Quick and Easy Cinnamon Rolls {no rise, no knead}
THE EASIEST CINNAMON ROLLS RECIPE YOU WILL EVER MAKE
DID I MENTION THE NO-KNEADING, NO-RISING PART?!
first published 4/9/23; last updated 12/22/23
A few weeks ago, it hit me that we were more than likely going to be celebrating Easter at home…after spending every day of the past three weeks at home. Talk about a doozy.
My brain immediately started running with ideas of foods to make that would still be special for Easter, but wouldn’t be stressful or hard because, yeah, are we stuck at home? Sure! But does that mean I want to {or am able to} spend 5 hours making some elaborate dish? No Susan, it doesn’t. You know why? Because I feel like I’m spending every waking moment making food and cleaning dishes, and making food and cleaning dishes….like it never ends! Why are there always dirty dishes??! I’m not here for it! I want to get in the kitchen, make something yummy, then get out and enjoy it. Ya feel me?
Obviously, that paragraph wasn’t Covid-quaratine-fueled or anything! Ha! I laugh thinking about how half this writing won’t even make sense a year from now. Someone will Google “Quick Cinnamon Roll Recipe”, wind up here and wonder why someone is going on and on about being stuck inside, when the point of this whole thing is, uh, ya know, quick and easy cinnamon rolls. So about that…
Long story short, I wanted to make sure we could still have something festive and fitting to help us celebrate Easter. And recently, while making my easy pizza dough recipe for the millionth time of quarantine, it dawned on me that the dough might work well for cinnamon rolls. A few test runs later {I even tried using this as a filling option} and my suspicions were confirmed to be correct. Not only does the dough work, it works really well.
In fact, these cinnamon rolls are so epic, I will more than likely never go back to another {more complicated, time consuming} recipe ever again. These are everything you would want in a cinnamon roll and more. They’re ooey and gooey on the inside, golden brown on the outside, with a glazed bottom that is just crunchy and delicious, and honestly what cinnamon roll dreams are made of. And the best part? They only require a few simple ingredients, there’s no kneading or long periods of waiting for dough to rise, and there is certainly no reason to wake up extra early to make cinnamon rolls on Easter morning because these take all of 30-40 minutes to make. It’s a quarantine, and Easter, miracle, and one that’s almost too good to be true…almost.
IF YOU’RE READY FOR CINNAMON ROLLS IN 30 MINUTES, KEEP READING…
INGREDIENTS YOU NEED TO MAKE THESE EASY CINNAMON ROLLS
PIZZA DOUGH- I use my quick and easy pizza dough as the base for these cinnamon rolls; just be sure to use rapid rise yeast
HEAVY CREAM- the secret to gooey decadent cinnamon rolls
BUTTER- unsalted is preferred but salted works fine, too; just be sure to skip adding the additional pinch of salt to the filling and make sure it’s nice and softened to room temperature
SALT- omit if using salted butter
CREAM CHEESE- full or reduced fat both work fine, just be sure to left it soften to room temperature
VANILLA EXTRACT- you can also use vanilla bean paste for an even more potent flavor or skip it altogether if you don’t have vanilla; you could also replace the vanilla with a little orange zest instead
HOW TO MAKE QUICK AND EASY CINNAMON ROLLS
STEP 1- ROLL OUT THE DOUGH
Roll out the dough (make sure it’s on a floured surface to prevent sticking) to somewhere between 1/4”-1/2” thick. If the dough is too thick it will make the rolls too doughy but if it’s too thin it will make them hard to roll.
STEP 2- MAKE THE FILLING
There are two ways to approach the filling. One involves messy hands, and the second involves extra dishes.
First, you can distribute the ingredients (butter, cinnamon, sugar and salt) across the dough and use your hands to work everything into dough.
The second option is that you can mix together the butter, sugar, cinnamon and salt (either by hand in a small bowl or in a food processor) until it’s well blended. Then simply spread the mixture evenly across the dough.
STEP 3- MAKE THE ROLLS
Start on one of the long sides, then gently roll up the dough. Use a serrated knife (a serrated knife helps the rolls to keep their shape while cutting) to cut the log in half, then in half again and then in half once more, to equal 8 rolls.
STEP 4- BAKE THE ROLLS
Place the rolls in your baking dish and drizzle with heavy cream. This simple step makes all the difference in the world and results in ooey gooey cinnamon rolls with caramelized bottoms. Then bake and let them cool slightly.
STEP 5- MAKE THE FROSTING
While the rolls bake, mix together your frosting either in a stand mixer or with a hand beater.
STEP 6- FROST + ENJOY
Once the rolls have cooled slightly, slather in frosting…then promptly devour them, preferably with a hot cup of coffee!
EQUIPMENT NEEDED
10” CAST IRON SKILLET or BAKING DISH
TIPS, TRICKS + FAQ FOR THE BEST CINNAMON ROLLS
PRO TIPS
for foolproof dough- These rolls are no-knead, no-rise all thanks to one very important ingredient- rapid rise yeast! It is absolutely crucial that you use that yeast and only that yeast when making the dough otherwise your rolls won’t come out properly.
the cream cheese + butter- Make sure that your cream cheese and butter are left out to room temperature for at least a few hours to ensure that they are incredibly soft, like beyond mushy soft. It makes it easier to spread on the dough and it ensures that your frosting won’t have any lumps.
the best pan to use- I prefer to cook my rolls in a cast iron skillet because it allows the bottoms to get extra caramelized and ooey, gooey aka basically just extra decadent and delicious, but you can use a baking dish, a pie pan, a cake pan, a cheesecake pan, etc. Be creative and use what you have on hand, just try to make sure it it’s roughly in the 9”-10” in diameter range. If it’s smaller, your rolls won’t rise as much and will take longer to cook, and if it’s bigger, the rolls will spread out too much, cook too fast and get too dry.
for more filling and frosting- If you’re anything like me, you want more filling AND frosting. Because more is more, right?! Well, don’t worry because it’s easy to add more of both. The frosting recipe is easy to double and for the filling I will sometimes increase the measurements to the following- 8 tablespoons butter (1 full stick), 1 cup brown sugar and 3 tablespoons cinnamon but keep the salt the same.
SUBSTITUTIONS + RIFFS
For the filling, if you don’t have brown sugar, you can use coconut sugar {but it will add a bit of a coconut flavor to the profile}. You can also use granulated sugar + 1 tablespoon molasses.
Sometimes I’ll also add other spices to the filling, such as a bit of nutmeg or a pinch of ground cloves. I will also sometimes add in some orange zest to the filling and/or the frosting.
MAKING AHEAD OF TIME
You can make the frosting 24 hours in advance. Just cover it, store in the refrigerator and allow it to soften to room temperature before using it.
I would not recommend making the cinnamon rolls in advance. However, if you absolutely must, a few things to note-
If you want to make them ahead, but not bake them- make them up to the point where you place them in the pan. Then cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge until ready to bake (no more than 24 hours). Once you’re ready to enjoy them, add the cream, bake and frost.
If you want to bake them ahead of time- Once they’re baked, allow them to cool then cover with foil and store at room temperature. Do not frost them. Then, when you’re ready to serve them, reheat them for a few minutes in a 325 degree oven. Then frost and serve. I would not recommend baking them more than 24 hours ahead of time.
HOW LONG WILL THESE LAST?
These cinnamon rolls taste best when they’re fresh from the oven. However, they will keep for 1-2 days. For the best taste, just be sure to reheat them for a few minutes in a 325 degree oven before enjoying.
WHAT TO DO WITH LEFTOVERS
I recommend storing leftover rolls, unfrosted, in the pan, covered with foil, at room temperature. Then reheat the rolls for a few minutes in a 325 degree oven when you’re ready to frost and eat them.
LOOKING FOR MORE CINNAMON ROLL THEMED BREAKFAST TREATS?
Here are a few to try-
APPLE CINNAMON ROLLS- a fall-themed take on this cinnamon roll recipe; still simple and easy, just loaded with apples and even more warm and cozy flavors of autumn
CINNAMON ROLL FRENCH TOAST STICKS- easy, bite-sized, fun to eat; can be enjoyed for breakfast, as the main dish or on the side, or even as a snack or dessert
SHARE THE CINNAMON ROLL LOVE
If you make these cinnamon rolls, please snap a photo and tag me on INSTAGRAM or PINTEREST so I can see. Nothing makes me happier than when I see people making and enjoying my recipes!
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ITEMS + INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO MAKE THIS RECIPE