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Easy No Yeast Cinnamon Rolls Recipe

This recipe for no yeast cinnamon rolls is perfect for those afraid of yeast. They’re so good! Some links in this post are affiliate links that earn me a commission if you purchase through them.

Best homemade cinnamon rolls

A little over a week ago, I spent the weekend at Kendall College doing their Advanced Pastry Class. We made so many delicious things, and there are several I can’t wait to recreate at home.

One thing I noted right away was that my two day to make cinnamon rolls were a thing of the past. You know… make the dough the night before because it has to rise – twice – then bake them in the morning.

We made delicious cinnamon rolls with baking soda and baking powder that didn’t need to rise and came together in under an hour. I started out skeptical, but they were absolutely amazing.

Bite of cinnamon roll

That isn’t to say that traditional cinnamon rolls have no place in my life. I love making yeast breads, and cinnamon rolls are no exception.

Some of my favorites (outside these no yeast cinnamon rolls, of course):

But back to these no yeast cinnamon rolls…. There were a few things that I wanted to do differently with them, so I’ve adapted the original recipe to meet my own preferences.

Sometimes I make these with a mocha cinnamon glaze, and sometimes with a traditional glaze. Choose your favorite, and go that route.

In the same vein, you can make these in a cast iron skillet like I did most recently or in a round cake pan. The cast iron skillet bakes a little faster, but both work incredibly well.

Cast iron cinnamon rolls

When my husband digs around in the pan for any last little spare leftover bits, you know you have a hit on your hands. Mister Man even closed his eyes in bliss, which is a rarity.

And my dad is on his way over to my house right now, not the least of which is so that he can try out the cinnamon rolls.

Dairy Free no yeast cinnamon rolls ready to serve

I used to make these no yeast cinnamon rolls vegan for my daughter who couldn’t have dairy. These homemade cinnamon rolls have no eggs already, and you can sub out other ingredients.

Butter subs one for one with coconut oil. In place of buttermilk, use 4 parts rice or coconut milk mixed with one part vegan mayonnaise to approximate buttermilk. It works well for all sorts of recipes!

How to Make No Yeast Cinnamon Rolls

(based on a recipe from Kendall College)

Make the filling first

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.  Use the softened butter to grease the bottom and sides of a round cake pan or cast iron skillet.

Make your filling first. Mix together the sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Add the melted butter and stir until it’s incorporated and about the consistency of wet sand (my favorite comparison from the whole class).

Make the no yeast cinnamon rolls dough second

Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, brown sugar, salt, and salt to a bowl. Whisk to incorporate all the ingredients and ensure that the flour is fluffy and not clumped together.

In a separate bowl (or liquid measuring cup for those of us who prefer to not make more dirty bowls than necessary), add the buttermilk and butter. Whisk to combine, then pour over your dry ingredients.

Using a wooden spoon or spatula, gently stir the wet and dry ingredients together until they’ve combined. It will look fairly loose, but that’s ok.

Loose dough to be kneaded

Turn the dough out to a lightly floured surface and knead for a couple minutes. This ensures the dough is well mixed and has a nice consistency.  

Roll the dough out to a rectangle approximately 9 inches by 11 inches. Think of your brownie pan, and know that this doesn’t have to be exact.

Dough rolled to 13 by 9 size approximately

Brush your dough with another tablespoon or so of melted butter to cover the entire rectangle, less a half inch or so on one of the long sides of your rectangle.

Carefully pour your filling the long way in the general semblance of a line in the center of the dough. Spread it out to cover the rectangle, leaving about a half inch without filling on one of the long ends.

This will be your seam where you have your dough hold together. Sprinkle the raisins atop this if you are using them.

Fill your cinnamon rolls with the filling poured into the center then spread

Carefully roll the dough up, starting with the long side. Use your thumbs to tuck the dough down into the center when you start.  

After you’ve gotten a few rolls in, it gets easier. Pinch along the seam to seal the long log you’ve just created.

Carefully roll up the dough, tucking in the ends

Cut the log into eight equal size piece.  Use a serrated bread knife to make the cleanest cuts when working with dough.

The easiest way to do this is to cut the log in half.  Then cut the half in half and repeat one more time until you have eight equal pieces.  It’s far easier than trying to eyeball it cutting from one end all the way down.

Cut the dough in half, then in half again and in half a third time to create eight equal sections

Carefully pick up your rolls and place them into your prepared pan, starting with one roll in the center and the rest forming a circle along the edge of the pan. It’s ok if they touch.  

Cast iron skillet cinnamon rolls

Make sure you place the end sides down so that you only see the pretty cut sides of your rolls.

Brush the tops of your cinnamon rolls with just a little more butter to give them a nice shine and keep them soft while baking. Place the pan in your preheated 425 degree oven and bake for 25-27 minutes until they are a golden brown.

If you use a cast iron skillet, they cook faster. Check them starting at 20 minutes.

Cinnamon rolls baked golden brown

Make the icing while the no yeast cinnamon rolls bake

I love chocolate and cinnamon together, so I make a chocolate cinnamon icing for my cinnamon rolls. It’s my little touch.  

Add the buttermilk to a bowl (shhh, I use the same bowl my filling was in – that whole don’t dirty more bowls than necessary theory), then the powdered sugar, cinnamon and cocoa powder.  

Stir with a fork until combined, and add the vanilla bean paste. Frost your cinnamon rolls after they’ve cooled for several minutes to keep the icing from completely melting.

Add icing to cinnamon rolls

These are definitely best served and eaten the same day, although they will keep until the next day in a tightly sealed container. Reheat for about 10 seconds in the microwave before eating the next day.

They’re so quick and easy, and they taste like they should be a yeast roll.  Call me lazy, but these are my new cinnamon rolls – made with my own twists.

Cinnamon rolls covered in icing and ready to eat

Have you ever tried making no yeast cinnamon rolls?

No yeast homemade cinnamon rolls

No Yeast Cinnamon Rolls

Yield: 8 cinnamon rolls
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes

Easy cinnamon rolls with no yeast! Make these in under an hour, no waiting for them to rise, but no one will ever know you "cheated." These are soft and delicious.

Ingredients

Filling Ingredients:

  • 1 c brown sugar
  • 2 T butter, melted
  • 2 t cinnamon
  • 1/2 t ground cloves
  • 1/2 t salt
  • 1/2 c raisins (optional)

Dough ingredients:

  • 2 1/2 c flour, plus more for kneading
  • 2 T brown sugar
  • 1/2 t salt
  • 1 1/4 t baking powder
  • 1/2 t baking soda
  • 1 c buttermilk
  • 1 T butter

Cinnamon Mocha Icing ingredients:

  • 4 T buttermilk
  • 1/2 t vanilla
  • 1 c powdered sugar
  • 1 T cocoa powder
  • 3/4 t cinnamon

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Use softened butter to thoroughly grease the bottom and sides of a round cake pan or cast iron skillet.
  2. Make filling first. Mix together sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Add 2 tablespoons melted butter and stir until the consistency of wet sand, then set aside.
  3. Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, brown sugar, salt, and salt to a bowl. Whisk to incorporate. In a separate bowl, add buttermilk and melted butter. Whisk to combine, then pour over dry ingredients.
  4. Stir the wet and dry ingredients together until combined.
  5. Knead dough for a minute on a well floured surface. Roll the dough to a rectangle approximately 9 inches by 11 inches.
  6. Brush dough with another tablespoon of melted butter.
  7. Add filling to dough. Cover the rectangle, but leave a half inch without filling on a long end. Sprinkle the raisins over filling if using them.
  8. Carefully roll the dough up, starting with the long side. Pinch along the seam to seal.
  9. Cut into eight equal size piece and place each into prepared pan.
  10. Brush tops of cinnamon rolls with more melted butter. Bake at 425 degrees for 25 minutes until they are a golden brown. If using cast iron, start checking at 20 minutes.
  11. While they are baking, prepare your icing. Add 4 tablespoons buttermilk, then add the powdered sugar, 3/4 teaspoons cinnamon, and cocoa powder.
  12. Stir with a fork until combined, then add vanilla. Frost your cinnamon rolls after they've cooled for several minutes.

Notes

  • To make a traditional icing, use 4 T buttermilk, 1 1/4 cup powdered sugar, and 1/2 t vanilla. Mix as you would the other icing and pour over slightly cooled cinnamon rolls.
  • These cinnamon rolls are best eaten the day you make them. If you plan to save leftovers, ensure you store them in a tightly sealed container. Reheat for 10 seconds in the microwave to soften them before eating.
  • Note that the cast iron skillet cooks the cinnamon rolls faster than a baking dish. They will bake in 20 minutes rather than 25.

Recommended Products

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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1 roll
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 382Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 13mgSodium: 562mgCarbohydrates: 80gFiber: 2gSugar: 46gProtein: 6g

This site uses an outside source to provide nutrition as a courtesy. If you need exact values, please calculate yourself.

Did you make this recipe?

Please rate the recipe above and save it on Pinterest so you can find it to make again and again. Leave me a comment to let me know what you think about it, too!

Easy no yeast cinnamon rolls recipe for breakfast. This simple recipe is yeast free and ready in under 60 minutes. This has no eggs, and you can make it in a cast iron skillet or cake pan. This is a perfect quick weekend brunch dish! #cinnamonrolls #brunch #breakfast #castiron

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  1. Deborah Doss says:

    I love cinnamon rolls and my Husband loves them too.

  2. […] No yeast cinnamon rolls (ready in 45 minutes) […]

  3. […] is always a win, right? Add bacon to it, and it’s even better. I might have to adjust my own no yeast cinnamon roll recipe to make a copycat version of this […]

  4. Nichole says:

    Those look amazing!

  5. Pat says:

    Jerry has a sweet tooth and LOVES cinnamon rolls. But I generally don’t make such sweet treats for him. However, this one sounds easy and scrumptious, so I’ve saved it and printed it out for a future surprise for him. I just have to persuade him not to eat them all in one day.

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