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.
Would you be able to just let the rolls sit over night and in the morning cook them and make the iceing??? Please respond ASAP I’m making today
Hi Maya! I’m not sure as I’ve never tried letting them sit overnight. Let us know how it worked out!
This is genius! I’ve been looking for a recipe like this for months, thanks so much!
I just tried this recipe with my gluten free flour. Unfortunately, I cant have gluten and have been craving cinnamon rolls. I figured it was worth a try. Either the gluten free flour mixture I have sucked up too much of the mixture, or I mixed it too much. My dough turned out pretty dry and they didnt puff up at all when I baked it. Also a lot of the cinnamon stuff on the inside baked out. They arent pretty, but they still taste okay and I’m definitely going to waste them. I think I may still try it out again and try to make a few changes and see how it turns out.
Can you prep them the night before and just pop them in the oven in the morning, or would that deactivate the baking powder?
Hey Misty! I’ve never tried so I can’t tell you for certain. Let me know if you give it a go, and how they turned out!
Followed the exact recipe. I found the dough to be super sticky. I even added additional flour when rolling it out. I alsp thought they were very sweet. I would cut back on the sugar if I made them again. Less in the filling and omit from the dough/
I made these this morning. And they look nothing like yours. Mine were small and they didnt cook up the way yours did. How did u get yours to stay flat?
Amanda, mine did the same thing!
I am wondering if it’s possible to make these the night before, refrigerate them, and take them out in the morning to bake?!?!
I’ve never tried, but since they don’t have yeast, and won’t rise unnecessarily in the fridge, I think it’d be fine!
These are the best cinnamon rolls ever! Ive been making them like crazy. I brought them into work & I started getting orders because everyone loved them so much! They are so simple to make, love love love this recipe!
Can these be made ahead of time and frozen? How long would they have to thaw and would it require a longer baking time?
Unfortunately I’m not sure, as I’ve never tried. Will you let me know if you give it a whirl? I’d love to keep a batch frozen to pull out on the weekends!
Oh MY GOSH! thos are so good! i luv them! thanks for the recicipie!
Oh my gosh! These are great and so sweet! Totally cures my sweet tooth! I’m not a bog fan of the icing so I used glaze, But the rolls were so great and thanks for sharing this recipe with us!
Wow! I just made these for breakfast (though there’s nothing breakfasty about them) and they were ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! Better than any bakery. And so, so easy. I didn’t have buttermilk so used a tbsp of lemon and added milk to make it a cup. Next time I think I’ll use a little less sugar (maybe skip the regular sugar in the filling) but these were so excellent. Thank you!
This also makes a great starting point as a copycat Pillsbury crescent roll recipe. Just do the old flat, fat,fold ,flat,freeze croissant treatment!