Preheat your oven for a fast and family favorite recipe for Easy Homemade Cinnamon Rolls Without Yeast, which are topped with tangy cream cheese frosting.
It’s hard to beat a warm batch of homemade cinnamon rolls, all those swirls of pillowy butter-soaked carbs. Slather a tangy cream cheese frosting on top and we just won breakfast … and brunch … and snacktime, too (at least in our house).
But what do you get when you take this notoriously tricky yeasted dough, which involves hours of prepping and proofing, and strip it down to the no yeast, no stand mixer, no eggs and no proofing basics? This recipe for Easy Homemade Cinnamon Rolls Without Yeast.
How Do You Make Cinnamon Rolls Without Yeast?
I’m so glad you asked! The answer is short and sweet, just two little words: baking powder.
We’ve been on a major no-yeast baking kick around here, including my new favorite recipes for homemade bread and homemade pizza dough, neither of which requires yeast or proofing. And yet the results are still light, airy, tender doughs … with rave reviews!
By omitting the yeast, and swapping in the perfect amount of baking powder, we’re able to get homemade cinnamon rolls onto your breakfast table in under an hour. That’s less time than it takes to watch an episode of Tiger King. Win!
What’s the Texture of Homemade Cinnamon Rolls Without Yeast?
Unlike traditional cinnamon rolls, which rise, puff and then fill a baking dish as they bake, these cinnamon rolls won’t have the same amount of rise. That doesn’t mean they won’t be light and buttery!
The cinnamon rolls have a slightly denser texture and chewier bite that the classic confection. If you’ve ever made our Pizza Dough Cinnamon Rolls, consider this its DIY upgrade.
Just look at those cinnamony spirals. They’re the result of a silky-smooth dough that takes shape in 20 minutes, and that includes a 15-minute resting time.
What’s the Best Frosting for Cinnamon Rolls?
There’s really only one answer to this, in my opinion: sweet and tangy cream cheese frosting.
The key with this frosting recipe is that it’s just sweet enough to complement the rolls. The goal is to avoid a cloying sweetness, and instead, create a perfect marriage of cinnamon, butter, sugar and cream cheese.
So if you’re ready to ditch the yeast, skip the stand mixer, forget the eggs and lose the lengthy hours-long process of whipping up one of breakfast’s greatest carbs, then look no further than this recipe for Easy Homemade Cinnamon Rolls Without Yeast!
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Ingredients
For the dough:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling out dough
- 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 3 Tablespoons white sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for greasing baking dish
For the filling:
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
For the frosting:
- 4 oz. cream cheese, at room temp
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temp
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
Instructions
Make the dough and filling:
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, cinnamon and salt.
- In a small saucepan set over low heat, combine the milk and butter. Cook just until the butter is melted. (Alternately, microwave the milk and butter together. See Kelly's Notes.)
- Add the milk mixture to the flour, and using a spatula, mix just until combined.
- Flour your work surface then turn out the dough and knead it for 1 minute until it comes together in a smooth ball. If the dough feels overly sticky, add more flour as needed, but do not over-knead the dough.
- Cover the dough loosely with a damp towel and let it rest for 15 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 8- or 9-inch baking dish with butter.
- Lightly flour your work surface then roll the dough into a 10x14-inch rectangle.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the brown sugar and cinnamon.
- Brush the dough all over with the melted butter then sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mixture on top.
- Beginning at the long end, tightly roll the dough up into a log. Trim off the edges then slice the log into 9 rolls.
- Arrange the rolls in the greased baking dish.
- Bake the rolls for 25 to 30 minutes until they are pale golden and baked through. While the rolls are baking, make the frosting.
Make the frosting:
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese and butter. Using a handheld mixer, beat the ingredients until smooth then add the vanilla and beat just until combined.
- Add the confectioners’ sugar and beat just until combined.
- Remove the rolls from the oven and let them cool completely before frosting and serving.
Kelly's Notes:
- The milk and butter must be melted together. Using cold milk causes the melted better to resolidify, which leads to an uneven dough.
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Recipe by Kelly Senyei of Just a Taste. Please do not reprint this recipe without my permission. If you'd like to feature this recipe on your site, please rewrite the method of preparation and link to this post as the original source.
Dry, no flavor.
I’m sorry you didn’t enjoy the recipe, Ally.
Best cinnamon bun I’ve ever had!! 11/10
Woohoo! I’m so thrilled you enjoyed the recipe, Megan!
Very quick and easy for a cinnamon roll recipe. Result is dense and tasty.
Very nice!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Jean!
Will the dough still bake right if left in the fridge overnight?
Hi Ferah! I wouldn’t recommend that since the baking powder begins working immediately and could lose some of its “oomph” if made too far in advance.
Easy to make great recipe
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Nick!
Easy to make, and the house smells absolutely amazing !!
Thanks for the great recipe!
You are so welcome, Amanda! I’m thrilled you enjoyed the recipe!
It was really easy to make and fun for older kids to do themselves.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Loved these!! I was a little hesitant at first, but the rolls turned out to be very soft and fluffy. I did some minor tailoring to the recipe by adding 1tsp of rum to the milk and butter mixture, and also a sprinkle of freshly gratted nutmeg. Thank your for sharing this recipe!!
You are so welcome, Massiel! I’m thrilled you enjoyed the recipe!
I was wondering if these could be frozen prior to baking?
Hi Cayla! I wouldn’t recommend making these in advance since the baking powder begins working immediately and could lose some of its “oomph” if frozen/made too far in advance.
i will literally swear by this recipe for my life. i am a 30 year old single female, so using yeast for some cinnamon rolls that i am craving just isn’t worth it. however. this recipe i can half it and it’s PERFECT. props to you for figuring this out. ALSO THANK YOU FOR NOT MENTIONING CALORIES. BEST. FREAKING. PART.
Yesssss! I’m so thrilled you’ve been enjoying the recipe, Meg!
Very delicious. My family loved them
I’m so happy to read this, Crystal!
They were just like my Moms ..I had lost her recipe..thank you very much for the delicious recipe…brings back memories of my Mom..
This makes me so happy to read, Don! I’m thrilled you enjoyed the recipe :)
Mwah! Chefs kiss! I’ve made it with my friends several times and they loved it! Thank you so much!!!
You are so welcome, India! I’m thrilled you and your friends have been enjoying the recipe!
Thank you for the share. Going see about making these for Easter. Love the idea of no yeast.
Happy Easter to you and your family
I hope you enjoy the cinnamon rolls, Stacey! Happy Easter!