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Gemma’s Best-Ever Cinnamon Rolls (No-Knead, No Machine)

4.62 from 680 votes
Easily make Homemade Cinnamon Rolls with my no-knead Cinnamon Roll recipe. They're soft, delicious, and perfect for any occasion!
By Gemma Stafford | | 1679
No-Knead Cinnamon Rolls resting on a cooling rack.

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Hi Bold Bakers!

I’m so excited to share with you my recipe for gooey, fluffy cinnamon rolls that will make your mouth water from when it’s baking in the oven to that very first delicious bite. Not only is this recipe easy to follow, but the homemade filling and glaze will take no time at all to prep and make.   

The secret to this sweet breakfast dish is refrigerating the dough overnight so that it brings out all of the flavors. And the best part? No machines are necessary! Once you’ve enjoyed the big cinnamon rolls that you’ve made from scratch, get the rest of your cinnamon roll fill with my other recipes for a cinnamon roll cake, no-yeast cinnamon rolls, a no-yeast giant cinnamon roll, and crazy dough cinnamon rolls! 

These truly are my Best-Ever.

What You’ll Need To Make Cinnamon Rolls

  • Measuring Cups and Spoons
  • Bowls and jug
  • Rolling pin
  • Hand mixer or whisk
  • Baking sheet and parchment

Gooey cinnamon rolls in a pan after baking and icing.

 

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

What Cinnamon Roll is complete without the perfect filling to make for a creamy and puffy combination? Thankfully, creating your own filling will take you no time at all. Simply combine the butter, brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl, stir it up, and then keep it handy for when you lather up your dough!

How To Make Cinnamon Rolls

Making cinnamon rolls by hand may take some time, but it will yield gorgeous results. By letting it sit in the fridge overnight, you’re guaranteed more flavor and it even grows too! With this recipe, you’re going to see fluffy, bubbly results. Eat your heart out, Pillsbury cinnamon rolls (and don’t forget to get the full recipe with measurements, on the page down below)::

  1. Make the dough! Combine the flour, salt, and yeast in a very large bowl. In a jug, add milk, water, honey, and butter. Heat in the microwave until the butter has melted, and whisk the eggs in.
  2. Mix the wet and the dry. With a spoon, mix until there are no flour lumps and the dough is soft but not wet.
  3. Cover and let rise. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise for two hours at a cool room temperature.
  4. Refrigerate the dough for at least 8 hours. You can refrigerate up to three days if you’d like!
  5. Start the roll! On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a rectangle.
  6. Spread the filling. Make sure to leave space around the edges uncovered.
  7. Log time! Roll the dough into a log before slicing individual rolls.
  8. Place the rolls onto a parchment-lined pan. Cover the pan for 30 minutes to an hour so that the rolls can rise.
  9. Bake the rolls at 375 degrees. Rotating the tray, bake until the rolls are golden brown.
  10. Let cool for 20 minutes.
  11. Icing time! Spread the cream cheese glaze over the cinnamon rolls and enjoy!

 

How To Make Cinnamon Roll Icing

As the crowning jewel of the cinnamon roll, icing can make or break it. For the icing for our homemade cinnamon rolls, we’re using a delicious cream cheese glaze. Trust me, this cream cheese icing is the perfect 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.

A top-down view of my best cinnamon rolls recipe, showing the frosting and texture.

Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips For Making Cinnamon Rolls

  • Don’t let the yeast mix with the salt when pouring in the bowl. 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.
  • When adding the filling, feel free to toss in some raisins or toasted nuts to add that extra kick for flavor.

Try These Recipes!

And don’t forget to buy my Bigger Bolder Baking Cookbook!

Full (and printable) recipe below!

Try These Recipes!

Watch The Recipe Video!

Gemma's Best-Ever Cinnamon Rolls (No-Knead, No Machine)

4.62 from 680 votes
Print Recipe
Easily make Homemade Cinnamon Rolls with my no-knead Cinnamon Roll recipe. They're soft, delicious, and perfect for any occasion!
Author: Gemma Stafford
Servings: 9
Easily make Homemade Cinnamon Rolls with my no-knead Cinnamon Roll recipe. They're soft, delicious, and perfect for any occasion!
Author: Gemma Stafford
Servings: 9

Ingredients

  • Dough
  • 3 1/2 cups (1 lb 1oz/ 480g) all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 3 teaspoons instant dried yeast
  • 3/4 cup (6oz/177g) milk
  • 1/3 cup (3 oz/90g) water
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/4 cup (3oz/85g) honey
  • 1/4 cup (2oz/60g) melted butter or vegetable oil
  • Note: Add the liquids until the mix comes together in a clean ball , then stop. Flour absorbs liquids in different ways, according to how, when, and even where it is milled.
  • For the Filling:
  • 1/2 cup (4oz/120g) butter
  • 1 1/4 cups ( 7 ½ oz /210g) packed light brown sugar
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 cup (4oz/100g)toasted pecans
  • Cream Cheese Glaze:
  • 4 oz (110g ) cream cheese room temperature
  • 1 cup (120g) powdered sugar
  • 1/4 cup (1/2 stick/ 2oz)) butter room temperature
  • 1/2 Tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

  • To make the dough, combine all of the dry ingredients in a very large bowl.
  • In a separate jug add in the milk, water, honey, and butter. Heat it in the microwave until it is warm (at blood temperature) and the butter has melted. Whisk in the eggs quickly.
  • Stir the wet into the dry to make a soft dough. You can simply mix with a spoon until there are no flour lumps yet. Scrape down the dough from the sides of the bowl. Just add sufficient liquid to bring the dough together to a soft but not wet dough. Then STOP!
  • Cover the bowl, and let the dough rise for 2 hours at cool room temperature. It will triple in size
  • After this, REFRIGERATE THE DOUGH FOR AT LEAST 8 HOURS, preferably overnight. It can be refrigerated for up to 3 days before use.
  • When you're ready to make your cinnamon rolls, make the filling. Combine the butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a bowl. Stir until smooth. Set aside.
  • Transfer the dough to a floured work surface, and roll it into a rectangle approximately 1/4" thick. It will be long so you can always do it in 2 goes.
  • Spread the filling over the dough, leaving a narrow margin around the edges uncovered.
  • Starting with a long edge, gently roll the dough into a log. Don't roll it too tightly; if you do, the centers of the buns will pop up as they bake.
  • Slice the rolls 2” thick and set them with their cinnamon face up
  • In a deep baking pan lined with parchment space the buns in the pan*.
  • (AT THIS POINT YOU CAN REFRIGERATE TO BAKE OFF THE FOLLOWING DAY IF YOU WISH)
  • Cover the pan, and allow the rolls to rise until they're have grown into each other and are puffed up, about 30 minutes to an hour. (Depending on how hot your kitchen is.)
  • (Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 375°F/ 190°C)
  • Uncover the pan, and bake the buns for 40 to 45 minutes, till they're a deep golden brown. Rotate the tray during baking so they can get golden brown all over.
  • While they are baking make your glaze: In a large bowl (or you can use a hand mixer) beat the cream cheese, butter, sugar, and vanilla together with a whisk until well combined.
  • Remove the pan from the oven and let it rest for 20 minutes. Once cooled remove from the pan and onto a cooling rack.
  • Spread your cream cheese glaze generously over the cinnamon rolls, and devour immediately.
  • * I find a rectangular pan, 7 x 11-inches, or a 9-inch round pan works well for this recipe.
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Sheena
Sheena
3 years ago

Hi Gemma, do you punch the dough after it has its first rise before putting it in the fridge overnight? From your video, the dough looks small just before you put in the fridge as compared to when you first showed it after the first rise. Hope you can advise! Thanks!

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Beth
Beth
3 years ago

Hey Gemma,
I followed all the exact measurements, but the dough was extremely sticky, and I had to add a lot of flour, but I was scared to knead it. The dough was sticking everywhere, and even after I managed to roll it with the cinnamon mixture, I couldn’t transfer it into the baking dish without it breaking and the filling oozing out everywhere. It does look yummy still, but what can I do to reduce the liquid? Do I cut down on the milk or water or increase the amount of flour?

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Gemma Stafford
Gemma Stafford
3 years ago

This is not a good recipe for me. My flour doesn’t absorb the liquid well. It is sooooo watery. The filling drops down and the buns look horrid from the bottom.. Always soo messy. I think I’m gonna try a different recipe. My flour is different from yours so should I get rid of the one egg and decrease the amount of the milk? Also should I make a paste or sprinkle cinnamon and sugar?

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Karen
Karen
3 years ago

Thank you so much for a great easy recipe! I originally bought ingredients for a different 1 hour cinnamon roll recipe, but found your video on youtube last night at about 10 pm. I madly through the dough together so that i would be able to proof it for two hours before throwing it in the fridge overnight. It didn’t seem like it got a good rise, but It smelled great so I went with it. I had to wait until 8 am before i could finish making them this morning. They turned out great! I’ve never made a dough… Read more »

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Mariam
Mariam
3 years ago

I was wondering how do you answer all our questions at once and with hundreds of recipes?

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Susan
Susan
3 years ago

I made cinnamon rolls with this recipe recently but I didn’t want to wait 8 hours to bake. Is it important that it sit in the fridge for 8 hours or can I just let it sit for a few hours and then bake it? 😁

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Anna
Anna
3 years ago

Hi Gemma!

I always wary about baking with yeast as I have never make them work properly. My past breads never rose to how I wanted and expected so am bit worried about trying your cinnamon roll recipe. But the secret / tip you provided about not letting salt and yeast touch has done wonder for me 🙂 This came out delicious and just as I can get from my favorite bakeshop. Thank you for imparting your expertise to us! More power to you!

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Joan
Joan
5 years ago

Hi Gemma,
I followed dis recipe as per the YouTube recipe n wen I did it it turned out to be too watery.
So later when I checked out ur site,it shows 1/3 cup of water whereas the YouTube recipe shows 1/2 cup of water.similarly,the yeast was shown to be 3/4tbs n here it says 3 tsp.
So now is my dough a lost cause or can I do Sumthn to revive it?

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Florence
Florence
3 years ago

Hi Gemma. Thank you so much for this fuss free recipe. It turn 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. Once again thank you so much for sharing this great recipe.

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AnnaLee
AnnaLee
3 years ago

These look delicious. I plan to try the recipe. Love your recipes! Question……where do you get your cute spatulas? I have been admiring them when I watch your videos.

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About Us

Meet Gemma

About Us

Meet Gemma

Hi Bold Bakers! I’m Gemma Stafford, a professional chef originally from Ireland, a cookbook author, and the creator of Bigger Bolder Baking. I want to help you bake with confidence anytime, anywhere with my trusted and tested recipes and baking tips. You may have seen one of my 500+ videos on YouTube & TikTok or as a guest judge on Nailed It! on Netflix or the Best Baker in America on Food Network. No matter your skills, my Bold Baking Team & I want to be your #1 go-to baking authority.

 

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