Easy Cinnamon Rolls Recipe (No knead)

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Hi Bold Bakers!

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE: My Cinnamon Roll Recipe brings mouthwatering cinnamon buns that are so gooey and fluffy that you won’t believe how easy they are to make! You won’t even need to get your stand mixer out.

• No Knead: Finally a recipe that requires no machines AND no elbow grease.
• Make Ahead: Make the dough tonight and wake up to fresh cinnamon rolls tomorrow!
• Customizable: Make these bakery cinnamon rolls yours by adding anything your heart desires. Think of chocolate chips in the filling or a sprinkle of pumpkin spice in the icing.

These easy overnight cinnamon rolls are perfect for chilly holiday mornings! I love making the dough a day or two ahead, so I can have warm, gooey rolls ready with minimal effort. My family can’t get enough of them! Just prepare the dough, let it rest overnight, and pop it in the fridge to proof. The next morning, let it sit for a bit, bake, and enjoy the deliciousness. It’s the simplest way to impress everyone on Christmas morning!

Bold Bakers Loved This Cinnamon Roll Recipe!

Everyone loves how easy and effortless this recipe is! It has definitely become a fan favorite amongst my brunch recipes.

“Thank you so much for this fuss-free cinnamon roll recipe. It turns out amazing. Softest and fluffiest cinnamon rolls I ever tasted. ???? I have added some banana fillings as well and it really was heavenly good with the rolls.” – Florence

“Made this recipe 10 times now. It always comes out perfect! Love it. Tried with putting the buns in the fridge again for the next day, result was just as amazingly delicious. Thanks Gemma for the fail-proof recipe.” –  Lia

“Thanks for sharing the great recipe. I tried out few recipes from other chefs but yours is the best. I really like the soft and airy bread.” – Ratree

IMPORTANT NOTE: This recipe was updated on 11/10/2024, to include explanations and substitutes of key ingredients, make-ahead and storage instructions, answers to the most frequently asked questions, and Pro Chef Tips.

Table of Contents:

• What are Cinnamon Rolls
• Tools You Need
• Key Ingredients and Substitutes
• How to Make No Knead Cinnamon Roll Dough
• How to Make Cinnamon Roll Filling
• How to Make Cinnamon Roll Frosting
• Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips
• Make Ahead and Storage Instructions
• Do I need to let the dough rest for 8 hours?
• FAQS
• More Cinnamon Roll Recipes

What Are Cinnamon Rolls?

Cinnamon rolls are sweet spiral shaped baked goods often eaten for breakfast or dessert. They are soft and pillowy and have a gooey swirl in the middle that consists of butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. Once baked, they are topped with a delicious cream cheese frosting.

• Enriched dough: Any dough that has added fat is considered “enriched”. In this case it’s the eggs, milk and butter that make it fall into this category.
• Structure: Traditionally the kneading process is what gives cinnamon roll dough its structure. It is what helps create the gluten strands that will contribute to the rise. In this NO-KNEAD recipe, we let time do the work. Letting the dough ferment overnight, allows yeast to work through a slow and natural biological reaction that yields the same results with even better flavor.
• Origins: It is believed that this delicious treat originated in Sweden where it is called “kanelbulle” and sometimes contains cardamom.

Tools You Need for Cinnamon Roll Recipe

• Measuring Cups and Spoons
• Mixing Bowls
• Measuring jug
• Rolling pin
• Whisk
• Silicone Spatula
• 9×13 baking dish
• Parchment paper

Key Ingredients

• All-purpose flour

  • Yields a bun with structure and a satisfying amount of chew while still being airy and fluffy.

• Instant dried yeast

  • Provides lift and flavor to the dough. Instant yeast is easy to use as it doesn’t need to “sponge”.

  • Substitutes:

    • Active Dry Yeast: Use 4.5 teaspoons instead of 3 teaspoons and make sure to let it sit in warm liquid before adding it into the rest of your ingredients. This is called “sponging”.
    • Fresh Yeast: Double the amount  called for in the recipe and dissolve it in the warm milk.

• Salt

  • Essential to enhance flavor.
  • Helps the structure by strengthening the gluten.

• Whole Milk

  • Makes a richer and more flavorful dough.

  • Substitutes:

    • Reduced Fat Milk: Substitute 2 tablespoons of your reduced fat milk with 2 tablespoons of whipping cream so you don’t compromise on richness.
    • Plant Based Milk: Alternatively you can use full-fat dairy-free milk such as coconut milk, almond milk, oat milk, or cashew milk

• Honey

  • Provides sweetness to the dough and is a source of food for the yeast.

  • Substitutes:

    • Maple Syrup: Substitute 1:1
    • Granulated Sugar: Honey is sweeter than white sugar so use 1.5 times the amount of honey in this recipe.

• Butter (melted)

  • This ingredient contributes to the richness of the dough but also to its texture by making it soft and pliable. It must be melted since we are not kneading the dough.

• Eggs

  • Provides flavor and moisture to the dough.

• Filling (butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, pecans)

  • Butter (melted): Acts as the base of the paste and must be melted so it is easy to spread.
  • Brown Sugar: Gives cinnamon rolls their iconic gooey center.
  • Cinnamon: Signature flavor for these baked goods.
  • Pecans: Provide a contrasting texture but can be substituted or omitted if needed.

• Frosting (cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract)

  • Cream Cheese (soft): Adds tanginess and must be soft to prevent lumps from forming.
  • Softened Butter: Makes the frosting smooth and spreadable.
  • Powdered Sugar: Adds sweetness without making the frosting grainy.
  • Vanilla Extract: Essential addition to the familiar flavor of this dessert.

How To Make Easy Cinnamon Rolls (No Knead)

Make the dough

1. Mix dry ingredients: Combine the flour, salt, and yeast in a very large bowl.
2. Mix wet ingredients: In a jug, add milk, water, honey, and butter. Heat in the microwave until the butter has melted, and whisk the eggs in.
3. Combine: With a spoon, mix until there are no flour lumps and the dough is soft but not wet.

Rest

4. Cover and let it rise. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise for two hours at a cool room temperature.
5. Refrigerate the dough for at least 8 hours. You can refrigerate up to three days if you’d like!

Shape

6. Start the roll! On a lightly floured surface, using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a rectangle.
7. Spread the filling: Using an offset spatula or the back of a spoon, spread the butter, cinnamon and brown sugar mixture over the dough making sure to leave space around the edges.
8. Log time! Roll the dough into a log before slicing individual rolls.

Rise

9. Place rolls onto a parchment-lined baking pan. Cover the pan with a clean kitchen towel for 30 to 60  minutes so that the rolls can rise.

Bake and frost

10. Bake the rolls at 375° F. Rotating the tray, bake until the rolls are golden brown.
11. Let cool for 20 minutes.
12. Icing time! Spread the cream cheese glaze over the cinnamon rolls and enjoy!

How to Make the Cinnamon Roll Filling Perfect For A Gooey Bite

Simply combine the butter, brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl, stir it up, and then keep it handy for when you lather up your dough!

How To Make Cinnamon Roll Frosting

In a bowl, place cream cheese, butter, sugar, and vanilla and beat the cream using a whisk or a hand mixer. Then, you can add to the top of your cinnamon rolls.

My Cream Cheese Icing works great here, but if you want to try something different, I recommend you top your fluffy cinnamon rolls with my Salted Caramel Buttercream or any of my Crazy Frostings!

Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips For Making Cinnamon Roll Recipe

• Don’t let the yeast mix with the salt when pouring in the bowl, salt kills yeast! Once you mix, it should be fine!
• If you’re rolling your dough, and it springs back, don’t fret! Give it a little more time to rest and within three minutes, it should be good to continue rolling.
• Rise: When it comes to bread fermenting/ proofing, there is no restricted timeline. The telltale sign you use is how your dough looks: if the dough has doubled in size, almost feels lighter and a finger indent doesn’t spring back right away, then it’s ready.

Make Ahead and Storage Instructions for Cinnamon Roll Recipe

Make ahead:

• The dough: Resting this dough for a minimum of 8 hours is essential, but overnight is even better! If you don’t get to it in the morning, you can keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days.
• The filling: Make the filling up to 5 days ahead and store in the fridge. You can also keep it in the freezer for up to 1 month.
• The frosting: Make your icing and store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.

Storage:

• Room temperature: Cinnamon Rolls are best enjoyed fresh out of the oven, but you can store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days if they are unfrosted.
• Refrigeration: Once frosted, you can store the rolls in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Reheating:

• Unfrosted Cinnamon Rolls: Preheat the oven to 350°F, arrange your rolls on a baking tray and cover loosely with aluminum foil. Place covered rolls into preheated oven for 10-15 minutes, or until just heated through.
• Frosted Cinnamon Rolls: Reheat the frosted cinnamon rolls in the microwave for 10-15 seconds.

Do I need to let the dough rest 8 hours?

Yes!

Usually yeasted doughs must be kneaded for several minutes in order to develop the gluten in the flour, which is what provides structure. Since this recipe is no-knead, it’s the resting time that will help develop the gluten strands needed for structure.

FAQS:

How to prevent my filling from leaking?

• Make sure you’re not over measuring butter. I recommend using a kitchen scale.
• Roll the dough log tighter. The filling would leak out if the log is too loose. But don’t do it too tight which would cause the rolls’ center to pop up as they bake.
• Chilling the filling will help.
• Add about 1 tablespoon of flour in the filling as a thickener .

Can I make this Cinnamon Roll Recipe gluten free?

• No. Gluten Free Flour won’t work well in this recipe since the yeast needs to work with the gluten in the flour in order to develop the structure desired.
• If you need a Gluten Free option, my 1 Hour No Yeast Cinnamon Rolls can be made using a 1:1 gluten free flour mix.

How to properly cut easy cinnamon buns?

• Use a ruler to make sure all of your cinnamon rolls are the same thickness.
• Cut with a serrated knife using a back and forth motion to avoid squishing the dough.
• If you are having a hard time cutting, chill the log for 10 minutes and then try cutting again.
• You can also use unflavored dental floss to make clean cuts. Score your log into 12 even sections, then loop the dental floss vertically around the log at the score marks and pull firmly on both ends.

More Cinnamon Roll Recipes!

• Crazy Dough Cinnamon Rolls
• No-Yeast Giant Cinnamon Roll
• Cinnamon Roll Cake
• Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

IMPORTANT NOTE: This recipe was updated on 11/10/2024, to include explanations and substitutes of key ingredients, make-ahead and storage instructions, answers to the most frequently asked questions, and Pro Chef Tips.

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