Quick Cinnamon Rolls Without Yeast
In short: Soft cinnamon rolls made with a yogurt dough and baking powder, so there is no yeast and no rising. Ready in under an hour, with a simple glaze. It takes about 49 min in total and makes 8 servings.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 24 min
- Resting
- 10 min
- Total
- 49 min
- Servings
- 8
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 390 kcal
Sometimes you want cinnamon rolls and do not have three hours. This dough relies on baking powder and thick yogurt instead of yeast, so it comes together in minutes, needs no rising and goes straight into a hot oven. The rolls have a tender, biscuit-like crumb rather than a stretchy one, with a sticky cinnamon swirl and a simple glaze. From the first stir to the first bite takes under an hour.
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Grease a 20 cm (8 inch) round cake pan and line the base with parchment paper.
- Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon for the filling in a small bowl.
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and granulated sugar. Rub in the cold butter with your fingertips until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs.
- Stir in the yogurt and milk with a fork until a shaggy dough forms, then knead it 5 or 6 times in the bowl until it just comes together. Do not overwork it.
- Turn the dough onto a floured surface and roll it into a rectangle about 30 x 25 cm (12 x 10 inches), with a long side facing you. Spread the very soft butter on top, leaving a 1 cm (1/2 inch) border along the far edge, then scatter over the cinnamon sugar.
- Roll up tightly from the long edge, pinch the seam and cut into 8 equal rolls. Set them cut side up in the pan, with a small gap between each.
- Bake for 20 to 24 minutes, until golden and a skewer in the center roll comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes.
- Whisk the icing sugar, milk and vanilla until smooth and pourable, and drizzle over the warm rolls.
Tips
- Handle the dough as little as you can. Overworking builds gluten and makes tough rolls, and warm hands melt the butter pieces that give a tender crumb.
- Use thick, full-fat Greek-style yogurt for a soft dough that rolls out with little flour. Thin yogurt makes a sticky dough that soaks up extra flour and bakes up dry.
Questions and answers
Can I use buttermilk instead of yogurt?
Yes. Use 180 ml (3/4 cup) buttermilk in place of the yogurt and milk. The dough will be slightly softer, so flour your work surface well.
Why are they not as fluffy as yeast rolls?
A baking powder dough bakes into a tender, biscuit-like crumb rather than a stretchy, airy one. That is normal, and it is the trade for being ready in under an hour.
Can I shape them ahead of time?
You can shape and cut them up to 2 hours ahead and keep the pan covered in the refrigerator. Bake straight from the refrigerator, adding 2 or 3 minutes, since baking powder weakens once the dough is wet.
How long does it take to make Quick Cinnamon Rolls Without Yeast?
About 49 min in total: 25 min of preparation and 24 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Quick Cinnamon Rolls Without Yeast?
About 390 kcal per serving, with 6 g of protein, 60 g of carbohydrates and 14 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 390 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 6 g |
| Carbohydrates | 60 g |
| Fat | 14 g |
| Fiber | 1 g |
| Sugar | 32 g |
| Sodium | 325 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
