Quick Cinnamon Rolls

4.5
(439)

An easy cinnamon roll recipe made from scratch with no yeast, proofing, or kneading necessary! Just the thing for a quick breakfast treat. They're best enjoyed the day that they're made.

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Single cinnamon role on a wood board.
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Prep Time:
20 mins
Cook Time:
20 mins
Total Time:
40 mins
Servings:
9
Yield:
9 cinnamon rolls

Satisfy your sweet tooth first thing in the morning with these shortcut cinnamon rolls. There's no yeast required, so it's perfect for beginner bakers or anyone who is short on time (or patience).

This recipe for from-scratch cinnamon rolls is easy to make with ingredients you probably already have on hand.

What Sets These Cinnamon Rolls Apart?

Unlike most traditional cinnamon roll recipes, these rolls are made without yeast — that means there's no need for proofing or kneading. The best part? They come together quickly and easily in just a little over a half an hour.

These homemade cinnamon rolls feature an optional 5-ingredient cream cheese icing, but you can leave them plain or top them with the store-bought stuff to make this recipe even simpler.

Test Kitchen Tips

This top-rated user recipe was tested in our test kitchen. Here are some tips from recipe tester Nicole Hopper:

  • The dough is soft and slightly sticky, but it should be a workable consistency. To help you roll the dough up, I recommend using a bench scraper to help lift and roll the dough.
  • This makes a lot of frosting! Go all out and use it all, or use half and reserve the rest for another use. 
  • Use a sharp knife to cut the rolls to avoid tearing the dough and misshaping them. Alternatively, use unscented dental floss. 
  • No need to let the cinnamon rolls cool before icing them. In fact, it helps the icing easily spread over the rolls.   

How to Store Cinnamon Rolls

Store these cinnamon rolls in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. If you want to keep them longer than that, consider freezing them. To freeze baked cinnamon rolls for up to three months, you'll want to double wrap them for complete protection: Wrap each cinnamon roll in one layer of storage wrap followed by one layer of aluminum foil. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat in the microwave or oven.

Allrecipes Community Tips and Praise

"I have made this recipe twice and received raves for it each time," according to SueB. "It is very easy to make and was well received."

"They were better than I expected," says Jeana. "Yeast and I do not get along very well, so I had pretty much given up making good cinnamon rolls. But these were gorgeous and tasted wonderful. I didn't have cream cheese so I just drizzled them with basic milk-confectioner's glaze then added pecans."

"These are truly amazing cinnamon rolls," raves ​​CuriousCat. "They taste like the store-bought cinnamon rolls in a tube. I added the butter that you're supposed to brush on the dough into the cinnamon mixture, and they were much softer. The dough was also rather sticky, but an extra 1/2 cup of flour can fix that."

Editorial contributions by Corey Williams

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Ingredients

Original recipe (1X) yields 9 servings

  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, divided

Dough:

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed

  • 2 tablespoons white sugar

  • 2 teaspoons baking powder

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

  • 2/3 cup whole milk

Filling:

  • 1/4 cup white sugar

  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar

  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Cream Cheese Frosting:

  • 1 cup confectioners' sugar

  • 4 ounces cream cheese, softened

  • ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened

  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

  1. Gather Ingredients. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Brush an 8-inch square baking dish with 1 tablespoon of the melted butter.

    Ingredients to make quick cinnamon rolls

    AllRecipes / Abbey Littlejohn

  2. To make the dough: Whisk flour, white sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Work 3 tablespoons softened butter into flour mixture using your hands until butter is lentil-sized.

    A bowl of crumbly cinnamon roll dough

    AllRecipes / Abbey Littlejohn

  3. Pour milk into flour-butter mixture and stir with a rubber spatula until a soft dough forms.

    A glass bowl with a ball of shaggy dough

    AllRecipes / Abbey Littlejohn

  4. Turn dough out onto a well-floured work surface and roll dough into a 10- x 10-inch square. Brush surface of dough with remaining 2 tablespoons melted butter.

    A rolled out, square piece of dough on a floured surface, brushed with melted butter

    AllRecipes / Abbey Littlejohn

  5. To make the filling: Whisk ¼ cup white sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon together in a small bowl. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon cinnamon-sugar mixture in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle remaining cinnamon sugar over butter-brushed dough.

    A rolled out, square piece of dough, topped with melted butter and cinnamon sugar

    AllRecipes / Abbey Littlejohn

  6. Roll dough around filling to form a log; cut log into 9 rolls about 1-inch wide; place rolls, cut-side up, in the prepared baking dish.

    A rolled up log of cinnamon rolls, with slices of cinnamon rolls in a square baking dish

    AllRecipes / Abbey Littlejohn

  7. Bake in the preheated oven until rolls are puffed and lightly golden, 20 to 25 minutes.

    A square baking dish with cinnamon rolls

    AllRecipes / Abbey Littlejohn

  8. To make the frosting: Beat confectioners' sugar, cream cheese, 1/4 cup softened butter, and vanilla extract together in a bowl until frosting is smooth.

    A bowl of cream cheese frosting

    AllRecipes / Abbey Littlejohn

  9. Top hot cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting.

    A baking dish of frosted cinnamon rolls, with a spoon removing a bun

    AllRecipes / Abbey Littlejohn

From the Editor

This recipe was tested in our test kitchen in November 2023 and updated to remove egg and reduce the amount of milk in the dough to make it more workable, plus cut the dough into larger rolls to prevent them from overbaking.

988 home cooks made it!

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

234 Calories
9g Fat
36g Carbs
4g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 9
Calories 234
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 9g 11%
Saturated Fat 5g 26%
Cholesterol 22mg 7%
Sodium 259mg 11%
Total Carbohydrate 36g 13%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Total Sugars 14g
Protein 4g 7%
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 97mg 7%
Iron 1mg 8%
Potassium 66mg 1%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.