No Yeast Required Cinnamon Rolls are pillowy, sweet, and require no yeast to make them! Easy, tender, and so satisfying.
Today I spent a grey and drizzly afternoon whipping up a recipe from In Jennie’s Kitchen that’s been burning a hole in my back pocket for a few weeks now — dense, gooey, mouthwatering no yeast required cinnamon rolls!
I am obsessed over this recipe! I’ve baked with yeast several times in the past year, and the recipes have turned out well, more or less, but sometimes I just don’t have the time or patience to deal with it, ya’ know?
Homemade cinnamon rolls without the hassle of making sure the milk’s the right temperature? The yeast is activating? The dough has doubled in size?
They exists, my friends, and here’s how you make them:
Start by combining the cinnamon roll filling ingredients in a medium-size mixing bowl: brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, salt & butter.
Mix it up with s whisk until combined.
In a larger bowl, combine flour, more sugar, and salt, plus the leavening agents that let us ditch that pesky yeast.
Baking powder and baking soda.
Whisk together more butter with buttermilk, then pour the mixture into the dry ingredients.
Stir with a stiff spoon or spatula just until the dough comes together. If you over-mix, you will have hard cinnamon rolls, and we can’t have that.
Gently knead the dough into a ball, then divide into two halves.
Turn each half onto a flat, floured surface, then press on half the filling mixture.
Roll the dough up like a log, then pinch the top seam shut. This is the part where I noticed the biggest difference between a yeast-required vs. non-yeast-required cinnamon roll dough. This dough is MUCH easier to handle. Not as sticky, and more firm.
Slice, slice, baby!
Oh yeah!
The recipe says to place the cinnamon rolls into a greased 11×8″ pan. I seemed to have misplaced mine sometime in the last month, so I spit the rolls between 8×8″ and 6×4″ non stick sprayed pans. Now pop those puppies in a piping hot oven.
In the quick 15 minutes they take to bake, whip up some cream cheese icing.
Mash together powdered sugar and cream cheese with a fork, then drizzle in buttermilk and whisk until smooth.
Next take those GORGEOUS, bubbly, golden-brown rolls out of the oven, (ahhh!)
and pretend you live in a world where Grandmas still place hot pies on their windowsills to cool. Place yours on a wooden stool in front of the open back-porch door instead…
Then breeeeeathe in the Heavenly, sweet aroma that’s swirling around your kitchen.
Now spread the cream cheese icing over the top and spread into an even layer.
I can’t remember the last time I was this excited about a recipe! I just can’t get over how much easier these were than cinnamon rolls made with yeast-required dough. So rich and scrumptious too!
Here are the differences between yeast-required & no yeast-required cinnamon rolls, in my experience/opinion:
- No yeast dough is much more firm and cooperative than sticky, yeast-required dough – which makes it much easier to handle, roll out and cut.
- The texture of a baked no yeast roll is more dense than a yeast-required roll. Not better or worse, just different. Allllmost like a heavy pancake?!
- I saved HOURS in the kitchen by ditching the yeast!
Now YES, there is definitely something to be said about baking with yeast. It’s very rewarding, and I’m not giving it up for good.
BUT, if you get a craving for warm, fresh cinnamon rolls that needs to be squashed NOW, then you need to make these!
Ingredients
For the Cinnamon Filling:
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 Tablespoons butter, melted
For the Cinnamon Roll Dough:
- 2-1/2 cups all purpose flour, plus more for rolling out dough
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 5 Tablespoons butter, melted and divided
For the Icing:
- 3 oz cream cheese, softened
- 4 Tablespoons buttermilk
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Directions
- Preheat oven to 425. Combine filling ingredients in a small bowl, then mix with a fork until well blended.
- In a another, larger bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk together buttermilk and 4 Tablespoons melted butter in a separate bowl, then pour into the middle of the dry ingredients. Stir together until dough just comes together (do not overmix.) Kneed slightly with your hands until the dough forms into a ball, then slice it in half.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll each half into a 12x8" rectangle (think slightly longer than a sheet of paper.) Press half the filling mixture into the center, leaving 1/4" of the dough clear on all 4 sides, then roll like a sausage. Pinch together seam, trim ends and cut into 8 slices. Repeat with the other dough half, then place rolls in a non-stick sprayed 11x8" pan, or an 8x8 and 6x4" pan. Brush cinnamon rolls with remaining Tablespoon of melted butter and bake for 15 minutes, or until tops are golden brown.
- Meanwhile, to make the icing, mash together softened cream cheese and powdered sugar with a fork until smooth. Whisk in buttermilk, 1 Tablespoon at a time, until creamy. Drizzle onto hot cinnamon rolls and spread evenly.
Notes
- From In Jennie's Kitchen
Nutrition
Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.
I’ve just made these and they were heavenly. However, a few things went wrong and most probably it’s my fault. I didn’t have packed brown sugar so my filling was not as moist as it looks in your pics. I also substituted buttermilk with yogurt because I didn’t have any. Only problem is they stuck to the pan though it was very generously greased.
One more question when I add the icing should they be piping hot or just warm? I put the icing when they were just out of the oven and it kind of melted instead of forming a layer over them.
Thank you for posting this receipe!! I made them tonight for my 11 year old daughter (who happens to be a chocoholic!) and she said they were better than anything I have ever baked!! Now that is a compliment! I substituted whole wheat white flour for the all purpose flour and they came out great!!
These were absolutely amazing!! LOVED THEM!!! So easy to make! Thanks for sharing it
Can I make the dough, refridgerate overnight and then bake the next day?
I’m not sure as I’ve never tried it before, although I have to think it might work! Let me know if you give it a try!
ok, so I am most definately a baker (my boyfriend does the cooking) and one sunday morning we wanted cinnamon rolls but hadn’t picked any up at the store. being as we didn’t have any yeast in the house i went on a mad hunt for a recipe that didn’t have yeast. These are friggin awesome…just right. didn’t have a single problem. used milk instead of buttermilk though. this recipe is a keeper.
OK, I just have a couple of quick questions. I made these and the filling bubbled out all over…still very tasty, but messy. Is the filling suppose to be dry? I added more butter to the filling cause it looked too dry, it was still powdery. Is this why it got all bubbly all over? Also…why is there salt in the filling? I left it out.
You said you should try making your own bread but that you don’t like spending hours in the kitchen. This recipe sounds perfect for you! I’ve made it with a variety of flours and plain old all purpose flour has given me the best loaf so far, but they’ve all been good.
no-knead bread
3 cups flour
¼ tsp instant yeast
1 ¼ tsp salt
1 5/8 cup water
Combine flour, yeast, and salt. Add water. Stir until blended: dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise 12-18 h. Dough is ready when surface is dotted with bubbles.
Lightly flour work surface and fold dough over on itself 1-2 times. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise 15 min.
Lightly flour work surface and gently and quickly form into ball, pulling taut and pinching seam. Place with seam down and loosely cover for 2 h until dough doubles in size and does not readily spring back when poked.
Pre-heat oven and dutch oven to 450 degrees. Place dough in pot, seam side up. Shake pot to even out dough. Cover and bake for 30 min. Uncover and bake until browned (10-30 min). Cool on rack.
Makes one 1 ½ pound loaf.
From the New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/08/dining/081mrex.html
I just cooked these for some friends and myself as a late night snack and I think they are amazing. They turned out perfect for me, but I wasn’t shy with the flour when kneading or rolling; I used just enough to prevent sticking. I also didn’t have a problem with the sweetness but I suppose you could take out the extra sugar added to the dry ingredients of the dough, but I’m no professional baker so you would have to double check on that. I also added a little bit of lemon extract to the icing recipe and we all really enjoyed that as well. Thanks for the recipe!
Thanks for the recipe. Love baking. Cooking’s ok, but doesn’t feel as rewarding.
Kristen I made these last night for a co-worker’s birthday surprise, even stuck 30 candles in the entire baking sheet! So delicious! They were a huge hit at the office, thanks!
i just made these cinnamon rolls. they are literally the most delicious thing i have ever tasted in my entire life. i ate seven in 20 minutes. THANK YOUUUU!
Green Hornet & No Strings Attached were both GREAT movies! I haven’t seen Love & Other Drugs yet, but it’s definitely on my list.
I found a new k-cup variety at Shopko (I think). It’s my new favorite! It’s called Island Coconut and it’s a limited edition.
P.S. Those rolls look divine! I will have to try that recipe!
Those cinnamon rolls look absolutely amazing! I love that this recipe doesn’t seem too complicated to try. I am definitely going to have to make them sometime :)