinnamon rolls, to make sure they get nice and golden without risking them drying out at a lower temperature.
For the weekends when you do want a more involved baking project, my peach cobbler cinnamon rolls are worth every hour of the overnight rise. And if chocolate is your love language (saaame), my double chocolate cinnamon rolls are a yeast-risen, espresso-glazed treat that's worth clearing your whole morning for.
Let's Bake Cinnamon Rolls without Yeast!
For the full step-by-step directions, scroll down to the recipe card.
My Baking Tips for Soft Cinnamon Rolls
- Make sure your egg is at room temperature, since any cold liquid will tighten the dough.
- Since we're using baking powder & baking soda instead of yeast, you don't want to knead or overmix the dough, which can make it dense. Instead, just gently mix it until there's no pockets of dry flour. It's normal for it to look a little lumpy and not perfectly smooth like yeast cinnamon roll dough, and any little imperfections will get covered in frosting!
- Don't skip the splash of heavy cream on each cinnamon roll, which prevents the outsides from drying out and lets the bottoms caramelize without burning on the pan.
No Yeast Cinnamon Rolls
developed & tested by:
Equipment
Ingredients
DOUGH
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt (use table salt or fine sea salt)
- ⅔ cup milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
FILLING
- ¼ cup dark brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1½ teaspoons cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- ¼ cup heavy cream
CREAM CHEESE ICING
- ¼ cup cream cheese (2 ounces), softened to room temperature
- 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Make the Filling: In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease or line an 8-inch by 8-inch (20cm by 20cm) baking dish.
- In a large mixing bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- Warm the milk in the microwave for about 60 seconds, until it's between 105°F and 115°F (40°C to 46°C). Add the warm milk, vanilla extract, and egg to the dry ingredients and mix with a large spoon until it's well combined.
- Cut the softened butter into cubes & mix that into the dough. After about a minute, it should form a soft, tacky dough. Shape the dough into a ball.
- On a generously floured surface, roll out the dough with a rolling pin to a 1cm-thick rectangle 14in x 8in (35.5cm x 20cm).
- Spread the softened butter evenly over the dough. Then sprinkle the cinnamon sugar filling evenly on top, and gently press it down into the dough with your hands.
- From a short edge, cut the dough into four 2-inch (5cm) long strips. (I find a pizza cutter is easier than a knife for this.)
- Roll each strip of dough in a spiral. Pinch the edges to prevent them from unraveling.
- Arrange the rolls evenly spread out in your prepared baking dish. Pour the heavy cream over each roll, about one tablespoon for each one.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, until they're really puffed up and golden. A wooden skewer inserted into the bread part of the rolls should come out clean. Let the rolls cool for at least 15 minutes before adding the icing.
- While the rolls cool, beat the softened cream cheese and butter in a mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer until it's light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract and mix again until it's all combined. Dollop and spread onto the cinnamon rolls & serve.
Notes
- Store cooled rolls at room temperature in an airtight container for a couple days, or in the fridge for a few more days. I like to re-warm them in the microwave for about 15 seconds.
Nutrition
This website uses affiliate links which may earn commission for purchases made at no additional cost to you.
I'm eggcited to hear from you :)