Flaky Buttermilk Biscuit Cinnamon Rolls {No Yeast, No Rising}
All the gloriousness of homemade cinnamon rolls with no yeast and no rising? These amazing, flaky biscuit cinnamon rolls will make you fall in love with cinnamon rolls all over again.
Hello! Welcome back from all the chaotic gloriousness of the Christmas holiday! I hope you had a great weekend; our holidays were filled with lots of PJ’s, lots of lego-building, lots of movies, lots of food.
We had a few, shall we say, issues, over the break, like freezing water leaking inside through our kitchen windows (home improvement catastrophes bite big time) and our family car dying a slow death.
But…if there’s one thing I’ve learned in my long 3.8 decades of life, it’s how to sort of roll with the punches (even if it includes screaming in my pillow every once in a while and consuming large quantities of dark chocolate).
Thankfully Camryn scored a My Little Pony umbrella for Christmas (her only Christmas wish), and so she felt very well prepared to step in and help shield Brian’s head as he crouched in the kitchen trying to figure out why water was streaming in from outside. Cam to the rescue (theme of our family’s lives, especially when it comes to breaking up wrestling matches between brothers).
But…let’s talk cinnamon rolls (so much more exciting than warped and water damaged windowsills!).
I was really hoping to share this cinnamon roll recipe with you before Christmas, but instead, let’s pretend like cinnamon rolls are THE breakfast to make on New Year’s Day! Or New Year’s Eve?
Or maybe just tomorrow. Because Thursdays are awesome, too.
I love traditional cinnamon rolls. That adoration is very apparent based on the number of cinnamon roll recipes I’ve posted over the years. I love ’em. I do.
But these flaky, tender biscuit cinnamon rolls…they have completely taken my cinnamon roll-loving world and flipped it upside down.
I showed you them on Instagram, and you went crazy (for good reason). I’ve made them no less than a dozen times since then because my family (and the scads of people I’ve shared them with) absolutely cannot get enough.
No yeast.
No rising.
They are so fast. And so easy. And they can be made days in advance (or even longer if you freeze them).
A huge thanks to my virtual friend, Laurel, for giving me the idea for these rolls (actually she and I met in real life a couple years ago when she cheered me on when I ran my half marathon and I hugged her at BYU in November when I spoke there – so let’s rephrase: my real life friend).
She makes biscuit cinnamon rolls every morning at the bakery she works at. She makes them often enough and loves them so truly that she confessed on Instagram a while back she’s never made classic, yeast cinnamon rolls.
I kind of thought she was missing out. I mean, how can you NOT make a fluffy, sweet, traditional cinnamon roll when they are so terribly delicious?
The minute I tried my hand at biscuit cinnamon rolls…and even better…the very second I ate one of these amazingly tender and flaky cinnamon rolls, I understood.
I got it.
Using a homemade buttermilk biscuit dough and sweetening it up just a little is pure cinnamon roll brilliance.
I honestly have been making these right and left.
They are such a no-brainer when you want a delicious cinnamon roll fix but may not have the time to let dough rise or figure out how to time the rising and baking for a warm breakfast.
Although, admittedly, it isn’t that hard with traditional cinnamon rolls, as you and I have discussed hundreds of times in the comments of all my cinnamon roll recipes – I’m just really trying to sell you on these biscuit babies.
Cinnamon rolls are a fairly standard Christmas morning breakfast around here – with some other deliciousness thrown in there over the years.
This last weekend was definitely a cinnamon roll Christmas, but I made these biscuit cinnamon rolls instead of our go-to cinnamon rolls, and I don’t regret it.
I even made them 2 1/2 days in advance when life was a little less crazy, popped them in the refrigerator, and baked them up in 20 minutes flat the morning of (bless the fact that they didn’t require any rising).
Brian is a self-professed cinnamon roll snob.
Quick sidenote, he actually told me the other day, in shocking fashion, that he doesn’t like the maple frosting on these glorious cinnamon roll standbys; I legit had a moment of “who am I and how did I get here” because…I mean…how could he?
But we’re healing and moving on like real adults.
Anyway, he, Brian, looooooves these biscuit cinnamon rolls. And based on the above revelation, I have no doubt now that he would tell me his true feelings.
It’s hard not to love them. They are buttery and flaky and soft and perfect.
Because I’m kind of anti-doughy anything…these divine cinnamon rolls speak to my soul. I’ll never turn my back on a classic cinnamon roll (unless it’s doughy, of course), but this biscuit version has won my heart.
If homemade biscuit dough stresses you out, never fear! It’s not hard (especially if you have a food processor…and simple, even if you don’t).
I’ve included a step-by-step picture guide below the recipe to show you the ins and outs of transforming the dough from a shaggy mess into deliciously divine cinnamon rolls.
Equipment I use for this recipe:
-My trusty Breville food processor (love this thing to the moon and back, especially after I had two Cuisinart food processors die on me)…I’ve also used my pastry blender when making by hand with great results
–OXO Bench Knife/Scraper (best thing for cutting these bad boys into rolls in my opinion)
-Little pastry brush for butter spreading (although….shhhh…you can just use your fingers, too)
-One of these all-purpose sheet pans
How to make these cinnamon rolls ahead of time
This post on making cinnamon rolls ahead of time applies perfectly to any sweet roll!
One Year Ago: Streusel-Topped Cranberry White Chocolate Bread
Two Years Ago: Maple-Spice Cashew Brittle {Super Easy Microwave Version}
Three Years Ago: Homemade Eggnog
Flaky Buttermilk Biscuit Cinnamon Rolls {No Yeast, No Rising}
Ingredients
BISCUITS:
- 4 ½ cups (639 g) all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup (71 g) granulated sugar
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 ½ tablespoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 13 tablespoons (184 g) very cold salted butter
- 2 cups buttermilk, plus a few tablespoons more, if needed
FILLING:
- 4 tablespoons (57 g) salted butter, melted
- ½ cup (106 g) light brown sugar
- ½ to 1 tablespoon cinnamon, depending on how cinnamon-y you like them
ICING:
- ½ cup (57 g) powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon salted butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- Splash of vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a bowl, or in the bowl of a food processor (you can easily do the following steps in a bowl by hand, using a pastry blender to cut in the butter). Cut the butter into the flour mixture until the mixture is like coarse meal and the butter is in small, pellet-sized pieces (slightly smaller than a pea). This will take a few short pulses in the food processor.
- Pour in the buttermilk and mix/pulse only until just combined. The dough should start to come together but you don’t want to overmix the dough. If there are lots of dry patches throughout the dough, add a bit more buttermilk, just a tablespoon or two at a time until the dough comes together (it’s ok to have dry bits here and there).
- Scrape the dough out of the food processor or bowl onto a lightly floured counter.
- Gently pat (do not roll with a rolling pin!) the dough to about 1/2-inch thick. Gently fold the dough in thirds (see visual below), repeating three times and pressing gently to 1-inch thick after each fold. These folds, combined with the cold butter, are what help to create flaky layers.
- With a lightly floured rolling pin (or pressing quickly with your hands), roll the dough into a 1/4-inch rectangle, about 18X10 or thereabouts. Roll quickly – the more the dough is worked with and processed, the less flaky and tender the rolls will be.
- Spread the melted butter over the top. Combine the sugar and cinnamon and spread evenly over the butter.
- Start rolling up the cinnamon rolls, beginning with one long edge, rolling tightly without pulling and stretching the dough.
- Reposition the long roll until it is seam side down.
- Use a serrated knife, dental floss, or a bench knife/scraper to cut into 1- or 1 1/2-inch rolls. Tuck the loose end of each roll underneath and place an inch or so apart on the prepared baking sheet(s).
- At this point the rolls can be covered and refrigerated for up to two days. To bake immediately, bake for 12-15 minutes. If baking straight from the refrigerator, add a couple minutes to the baking time.
- Let the rolls cool for 10 minutes or so before drizzling with the icing.
- For the icing, whisk together the powdered sugar, melted butter, heavy cream and vanilla until smooth and creamy.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe
189 Comments on “Flaky Buttermilk Biscuit Cinnamon Rolls {No Yeast, No Rising}”
it’s my First time making these rolls. I tried this as my young granddaughter has a wheat allergy . I made them with gluten free flour. I had not worked with this flour before so my rolls looked like a mess as it was so sticky. They baked up fine and taste great. I think I’ll have to practice or hope she outgrows her allergy. Ha!
These turned out great! I added an extra 2 Tbsp of flour, reduced the baking powder just a smidge, and baked them at 415 degrees to help with my high elevation challenges. Yum! I’m so glad to find a cinnamon rolls recipe that doesn’t require kneading and rising!
I gave these away as a gift unbaked so I didn’t get to see or taste the final product, though I did bake myself the end pieces. They were well received and as other have noted, my grandson said he may have preferred these to yeast rolls. I will certainly make these again but next time will not mix the filling together, as I let it set a while and it turned into rocks. I will brush softened butter on the dough and sprinkle the brown sugar and cinnamon over ( & I added chopped pecans), being a little more generous with both. And as others have noted, double the frosting. So much easier than yeast rolls.
Have made this recipe twice now and frozen some unbaked both times. Delicious! The frozen ones came out just the same as the fresh ones. I let the frozen ones thaw in the fridge overnight and baked them fresh for breakfast. Another trick I tried for the first time with this recipe was using frozen butter and grating it into the dry ingredients. I’ll definitely do that with other recipes. For einkorn flour users – this recipe worked perfectly starting with 1 cup buttermilk and adding a little more at a time. I used about 1 1/3 cups total.
Wow!!! This recipe is fantastic. This was my first time making cinnamon rolls. I did them by hand, no machine.
I made sure not overwork the dough but rolled it a little thinner for extra cinnamon goodness.
I fed this the day after Thanksgiving and everyone was impressed. Extra tasty, extra tender and flaky.
I put a little extra brown sugar and doubled the frosting recipe.
I am a cinnamon bun snob and I think these were right up there in the heat buns ever.
Thank you!
I’ve made this recipe probably 10+ times and they ALWAYS come out fantastic. Several times, I’ve also made a yeast cinnamon roll, and this biscuit recipe is often the winner of the two! I love the convenience of being able to make it the night before and popping it in the oven in the morning. It’s one of my favorite recipes!
And as one reader also suggested, I also double the recipe for the glaze topping.
My eight-year-old wanted to make cinnamon rolls so I handed her this recipe and she did it by herself while I was on a zoom call and she even cleaned up after! She used milk/lemon juice but didn’t put it all in because she said it was getting too sticky. Thanks for the easy recipe!
Looking forward to trying recipe. I used to work across the street from a convenience store that would sell these type of cinnamon rolls. They would sell out in when our office went on it’s break because as much as I like regular cinnamon rolls… I REALLY like biscuit cinnamon rolls.
I forgot the baking powder…Welp! Luckily they actually still turned out tasty! …just super flaky and definitely more “biscuity”??
Anyway, don’t forget the baking powder, but if you do, bake them anyway! Also I did bake for longer just to make sure they were baked through. ♀️
Happy New Year Mel! Made these for breakfast today – what a delicious way to start off 2021! (or really any day!) I kept second guessing myself if they were fully baked, but I think they could have used 2 more minutes – not that it stopped us from devouring them. This was my first time making cinnamon rolls but will not be my last! Thanks for making my first attempt a successful one 🙂
So proud of you, Patricia! Glad you liked these!
Made these this a.m. Very, very yummy! I really gilded the lily though & made double the glaze.
Turned out well. We will definitely make them again. I see a care package to the grandchildren later today. 🙂
These cinnamon rolls are amazing! My husband grew up always having cinnamon rolls on Sunday mornings. I wanted to keep the tradition, but I’m usually not a fan of the doughy-ness of regular rolls. BUT THESE! Light, flaky, and as close to a cake consistency as possible makes me look forward to Sundays that much more. I substitute buttermilk with heavy whipping cream and lemon juice- they come out beautifully every time. Thanks for the amazing recipe!
Mel! This recipe is amazing!!! I didn’t read the note about the buttermilk before making them, but the substitute of milk and vinegar worked for me. (Which was good because I really needed to use some milk that was close to expiring!) They rose up beautifully 🙂
Yummm! These are really good. I got 16 out of this, so I baked 12 and put the rest in the refrigerator for the next day. Super delicious! Thanks for sharing.
Great recipe! My husband said he prefers the normal type of non-biscuit cinnamon rolls, which is quite understandable, but there is something so amazing and different about these. I definitely don’t regret making them and we ate every bite!
Made them this weekend. I think I added in a couple tablespoons too much of buttermilk because my batter was not quite as smooth looking as yours and a little more sticky than it probably should have been. However, still tasted great and my 4-year old daughter was ecstatic to help make the icing and drizzle it over the biscuits.
These were amazing! I made buttermilk last night with 2 tbls vinegar, 2 cups of milk and a dollop of sour cream. I let it sit overnight in the hopes it would do the trick this morning and it worked great. My husband said these were hands down the best cinnamon rolls he’s ever had and wonders why anyone even makes the other kind:). Thank you for the recipe and enjoy conference!
Are there truly 2.5 Tablespoons of baking powder? Just making sure it wasn’t an error.
The recipe is correct! 🙂
Excited to try these! But there are only two of us and we probably shouldn’t eat a whole batch all at once. You mentioned freezing them in the writeup… Would you freeze before or after baking? Bake from frozen or thaw first?
I have always frozen them after baking – works great!
Hello
Wondering how much maple extract or syrup you used when making your biscuit cinnamon rolls with maple icing before you changed it to vanilla for your hubby as I’ve lost the very old Woman’s Day magazine article/recipe I clipped out for Emily’s ( restaurant ) cinnamon rolls which had maple syrup icing instead of vanilla.
Thank you
These are seriously the best. I don’t remember if I have ever posted on this or rated it, but I need to because I have made them too many times to count since you first posted them. My family requests these any time we have cinnamon rolls. I have made them for Christmas the last two years and they are so quick! I made them again last week when we had breakfast for dinner and cinnamon rolls for dessert. We had company over (sister missionaries) and they said they were the best cinnamon rolls they had ever had. Good stuff and so dang easy and quick! I don’t think I could ever go back to regular yeast cinnamon rolls again. I think my family would revolt! I made both a few years back, and everyone insisted they liked these better! Thanks Mel!
Delicious! My 4 boys love every breakfast recipe I have made from your website and these were no exception. I didn’t have sour cream to use for buttermilk, so I used plain greek yogurt instead and it worked great.
Thanks Mel for another great Saturday morning breakfast option. I don’t usually plan ahead enough for yeast options.
I doubled the recipe and cut by hand with the pastry blender. I was worried my butter “pellets” were too big but I was kinda in a hurry.
Also I subbed about 1.5C nonfat Greek yogurt, 1c heavy cream, 1.5 c whole milk and a squeeze of lemon instead of 4c buttermilk.
Also I used half AP flour and half whole white flour. And used heaping sugar measure in the dough because I did not have powdered sugar for the frosting and we ate them without.
It was so flaky and soft!
FYI- The vinegar+milk for buttermilk substitutes DOES work for me, only if:
A) the milk is room temp before adding vinegar,
AND
B) you let it sit for at least 10 min before adding vinegar (about 2 tsp vinegar per cup milk). The milk should appear thicker with a “cloudy”, but not quite “curdled” look.
If the above two steps still don’t produce a thick buttermilk substitute, add an additional 1 tsp vinegar, waiting 5 min to see a change in texture. Heating the milk an additional few degrees to lukewarm may also help.
Tried these today- while they were a fun new spin on cinnamon rolls-I think I prefer the traditional way of making them. However, they turned out looking beautiful and I loved that they were so quick. If you are a lover of biscuity textured baked goods, these are for you!
Maybe someone asked (so many comments … which is a good thing ).
Think they’d turn out doing 1c whole milk and 1c plain Greek yogurt?
Haven’t tried that but definitely worth experimenting!
I was off my conference weekend cinnamon roll making game and my families usually conference breakfast was looking bleak when I remembered you had a non yeast recipe that I hadn’t ever tried! These were a nice, easy and quick replacement to our usual Gloria’s cinnamon rolls! I had just used all of my buttermilk and sour cream the day before so worried about using the buttermilk substitute because of your note so I ended using lemon juice and about 1/2 cup of cream for part of the milk so that it’d be a bit thicker and hopefully closer to buttermilk consistency. It worked out great! I do still prefer yeast cinnamon rolls but these were pretty tasted!
Super! Reminds me of a recipe I used to use that required Bisquik. Definitely a keeper in my file.
Your recipe is flawed. Too much buttermilk. Think it should only be a cup. That is when it reached the dough state. Anything after that turns it to cake batter
Hi Dana – I’m just curious, did you actually make the recipe? I wondered if the dough really was like cake batter since I’ve never experienced that with this recipe.
Nope, not too much at all! Use nice, thick buttermilk and it works like a charm.
There was definitely no dryness left with the current recipe, but my dough was definitely not at all like cake batter. It makes a slightly wet biscuit dough for sure. I had no trouble rolling it out or anything with very little flour to dust
okay these are a total game changer! I love cinnamon rolls, and while they aren’t difficult to make, the time required to make them always prevents me from making them as often as my family would like! I feel like holidays always call for a good cinnamon roll and yet I’m so tired from all the other holiday prep, there is no time for cinnamon rolls. UNTIL NOW! Thanks for such an incredible recipe! We made these for our family brunch after our baby blessing today and they were devoured. So tender and flaky and delicious, this is definitely a keeper! Thank you for making cinnamon rolls happen again in our house for this tired mama!
So, so happy to hear this!!
Do you ever use regular, store bought buttermilk for this recipe, or only the milk/sour cream variation? Thanks!
I’ve used both! Either works great.
Justmade these and they were delicious. Better than yeast rolls.
Loved this twist on cinnamon rolls! This recipe saved me on Christmas morning with how quickly it comes together.
Hey Mel! I’ve made these lots before and we looove them! Wondering if they freeze well, or not so much? Thanks!
Yes, they freeze great!
Absolutely amazing! Came out perfect! Thank you! I will be trying as many of your recipes as possible now!
Thanks Christy!
Wondering if you could do these in a crescent roll shape, or if they’re maybe too “biscuit-ie” for that? Thanks, Mel, these look delicious!
I think you probably could! They may not hold the crescent shape so well once baked though…
You need at least double the filling for these rollsvery good recipe.
I made these this morning with 100% Organic Einkorn whole wheat flour. I substituted powdered sugar for the granulated sugar and sifted everything together. I used dark brown sugar in the filling because it was all I had on hand. I used part yogurt and part milk for the buttermilk. I mixed the butter into the flour with a whisk held tightly near the wires. I was out of vanilla so substituted Irish Cream liquor. I cut them thinner than Mel’s. They turned out light and flaky and delicious. Only issue I had was my dark brown sugar is grainy in my filling. Otherwise light flaky deliscousness. Will definitely make again. Any tips on the grainy texture of my filling??
Loved these! Definitely a more biscuit texture, but still tender and delicious! I got 14 rolls and the frosting barely covered them, so I doubled the frosting. Definitely a great option if you’re wanting cinnamon rolls but don’t have time to wait for the rising! YUM!
I loved these! More than yeasted cinnamon rolls I think! The flakiness, butteriness, saltiness is a perfect combination with the sweet cinnamon!
Mel! I tried to print this but when I clicked the “print” button, it lacked a title! I really love adding (all of) your recipes to my physical book (which is made up of your recipes almost exclusively!). Can you fix the printable recipe for me? 🙂 TIA!
I’ll take a look and see what’s going on with the missing title!
Sounds exciting,will try for sure! Thank you!
These were simple, delicious, and satisfied my craving on this chilly Saturday morning! I do request that you would kindly indicate in each baking recipe if you used salted or unsalted butter so we can adjust accordingly. I used some of each because I wasn’t sure. The dough was a little bland and I think definitely needed more salt so I assume you used all salted butter. The outsides of the rolls were too biscuity, but the middles were a perfect texture and light. I didn’t have buttermilk but I used raw milk and two tablespoons lemon juice. I think it’s better to measure the lemon juice first and then add milk to the measurement. I believe your method measures a cup of milk and then adds lemon juice? You get extra liquid that way and I think it would make a big difference in this recipe like you said. My dough was even a tad dry and I added 2T of milk. I definitely had to double the amount of icing
Hi Monica – I always use salted butter and in the few occasions where I don’t, I will make sure to specify unsalted. Any recipe of mine that calls for butter is going to be salted butter. Thanks for your review!
I used plant milk with lemon juice added and just added 1/4 cup less milk than the recipe called for and it worked great! My family loved them and everyone ate at least 2 rolls. They were declared a hit by them, and me (since it took less than an hour from start to out of the oven. Yesssss!
I am at higher altitude, so I used a few tablespoons extra flour. These came out sooooo fluffy. The cinnamon sugar flavor was really light. I think next time, I’ll double the filling ingredients. This dough is a real winner, and I’m already dreaming up more variations… Cheddar Bacon, maple & sausage, garlic herb… OMG. Thank you.
Turned out so well but soooo filling! Also, my glaze didn’t look anything like the pictures…mine wasn’t as smooth and had a yellow tint to it from the butter. Thoughts?
Did you mix it by hand or with an electric mixer?
Thank you for another great recipe! These came together easily in the food processor and were sweet without being over the top. A definite go to cinnamon roll recipe for us in the future.
I have made these before with regular milk and they were wonderful. I was wondering if you could subsititute Almond milk in place of milk?
I haven’t tried that so I’m sorry I don’t know for sure!
Ok, so I make yeast breads quite often (thanks to you and your encouragement and excellent tutorials) but I’ve never made biscuits because they seemed so intimidating! You made these sound so easy and I love the short time needed so I went for it today… amazing! Easy and delicious!! I also used your recommended 1/2 sour cream 1/2 milk and it worked great! Thanks for a winner, Mel!
I love to cook and bake and am a regular here at Mel’s. However, I have never made biscuits or breads or rolls of any kind that require yeast. I am capital C – CHICKEN – to do such a thing. When I saw this recipe, I was encouraged that maybe I, even I, could make “from-scratch” cinnamon rolls. I made them this morning. Even with the handy-dandy pictorial illustration, I was skeptical about if they would/could possibly turn out.
Well, turn out they did. They are easy, even for a fearful rookie, and taste delicious! Mel does it again! Thank you, thank you!
I’m so proud of you, Joan! Yay!
I decided to bake these little lovelies for Christmas morning and my grand plan was to prep the dough the night before and pop them in the oven first thing Christmas morning. We got a little off track on Christmas Eve and I nearly canned the idea because it was 11 pm and I didn’t want to wake the creatures of the house with my food processor. “To heck with it,” I thought, “I’m going for it”. I stationed my husband in the hallway to intervene in case either of the children woke up, and I went to work. I am so glad I did! The recipe was super easy to prepare, and I found myself feeling truly delighted to work with the dough (as odd as that may sound). This morning, these scrumptious mouthfuls were a haven of yummy in the chaos of Christmas morning. I think every adult here averaged 3 rolls each! All this to say, you’d be a fool not to try this recipe. It is a keeper in my house! Thank you very much for posting this, Mel! I wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas and all good things in 2018!
Haha, that doesn’t sound odd at all! I feel the same way. 🙂 So happy the end result was worth staying up late to get them prepped!
Tell me how you get the dough so smooth without working it to death. My rolls looked like biscuits.
My rolls are still a little bit bumpy, like biscuits – it just might be hard to tell from the pictures.
Made these with the boyfriend, who has a hard time with rich food, and we used your cream cheese frosting rather than the icing. Boyfriend loved them! They’re still so good, but much lighter than your regular cinnamon roll. My roommate loved them, too 🙂 Great recipe!
Since Thanksgiving, I have been wanting cinnamon rolls. I stopped at the store and they only had the prepared package ones. After trying this recipe, this is exactly what i wanted — a delicious, light cinnamon roll. My children enjoyed every bite! The recipe was easy to follow, definitely a keeper. Thank you for sharing.
Since Thanksgiving, I have been wanted cinnamon rolls. I stopped at the store and they only had the prepared package ones. After trying this recipe, this is exactly what i wanted — a delicious, light cinnamon roll. My children enjoyed every bite! The recipe was easy to follow, definitely a keeper. Thank you for sharing.
New favorite recipe! This will be my go to cinnamon roll recipe from now on, so easy and so delicious. If I made a batch to freeze how long would they last and do you have any tips for freezing/thawing? Thank you you for sharing this and providing such great instructions.
They should last a month or so frozen. I thaw them in the refrigerator overnight and then bake once they are thawed (it takes 12 hours or so to thaw in the fridge).
Hi Mel,
I so appreciate and LOVE all your recipes. I have had these in my queue for months to try. My sister and I finally made them this weekend. The dough was SO SO sticky- I measured the ingredients by weight so I would be sure to get it correct. The dough was so sticky that we nearly gave up and threw it away, but we continued and though they weren’t pretty-they were DELICIOUS. I know this is probably a dumb question- but I want to bake them again (and again and again) , I just want to be sure I’m making the right corrections- would I just add more flour in that case? I’m not sure how altitude would affect the outcome, but we do live at about 6,000ft. Thanks so much for your help (and delicious recipes!) !
oh, and compliments to you! we live near Denver Biscuit Company-before them I had never heard of a biscuit cinnamon roll- they have the most amazing biscuits and cinnamon rolls, but everyone who tried your recipe picked them over Denver Biscuit. (Even though they really were so ugly because of whatever I did wrong!!)
Wow! That’s awesome that the homemade version beat out a popular bakery roll. That’s fun! Ok, about the stickiness, I definitely think it’s an elevation issue. I haven’t lived at above 5,000 feet for almost a decade (my elevation is right around 2,800 where I live now), but I do think elevation factors into this. Generally I recommend for high elevation baking to add several tablespoons more flour (for cookies, cakes), but I imagine these biscuit rolls might be the same. I’d try 1/4 cup extra flour and see how that goes. But don’t hesitate to add a tad more – just keep the dough soft and pliable without being overly sticky OR without it being stiff. Hope that helps!
Thank you so much!! We will try them again, soon!!
any experiences with freezing the dough and then defrosting and baking another time?
Yes, it works great!
I am partial to the yeast versions, but these are super quick and my kids loved them!!
We can’t do milk, so I alway use a homemade coconut milk buttermilk substitute. Our biscuits turned out great using it! I took a look at your recipe for a substitute and noticed it differed from the one in my trusty Better Homes and Gardens cookbook and my grandmas’s Betty Crocker cookbook. It could be the different milk or the different recipe that made the difference (though the recipe is not much different: put the tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar in first then pour in the milk until it measures 1 cup). My kids love these even more than regular cinnamon rolls!
I made these yesterday with the sour cream/milk sub for buttermilk, and they turned out great! I over pulsed the butter into the flour mixture because my food processor was a little too full to get the job done with just a few mixes, but the result was a perfect melt in your mouth dough. My husband even came home from work and made sure to tell me that he really liked them. This is a great change from yeast cinnamon rolls!
Could you use self rising flour?
Self rising flour already has leavening added to it, so I’m not sure how it would work in this recipe.
Instead of making a filling can I just add the filling ingredients to the biscuit dough? That way you have an even amount of cinnamon and sugar in every bite. Thank You
You could certainly experiment – I’m not sure how that would affect the consistency and texture of the biscuit dough, though.
Two things,
1.) I have to double check that the recipe really calls for that much baking powder. I’ve never seen a recipe call for so much so I am double checking.
2.) I have made this a super lazy way by melting the butter and adding it to the buttermilk and stirring. I’m sure they aren’t quite as flaky and as wonderful that way….but sometime convenience wins.
As usual your recipe is fantastic, directions are easy to understand, and you go to amazing lengths with your pictures to help us understand.
Now off to make your classic waffles for supper. We have breakfast once a week for supper. Waffles are part of the rotation.
Yep, the amount of baking powder is correct. 🙂 We love waffles for dinner, too!
Didn’t read all the comments, so I don’t know if anyone has mentioned this yet, but: I have made these rolls twice now, both times using my milk keifer instead of buttermilk and it worked great! I started making milk keifer because of you :), so I thought I’d mention the substitution. Thanks!
Thanks, Holly!
I have a question for you Mel, it seems every time I make cinnamon rolls ahead of time (the night before) the brown sugar and cinnamon mixture leaks from the bottom and and when I bake it gets crusty and makes for a “crunchy” bottom to the rolls. Is there a way to prevent this?
Hey Kylene – I know what you mean. That happens to me as well sometimes. I can minimize that by making sure the butter is soft, not melted, when making the cinnamon rolls, but inevitably I still get a little bit of buttery/sugary liquid on the bottom of the pan if I refrigerate them overnight.
Just made these & I am so glad I found this recipe and your blog! Mine did not turn out as beautiful, but they taste good anyway. Soft, fluffy, not overly sweet. The best part is not having to deal with yeast and rising. Thanks!
Hey! Have you ever attempted these with lard instead of butter? This recipe is very similar to my biscuit recipe, in which butter and lard are interchangeable. Best part is that lard is so cheap and is easier to cut in.
Wondering if you have tried that substitution?
Many thanks!
I haven’t tried that, sorry!
Oops, I hit post without finishing. I was asking about freezing… Would it work well to freeze them and pack them in a cooler and then have them while camping?
Could these be made ahead and frozen? Would they work well that way?
Yes, I think that would work great!
Made these tonight and they were fabulous! I feel like I’ve been waiting my whole life for a 20 minute cinnamon roll, and here we are, so thank you!
These were perfect for our surprise snow day today! So easy and delicious. Looking forward to trying some of the variations next!
I’ve been thinking about making these since you originally posted them, and finally got around to it last week. I made them as written except I made a cream cheese frosting instead of a simple glaze. I have to admit that I didn’t love them hot out of the oven – they were good, but they tasted more like biscuits with a light cinnamon filling (which I was wishing was a little thicker). However (!), once they completely cooled (and especially after 20 seconds in the microwave), they were the cinnamon rolls of my dreams! They lost the strong biscuit taste, and genuinely tasted like cinnamon rolls. The texture changed too — you almost would have thought they had yeast in them given how soft and fluffy they were. It took my family of 3 two days to eat the whole batch, but these are a keeper (especially when I want lots of leftovers during a long/holiday weekend)! Thank you for the recipe!!
Glad you loved them; thanks for the detailed comment!
Hi Mel,
I’m trying these on Friday for the book group I’m hosting and I can’t wait ! They look amazing ! Unlike you though, I love doughy rolls as well as flakey! I also love all sorts of bread puddings even if they are a little soggy so I’m good ether way Generally, I just love food !
Thanks for sharing another winner of a recipe! Your recipes are always keepers, but this one I’m especially excited for. My sister and I grew up making “Special Saturday Breakfasts” with my dad every weekend. We usually made something simple like breakfast bagel sandwiches or blueberry muffins–where you must “gently tuck the blueberries into bed” because I guess someone was an over aggressive stirrer ;). At 37.5 weeks pregnant (whatttt) my husband and I are preparing for our little one and making plans for what our new traditions will be. As soon as we tasted these we knew–THIS will be our Special Saturday Breakfast! They’re too easy and delicious not to be. And BONUS-they reheat well! They don’t get weird or soggy after refrigerating. But it’s not like they last that long, anyway. 🙂
Thanks again, Mel! We love love love your recipes and are excited to use them as we become a little family of three!
Good luck with the last few weeks of your pregnancy, Kayla! I laughed out loud at the “tuck the blueberries into bed” comment. Hilarious. So happy this recipe was a winner for you!
These were so good! I used half cinnamon and half cardamom for a more complex, aromatic sweetness.
This is almost identical to my recipe. I’ve been making these for several years and they are so good! Thanks for reminding me to put them back into the rotation. Yum!
Whoa. I just made these cinnamon rolls this morning and my world has been flipped upside down! They were soooo delicious. It’ll take me a while to go back to making traditional yeast cinnamon rolls after how quickly and easily these came together. Granted, I 1.5x the filling and doubled the frosting, so that may have helped 🙂 YUM!
Happy you loved them!
Yay for no yeast! I love, love, love, biscuits and so perfect to have them in cinnamon roll form!
I made these for Saturday but threw a couple in today just to make sure they were delicious. 😉 They did not disappoint, I probably have tried a quarter of your recipes and we have loved everyone!! Thank you for all the amazing recipes!
Thanks, Erin – I always look forward to seeing your comments pop up!
These came together so quickly! I made them in less than 20 min. after dinner one night and put them in the fridge. My kids were surprised to wake up to warm cinnamon buns for breakfast the next morning. The crumb is slightly different than a yeast cinnamon roll, but it’s good in it’s own right. I had to add a little more flour (even though I weighed) when shaping because it was too sticky to handle. I often have buttermilk on hand for waffles and pancakes. Now, whenever I see that some is close to expiry, I will think– I could make those cinnamon rolls with that buttermilk. I can’t un-know this information! Thanks for a new way to do an old classic.
Haha, “can’t un-know this information” – made me laugh!
These are delicious. Made a 1/2 batch first try, then a full batch tonight to bake off in the morning for my bible study group in the morning. They may be messy to make, but they are tender and delicious. Thanks for a great make ahead, no rise cinnamon roll recipe.
Mel, I love these!! I made them this morning for my daughter and her friends (5 girls ) after a sleepover. They were a huge hit! Thanks again for another great recipe!
You are so right, using a biscuit dough and sweetening it up IS sheer brilliance!
Eons ago when I was in my 20’s and had to move home with two small boys under the age of two, I had to go to work and as my parents both worked, I hired a young woman, Mayme, to clean their house and care for my boys. The second day I was informed that if I would tell her what we were planning for the evening meal and had the items on hand she would see that our meal was prepared we got home from work. Our kitchen was now reigned over by a cook that knew just the right pinch of this and that! Mayme’s meals rivaled those of Mama (my grandmother) One day we ate her cinnamon rolls and they were so heavenly, that to bite into one was like the cartoon dog Muttley & his doggie treat. You soared heavenly & floated down….so I asked her for the recipe and was told that it was the same as her biscuit recipe except that she added sugar! I was floored! This recipe must have been transmitted straight of her thoughts and into yours out of the ether from more than 50 years ago! With the exception of using teaspoons instead of a “medium pinch” and a “pinch”, It looks to be identical! I had quit making them for over 17 years because my husband after I remarried hated homemade biscuits, he only liked the canned ones! You have no idea how grateful I am to possess this recipe again….this husband will beg for them after the first roll! lolol
I have to say that Mel’s Kitchen Cafe is my “go to site” for delicious recipes. They are innovative (I don’t have a backyard pit either) & I could rave on endlessly about them! In all honesty I’ve been subscribed to your blog a short time…BUT I have gone through your recipes with “a fine toothed comb” and Mel, not only are you tops in quality but you, as all of us do, cherish “time saving” when possible without sacrificing the quality and the taste! It is so lovely to have younger people that truly love to cook and share their love of love good food with everyone else! THANK YOU!
Margo! What a sweet and heartfelt comment. I loved reading about your past experience and sweet Mayme who influenced you and your boys (and parents?) in such a positive way with her cooking. I am so happy you are enjoying the recipes on my blog…comments like yours are what keep me blogging! Thank you!
This recipe made my day!! I have been a follower for quite sometime and make many of your recipes. However, I don’t leave comments. I made these delicious cinnamon rolls on December 30th when I was hosting my sister and her family to celebrate her birthday!! We are a foodie family so I was curious to see what everyone thought. They were a hit and I was thrilled to be able to make them the morning of without having to set an alarm for 4am to include time for rising.
So happy you loved these cinnamon rolls, Christa…thanks for taking the time to let me know!
I made these this morning with my daughter. So yummy! I had to double the icing because I go heavy on the drizzling… And I made them by hand, cutting the butter in with a fork and knife (my grandmother’s method I haven’t updated yet). Thanks so much, Mel! I use your recipes ALL the time!
These were tender and tasty but really were just a cinnamon biscuit, not a legit substitute for real cinnamon rolls. Still craving those 🙂
We loved these! I ended up making two batches of icing because the first was just not enough. I don’t like my stuff drowning in icing or anything, but I do like to taste it and mine didn’t look nearly as iced as yours. Huh! These were really good though and I was thrilled with how quickly I could make them and how flaky they were! Wish I’d seen the comment about grating the butter though–I need a pastry blender and/or food processor! 😉
I just made yogurt. Do you think the whey would work in place of buttermilk? I think you are simply amazing…
I haven’t tried using whey, Julie, but you could definitely experiment!
I love your blog and I use your recipes all the time. I tried this but made them into orange rolls (using your orange roll filling and glaze) and they are delicious. My family loves them.
Oh yum!
I made these right away. They are so delicious I will not make them again UNLESS I have people to take them to. A great recipe. Thank you.
Haha, I know what you mean!
I love eating cinnamon rolls but seriously lack the patience to mix and knead and punch and knead and wait and wait and wait. I’ve probably made 2 batches of cinnamon rolls in my life (so sad, I know!!). When I showed this post to my 10 year old son last night he claimed that we had to make them now. I was so skeptical! But my son won out, we made them, and we are all a million times more happy because of it. Delicious cinnamon rolls without the wait!! It’s almost a miracle! Now I have a recipe that I’m not afraid to use, plus a biscuit recipe that I will use in the future. Such a win, win!! Thank you, Mel, for posting miracles in my kitchen! 🙂
Yay, yay!
I just made these and my family loved them! I made other cinnamon rolls for Christmas morning, and these were so much easier and everyone liked them better. One quick comment about buttermilk. I used the powdered buttermilk, and it worked just great. I always keep it in my freezer, and it is super convenient. Here is a link to amazon for anyone who wants to see what it is. I just buy it in the baking aisle at the regular grocery store. https://www.amazon.com/Saco-Cultured-Powdered-Buttermilk-12-ounce/dp/B004AXZEW2
These were amazing!! Your site is my go to for all things yummy!! I love that your recipes are real food 🙂 I also love that my children and husband love what I make from your site. Thank you!
Did I see somewhere in a previous post where those of us who live in the south have to adjust the amount of flour due to the change in elevation?
Usually it’s those who live at high altitude that adjust flour.
These look wonderful, can’t wait to try them! One question: How would you go about freezing and then cooking them? Thanks!
This is what I want to know, too, and why I’ve read through all the comments. I’m going to try these tomorrow morning, but with just two of us, I don’t need to bake them all at once.
I shape them and put them on the pan and then cover with plastic wrap and freeze the tray. I’ve defrosted them overnight in the refrigerator or on the counter for a few hours (you may even be able to bake them from frozen but I haven’t tried that).
I have to let you know that when I saw this recipe, I was anxious to try it gluten free. Gluten free doesn’t work well with yeast breads, but usually turns out in recipes with baking powder/soda. And it was fabulous. Like the best gluten free cinnamon roll we’ve ever had. Not dense, dry, or rock hard, just fluffy, airy, and delicious. I did cut back on the flour amount since gf is drier, but did everything else the same. THANK YOU for a non-yeast breakfast treat!
So glad to hear this, Mary, I was going to try gluten free, too, for those exact same reasons. Thanks!
I’m SO happy to hear this, Mary!
Yay! I was just reading through the comments before I attempt to make these gluten free as well! I have been craving a yummy gluten free cinnamon roll for years!
Can I ask what kind of GF flour you used? I have a friend who has two kids who eat GF. We were talking the other night about how bad he feels when he eats cinnamon rolls and other such treats because his kids can’t eat them. So I would like to be able to make treats the whole family can enjoy…
My grandmother used to make a similar apple roll cake. These are sooo much simpler, no apple peeling! I need to try this recipe asap. Have a wonderful new year with the family Mel, and little Cam asking for only one christmas present! Unheard of, jaja!
Ok, I really wanted to try these and then you lost me at ‘I hate doughy anything…’ I never order cinnamon rolls anywhere because they aren’t that little bit underbaked that I love to make them! I adore doughy cinnamon rolls, slightly under baked rolls, fudgy brownies, etc. I’m sure these are still delicious and I will try them…just had to laugh that you don’t love your yeasts cinnamon rolls the same way!!
Can’t wait to try these! I only have milk kefir on hand. Have you tried using that as a substitute in this recipe?
I did try milk kefir once. The cinnamon rolls seemed to flatten a bit more so maybe use slightly less and only add more if the dough is dry.
Yesssssss
How dare he insult that frosting!! I’m not a frosting fan and I lick the bowl on that one. I guess if you can forgive him, then I can too. Made Gloria’s rolls for our visiting family and they raved. Looking forward to trying these too. Especially since calories don’t count at the holidays. Thank goodness for that!!!
I do something similar – roll the dough out, but instead of a biscuit cutter, use a donut cutter and bake them ( either reroll the dough or bake the donut holes separately,) then once out of the oven and cool enough to touch, dip the tops in melted butter, then in cinnamon/sugar. Best of both worlds- cinnamon rolls and biscuits.
Oh yum!
Recommendations for those of us who have neither a food processor or a pastry cutter? Usually I opt for grating butter. Is that a good option or do you have a better idea? Super excited to try these!
Yes, grating butter would work fabulously!
YUM YUM YUM! Can’t wait to try them
Hi Mel, these look amazing. I have a recipe on my site for cinnamon roll biscuits but mine uses canola oil and doesn’t have sugar in the dough. I’m definitely going to have to try these. I’m drooling over them. Cinnamon rolls are my weakness. Hope you and your family had a Merry Christmas!
Lol!! Ok, sorry for the double comment post Mel. Not sure what my iPad was doing. The first one didn’t post so I wrote a second one and posted it and now it’s showing both! Sooo sorry!
Hi Mel! These look amazing. I have a cinnamon roll biscuit recipe on my site, but mine uses canola oil and doesn’t have sugar in the dough. I’m definitely going to have to give these a try, they look delicious! Hope you and your cute family had a Merry Christmas.
I made a recipe like this (long ago) in my high school Home Economics class – and lost the recipe. So I am thrilled to see this recipe! I’ll be making it very soon. Thanks!
i just thought you should know that i have a house-ful of company and woke up this morning wishing that cinnamon rolls didn’t take so long to be ready. i saw this and five minutes later was in the process of making them. thank you for saving the day!!
Yahoo! Cinnamon rolls save the day!
As LA’s mom I am decidedly biased, but these really are delicious! Even someone like me – someone who struggles with biscuits can put out a pretty decent cinnamon biscuit. Glad you liked them, Mel. Try some variations- they are amazing!!
I can’t wait to try some variations!
Mellllllllllll……my waist does not thank you!!! 🙂
These are amazing !!! Thank you for this today … We are eating these for breakfast right now !!! Perfectly delicious !! I read the recipe and started making them … You really know how to motivate me
Love that you made them so quickly, Helen!
I am so excited to read this recipe this morning!! I LOVE making your flaky biscuits because they are so easy and I feel like a super chef. Now I can do almost the same thing and make cinnamon rolls?!? Amazing. As always, you’re the best, Mel! Merry Christmas and I pray you and your family have a healthy, happy and wonderful 2017
Thank you, Jolie!
Soooo excited to make these… I’m dedinitely thinking today 😉
My life is complete! This is seriously the best post ever! Glad you see me as a friend and not a weird, crazy blog stalker Ha!
I do have to clear up that I have made Gloria’s Cinnamon Rolls, once, that day you posted it. I mean, how could you not after reading that post. Wow.! Glorious!
But I do make these everyday at work. It’s my specialty. I’m sort of a rock star at them. Since I make them so much I experiment with new flavors.
Blueberry with lemon zest
Raspberry with toasted almonds
Almond joy
Pumpkin
Peanut butter chocolate
Craisin Orange
The list goes on and on and on!
P.s. Just learned that my neighbor is family to your neighbor the Biorns. Small world.
Thanks for the extra details, Laurel! And you know I was just slightly teasing you about not making “real” cinnamon rolls. You ARE a biscuit cinnamon roll rock star! Can’t wait to try some of your variations.
Hi Laurel. I love these additional flavor combinations. I read your response to Katy…can I assume there is no cinnamon added to these fillings (similar to Mel’s Orange Sweet Rolls an Lemon Sticky Buns)?
Can’t wait to try these!
I always add cinnamon. Butter, cinnamon, sugar is always my go too. It’s seriously so good, with every combo.
Thank you Laurel. I made the original recipe….wonderful!
Mel, these look amazing and I am so excited to try them! Any ideas on how I could transform this into an orange roll recipe? (They are a family favorite!)
I bet to cut back some on the cinnamon add orange zest and orange juice to the glaze would be close.
Add orange zest to the flour butter mix and the juice of it to your buttermilk. Add zest in with the sugar and the glaze too.
I agree with what Laurel said – I’d probably add orange zest to the dough (when you add the buttermilk) and then add orange zest to the filling and orange juice in the glaze.
Holy awesome! My mom makes excellent raised cinnamon rolls but I’ve never had the energy to attempt them. I could totally do this though! Maybe for her birthday (which happens to be New Years Day). So do you really stick to white flour always or try to sneak in some wheat too? I’m always wondering how many healthy ingredients I can get away with. 😀
Hey Mia, I’ve done half whole wheat (the white whole wheat variety) and half white flour and they are pretty good…I love adding whole wheat flour to things, but I’ll admit these are divine and the lightest and flakiest when using all white flour (I use unbleached all-purpose).
I made Gloria’s cinnamon rolls for Christmas Eve brunch and everyone was crazy over them! I am actually surprised my picky daughter hasn’t said something about the maple frosting on them…but so far so good!
I want to try these today! But I have no buttermilk. Can I use the homemade, or does it need to be boughten?
Ah, great question and I’ll actually add a note to the recipe. I’m a big fan of the homemade buttermilk substitution but I’ve tried it with these and they have not worked out well for me (flattened miserably while baking and the dough was really wet). Having said that, if you tried it, I would try a thicker homemade solution: half sour cream or plain yogurt and half milk to equal the 2 cups (so the buttermilk isn’t too thin).
I never buy buttermilk anymore. I always have a big tub of Costco yogurt in the fridge and use half yogurt/half milk in all my baking. My whole family really prefers this. The results have been fantastic!
I tried these today and did with homemade plain yogurt thinned with milk and they flattened too much. Shape wasn’t as pretty, but still delicious!
I LOVE cinnamon rolls. These do look yummy. Did you use white flour or whole wheat soft white?
I usually use unbleached all-purpose.
Just made your perfect cinnamon rolls last night and was going to make more today, but I may try these! No buttermilk here though. Do I need to use boughten, or does it work to make your own for this recipe? Thanks Mel!