This shortcut recipe for quick no yeast cinnamon roll biscuits makes buttery, homestyle rolls that fluff up beautifullyโand in record time! Since youโre skipping the yeast, you can also skip the traditional dough rising and kneading and have cinnamon rolls in about 40 minutes. Theyโre perfect for the times you crave homemade cinnamon rolls, and donโt want to wait!
One reader, Kathy, commented: โWhat a great recipe! So delicious and much easier than the yeasted ones Iโve made for years, which can take hours! We had them as part of our Christmas brunch and my whole family agreed this recipe is a keeper. Thank you! โ โ โ โ โ โ
You know when you wake up and think, โI wish I could have homemade cinnamon rolls right now,โ and then you remember you have to wait a million hours for dough to rise and you cry into your boring bowl of cereal? โฆNo? Just me?
Iโve 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, Iโm 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 todayโs no yeast biscuit version.
These No Yeast Cinnamon Roll Biscuits Are:
- Convenient if youโre 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, thereโs 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 todayโs no yeast version. Itโs 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 weโre 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 weโre 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. If youโre interested, I have plenty more on this topic in my Baking with Buttermilk post (including a DIY buttermilk substitute recipe).
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 theyโre not as flaky and doughy as the traditional, but I donโt think anyone would EVER notice or complain that thereโs no yeast. (My 10+ taste testers oohโd and ahhโd 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. Hereโs 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 10ร14-inch rectangle. This measurement doesnโt need to be exact, so donโt 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 22โ26 minutes.
- Make the icing: While the cinnamon rolls bake, make the icing using cream cheese, butter, confectionersโ 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. Thatโs 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 confectionersโ sugar than the icing I typically use on cinnamon rolls. But I love that it doesnโt use gobs of confectionersโ sugar; itโs 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 thatโs 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 youโre on a roll (ha!), try these cinnamon roll cookies too. ๐
See Your No Yeast Cinnamon Roll Biscuits!
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. ๐
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No-Yeast Cinnamon Roll Biscuits
- 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 homestyle biscuit-like cinnamon rolls that fluff up beautifullyโwithout any yeast, kneading, or rise time. Theyโre perfect for the times you crave homemade cinnamon rolls, and donโt 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) confectionersโ sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375ยฐF (190ยฐC) 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 1โ2 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 itโs too sticky and wouldnโt 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 10ร14-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 22โ26 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 195โ200ยฐF (91โ93ยฐC) 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 confectionersโ 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 donโt 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 2โ3 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 Silicone Spatula | Rolling Pin | Cooling Rack | Icing Spatula
- Buttermilk: Buttermilk is required for this recipe, but in a pinch you can make your own DIY buttermilk substitute 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 โbuttermilkโ 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 isnโt 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!
Reader Comments and Reviews
This is the kind of cinnamon roll I grew up eating, itโs so good! Perfect
Wow these are SOOO good will make again
I did not have buttermilk so I used whipping cream and they turned out great. ๐
Thank you for this wonderful recipe! I made a batch w and wo raisins, one w homemade rasp jam, and one as sticky buns. Yummy! These are way better than the ones I made for years. I will keep coming back to this pg. I appreciate it.
These are definitely the best. No yeast cinnamon rolls Iโve ever made, and Iโve made quite a few. A couple of things that I did differently in the recipe is that I used pastry flour as I think that gives a little bit more of the bready feel to the cinnamon rolls as opposed to all-purpose flour. Also I put the cut cinnamon rolls in the freezer while the oven was heating up. I continually read that thatโs one way to improve the consistency of your baked goods. And is one reader commented? I just used a simple confection at sugar glaze as weโre not big icing people.
Will definitely make these again!
Any chance that you have an orange roll version of this recipe? These are amazing but as much as I love cinnamon rolls, rolls loaded with orange zest and topped with orange icing are even better!
Hi Sally, we do not have an orange version, but that certainly sounds delicious! Let us know if you experiment with anythingโadding some orange zest and orange extract would be a great place to start. Or even some orange zest and orange juice to the icing.
SHOCKINGLY AWESOME โฆ. I think everyone is overbaking them because these are GREAT.
My teenager talked me into making these โ Iโm a die-hard yeast baker and so I had no great views on doing a โbiscuitโ cinnamon roll. Periodically, I had to kind of just close my eyes and keep going โฆ. I was giving it a shot.
I pulled the rolls out of the oven at least ten or fifteen minutes before they appeared ready. The centers were not just springy โ they were downright soft. My teenager checked them and insisted they werenโt done โ but the baking intuition said to pull them, so we did.
I used a basic vanilla icing, and, let me tell you โ these are DELICIOUS. I think everyone is over-baking them; they are biscuits, so even a little extra time in the oven to โnormal donenessโ could ruin the result.
Great recipe. WILL bake again. Enjoyed having a baking adventure this Sunday morning!
Recipe looked great! But definitely wasnโt. It was definitely more like a scone. Had great flavor but was as dry as a bucket of powder. I used 2 sticks of butter. Should have been gooey. Nope. Maybe next time.
These turned out great! I was specifically looking for a cinnamon roll recipe that had more of a biscuit texture, and these were perfect. They remind me of the Mrs. Winners super cinnamon swirl I had growing up. I think next time I will make with the vanilla icing. So glad to have found your recipe!
iโve made no yeast cinnamon rolls before and they have never turned out as good as this recipe! I did add extra butter to the filling just because I always feel like they get a little dry and gooey is definitely better. I did also use the thermometer to check the doneness and that worked out really well!
OMG these cinnamon rolls are so delicious. I normally make quick cinnamon rolls from crescent rolls but didnโt have any and the family requested them Christmas morning. Tried this recipe and they are amazing. Everyone gave rave reviews. 10/10.
great and easy recipe. the dough was very easy to make and shape when it came time to roll and all that. the flavor was also nice! i only gave four stars because i think itโs not exactly your standard cinnamon roll texture, itโs more like a scone consistency which iโm not mad about lol .
The recipe came out great!
I did them in s muffin pan for 15 minutes. Any longer and they would be dry. I think
Really annoyed. Absolutely this recipe is a lie. I did everything perfectly but mine came out as cinnamon scones, hard crusty and yes, they were delicious but NOTHING like breast cinnamon rolls. They came out hard on outside and absolutely like a scone. This is the perfect scone recipe but absolutely not a doughy result. Not a cinnamon roll.
I tried these and they came out as expected. Theyโre called cinnamon roll biscuits, they have a texture much like flaky biscuits, not like a yeast based cinnamon roll.
Really great! Good directions and hubby loved! Remind me of the quickie Sunday AM ones mom made. They have somewhat of a biscuit consistency and are not overly sweet. Added homegrown apples diced fine and it came out beautifully! Shared and will use again. Thanks Sally!
These came out perfect! Iโve always been too scared to make my own cinnamon rolls but I saw this and figured why not (plus I needed to use my leftover buttermilk) and Iโm so glad I did! These were super easy and came out delicious
These were horrible. I followed the recipe exactly and they were dry and crumbly and not at all what I expected. It was a total waste of money and time.
I loved this quick cinnamon roll recipe! Iโve made many batches of the typical yeast (and sourdough!) cinnamon rolls. These are no doubt different slightly in texture, but are still very much like your standard cinnamon roll! Canโt understand why so many people arenโt a fan. If I had to bet, itโd be because they added too much flour. My dough was very soft and almost unworkable, but I believe that is why mine came out lovely and so delicious! Anyway, I will definitely be making these on repeat since they are so much quicker. And a quick addition I loved: add some chai seasonings to your cream cheese frosting โ itโs to die for! Thanks for another great recipe Sally!
Not a great recipe
Definitely not cinnamon roll taste or texture.
It didnโt work out for me.
This is my go-to, fail-safe cinnamon roll recipe! Iโm an avid baker and have tried multi-hour yeasted rolls that come out subpar, but this recipe is great for quick, reliably tasty cinnamon rolls. They are slightly biscuit-y but Iโve made them twice and will continue to keep making them. They still have great soft centers but arenโt as chewy as your typical cinnamon rollโmaybe thatโs why theyโve had such harsh criticism?
These worked really well. Theyโre more cake or scone-like than trad cinnamon rolls but they rise really nicely while being baked and taste very good
Pretty good. Added raisins and pecans in the filling. Bit extra butter and brown sugar in the filling as well. Bakes in buttered muffin tins.
I love Sallyโs baking addiction, but this recipe was a disappointment. This is not a cinnamon roll, so please do not call it that. Itโs misleading. It is a cinnamon biscuit. If you eat it as though it were a cinnamon roll, you will find it stale and dry.
Thank you so much for your feedback. I will use it to improve how this recipe is presented on my site. Glad you have found other recipes you enjoy.
I totally agree! A huge disappointment. The grand kids wouldnโt even eat it and had to throw most of them away. More like a crumbly dry scone not a cinnamon roll. First disappointment from Sallyโs recipes ever. Most are fantastic!
I know a recent trend is to add heavy cream or 1/2 on top of rolls before you bake them tho make them similar to Cinnabons. Could you do that with this recipe?
Hi Karen, I havenโt tested it but I canโt see why not.