Recipe

No-Rise Cinnamon Rolls That You Don't Have To Wait For

By Lissane Kafie at St. Louis University

Cinnamon rolls usually take forever to make. It’s waiting the extended period of time for the dough to rise that make baking cinnamon rolls a tedious task. Unluckily for me (or luckily, I can't decide which one), cinnamon rolls are my preferred pastry. If I didn't have any self-restraint, I’m pretty sure I’d have a Cinnabon for breakfast every day and convince myself that cinnamon is healthy.

When I came across this recipe, I couldn’t help but try it out. It serves as a quick alternative to a time-consuming dessert that serves as a basic cinnamon roll with plenty of room for customization. The rolls will come out ready to go in less than an hour, full of sweet, warm gooeyness that will make them simply irresistible.

45 Minute Cinnamon Rolls

Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 25 mins
Total Time: 45 mins
Servings: 10

Ingredients

2 cups flour plus more for kneading
1 cup plus 2 tbsp light brown sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 stick butter softened
1 cup milk
1 tbsp cinnamon plus more for garnishing
1 cup powdered sugar
Optional: dulce de leche pecans

Lissane Kafie

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350° Farenheit. Take half a stick of softened butter, 1 cup of brown sugar and 1 tbsp of cinnamon and mix together in a bowl until it becomes a crumbly mixture to make the filling.

Lissane Kafie

Step 2

Spread half of the mixture in the bottom of a 9x9 sheet pan. Save the rest for later.

Step 3

Bring together all of the dry ingredients in an electric mixer bowl. Then add in the remaining half stick of butter (in cubes) and mix until the dough begins to form. Slowly add in 3/4 cup of milk.

Step 4

Roll the dough out onto a flat, floured surface until about 1/4 inch thick. The shape should resemble something like a rectangular cookie sheet.

Lissane Kafie

Step 5

Add the remaining filling mixture onto the rolled out dough. If you're feeling risky, add pecan, almond slivers, or even drizzle in some caramel.

Lissane Kafie

Step 6

Roll up the dough evenly like a spiral. If necessary, use more flour to avoid the dough from sticking too much.

Lissane Kafie

Step 7

With a knife, cut the dough into 10-12 even slices about 1 1/2 -2 in. thick.

Lissane Kafie

Step 8

Add the cinnamon rolls in the prepared pan and bake in the oven for approximately 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown.

Lissane Kafie

Step 9

While you're waiting for the cinnamon rolls to bake in the oven, prepare the glaze you will be spreading on top of them. In a bowl, mix together powdered sugar and the remaining milk. Stir it with a whisk until smooth, add more milk until smooth.

Lissane Kafie

Step 10

Once the cinnamon rolls are finished baking, serve the glaze over them while they're still warm. Enjoy with a warm cup of coffee or store them for breakfast the next morning!

Lissane Kafie

Next time you’re craving something sweet, warm and gooey but don’t want to go through the trouble of waiting hours for it, try this recipe and I assure you it will be just what you need.