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
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you purchase anything through these links I may get a small commission at no extra cost to you. Please view the disclosure policy for more information.
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Original photos:
Jamie
Hey! Do you need to store leftovers in the refrigerator? Any tips for reheating?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Jamie! You will place the leftover cinnamon rolls in the refrigerator. If stored correctly (wrapped or in an airtight container), they will last one week. To reheat, I like to warm them in the oven for 5-8 minutes. 🙂
Jenn
Excellent!! I halved the frosting and it more than covered the pan.
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed them, Jenn! Thanks for trying my recipe and for commenting. 🙂
Molly
it was kind of dry and only made about 6 rolls but it was so good especially the icing!!
Sugar Spun Run
Thanks for trying my recipe, Molly! I am sorry to hear that the rolls were on the dryer side. Usually, this is the result when the flour has been over measured or the rolls were over baked. The most common mistake in baking is over measuring your flour so I have created a guide on how to measure flour properly that can be used as a reference for next time. Thanks for the feedback. I am glad that you enjoyed them overall. 🙂
Rebecca
DELICIOUS!!!! So simple to make (I’m not a great baker) and they turned out beautifully I’m so happy!! Used wholewheat flour as it was all I had and they are delicious. Thank you for sharing 🙂
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that they turned out perfectly and that you enjoyed them, Rebecca! Thanks for commenting. 🙂
Rebecca
Super easy, amazingly delicious! Will definitely make again!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed them, Rebecca! Thank you for trying my recipe and for commenting. 🙂
Pete
These were absolutely incredible. Thanks for putting this out there – what the butter does to the bottom of these is simply other worldly 🙂
-subbed mascarpone for cream-cheese (didn’t have any) and used about a 10th of the frosting.
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed the recipe, Pete! Thanks for trying it and for commenting. 🙂
Kimberly
Made these in a dbl batch this morning for my daycare kiddos. They were a huge hit! I sifted the flour, but I followed the directions to a T. Love Love xoxo
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed the recipe and I hope that your kiddos did too. Thank you so much for trying my recipe and for commenting. 🙂
Liz
Made these for the first time last week! Making another batch today- can’t stop won’t stop LOL. Loved this recipe especially considering that finding yeast is impossible right now. Thank you!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed them, Liz! Thank you so much for trying my recipe. 🙂
Katie
I’d love to try these soon, but I’m wondering if they freeze? I’d love to make a couple of pans to freeze and pull out as needed. Have you ever tried this? Thanks!
Sam
Hi Katie! I have not tried freezing them, but I don’t see any reason they would freeze just fine. 🙂
baker123
I just made them and they are delish! I cut the recipe in half but I still had to make the full amount of filling. if your making this in the future, I would make sure not to roll it up tightly.
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed the cinnamon rolls so much! 🙂
ashley
I was just wondering if you could make these the night before and put them in the fridge if that would mess them up?
Sam
Hi Ashley! I have actually tried this and thought it degraded the quality of the cinnamon rolls a little bit. They did still turn out though. 🙂
Sally
My wonderful mother spent all day making fresh cinnamon rolls, with yeast!, as a thank you to my FDNY husband on his first tour back, after a 2-month break. She felt he deserved an extra special treat during this incredibly challenging time, and who could argue. I had sworn off cinnamon rolls years and years ago after my late father spent a weekend perfecting the best-cinnamon-roll-ever recipe (I was the taste tester). But I couldn’t be rude and not try my mother’s cinnamon rolls. Plus it sounds like my sweet tooth rivals your sweet tooth!! Much to my surprise my mother’s cinnamon rolls were a delight but WAY TOO MUCH WORK. And since I am the epitome of a lazy baker, I set to work finding a much simpler recipe. To my great luck, I found you and your Easy Cinnamon Rolls (no yeast required!) They were so simple to make, even rolling the dough was a cinch (and I don’t roll dough!), and they made the tastiest, gooiest, most delicious cinnamon rolls ever. So thank you, thank you. We are obsessed!
Sam
That is so awesome, Sally! Thank you to your husband for his services. I am so glad everyone enjoyed the cinnamon rolls so much. 🙂
Lisa
Made the cinnamon rolls today and they turned out perfectly. Instead of rolling the 12 inch dough I used a pizza cutter to cut strips and then rolled them individually. It worked amazingly well. I’ll definitely make this recipe again. Thanks for sharing!
Sam
I’m so happy to hear they were such a hit, Lisa!! Thank you so much for commenting 🙂
Ashley C.
These were delicious and very easy. The filling and topping were perfect. I sprinkled raisins onto the filling before rolling. I had the same problem as others, my dough was almost biscuit-like. I was careful not to use too much flour and I measure my flour carefully by spooning/leveling. I wonder if an egg would remedy this issue? The butter in the bottom of the pie dish was one of the best parts! It made them butter and crispy which made up for the dough.
Sam
Hi Ashley! The dough is very similar to a biscuit-dough, it’s just the nature of the dough being yeast-free but having the right structure to work for cinnamon rolls. If you do try it with an egg I’d love to know how they turn out with you!
Sha
These were soo good. I was happy to find a recipe that didnt call for yeast as in these times yeast is hard to find. I did substitue all the sugars for sweetners (I used swerve granualted sugar, Monkfruit Brown Sugar, and Swerve Confectioners sugar) to cut the calories. They are very sweet so far warning if you have blood sugar issues but I love them. I was able to cut the calories down to about 67 calories per roll (with a different icing). Instructions were super easy and to the T.
Thanks
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed the cinnamon rolls! 🙂
Denise
Thanks! Sorry – are we using pie pan and baking dish interchangeably or are they separate? The butter is melted in the pie pan – does it then get poured into the baking dish?
Sugar Spun Run
No worries, Denise. The baking dish is the pie pan. You place your rolls on top of the butter that you melted in the pie pan. 🙂
Ceng
Hi,
I would like to try this out but using wheat flour. Will it work out? How about the measurements will it still be the same? thanks!
Sam
You can use wheat flour. It will create a drier, tougher dough so you may need to use just a little bit less. 🙂