Cinnamon Rolls without Yeast (Quick & Easy)
These Cinnamon Rolls without Yeast are so quick and easy to make. They are crusty on the outside, soft and gooey on the inside with caramelized brown sugar on the bottom. A cross between a cupcake and a muffin, they are the perfect weekend baking project!
We love cinnamon rolls like these traditional cinnamon rolls, pumpkin cinnamon rolls and cinnamon roll cookies too!
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These easy, delicious treats are a cross between a muffin and a cinnamon bun. Our family loves them and they are on regular rotation!
I just love that they can be ready in 35 minutes. They’re a wonderful weekend breakfast surprise and they smell SO good!
YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE
- no yeast, means that you will save time – ready in 35 minutes!
- made with basic pantry staple that you likely already have on hand
- no fancy equipment needed. Everything is mixed by hand. All you need is a muffin tin.
INGREDIENTS AND SUBSTITUTIONS
- butter for this recipe is necessary; margarine will not work
- brown sugar – you can use either the light or the dark brown sugar
- icing/glaze – the quick and easy glaze is light and sweet or you can opt for the cream cheese icing which is luscious and delicious!
HOW TO MAKE CINNAMON ROLLS WITHOUT YEAST
- In a large mixing bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly.
- Cutting the butter into cubes makes it easier to mix into the dough.
- Pour in milk and stir to form a soft dough. The dough will be sticky.
- Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead 10 times. Using a rolling pin (or press out by hand), shape into a rectangle approx 1/2 inch thick and 12 inches long.
- When shaping the rectangle , you can use a rolling pin or press the dough into shape by hand.
- Cream butter, brown sugar and cinnamon together well. (I like to do this by hand)
- Drop one teaspoon into the bottom of each of the muffin pans.
- Spread the remaining brown sugar & butter mixture onto the rolled out dough. Again, I find it easier to do this by hand but you can also use a spatula.
- As you can see by the photo this is not a ‘perfect’ rectangle. That is perfectly okay!
- Next, roll it up like a jelly roll on the long side of the rectangle. Pinch the seam and the edges.
- You can score it with a knife before cutting.
- Cut 12 pieces and place cut side down in the prepared muffin tin.
- You can make these in a round baking pan as well by greasing the pan, dropping 12 tsp. on the bottom of the pan and placing the cut cinnamon rolls into the pan, equal distance apart.
- Bake in 400 F oven for 20 minutes. Sometimes, the middles will pop up. Use a wooden spoon to pat them back down part ways through baking.
- Cool on wire rack
- If you using the light glaze, drizzle over the cinnamon buns while they are still warm.
- If you’re using Cream Cheese Icing, let them cool at bit longer, then frost. With the icing, it is sometimes easier to put the icing into a zippered bag, cut the tip and pipe it onto the cinnamon buns.
STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS
Store cooled Cinnamon Buns in an airtight container for two days and in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Pop them into the microwave for a few seconds to warm them up the next day!
Cinnamon Rolls without Yeast
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 12
Description
These easy no yeast cinnamon rolls without yeast are the perfect combination of crusty on the outside and soft and gooey in the middle.
Ingredients
2 cups all purpose flour
3 tbsp. granulated sugar
4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/4 cup cold butter, cubed
1 cup milk
For filling and bottom of muffin tin:
1/3 cup butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
3 tsp. cinnamon
GLAZE
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tbsp. milk – start with one tbsp. and add enough milk until drizzling consistency
Cream Cheese Icing
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 tsp. vanilla
3 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Grease 12 cup muffin pan.
2. In large mixing bowl put flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Pour in milk and stir to form a soft dough. The dough will be sticky. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead 10 times. Using a rolling pin (or press out by hand), shape into a rectangle approx 1/2 inch thick and 12 inches long.
3. Cream butter, brown sugar and cinnamon together well. Drop one teaspoon into the bottom of each of the muffin pans.
4. Spread the remaining cinnamon mixture over the rectangle.
5. Roll up on the long side of the rectangle, like a jelly roll and pinch to seal the seam and edges.
6. Score first with a knife to measure out your cut spaces, then cut into 12 slices. It’s easier to use a serrated knife using a sawing back-and-forth motion, rather than pressing down which will squash the dough.
7.Place cut side down in muffin tin.
8. Bake in 400 F oven for 20 minutes. Cool on baking rack. Add glaze.
For the Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar. Starting with 2 tbsp., gradually add enough milk to make a thin glaze. Drizzle over cinnamon buns.
For Cream Cheese Icing
In a large mixing bowl, beat softened cream cheese with butter for one minute.
Add vanilla and stir until combined.
Gradually add in powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time Mixing on low speed of mixer.
Once all of the icing sugar is added, mix on medium-high for 30 seconds.
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 20 min
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cinnamon roll
- Calories: 290
- Sugar: 25.5 g
- Sodium: 248.9 mg
- Fat: 9.8 g
- Saturated Fat: 5.9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 47.8 g
- Fiber: 1.2 g
- Protein: 4.2 g
- Cholesterol: 27.9 mg
Recipe adapted from Jean Pare, Muffin & More cookbook.
This easy recipe is a family favorite. They’re like a cross between a cupcake and a muffin. So tasty!
This recipe is is easy and they went so fast had to make another batch!!
Prepared these tonight, I’m gonna bake them in the morning. Your instructions were so easy to follow, so no “going back to reread”. I love that it’s a true pantry staple recipe, no special ingredients that don’t get used all up. Thank you!!!