This shortcut recipe for quick no yeast cinnamon rolls makes buttery, homestyle rolls that fluff up beautifully—and in record time! Since you’re skipping the yeast, you can also skip the traditional dough rising and kneading and have cinnamon rolls in about 40 minutes. They’re perfect for the times you crave homemade cinnamon rolls, and don’t want to wait!
You know when you wake up and think, “I wish I could have homemade cinnamon rolls right now,” and then you remember you have to wait a million hours for dough to rise and you cry into your boring bowl of cereal? …No? Just me?
I’ve been on a quest to develop a recipe for quick cinnamon rolls that maintain all the flavor and fluff without the patience and work that yeast requires. (Because, in reality, I’m tired but still want to bake something. LOL.) My homemade cinnamon rolls take about 4 and 1/2 hours, or need to be prepped the night before. Even my easy cinnamon rolls require patience, rising, and kneading.
So if you want from-scratch cinnamon rolls NOW, make today’s no yeast version.
These No Yeast Cinnamon Rolls Are:
- Convenient if you’re busy and tired but still want homemade cinnamon rolls.
- Ready in less than 45 minutes.
- Soft, fluffy, and buttery.
- NOT dense! Surprisingly not dense at all!
- Packed with sweet brown sugar and cinnamon spice.
- Slathered with tangy cream cheese icing.
- Perfect as a special breakfast without all the work and waiting.
Plus, there’s NO kneading, NO rising, and the dough comes together in just 1 bowl. And you can bake them in a pie dish, cake pan, or even as cinnamon roll muffins. This recipe is dynamite.
Key Ingredients & Why This Recipe Works
I used my easy cinnamon rolls dough as the starting point for today’s no yeast version. It’s a popular recipe and I knew it would be perfect as the foundation. From there, I made the following changes:
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda: Since we’re skipping yeast, we need to replace it with another leavener. (Unless you want to eat cinnamon hockey pucks for breakfast!) I tried the dough with only baking powder at first, but quickly learned the dense rolls benefitted from a little baking soda as well. With the crutch of baking soda, the next batch browned a little nicer and fluffed up more.
- More Melted Butter: Like my chocolate chip cookies, this recipe excels with melted butter! The melted butter helps create a chewy bread-like texture, plus it seeps into every nook and cranny so you can really taste the buttery goodness. Compared with my regular cinnamon rolls recipe, I added a little extra butter for more flavor.
- Cold Buttermilk: Since we’re using a little baking soda, we need an acid in the dough. Buttermilk does the job, plus it also adds a little tang, a little fluff, and a little softness. (Like it does in pancakes!) And grab the buttermilk right from the refrigerator because cold milk keeps the otherwise soft and buttery dough workable.
Baking soda, melted butter, and buttermilk are also key ingredients in my no yeast bread recipe.
After a few trials and errors, I was shocked with the final result. These no yeast cinnamon rolls taste similar to the yeasted version and only took me about 40 minutes total. Obviously they’re not as flaky and doughy as the traditional, but I don’t think anyone would EVER notice or complain that there’s no yeast. (My 10+ taste testers ooh’d and ahh’d without batting an eye!)
Here are all of the ingredients you need for the dough & filling:
How to Make Quick No Yeast Cinnamon Rolls
You can go from craving to eating warm, gooey from-scratch cinnamon rolls in record time. Here’s how my recipe works:
- Make the dough: Whisk the dry ingredients together, then add in the wet ingredients. The dough should be quite soft, but not overly sticky.
- Shape the cinnamon rolls: Roll the dough into a 10×14-inch rectangle. This measurement doesn’t need to be exact, so don’t stress. Spread butter on top and then sprinkle with cinnamon and brown sugar. Tightly roll up the dough and cut into 12 pieces. Place in a greased pan.
- Bake: Bake until the rolls puff up and look golden brown, about 22–26 minutes.
- Make the icing: While the cinnamon rolls bake, make the icing using cream cheese, butter, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla extract.
- Eat: Slather the icing on your warm cinnamon rolls and enjoy!
Here are step-by-step photos so you know what to expect:
The assembly steps are exactly like regular cinnamon rolls, only without the rise time.
Before cutting, you can mark the 14-inch log with a knife to ensure you have 12 even rolls. That’s what I usually do:
Success Tip: Expect a Soft Dough
Do not incorporate more flour than you need in this dough. I want you to embrace a soft dough. Instead of mixing more flour INTO the dough to make it workable, use extra flour when shaping the rolls. If the dough is sticking to your counter and rolling pin as you work, dust it all with more flour.
Bottom line: Mixing in more flour than you need could result in crumbly, dense rolls. Instead, use it when assembling the rolls.
Cream Cheese Frosting
This cream cheese icing uses a little more butter and a little less confectioners’ sugar than the icing I typically use on cinnamon rolls. But I love that it doesn’t use gobs of confectioners’ sugar; it’s a nice creamy, buttery, tangy blanket for your rolls. You could also try the maple version used on these pumpkin cinnamon rolls, or for a simpler topping, try this vanilla icing instead.
Can I Bake These as Cinnamon Roll Muffins?
Yes! If you love the slightly crusty, chewy exterior of a cinnamon roll that’s been baked closest to the edge of the pan, try baking these no yeast cinnamon rolls as muffins. After cutting your 12 rolls, place them in a greased standard 12-count muffin pan. Each roll gets that crusty edge all the way around, and they puff up beautifully when they bake. Such a fun recipe!
If you ever need an even quicker and easier option, these mini (no yeast) cinnamon buns use packaged crescent dough.
And if you’re on a roll (ha!), try these cinnamon roll cookies too. 😉
See Your No Yeast Cinnamon Rolls!
Many readers tried this recipe as part of a baking challenge! Feel free to email or share your recipe photos with us on social media. 🙂
PrintQuick No Yeast Cinnamon Rolls
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 12
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This shortcut recipe yields a dozen classic, homestyle cinnamon rolls that fluff up beautifully—without any yeast, kneading, or rise time. They’re perfect for the times you crave homemade cinnamon rolls, and don’t want to wait!
Ingredients
Dough
- 2 and 3/4 cups (345g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled), plus more as needed for rolling
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- 3/4 cup (180ml) buttermilk, cold*
- 5 Tablespoons (71g) unsalted butter, melted & slightly cooled
Filling
- 3 Tablespoons (43g) unsalted butter, extra softened
- 1/3 cup (67g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
Cream Cheese Icing
- 4 ounces (113g) full-fat brick cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 2 Tablespoons (28g) butter, softened to room temperature
- 2/3 cup (80g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and grease a round 9-inch pie dish or 9-inch cake pan. (See Notes for muffin pan instructions.) For extra buttery rolls, I like to grease the baking dish with 1–2 teaspoons of melted butter instead of non-stick spray.
- Make the dough: Whisk the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Add the egg, buttermilk, and melted butter. Mix with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until a dough forms. Dough will be very soft and slightly sticky. If it’s too sticky and wouldn’t roll, add more flour, 1 Tablespoon at a time, until dough seems workable. Do not add more flour than you need; a soft dough is good.
- Place dough on a floured work surface and, using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll dough into a 10×14-inch (25x35cm) rectangle.
- Fill the rolls: Spread softened butter (the softer it is, the easier it is to spread!) all over the dough. Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon together. Sprinkle all over the top. Roll it up tightly into a 14-inch log. Using a very sharp knife, cut into 12 rolls; each roll is slightly wider than 1 inch. Arrange rolls in the prepared pan.
- Bake the rolls: Bake for 22–26 minutes, until lightly browned around the edges. If you notice the tops are getting too brown too quickly, loosely tent the pan with aluminum foil and continue baking. If you want to be precise about their doneness, their internal temperature taken with an instant read thermometer should be around 195–200°F (91–93°C) when done. Remove pan from the oven and place pan on a wire rack as you make the icing. (You can also make the icing as the rolls bake.)
- Make the icing: In a medium bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese on high speed until smooth and creamy. Add the butter and beat until smooth and combined, then beat in the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla until combined. Using a knife or icing spatula, spread the icing over the warm rolls and serve immediately.
- Cover leftover frosted or unfrosted rolls tightly and store at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: If absolutely needed, you can make the dough and assemble the rolls the night before. Cover and refrigerate, then bring to room temperature before baking as directed. The rolls don’t puff up quite as nicely since the baking powder initially activates once wet. For best results, bake right away.
- Freezing Instructions: Baked rolls can be frozen for up to 2–3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and warm up before enjoying.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 9-inch Pie Dish or 9-inch Cake Pan | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Wooden Spoon or Rubber Spatula | Rolling Pin | Cooling Rack | Icing Spatula
- Buttermilk: Buttermilk is required for this recipe, but in a pinch you can make your own DIY version of buttermilk if needed. Add 1 teaspoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to a liquid measuring cup. Then add enough whole milk to the same measuring cup until it reaches 3/4 cup. Stir it around and let sit for 5 minutes. The homemade “buttermilk” will be somewhat curdled and ready to use in the recipe.
- Cinnamon Roll Muffins: You can bake these rolls in a greased standard 12-count muffin pan. No need for muffin liners. Bake time is about 20 minutes.
- Icing Alternatives: If cream cheese isn’t your favorite, you could top the rolls with vanilla icing, the brown sugar icing from these pumpkin donuts, maple icing from maple cinnamon rolls, or even the caramel icing from apple cinnamon rolls. Lots of options!
I was impressed with how easy and quick these cinnamon rolls are! They were a big hit and perfect when you want to whip up something quick. I like to save my yeasted cinnamon rolls for Christmas 🙂
These rolls still came out soft and fluffy even without yeast!
I really liked that the dough was so much easier to roll out than my yeast dough I use for cinnamon rolls. I thought the texture was almost cakey. I think the flavor was lacking a little, and I would have liked more cinnamon sugar and butter. I baked them until they were 197 degrees F, and they seemed a bit dry. Definitely nice to have a recipe that is quick to make if I am feeling like cinnamon rolls but don’t have the time for the dough to rise.
These turned out better than I expected! The flavor was great but the texture was a little too much like a biscuit for me. In the future if I make cinnamon rolls I will stick to the yeast recipe.
These were a lot quicker and simpler to make than I anticipated. My only hang up was when I cut them they were falling apart pretty easily.
* Very tasty dough, scone-like. Flavorful, rich and fluffy. Super easy, super quick.
* Great recipe to make for impromptu guests when overnight yeast rolls are not an option.
* Multipurpose for breakfast, brunch, afternoon snack or dessert.
Notes:
Patted out dough on parchment sheet, with no extra flour.
Stirred the butter, cinnamon and brown sugar together.
Spread onto dough with silicone spatula.
Then used the parchment to help make the roll.
As someone who has made regular yeasted cinnamon rolls before, I love this recipe! It’s quick, easy, and has a delicious end result. It’s not quite as chewy as a yeasted roll, but that trade-off feels totally worth it to me to have home made cinnamon rolls done so fast. The frosting complements them beautifully.
These definitely are super quick and yummy. The texture isn’t the same as yeast but tasty nevertheless. Thanks for the monthly challenge!
Admittedly, I probably would not have attempted this recipe if had not been a Monthly Challenge, so I may not be the best audience. I felt they captured the flavor of cinnamon rolls really well, and were less dry than I expected them to be, but I wouldn’t make them again. I can understand the appeal of wanting a quick version (and these do beat the microwave version I once tried), but I love the texture of traditional cinnamon rolls so much, and it just can’t be achieved without yeast. These ended up being very “coffee-cake”-like for me.
These have the tastes of a cinnamon roll, but in more of a biscuit form.
These cinnamon buns were easy to make and so quick, which was really nice. I would agree with other comments saying they are a bit more like biscuits though. They have a strange texture and are a little on the dry side. Still, for no yeast and 40min, these are quite good. I’d make these again in a pinch, but would probably prefer the traditional ones a bit more.
Quick and easy Cinnamon Rolls!! These were Delish <3 This will be my go-to Cinnamon Roll recipe when I'm craving a Cinnamon Roll and don't want to wait hours for one
Since there is no yeast, has anyone tried an all purpose gluten free flour? Just wondering if that substitution would work.
Hi Christina, we haven’t tested these rolls that way so we can’t speak to the results. However, a few readers have already reported success doing so with a 1:1 gluten free flour. Let us know what you try!
Great! Thank you so much!
My family enjoyed these quite a bit. We love yeasted rolls and if that’s the taste and texture you want, these are not it, but these were nice for something quick and easy. And my kids were even willing to eat them leftover, which is saying a lot for a biscuit-like recipe.
I loved this recipe. I often don’t think ahead enough for the real deal and this was such a great backup to wanting cinnamon rolls without having tons of time.
I was making the frosting and had some leftover cold coffee (maybe a tablespoon or two) that I added and it was the perfect addition to create a little depth.
Would make over and over again!
These were delicious! I think it’s a great beginner recipe or just a great recipe if you don’t have the ingredients or time to do the hours-long/overnight yeast method. It’s flavorful without being too sweet, which I loved. And quick! They’re soft and fluffy, compared to the pull and airy dough of the yeast version. My partner liked how it feels like you get more substance with each bite with this yeast-less version. Yum!
Yum. I added nuts. These were warm and fast gooey.
Great recipe! Perfect combination of easy to make, flavorful, and kid approved!! This will definitely be on my list of go to recipes.
Fun to make, tasted good! I also had a hard time rolling the dough out and then rolling it up again, but this was likely due to my inexperience. Also, be sure you really soften the butter before trying to spread on the dough (otherwise you’ll likely get rips in it like I did!)
Another great recipe from Sally. Easy and quick to make, and oh so good! They have a nice rise and a lovely texture to them. Will make these again. Thanks!
We loved these cinnamon rolls! They have a slightly different texture than traditional cinnamon rolls but are baked fresh from scratch in less than 45 minutes. Zero complaints from me!
I appreciate the opportunity to learn a new baking skill! I usually avoid making cinnamon rolls because they take so long to make. So, now I know there’s a shortcut. But like so many others mentioned, there’s just something about yeast bread that “makes” them into cinnamon rolls. Either way, they were enjoyed by my family!
This is my favorite kind of recipe. It challenged my skills and made a mess of the kitchen which believe it or not makes me happy. The roll is tasty and I would make them again when I don’t have time to make the cinnamon rolls using yeast.
Super easy and great flavor, but missed the fluffy pull of yeast rolls. These has a little bit of a biscuit texture, but still big cinnamon roll flavor!!
I added 1 teaspoon of cardamom to the dough, as I love cardamom. I also doubled the filling, but did not use quite all of it. Some said there was too much frosting, but I didn’t think so and used all of the frosting. There have been remarks that people prefer “yeast” cinnamon rolls. Maybe the title of the recipe should have been “Cinnamon Roll Biscuits” instead of “No Yeast Cinnamon Rolls”, and the “biscuit” title would define the recipe a bit differently. Super easy to make before everyone was up on a Sunday morning!
These are good, no question. But they’re more like a delicious cinnamon cake than cinnamon rolls. If you’re really wanting cinnamon rolls, there’s no shortcut; you gotta’ go with yeast.
Spreading the butter onto the sticky stretchy dough was somewhat difficult and I’m wondering if brushing melted butter would work just as well. I loved the frosting. Delicious and not too sweet, which is often a problem for me. Cinnamon rolls are sweet enough, the frosting doesn’t have to send you into a coma, lol.
Hard to beat Sallys homemade yeast cinnamon rolls, but these were a great alternative and were super quick and easy to bake! Will definitely make again
When you’re craving homemade cinnamon rolls but don’t want to wait forever, this is a great go to! My picky eater loves them! The dough was a little fidgety, but that could’ve easily been user error.
Fast and delicious! And I definitely have “cinnamon roll emergencies” when I can’t wait for yeast — so this perfect!
While these definitely can’t compete with the real deal with yeast, I was pleasantly surprised with how delicious these are! They came together so quickly and rose beautifully in the oven. Great when you’re craving cinnamon rolls but didn’t plan ahead.