1-Hour Homemade Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting — It’s possible to make soft, light, fluffy cinnamon rolls from scratch in 1 hour! These are yeast cinnamon rolls topped with a homemade cream cheese frosting.
Quick Yeast Cinnamon Rolls Recipe
I love a good challenge. Like making cinnamon rolls, 100% from scratch, in 1 hour. Think it can’t be done? It can. With soft, fluffy, incredible results.
Lots of photos follow. Hopefully they’ll help twist your arm about what you should be doing the next hour. I loathe taking step shots, but with yeast recipes, everyone says they’re really appreciated. You’re welcome.
These quick cinnamon rolls are made with yeast, and while plenty of recipes exist for baking powder-based rolls, they always taste a little bit off to me. A yeast-based dough is really the only way to go for a truly authentic tasting cinnamon rolls.
To make them, I adapted and combined elements from Overnight Buttermilk Soft and Fluffy Cinnamon Rolls and One-Hour Soft Buttery Breadsticks in coming up with the dough and method (to my madness).
Buttermilk is one of the main reasons why I like my Overnight Cinnamon Roll recipe so well. It’s instrumental in helping the dough stay light, fluffy, soft, and tender. In that recipe there’s the luxury of letting the dough rise overnight if you want.
However, in this recipe buttermilk is key in helping the dough rise without actually setting aside any time to rise, and it’s a must-use item, no exceptions.
This is not the recipe to play around with trying to make your own buttermilk with a squirt of lemon juice or vinegar into regular milk or try using Powdered Buttermilk. Use the real thing.
When I made the One-Hour Breadsticks, I only allowed the dough to rise for about 20 minutes and they were still soft and fluffy. It got me thinking, maybe I could skip the long, drawn out rising and waiting times typically associated with cinnamon rolls. Turns out, yes, I could skip it.
If you’ve made cinnamon rolls from scratch before, you know that typically you’re looking at a 2+ hour initial rise, and after punching down the dough, rolling it out, and shaping the rolls, they rise in the pan for another hour or so, before being baked.
With this recipe, you make the dough, immediately roll it out, put it in the pan, and bake it immediately.
I was told that these rolls are my best ever. The text I received, “Cinnamon rolls should be illegal. The best. I ate all the rolls but one. I am going to get chubby.”
They’re soft, light, fluffy, and you’d never know the dough didn’t rise for hours on end. There’s plenty of cinnamon and spice, and the sweet and tangy cream cheese frosting is a heavenly complement.
There’s no reason to buy refrigerated dough-in-a-tube rolls or go Cinnabon for your fix. DIY is always best. And now, you can DIY in 1 hour.
What’s in 1 Hour Cinnamon Rolls?
To make the homemade cinnamon roll dough, you’ll need:
- All-purpose flour
- Buttermilk
- Instant dry yeast
- Oil
- Granulated sugar
- Salt
For the cinnamon roll filling, you’ll need:
- Unsalted butter
- Granulated sugar
- Light brown sugar
- Cinnamon
And to make the cinnamon roll frosting, you’ll need:
- Cream cheese
- Confectioners’ sugar
- Cream or milk
How to Make 1 Hour Cinnamon Rolls
To make the dough, add everything all at once into your stand mixer, and let it knead for about 7 minutes. You can of course do this by hand with elbow grease. You’ve earned your rolls after hand-kneading.
I bake with King Arthur All-Purpose and sometimes King Arthur Bread Flour. Bread flour creates a chewier, thicker, denser result, more bagel-like. I wanted to keep the rolls softer and fluffier, and opted for all-purpose.
I strongly recommend KA flour because the protein levels are generally slightly higher than in other brands. In baking, this lends more structure, translating to puffier cookies, stronger cakes, and better rising bread. Cheap flour is cheap flour. Spend an extra two bucks for good flour. The results are worth it.
I only use Red Star Platinum Yeast. It’s the best yeast I’ve ever tried and it never lets me down. If you’re new to bread-making or working with yeast, consider this yeast your insurance against goofs because it’s very forgiving. Since it’s an instant yeast, you don’t have to proof it (let it stand with warm liquids for 10 minutes or until foamy). You simply add it with the rest of your dry ingredients.
After kneading, the dough will be smooth and it’s not overly sticky.
Roll it out into a 9×14-inch size. Grab a 9×13-inch pan and just eyeball it so the dough is a little longer than the pan.
Spread a stick of butter over the dough.
Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.
Starting with the 14-inch side, roll it up into a tight log.
Slice it using dental floss. It’s truly the best way to slice rolls so they don’t get squished and lopsided. I’ve tried fancy bench scrapers, really expensive knives, and two cent’s worth of dental floss is the best bet.
If you make 1-inch slices, you’ll end up with 14 rolls. Nine rolls comfortably fit in a 9-inch pie dish. You’ll have 5 extra. I baked those in a 9×5-inch loaf pan.
I could have baked everything in a 9×13-inch pan, but I was obsessed with baking in a round pie dish because that’s how my grandma made her cinnamon rolls, and I have a nostalgic predisposition to wanting my cinnamon rolls baked in a round pan. If you don’t care, using a 9×13-inch pan is probably easiest.
You can also slice them about 1 1/2 inches each, and bake 9 big rolls in a pie dish. They’ll be Cinnabon-sized, whereas the rolls I made are like premade-dough-in-a-tube-sized.
I baked for exactly 20 minutes. Watch them closely so you don’t burn them.
The dough is so white and will fool you into thinking it’s still raw when it’s not.
While they’re baking, mix up the (mandatory) cinnamon roll frosting. Cream cheese, sugar, splash of cream. Nothing fancy, but I want to eat it by the spoonful. Instead of cream, you could use eggnog, maple syrup, Baileys, Kahlua, orange juice, or whatever strikes your fancy.
I put some frosting in a small sandwich bag, cut the corner, and made swirls. I would have never done this if I wasn’t taking pictures. I would have smeared it on fast and super thick with a spatula. And that’s what I did after the photos.
How Long Do Cinnamon Rolls Last?
Extra cinnamon roll frosting will keep airtight for many weeks. These quick yeast cinnamon rolls are best eaten warm and fresh but will keep airtight for up to 2 days. Reheat gently in microwave before serving if desired.
I’m comfortable storing frosted rolls at room temperature, but if you’re not, frost only the portion you plan to consume immediately.
Can You Freeze Cinnamon Rolls?
Yes! These 1 hour cinnamon rolls may be made, cooled completely, put in a Ziplock (don’t frost them) and frozen for up to 4 months. Thaw at room temp, frost, and serve.
Tips for Making Cinnamon Rolls From Scratch
Bread flour may be substituted for all-purpose flour. Note that the 1 hour cinnamon rolls will be firmer and chewier rather than softer and fluffier. You may only need 2 1/4 cups bread flour.
Based on the brand of yeast used, the temperature you need to warm the buttermilk to will vary. Red Star Platinum yeast calls for a warmer temperature than most, 120 to 130F; other brands are much lower, about 95 to 105F.
Warm buttermilk according to the yeast manufacturer’s recommendations on the packaging. This takes about 1 minute in a glass measuring cup in my microwave. Taking the temperature with a digital thermometer is recommended, but if you’re not, make sure the water is warm, not hot. Err on the cooler rather than hotter side so you don’t kill the yeast.
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One-Hour Homemade Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting
It's possible to make soft, light, fluffy cinnamon rolls from scratch in 1 hour! These are yeast cinnamon rolls topped with a homemade cream cheese frosting.
Ingredients
Dough
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour + extra flour if needed, see directions*
- 1 cup buttermilk, warmed to manufacturer’s directions, see directions
- 2 1/4 teaspoons instant dry yeast (one 1/4-ounce packet, I use Red Star Platinum
- 2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt, optional and to taste
Filling
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), very soft
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 3 tablespoons cinnamon
Frosting
- 4 ounces cream cheese, very soft*
- about 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
- about 2 to 3 tablespoons cream, half-and-half, or milk (eggnog, maple syrup, orange juice, Baileys, or Kahlua may be substituted if desired)
Instructions
Make the dough:
- Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare a 9-inch pie dish (holds about 9 rolls) and a 9×5-inch loaf pan (holds about 5 rolls) OR prepare a 9×13 pan by spraying with cooking spray or grease and flour the pan(s); set aside. See blog post above for explanation about pan sizes.
- To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook (or large mixing bowl and hand-knead), combine all dough ingredients and knead for about 7 minutes, or until dough is soft, smooth, and has come together in a firm mass. If hand-kneading, you may need to knead a few minutes longer. Note – Dough should be smooth, not overly sticky, and fairly easy to handle. If your dough is very wet, moist, sticky, or gloppy, add flour in 1 tablespoon increments until it comes together easily.
- Turn dough out onto a Silpat-lined or cooking sprayed work surface.
- Using a rolling pin, roll dough into a rectangle that’s approximately 9×14 inches. Use a 9×13 pan and just eyeball it so the dough is a little longer than the pan.
Make the Filling:
- Spread butter in an even layer over the surface of the dough, leaving about 1/4-inch margins around edges; set aside.
- In a small bowl, add sugars, cinnamon, and stir to combine. Evenly sprinkle mixture over the buttered dough.
- Starting with the 14-inch side, roll dough up into a tight log.
- Make approximately 1-inch slices using plain (not mint) waxed or unwaxed dental floss. It’s the best way to slice rolls so they don’t get squished and lopsided.
- Place rolls into prepared pan(s).
- Bake for about 20 minutes, or until cooked through and set. I baked for exactly 20 minutes. Watch rolls closely so you don’t burn them. The dough is so white and will fool you into thinking it’s still raw when it’s not. Rolls continue to firm up as they cool.
- While rolls bake, make the frosting.
Make the Frosting:
- Combine all frosting ingredients in a medium mixing bowl, and beat with an electric mixer or by hand with a whisk until smooth and combined. Based on desired frosting consistency, you may need to play with the sugar and cream ratios slightly.
- Apply frosting to rolls as desired. I placed some frosting in a small sandwich bag, cut the corner, and made swirls. Smearing it on fast and thick with a spatula is what I prefer to do when not photographing them.
Notes
Flour: Bread flour may be substituted; rolls will be firmer and chewier rather than softer and fluffier; you may only need 2 1/4 cups bread flour.
Buttermilk: Based on the brand of yeast used, buttermilk temperature will vary. Red Star Platinum yeast calls for a warmer temperature than most, 120 to 130F; other brands are much lower, about 95 to 105F. Warm buttermilk according to the yeast manufacturer’s recommendations on the packaging. This takes about 1 minute in a glass measuring cup in my microwave. Taking the temperature with a digital thermometer is recommended, but if you’re not, make sure the water is warm, not hot. Err on the cooler rather than hotter side so you don’t kill the yeast.
Cream cheese: Light cream cheese may be substituted, but it’s runnier and you may want to skip the cream.
Storage: Extra frosting will keep airtight for many weeks. Rolls are best eaten warm and fresh but will keep airtight for up to 2 days. Reheat gently in microwave before serving if desired. I’m comfortable storing frosted rolls at room temperature, but if you’re not, frost only the portion you plan to consume immediately. Rolls may be made, cooled completely, put in a Ziplock (don’t frost them) and frozen for up to 4 months. Thaw at room temp, frost, and serve.
Adapted from Overnight Buttermilk Soft and Fluffy Cinnamon Rolls and One-Hour Soft Buttery Breadsticks.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
14Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 346Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 29mgSodium: 111mgCarbohydrates: 54gFiber: 2gSugar: 27gProtein: 5g
More Easy Cinnamon Roll Recipes:
ALL OF MY CINNAMON ROLL-INSPIRED RECIPES!
Overnight Cinnamon Rolls — Favorite cinnamon roll recipe with a make-ahead/overnight option. This makes a bigger batch and is a 4+ hour process rather than 1 hour. The rolls taste closer to Cinnabon’s because they’re big, jumbo-style rolls, drenched in frosting
The Best Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls — Super soft, fluffy pumpkin spice cinnamon rolls topped with a cream cheese glaze! Move over, Cinnabon, these are better!!
Overnight Eggnog Cinnamon Rolls – The SOFTEST and FLUFFIEST cinnamon rolls with an overnight MAKE-AHEAD option and eggnog frosting adds the perfect touch!! If you like Cinnabon rolls, you’ll LOVE THESE!!
Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Bake — Every bite tastes like the super SOFT, gooey CENTER of a cinnamon roll!! Spiked with pumpkin and flooded with icing, this EASY recipe is an automatic WINNER!!
Caramel Apple Cinnamon Roll Bake — This cinnamon roll recipe with apples and caramel sauce is easy, ready in 30 minutes, and you don’t even have to make scratch cinnamon roll dough.
Nutella Cinnamon Rolls with Vanilla Glaze — Nutella Cinnamon Rolls are a decadent and ridiculously easy way to enjoy homemade cinnamon rolls in a hurry.
Copycat Cinnabon Soft Pretzels — These are the easiest and fastest soft pretzels because they start with a tube of Pillsbury Grands Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls!
I forgot to give 5 stars!
Thanks for the 5 star review and Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family as well!
Hey Averie!
I love your recipes! I tried these and they were so good. I always thought cinnamon rolls would be hard to make but you gave such clear steps, it was easy. There was also a lot of butter in the pan afterwards but next time I know just yo let it sit and soak it back up.
I want to do these for Thanksgiving but add pumpkin puree, if I just add the puree to the dough mix that will work well?
I have a pumpkin cinnamon roll recipe actually! https://www.averiecooks.com/the-best-pumpkin-cinnamon-rolls/
Thank you for replying and for the recipe.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family
These were awesome! I made then last night after dinner and they were SO easy! Mine got a 20 min rise while I got my son ready and tucked in, but the dough was amazing and rolled out perfectly! They’re nice and soft and just as great this morning. Who doesn’t need a little something on a Monday morning? I’ll have to try your overnight recipe, because we like these better than the popular recipe we make for holidays.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad you like these better than the popular recipe you make for holidays.
Hi. I have made the over night cinnamon rolls & they are FABULOUS. My daughter has been begging me to make them for a few weeks. I seriously thought about making them but didn’t have the time, so I decided to give these a try. They are really delicious. The only change I made was to reduce the half & half by half a tablespoon & replace it with half a tablespoon of Tahitian vanilla. I could have eaten the frosting by itself. Ha ha. Thanks for a great recipe!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you! The Tahitian vanilla sounds amazing and yes I can eat frosting by itself no problem :)
Hi,
I am teaching a grade 7 Foods class and I am wanting to do a “1 Dough, 2 Ways” lesson where half my class makes cinnamon buns and the other half makes pizza using the same dough as a base. I was wondering if you think that this dough recipe might work as a pizza dough as well?
Thanks
-Amy
I do think it would work and I also have this recipe for breadsticks, which I know some readers have made into pizza crust, and it’s not that far off from cinnamon roll dough either. That one may work great for you!
https://www.averiecooks.com/2013/11/one-hour-soft-buttery-breadsticks-salted-and-cinnamon-sugar-vegan.html
Hey Averie,
Loved the recipe. They turned out amazing and delicious. Only the dough was REAALY sticky to work with even though i added a ton of extra flour . Any suggestions? Still It worked out to be yummy .
I even blogged about it here.
http://bakeoholicanonymous.blogspot.in/2014/05/sunday-morning-cinnamon-buns-no-eggs.html
Thanks !
Sophia
It could be because you didn’t have buttermilk and made a makeshift version of it and the water you added could have really watered down the dough AND it probably didn’t have the ‘oomph’ regular buttermilk has to really give bread a nice jumpstart with the rising; thus, lots of extra flour was needed. But it looks like it all worked out! I recommend using a high quality flour like King Arthur for all your bread-baking. That can help too, and overall, I find I need less. Thanks for trying the recipe!
Hi Averie,
I’m a new reader from Australia! Just loving the look of these amazing cinnamon rolls. We had cinnabons last time we were in America and have been craving them ever since (there’s nothing like them here). Would love to try making these, but i dont think we have that brand of yeast. Do you think its ok to use another brand as long as I try and find one that’s an instant yeast? Not very experienced with bread making :)
Yes just use your best and most trusted instant yeast and you’ll be set! Enjoy!
Are you supposed to grease AND flour?? I just greased and the dough didn’t rise and was totally raw and wet after 20 minutes
I only have “Saf-Instant Yeast” and do not have a thermometer, so how would you recommend to handle it and how long to microwave the buttermilk for. This brand of yeast’s temperature is 90-110 degrees btw. Thanks!
I’m sorry that I can’t say exactly since I’ve only made the recipe using the yeast I used and with a thermometer. The buttermilk mixture needs to be warm to the touch, quite warm, but not scalding.
Which recipe would you absolutely strongly suggest to make, these 1 hour cinnamon rolls or your overnight cinnamon rolls? Which are more worth it?
If you only have 1 hour, the one hour rolls are really good. But, the best rolls on my site, as I see it and as my readers say, are the overnight cinnamon rolls. They’re really special :)
Hi! Very awesome recipe. Made this a few weeks ago for my very first time very easy and very tasty! Though the second time making them the frosting recipe looks different ?! Did you by chance change it? I remember being butter with the cream cheese and then there was a second frosting choice ? Please let me know cuz the buttery cream cheese was good :)
I didn’t change anything at all in the post. Maybe you grabbed the frosting from another post? Not sure but no, didn’t make any changes! Glad you enjoy the rolls!
Hi Averie, these rolls are nothing short of genius! My friend Anna made them and raved about them so I gave them a try..amazing!!! Love your site and can’t wait to try some of your other recipes :-) Nicola
Well thank you so much for trying them & glad they lived up to Anna’s rave reviews and you loved them too! :)
I made these today, and all I can say is wow! They’re gorgeous. My family and I were thrilled with them.
http://culinarytravels.co.uk/2014/02/21/ultra-quick-cinnamon-rolls/
Thanks for trying them & so glad you’re happy, George!
I made these rolls today, and they were very good. I have a recipe I always use for cinamon rolls , however from start to finish, 4 hours is taken, so I thought I would try these. It felt weird not letting them rise but I wanted to follow your recipe exactly so I can see if it really works, and it does! This recipe was easier than making some cookie batches, like I felt like I was cheating or something, lol! Your predicted times are always so right on! I know everyone is not as seasoned in baking and some people are slower than others, but with your recipes I have noteiced you have them down to a “T”! I appreciate all the time and effort you put into your recipes, and plan on following your blog and making many more I’m sure! Delisious One hour cinamon rolls!! Your right!, why bother with pop open ones when you can make these with such ease! Thank you :)
I just went out to the garage where my husband is working away on his truck to give him a warm cinnamon roll, and he said they are super good and asked if I made them by hand, which I of course replied “yes I did” and he said its amazing how I can do that so fast, and make it taste so good! Soooooo thanks Averie for making my husband think I’m amazing ! Lol ( sorry, just had to share)
I totally kwym about feeling like you’re cheating the system on these! Yes! And easier than making cookies, agreed! Thanks for verifying/reiterating that you think my timing estimates are on the money. I try and then I ponder things based on how long I think the avg person would need to do it successfully and glad to hear you love these and they worked great. And not in 4 hours :) And that your hubs thinks your a lighting fast superstar baker!
Hey Averie.
First let me say, I absolutely love your recipes!
Q: Is it possible to make the dough and freeze half of it a head of time ?
I’m afraid my partner & I won’t manage to eat it all at once ;)
Thanks, Tom [from Israel]
Hi Tom! You’re a long way from California! :) Thanks for reading!
I would probably make the batch as-is, then just freeze half the already baked rolls. I find that’s a better/easier way to go about it than freezing raw dough. It does work, but I don’t think the results are quite as good as if baking with fresh dough. The nice thing about this cinn roll recipe is that I purposely kept it small. While it looks ‘big’ in the photos, in reality it’s a small 9-inch pie plate and they will go fast. Whatever you decide to freeze, just don’t glaze. Take them out, let them thaw, glaze before serving. LMK how it goes!
Will do!
Thanks for the fast reply
By the way, I made this Rolls and also your “Soft one hour pretzels” that same day, they all came out yummy!
I filled half of them with Chocolate and the other half with Homemade Almonds paste and Blueberries.
Froze them after baking as you suggested and yes, this are perfect even when reheated!
Thanx.
I love that you filled them! The almond paste and bb’s and the chocolate both sound excellent! And glad that my freezing suggestion worked out great!
Thank you so much for sharing this! They were so amazing and relaxing to make! :)
That is AWESOME that you found it relaxing to make bread!! I find the same thing but lots of people freak out about bread and are a ball of nerves. In all the thousands of comments I’ve received about my bread recipes over the years, you are the FIRST person to ever say it was relaxing. And I love that you feel that way! Thanks for sharing that sentiment & for trying the recipe! Glad you loved them :)
Bread can be scary at first but I find it relaxing now. My coworkers always know when I am stressed because I bring in lots of yeasty goodness. My mom taught me to make bread by hand one Christmas when I was a kid.
I made the cinnamon rolls again last weekend! My husband said we can have them every weekend!
That’s so cute what your husband said about having them every weekend :)
And I totally agree that bread can be scary but turns into relaxing and therapeutic! I love working with dough. Such a great medium and stress-reliever!
I absolutely love these! Even though the filling was a bit much. Is there a way to half the amount of sugar in it?
Yes you can tinker around with the amount of filling and reduce it by 1/3 or reduce it down to how much you like in your rolls. I would rather have more than less, but find that place that works for you!
Have to admit, I was a doubter. They were awesome! Thanks for sharing.
Glad I proved you wrong!
My husband and I made these together yesterday afternoon (what better thing to do during a big snow storm than bake homemade cinnamon buns?) and they are amazing. I’ve never made cinnamon rolls before because I thought they’d be terribly difficult but your recipe isn’t and that dough was so beautifully flexible and easy to work with. They look beautiful, too. We’ll be making these again, for sure. Thanks so much for sharing.
Thanks for trying them, Bee, and sounds like for a first attempt at cinn rolls, they turned out perfectly! Glad you guys enjoyed!
Hi Averie, I made these along with your Nutella PB bread over the holidays. Everyone loved them! Thanks for explaining everything throughout the recipe too – this was my first try at cinnamon rolls. The icing is amazing!! Happy New Year!
So glad you tried these and the Nutella PB Bread and that even though you’ve never made cinn rolls, these were great for you – wonderful news :)
Tried these yesterday–they were pretty good but not quite as light and fluffy as my extended-rise ones. Maybe if I had made the smaller amount instead of the larger? I had problems with the amount of butter in the filling–it all oozed out during the baking process and was making my rolls swim in butter so I transferred them out of their baking pan and into another one while still warm (it looked like you left yours in your baking pan?) and that helped, but I would use a lot less butter next time. Overall, they were a success and everyone but me ate two this morning. Merry Christmas!
Thanks for trying them and just use as much butter as you see fit next time. Sounds like if everyone ate two, they weren’t too shabby :)
When I make these cinnamon rolls they are swimming in butter when I take them out of the oven, but as they cool in their pan they reabsorb all that melted butter making them ooey-gooey delicious.
And you can cut back the butter if you want but like you said it DOES reabsorb and gets all caramely and gooey and that’s what I love most, but for anyone reading who doesn’t, you can always reduce the butter (but why…haha!) :) Glad you like the rolls, Grace!
Is there a lot of frosting left over after frosting the rolls? I usually like my frosting on the lighter side. Would I have enough to frost all of the rolls if I halve the frosting recipe? Or is that not necessary?
Why don’t you make a half batch then and if it’s too skimpy, make more :)
omgosh I cannot believe you’ve done it, you’ve made perfect cinnamon rolls in a (relatively) short amount of time! yayyyy!!!
Super proud of these, girl! Thank you! Because as you know with making yeast bread and rolls, sometimes the time commitment is a wee bit much :)
My mouth is watering for these rolls. My goodness they look to die for!!
All of your carbolicious bread recipes have my mouth literally WATERING. I love every single bread recipe I’ve tried from your site! These cinnamon rolls, however, I KNOW will be a huge hit — and danger — since they seem SO simple! Seriously, one hour? You DO know there are 24 hours in a day, right? My hips officially hate you.
Your pictures are gorgeous and I love the idea of making cinnamon rolls in 60 minutes. The only problem is that I would make them far too often!!!
I’ve been craving cinnamon rolls, and now you have me convinved
Oh Averie, what have you done??? Once my hubs gets wind of this recipe it’s all over. LOOKS AMAZING!!! And I agree on the solo yeast leavening. It’s just not a cinnamon roll without the warm yeasty nutty notes. I love your piping restraint for photo’s sake. There’s sometimes a big difference between the “how you could eat it” and “how I did eat it” photos. :P
I hate taking pictures of cinnamon rolls but you did a wonderful job, these look so pretty! I hope you are having a great time in Aruba!
As always…you’re a genius! These look so fluffy and delicious, and the fact that they’re done in an hour…wow. Yum!
There is nothing like a big, fluffy, fabulous cinnamon roll! YUM!
I cannot wait to try this recipe! Thank you for sharing!
Yummy!
Finally “flossing” makes sense to me! GREG
Makes you want to floss at least a couple times a day, right? :)
I don’t have cinnamon rolls very often, but absolutely love them. I guess part of it was because they take so long. Guess I can’t say that anymore. :) I love all your step-by-step photos, too! I am definitely the kind of person who appreciates those! Love the way you did the glaze too. Almost too pretty to eat!
Glad they’re helpful!
These look amazing! I have a potluck brunch this week for work and this recipe is perfect – thanks for sharing!
-S
http://libertyonless.wordpress.com
If you make them LMK how it goes!
You have incredible patience for doing all of the step-by-step photos! I LOATHE those too. But they’re beautiful!
I prefer my cinnamon rolls in a round pan too, so I don’t blame you :)
Beautiful! I bet everything I own, these would make amazing holiday gifts!
Such a pain but ppl love them, so I do it :) On yeast rolls! On other stuff they can figure it out themselves. LOL
They sound, look, and probably smell wonderful! Thanks for sharing.
You’ve outdone yourself AGAIN Averie! I’ve seen all kinds of yeast bread shortcuts, but no rising time at all?! I honestly didn’t think it was possible. What are your thoughts on why the buttermilk helps with eliminating the rising? I’d love to know.
Because buttermilk reacts with the yeast and does great stuff. Even without yeast, it’s a miracle worker in baking. Google for the science and chemistry behind it all :)
Oh man! The way I feel about cinnamon rolls, you should be making it into a 6-hour process, not a 1-hour one! :) Sometimes, I should be discouraged…
What a fantastic recepie!
I’m here in chilly London where cinnamon rolls are not so frequently found.
However for me, the wonderful scent of cinnamon is an instant reminder of a visit to a wedding in Madison around Thanksgiving – when I smell these rolls (which will be baked after a bit of work on the quantities to make them more European!) I know it will instantly make me feel very festive and Christmassy ……. AND transport me back to a wonderful trip.
All that after just 1 hour of work (and a batch in the freezer ready for all visitors, over the holiday period) …. what could be better!
Many thanks for your marvellous ideas and recipes ….. Will get as many Brits as I can to sample these ….. Yum! :)
1-hr cinnamon rolls? Does it get any better? If I wasn’t so tired, I’d actually go make this right now at midnight!
Oh, well I know one thing I’ll be doing this weekend! I have to go back and leave a note on an older cinnamon roll recipe I made from your site a few weeks back, Averie – it was just fantastic, but I’m loving this shortcut version!
Averie, you are an absolute genius! These rolls look so gorgeous! Cinnamon rolls are my absolute favourite and biggest weakness, and being able to make them in less than an hour is incredibly dangerous! I completely agree with you on the buttermilk- it’s an absolute must in cinnamon rolls! Wishing they sold FAF and Platinum yeast here in Canada- something I’ve been wanting to try for ever!
These look amazing! And I love the floss trick – it works SO well! If I might ask, how do you like the baking mat? Do you find it affects baking time/consistency? Easy to clean? Have you used it for things other than cookies?
I would never ever ever ever!!!! dream of baking cookies without a Silpat. Ever. It gives them traction so they don’t spread and always bake up thicker than without. I use it for free form loaves of bread, roasting veggies, dipping candies w/ melted chocolate, you name it https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00008T960/ref=as_li_ss_til?tag=lovvegyogruna-20&camp=0&creative=0&linkCode=as4&creativeASIN=B00008T960&adid=1HT2CXBE2X4PJD867TD5&
Avery, this is a genius idea! What I’d do for one of these gorgeous rolls. Pinned.
thanks for pinning!
These rolls are stunning and I’m so impressed that they only take an hour!
Just made these. LOVE THEM! I had to do exactly what you said not to do, substitute buttermilk with regular milk & vinegar. But I wanted cinnamon rolls NOW! Glad you mentioned not to brown the rolls, otherwise I would have and they wouldn’t be as soft and moist as they turned out.
I also used a different frosting. Not a cream cheese fan, so I made a vanilla glaze. I’m not sure I’m going to have any of these left over for breakfasts this week…sooo goood…must eat now…
Will definitely be making these again. Next time with real buttermilk.
So happy to hear you tried these & that the tip about not overbrowning them worked for you; the dough is so pale and by the time it’s browned, it’s dried out and not nearly as moist and soft. And it sounds like your shortcut buttermilk worked fine in a pinch and that next time, with the real thing, it’ll be even better. And that you also made a vanilla glaze that you liked. Great! Glad you loved them & thx for trying recipe same day I posted it!
Just made these again with real buttermilk this time. God, I love these! You can’t buy a cinnamon roll this good.
Question: If I use Active Dry Yeast instead of instant yeast, do I need to proof it? (I have been proofing it but I didn’t know if this was actually necessary for this recipe.)
Yes if you’re using active dry, you have to proof with warm liquid (buttermilk) so that it activates. It’s just another step which is why I like instant. Plus, in fast-acting recipes like this, you will get a bigger rise, and quicker, from instant yeast I find.
So glad you’ve already made these twice – that’s awesome! If you try with active vs. instant, LMK if you notice a difference or anything notable. I love hearing the field reports!
Oh Av me too!
Love a good challenge.
I think about it all night and start straight away on it in the am.
1 hour?!! Good job!
Thanks, Dawne! They’re so fast it’s dangerous :)
1 hour! I need to try this!
Oh my gosh these look amazing Averie!
I just made these, and they were great. I did use the yeast you suggested, and I used King Arthur flour. The bread part was so soft. I will definitely make them again.
I am so glad to hear that you made them – and they turned out great! And glad my tip on the yeast as well as the KAF worked well for you! :) I love it when ppl make things the same day I post them. It’s awesome and thanks for trying them! :)
ONE hour? You’re my hero. Or not… ;)
LOL & thanks for pinning :)
Hmm. Cinnamon rolls are part of our traditional Christmas breakfast (the most fun part!) and I love the ATK recipe because the buttermilk makes them sooooooo light and fluffy. I wouldn’t have been willing to switch recipes–it’s a once-a-year thing in our household–but. You use buttermilk … and promise results in an hour … I may have to reconsider …
Well my Overnight Buttermilk Cinn Rolls are loosely derived from the ATK recipe and then I took those one step further (ok like 10 steps) to make these. I dont know if you want to switch recipes for a major event but you could always give these a dry run before xmas! Lmk if you do!
ok these look insane amazing, and probably so much better than the canned version. I’m very impressed :))
Canned rolls…yeah, certain things shouldn’t come from a can :) I mean we’ve all done dough in a tube but ya know :)
Yum! These look amazing. The idea of Bailey’s in the icing is brilliant! And I love the process photos. Beautiful!
Thanks Erin – baileys, yes! And the step shots, glad you like them!
I LOVE cinnamon rolls, and a couple weeks ago I tried making my own for the very first time. It tasted great but I couldn’t help but wish there was a quicker way …. and then you come along with this!!! GENIUS!
Most recipes take forever! If you try these LMK!
Just about died and went to heaven. The photos are beautiful and I found myself craving cinnamon rolls in the past 5 minutes reading this post more than ever! Averie, I love a quick and easy recipe and we both know that’s not always the case with soft and fluffy homemade dough. This is a recipe every baker should have. What a keeper!
Thanks for the kind words, Sally. The photos…meh. The day I made these…it RAINED. I was rushing to get as many (long, drawn-out, complicated, etc.) posts done before I left and I couldn’t be slowed down by rain. So I just shot on all white and prayed. The editing with step shots, and the rain, oh.boy.how.fun. :) And yes soft & fluffy dough is no longer a 4 hour event!
Omg Averie! This looks absolutely to die for! I love baking and can really hold my own as far as baking goes but I have to admit, I’ve always been terribly intimidated by yeast and have never tried anything that requires yeast and rising dough! I’m definitely going to try this though; looks totally do-able :) Thank you for the step by step. It really helps. Happy Sunday!
Glad the step shots help and hope this will get you over your yeast fear. Regular loaves of bread or dinner rolls are easier than cinn rolls because there’s no filling to make, etc. but as cinn roll recipes go, this is by far the easiest I’ve ever seen. I made it that way on purpose :)
Those rolls are so beautiful it’s hard to believe they were made in an hour! I love how light and fluffy they are and while the step-by-step shots are a TOTAL pain, I think they really help explain your process. Love the lattice frosting on top – so pretty! Amazing as always Averie! Pinned!
Girl you know it on the step shots. Ugh. Such a pain but glad they help and thanks for the pin to BHG board. You’re awesome :)
Oh these look so good, Averie! There is not much I like more than a gooey cinnamon roll. Well done!
Your gorgeous step-by-step photos are definitely arm twisting! Unfortunately I’m down to about 1 cup of flour (set condition red!). :D
You’re so right about KA flour – I noticed that cookies are much happier with those extra few dollars.
Wow! This post must have been a ton of work with the step-by-steps–but its fabulous. Love that picture of the stick of button half smeared on the dough, yummmm.
Great recipe Averie! So nice to know that these can be made in an hour. Maybe a little dangerous too.
And buy button, I mean butter. Ugh! Sorry.
BY! Wow. I’m just a mess today.
You are astounding. Love this — still have a bag of frozen cinnamon rolls made from your overnight recipe that I’ve been working through (so, so delicious!) but now you’ve just made it even easier! I refuse to accept this as possible.
LOL well it was and is possible :) Enjoy! And glad you’re still working your way through a frozen recipe stash of mine!
Averie, your Overnight Buttermilk Cinnamon Rolls are the best—I’ve made them 3 times now, but I always wondered if I could cut down on all the time it takes to make them (not that the end result isn’t worth it, cause it so is!) You read my mind! I will definitely be trying this easy version soon :D
Ok and considering you’ve made that version 3x and plan to try this version, please come back and LMK you thoughts on the differences, anything you notice, etc. Would be great to hear what you think!
I use this trick to! I do it with big blocks cheese too! (only with wire here of course)
when I made your one hour dough , I made then into scrolls too. Only change I did was put cheese in them to make them savoury but I know this recipe is keeper. Seriously loving your shots right now !
Thanks, Belinda, for saying that you’ve done this with my 1-hour dough before (I just amped up the 1-hour dough to make it a bit sweeter and more sweet-roll-ish, rather than breadsticky/pretzel-like) and that you’ve taken it savory. Glad you like the shots. Thanks!
They are gorgeous, Averie!! I love the fact that I could get up right now and make these and I would be smelling the sweet smells of cinnamon in the air in less than an hour! You are a true baking genius! :)
Oh and I could not agree more with the floss trick. It works incredibly well and I will never go back to using a knife again! Thanks for taking the time to do the step-by-step shots, I know what a HUGE pain they are!
Girl. Massive.pain. But you know, b/c you do them too. And the floss trick, such a big, awesome tip for anyone who’s not familiar b/c you think yeah whatever, but in reality, any knife or fancy bench scraper I’ve bought pale in comparison and still squish the rolls! And yes, 1 hour later you can be enjoying sweet cinn rolls :)
I can’t believe these didn’t require rise time. They look wonderful! Love that they didn’t get brown. Cinnamon rolls should not be brown and crusty.
Cinnamon rolls should not be brown and crusty. <--- Amen and it's VERY easy to do. 1-2 extra mins can make the difference. If you trust that the dough isn't raw (but it's still white), you're fine. I think ppl expect to see it be browned, like a dinner roll or something, and I want it pure white. There's a fine line of being done but trusting when to pull them is key!
You are a miracle worker! Homemade cinnamon rolls sound so delicious on this Sunday morning…well, actually EVERY morning!
Thanks, Madison!
I love making cinnamon rolls during Christmas time. It makes the whole house smell so festive. The Swedish variation (kanelbullar) is my favorite so far, but it takes quite some time to rise. So I’ll like the idea of making them in less than one hour. Actually I’ve been searching for some recipes to make to bring to the office for my goodbye-party. These sound perfect.
LMK if you try them!
I woke up super early–thanks to my husband’s phone which kept ringing with some work related incident. So now he’s sleeping like a baby and I’m having coffee. If these take an hour and I get going on them soon, the smell will wake him long before he usually gets up. Sweet payback, huh?!? Seriously though, these look wonderful–and I can’t believe the rise time is virtually eliminated because of the buttermilk. Magic stuff…and you are a genius for coming up with this!! Oh–40# of kabocha–wow!! Winter squash does keep a long time though. I’m in hoarding mode with it myself because I just started seeing it here last year and only 1 grocery store carries it. Very anxious for that post too!
I hope you try these, Paula! And being woken up by someone’s else’s phone and work-related stuff…gah. Now that’s love :) LMK what you think if you do!
And the squash post, well, considering you probably roast it and prep it like I do, I don’t know if it will be earth-shattering for you, but gosh, it’s LONG. That is for sure. LOL
I will definitely be trying this recipe some time soon. Can’t get enough of cinnamon rolls these days!