These cinnamon rolls are quick and easy, with no yeast required, to give you that buttery and flaky texture without the wait and rise time! Light and flaky biscuit rolled up with brown sugar and cinnamon take a savory staple and transform it to a sweet delight.
Why You Will Love These Quick and Easy Cinnamon Rolls
Cinnamon rolls are a staple sweet breakfast in our household. This recipe is the one that my husband grew up loving as a kid. And it has become a favorite among our own boys, as well as all of my husband’s co-workers. He often whips these up in the mornings to take to work on days they have big meetings.
What makes these so delectable is the light and flaky biscuit texture. Sometime a yeast type cinnamon roll can almost be too bread-y. The ratio of bread to filling has to be just right! But these no-yeast cinnamon rolls get just enough leavening from the baking powder, and the flaky texture from just combining the ingredients, that it creates the perfect bread to filling ratio.
Another thing you will love about this recipe is how quick they come together and bake up. Instead of waiting hours for the yeast to do its thing, you will be scooping out a hot, buttery cinnamon roll in about 30 minutes.
What Do You Need to Make These Cinnamon Rolls?
Just a few pantry staples! Flour, salt, baking powder, coconut oil, and milk are quickly combined to make the biscuit. Add some butter, cinnamon, and brown sugar to spread over the rolled out dough. And then, you can combine some powdered sugar, butter, a splash of vanilla, and a little milk to make a light glaze to drizzle over the baked cinnamon rolls.
Aside from the ingredients, you will need:
- A mixing bowl and spoon
- Pastry Cutter
- Measuring cups and spoons
- A rolling pin
- Cast Iron Skillet or pie dish
How to Make Cinnamon Rolls Quick and Easy
Ingredients for the dough:
2 cups of unbleached flour
3 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon of salt
6 tablespoons of butter, coconut oil, OR lard
2/3 cup of whole milk
Ingredients for the filling:
3-4 tablespoons of butter, melted
cinnamon
brown sugar
Mixing the Dough
Start by preheating your oven to 450 degrees. If you are using cast iron pans, I like to heat them in the oven as it is preheating. It makes for a delightful crispy crust on the bottom. Otherwise, you can just preheat the oven and keep your pie dish or pan on the counter.
In a mixing bowl, add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir to combine. Then you will add the coconut oil and cut it in with a pastry cutter until the mixture is fine crumbles.
Next you will add the milk and gently combine. Be careful to not over-mix. These will become tough if you stir too much. You want to stir just enough to work the milk in. After that, switch to your hands and just pull the dough together into a ball.
Next Steps…
Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured cutting board or counter. Using a floured rolling pin roll the dough out into a rectangle about 1/4″ thick.
Once your dough is rolled out into a rectangle you will spread a thin layer of melted butter from edge to edge.
Sprinkle the cinnamon lightly, but evenly over the entire rolled out dough. I judge by getting an even dusting of cinnamon that ensures every bite packs the flavor without overwhelming you or tasting bitter.
Next comes the sweet! Starting with about 1/3 of a cup of brown sugar, evenly spread it around from edge to edge. The great thing about the sugar is that it melts as it bakes and seems to find its way perfectly into every bite without being too sweet. We always do this part by “go until my ancestors tell me to stop” sort of measuring. You develop an idea for how sweet to make these for you and your family, but 1/3 cup of brown sugar is a great starting point.
Now it’s time to roll! Starting at the edge close to you, roll the long edge away from you creating a log. Next, take a sharp knife or scraper and cut the log of cinnamon rolls into 10 even segments.
Carefully remove your cast iron skillet from the oven and transfer your cinnamon roll segments into the skillet. Arrange them in a way that there is about an inch space between them as they will puff up and expand while baking.
Return the skillet back to the oven and bake 12-14 minutes, until golden brown.
Remove from the oven and set on the counter, using a hot pad underneath if needed.
These can be enjoyed plain, just as they are. Or you can make a simple sweet glaze to drizzle on top.
A Simple Glaze For the Quick and Easy Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients for glaze:
2/3 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon of melted butter
1/4 teaspoon of vanilla
1 tablespoon of milk
Combine all of the ingredients into a small bowl and stir with a whisk until sugar is dissolved. Hint: by sifting the sugar through a fine mesh strainer you can eliminate the small clumps of sugar that form. Use a spoon to drizzle the glaze over the hot rolls.
More Ideas for Your Cinnamon Rolls
- Instead of a simple glaze, you can make a cream cheese icing to spread over the hot cinnamon rolls.
- To elevate the texture of these cinnamon rolls, pour a small amount of heavy cream over the cinnamon rolls before you bake them. The dough absorbs the moisture as it bakes and adds a layer of texture and flavor to the cinnamon rolls that is *chef’s kiss*.
- It may be just a Kansas thing, but these cinnamon rolls pair perfectly with chili for dinner. Something about the cinnamon and buttery biscuit combined with the spices of the chili create a winning combination. Don’t knock it until you try it!
What do you traditionally combine with your chili? My friends say a peanut butter sandwich. Let me know in the comments below!
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