Go from savory store-bought pizza dough to sweet breakfast bliss with a 35-minute recipe for Pizza Dough Cinnamon Rolls.
My thought process leading up to this latest creation was simple: Leftover pizza dough is sitting in my fridge. It’s 8 a.m. I love carbs. I love butter. Hello, Pizza Dough Cinnamon Rolls.
As history has shown, I’m all for baked goods that don’t involve yeast (see examples 1 through 789 here). There’s no proofing. There’s no rolling. Heck, there’s even no mixing if you go the store-bought pizza dough route.
And since I’m always in need of a new way to use up leftover pizza dough, ditching savory for sweet seemed like the perfect solution to the morningtime munchies.
Pizza dough brushed with butter, sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar, and drizzled with vanilla glaze? I’ll skip the pepperoni any day for that.
So next time you’re stocking up on store-bought pizza dough, or whipping up a yeast-free DIY batch, double-up and keep one in the freezer for a 35-minute journey to the ultimate Pizza Dough Cinnamon Rolls.
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Ingredients
For the cinnamon rolls:
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for greasing pan
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 pound homemade or store-bought pizza dough, at room temp
For the glaze:
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temp
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6 Tablespoons hot water (until desired consistency)
Instructions
Make the cinnamon rolls:
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Grease an 8×11-inch baking dish with unsalted butter.
- In a small bowl, stir together the cinnamon and sugar.
- Lightly flour your work surface then roll out the dough into a 16×10-inch rectangle. Brush the dough all over with the melted butter then sprinkle it with the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Starting at the long end closest to you, tightly roll the dough into a log. Cut the log into 12 rolls, about 1 1/2-inches each. Arrange each roll in the prepared baking dish about 1 inch apart.
- Bake the rolls for 20 to 25 minutes until the dough is fully cooked. (See Kelly’s Notes.) Remove the rolls from the oven and let them cool slightly while you make the glaze.
Make the glaze:
- In a medium bowl, stir together the butter, powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Whisk in the hot water 1 tablespoon at a time until the glaze reaches your desired consistency. Drizzle the glaze over the slightly warm cinnamon rolls and serve immediately.
Kelly’s Notes:
- Pizza dough is easier to roll out when it’s at room temperature versus when it’s cold.
- Pizza dough gets crispier on the edges than traditional cinnamon roll dough so when in doubt, underbake the rolls to guarantee they remain soft.
- Unlike cinnamon rolls made with traditional dough, these rolls are denser in consistency and chewier in taste as a result of the pizza dough.
- ★ Did you make this recipe? Don't forget to give it a star rating below!
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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.
OHHHHH WOW!!!!!!!!! This recipe was quick, easy and tasted great. I cut bake time to 15 minutes on second try and they came out perfect!!!!! Loved it!!!!!
AMAZING! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Tracey!
I’ve been making this regularly on Sunday mornings for awhile now. It’s a hit! I use Trader Joe’s pizza dough, and I substitute Splenda brown sugar blend for regular brown sugar. Thanks for a winning recipe.
Love reading this, Neva! I’m thrilled you’ve been enjoying the recipe!
Perfect way to use up Pizza dough. Yummy and easy. The frosting was very good and generous. Definitely will do this recipe again.
So glad you enjoyed the recipe, Diane!
These cinnamon rolls are delicious and so easy to make! They were a hit with my friends 3-year-old and all the adults. I’m definitely making these again
Love reading this, Shelby! I’m so glad everyone enjoyed the cinnamon rolls!
Easy!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Darlene!
I don’t usually leave reviews, but I had to do these! The caramelized bottoms, and rich tasty glaze….SO GOOD! Thank you for this easy recipe for someone who rarely cooks!
You are so welcome, Tiffany! I’m thrilled you enjoyed the recipe!
I loved this recipe! It’s such a time-saver too! I will definitely do it again!
Thanks Kelly!
You are so welcome, Nora! I’m thrilled you enjoyed the cinnamon rolls!
I made these for my 3 kiddos for Valentine’s Day breakfast! They were a big hit and ate every single one of them! I will definitely start making these instead of purchasing the store bought from now on. Thanks for the recipe!
Woohoo! I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe, Christy!
Excellent evening snack!! Thank you, it turned better! Greetings from Srilanka.
I’m thrilled you enjoyed the recipe, Darshi!
Kelly, you didn’t include the main ingredient (the dough) how much to use ????? Or maybe I missed in your recipe ?
Thnx I want to make in the next few days so if you could respond that would be great.
I’m excited to try out your recipe.
Hi Melanie! As listed in the recipe above, you’ll need 1 pound of pizza dough. :)
Thank you Kelly — yes it was in there my bad. I’m making tmrw for my 25 year old boy and others — :-) can’t wait for the smell filling up my house :-) Keep on goin Kelly and thank you for the reply (must be hard to keep up) and I will check out other recipes from you for sure.
You are so welcome, Melanie! I hope everyone enjoyed the cinnamon rolls :)
These were so easy to make and a nice change from the ones you usually see using refrigerated rolls. Next time I think I will throw in some walnuts or pecans. If I am going to be bad, I might as well be very bad!
YESSSS! Love the idea of adding pecans, Debbie! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe :)
Rating a4.Not to bad at all.Quick and tasty.
I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe, Karen!
Great recipe. End result is super tasty and rich, very much like bakery made, especially the inner swirls.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Could you prepare these the night before and then bake them in the morning, or would that not work well?
Hi Aimee – I wouldn’t recommend doing that, as pizza dough has more of a tendency to dry out vs. traditional cinnamon roll dough.
I’m not sure what happened. My rolls definitely did not look like yours. I’m so sad they didn’t turn out good.
Hi Chrissy – I’m sorry you didn’t enjoy the recipe. Feel free to email me (kelly@justataste.com) and I’d be happy to help you troubleshoot.
Doesn’t pizza dough have yeast?
Yes, some brands do.
I’ve been looking for a dairy and egg free cinnamon bun recipe to accommodate my daughters allergies, I substituted her vegan butter and they came out great! These were so easy and delicious!
Yay! I’m thrilled you enjoyed the recipe, Amanda!
These needed to be left to rise for about 20-30 minutes before baking. It makes them less dense. Also, cutting with dental floss is much easier than a knife.
Thanks for your notes, Donna!
I let mine rise and used the dental floss trick. Thanks so much, they turned out great!
Awesome! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Tracy!
came out awesome I cut the baking time so they were soft and not hard drizzled glaze twice to keep them soft.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Jean!
Great simple recipe for even luddites like myself! Wife keeps buying pizza dough & this helps move it out of the fridge ;) Thanks for sharing the recipe!
You are so welcome, Jon! I’m thrilled you’ve been enjoying the recipe!