The Best 1-Hour No-Rise Cinnamon Rolls: Soft, Buttery & Ready in a Flash!

Imagine waking up to the irresistible aroma of freshly baked cinnamon rolls, hot from the oven, drenched in creamy frosting. Now imagine that dream coming true in under one hour, with no overnight rise required! Yes, you read that right. This revolutionary recipe lets you whip up soft, buttery, and utterly delicious quick cinnamon rolls without the wait. Made conveniently in a 9×13 pan and yielding 12 perfect rolls, these are more than just a treat – they’re a revelation. Ideal for those spontaneous weekend cravings, making birthday mornings extra special, or as thoughtful thank you gifts for neighbors, these cinnamon rolls are a game-changer for anyone who loves homemade goodness without the fuss.

For weeks, I embarked on a personal mission: to develop the ultimate EASY & QUICK cinnamon roll recipe that completely eliminated the need for overnight proofing – in fact, minimizing rise time almost entirely. After an intense two weeks and eight batches of testing, swimming in flour, butter, and cinnamon, I finally perfected these dream cinnamon rolls. This recipe truly delivers on its promise. If you’ve ever yearned to learn how to make yeast-based cinnamon rolls from scratch, this comprehensive, step-by-step tutorial is designed just for you. Take a moment to truly appreciate that incredible texture in the photo below. Just one look and you’ll find yourself craving the entire pan, right this very second!

What Makes These 1-Hour Cinnamon Rolls So Perfect?

This isn’t just another cinnamon roll recipe; it’s a meticulously crafted formula designed for efficiency and exceptional results. Here’s why these quick cinnamon rolls stand out from the rest:

1. Lightning-Fast Preparation: You can create these quick cinnamon rolls from start to finish in under an hour. This means no more planning ahead or dedicating an entire day to baking. Imagine waking up at 9 AM and by 10 AM, you’re already enjoying warm, gooey cinnamon rolls. It’s perfect for last-minute guests, unexpected cravings, or simply making a busy morning feel luxurious. The minimal rise time is truly a game-changer!
2. Unrivaled Texture and Flavor: Despite their speed, these rolls boast a super soft, intensely buttery, and perfectly stretchy bread-like texture that rivals even the finest bakeries or your favorite Cinnabon. Achieving this ideal texture, alongside incredible flavor, was my absolute top priority during recipe development. Each bite is a delightful balance of fluffiness, chewiness, and rich cinnamon-sugar goodness. I can confidently say, they hit the mark perfectly!
3. Accessible Ingredients: While this recipe does call for active dry yeast – which is key to its speedy rise and wonderful texture – the rest of the ingredients are almost certainly already in your pantry. We’re talking basic staples like flour, sugar, milk, butter, and eggs. Trust me, once you experience the magic of these quick cinnamon rolls, you’ll happily keep a packet of yeast on hand for future baking adventures!

What You Need to Make One Hour Quick Cinnamon Rolls:

This is just an overview. Click here to jump down to the full recipe card for precise amounts and condensed, printable recipe instructions.

• Unsalted butter (for dough, filling, and frosting)
• Milk (1%, 2%, or Whole milk for the best richness and texture)
• 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast (typically one 0.25oz packet)
• Granulated sugar
• Light brown sugar (adds moisture and depth of flavor to the filling)
• Large egg (for richness and structure in the dough)
• Ground Cinnamon (the star of the filling!)
• Salt (enhances all flavors)
• Vanilla Extract (for both dough and filling, and a touch in the frosting)
• All-Purpose Flour
• + For the Cream Cheese Frosting: Cream cheese (softened), powdered sugar, a little milk, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt.

How to Make One Hour Quick Cinnamon Rolls: A Step-by-Step Guide

This is just an overview. For exact measurements and detailed, printable instructions, click here to jump down to the full recipe card.

Step 1: Activate Your Yeast & Start the Dough Base (10 Minutes)

Begin by melting ¼ cup of unsalted butter in a small, microwave-safe bowl for about 45 seconds. Once melted, pour it into a larger, medium-sized mixing bowl. Using the same small bowl (no need to wash it!), pour in 1 cup of milk and microwave for another 45 seconds until it’s lukewarm (about 105-115°F – it should feel warm but not hot to the touch). Add this warm milk to the melted butter. Sprinkle in 2 ¼ teaspoons of active dry yeast and ¼ cup of granulated sugar. Stir gently with a whisk until everything is combined and the sugar starts to dissolve. Cover the bowl with a clean dish towel or plastic wrap and let it sit for exactly 10 minutes. During this time, the yeast will activate, creating a foamy layer on top – this is crucial and tells you your yeast is alive and ready to work its magic!

Pro Tip: If, after about 20 minutes, your yeast mixture hasn’t developed a foamy layer, it’s a sign that your yeast may be old or dead. You’ll need to discard it and restart with fresh, active dry yeast to ensure your rolls rise properly.

Step 2: Incorporate Flour and Form the Dough (10 Minutes)

Once your dough starter has rested for 10 minutes and you see a lovely layer of foam on top (refer to image 1 in the full post for a visual guide), remove the cover. Now, mix in 1 large egg, ½ teaspoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract until well combined.

Next, it’s time to add the flour. Gradually incorporate 3 ½ cups of all-purpose flour, adding it one cup at a time. For the initial additions, a sturdy spatula should suffice for mixing. As the dough becomes thicker and more cohesive, you’ll need to switch to using your hands to fully incorporate the remaining flour. Keeping the dough within the bowl, gently knead it just enough to form a soft, manageable ball. If you find the dough is excessively sticky, sprinkle an additional tablespoon of flour over the outside to make it easier to handle. Cover the bowl again and let the dough rest for another 10 minutes. This brief rest allows the gluten to relax, making the dough easier to roll out.

Step 3: Prepare the Irresistible Cinnamon Roll Filling

While your dough is taking its short 10-minute rest, use this time efficiently to prepare the luscious cinnamon filling. This ensures it’s perfectly ready to go as soon as your dough is rolled out. In a medium bowl, combine ½ cup of slightly softened unsalted butter (if your butter is straight from the fridge, a quick 30-second microwave zap should do the trick), ½ cup of light brown sugar, ½ cup of granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons of fragrant cinnamon, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. If your butter is soft enough, you can easily mix this by hand with a spatula until it forms a smooth, spreadable paste. Should your butter be a bit too firm, a hand mixer or stand mixer will quickly whip it all together. Set this glorious mixture aside.

Important Tip: Avoid having your butter be overly melted (a little softness is fine!) for the filling. If it’s too liquid, the filling is more prone to seeping out the bottom of the rolls during baking, which can lead to a sticky, crystallized mess in your pan instead of staying perfectly inside your rolls.

Step 4: Roll Out the Dough to a Perfect Rectangle

After the second 10-minute rest, remove the cover from your dough. Lightly flour your work surface with about ½ to 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour. I personally find it easiest to tape a piece of parchment paper to my counter for a non-stick surface, but a clean countertop works just as well. Sprinkle a small amount of flour on top of the dough itself and lightly dust your rolling pin. Now, roll the dough evenly until it forms an approximate 14×18 inch rectangle, aiming for a consistent thickness of about ¼ inch. This specific dimension is key to achieving uniformly sized, thick cinnamon rolls.

Step 5: Generously Spread the Cinnamon Filling

Once your dough is perfectly rolled out, it’s time for the most aromatic part! Take your prepared cinnamon sugar mixture and spread it evenly across the entire surface of the dough. It’s crucial to make sure you spread the filling all the way to the outside edges. This ensures every single bite of your cinnamon roll is packed with that delicious, spiced flavor, preventing bland edges.

Baker’s Tip: I’ve found that using a balanced mixture of both white and brown sugar in the filling yields the best flavor and prevents it from becoming overly sticky or gritty. In my tests, an all-brown sugar filling felt too coarse and sticky, while an all-white sugar filling lacked the rich depth of flavor that brown sugar provides. The combination truly offers the best of both worlds – a perfectly balanced, moist, and flavorful filling.

Step 6: Carefully Roll the Dough into a Log

Now for the exciting part – rolling your dough! For perfectly thick and substantial cinnamon rolls, and to ensure you yield 12 rolls of a good size, it’s absolutely essential to roll your dough vertically. This means you should begin rolling from one of the SHORT sides of your 14×18 inch rectangle. If you were to roll it from the long side, your rolls would end up being smaller and a bit “dinky.” You want to roll the dough relatively tight, but not so tight that you squish the filling or make the dough tear. A gentle, even pressure is key to creating those beautiful, tight spirals of cinnamon goodness.

Step 7: Precisely Cut the Dough into 12 Even Rolls

Once your dough is rolled into a tight log, it’s time to cut it into individual rolls. To ensure even sizing, use a serrated edge knife to lightly “score” the top of the log first, giving yourself clear guides for where to cut. A simple method is to start by cutting the log exactly in the center. Then, take each half and cut it in the center again, giving you four sections. Finally, divide each of those four sections into three equal parts. This method helps to ensure all 12 of your rolls are roughly the same size. If this sounds a bit abstract, don’t worry – simply refer to the visual diagram below for a clear illustration!

Expert Tip: The type of knife you use is crucial here. Employing a serrated edge knife and using a gentle, slow sawing motion is paramount. A regular, smooth-edged knife is more likely to squish and deform the soft dough, ruining those beautiful spirals.

Step 8: Bake Until Golden Perfection

Carefully arrange your cut cinnamon rolls into a greased 9×13 inch baking pan. Ensure they are spaced evenly, as they will expand slightly during baking. Transfer the pan to your preheated oven and bake for 24-26 minutes, or until the tops are beautifully golden brown and the rolls are cooked through. Once baked, remove them from the oven and allow them to cool for a short period, about 10-15 minutes. This brief cooling period is important, as it prevents the cream cheese frosting from completely melting into a liquid puddle when applied. If you plan to serve these delicious rolls later, it’s best to wait until they are fully cooled before frosting. This will ensure a neater, prettier presentation of the frosting.

Pan Preference Tip: While you could technically divide this recipe into two 9-inch round pans, I strongly recommend sticking with a single 9×13 inch pan. The larger rectangular pan allows for more rolls to be nestled closely together, resulting in more of those coveted soft, gooey center rolls. Round pans, by their nature, expose more edges, which tend to bake up a little firmer. And let’s be honest, those soft, tender center rolls are undeniably the best part!

Step 9: Generously Top with Cream Cheese Frosting

To make the ultimate cinnamon roll icing: In a medium-sized bowl, combine softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and a tiny pinch of salt. Use a hand mixer or a stand mixer to beat the ingredients together until they are perfectly combined and wonderfully smooth. This usually takes about 30-60 seconds. Once your frosting is ready, generously slather it over your warm (but not piping hot) cinnamon rolls. The slight warmth of the rolls will make the frosting ever so slightly melt and seep into the nooks and crannies, creating an unbelievably decadent experience. Enjoy!

For birthday cinnamon rolls or any other festive occasion, don’t hesitate to add a few colorful sprinkles because, truly, why not elevate the joy?

Frequently Asked Questions:

What if I don’t have yeast? Can I substitute something else? Is there a way to make these “no yeast cinnamon rolls”?

I understand the desire for a “no yeast” option, and I did extensively test these rolls using 1 tablespoon of baking powder as a substitute for the active dry yeast. While the dough did puff up to some extent, the resulting texture was significantly different and, in my opinion, not ideal for what a classic cinnamon roll should be. Without yeast, the rolls were much denser, lacked that characteristic “bread-like” chewiness, and had a slightly gummier consistency. For the authentic, soft, and stretchy cinnamon roll experience this recipe promises, I genuinely wouldn’t recommend substituting the yeast. It’s truly worth waiting until you can get a packet of active dry yeast – it makes all the difference! If you absolutely must try it with baking powder, skip the first 10-minute proofing step and add the baking powder at the same time you incorporate the flour.

Can I use water instead of milk?

While water can technically be used, I highly recommend sticking with milk for this recipe. The milk plays a crucial role in achieving that moist, wonderfully stretchy, and perfect bread-like texture that makes these cinnamon rolls so special. Milk, especially 1%, 2%, or whole milk (or even buttermilk!), contains fats and proteins that contribute to a richer flavor and a more tender crumb. Water, on the other hand, will still hydrate the dough, but the rolls’ texture will be noticeably different – likely a little less moist and not quite as tender. The slight fat content in milk is what we’re aiming for, so skim milk won’t offer quite the same benefits.

Can I make these the night before?

Yes, you absolutely can prepare these cinnamon rolls the night before, although they will ultimately turn out much puffier than what you see in these photos. This extended proofing time can sometimes lead to rolls that bake faster and have a slightly more airy, and therefore potentially crunchier, texture. To make them the night before: Follow the recipe instructions up until the point of baking. Once the rolls are arranged in the pan, cover the pan tightly with a clean dish towel or plastic wrap. You can then leave them out at room temperature overnight – no refrigeration is needed. They will slowly proof overnight, ready for baking in the morning.

Can I freeze cinnamon rolls?

Absolutely! These homemade cinnamon rolls freeze exceptionally well, making them perfect for meal prep or enjoying a spontaneous treat whenever a craving strikes. You can freeze them using any of these convenient methods:

1. Freeze Unfrosted, Baked Cinnamon Rolls: After baking, let the rolls cool completely. Wrap the entire unfrosted pan thoroughly with plastic wrap, then with aluminum foil, and place it in the freezer. When you’re ready to serve, allow the rolls to thaw at room temperature. Then, cover the pan with foil and warm them in an oven preheated to 400°F (200°C) for 10-15 minutes. Let them cool slightly before adding your fresh frosting.
2. Freeze Frosted, Baked Cinnamon Rolls: You can also freeze the rolls after they’ve been frosted. Just be aware that when you reheat them, the frosting will likely melt down. If presentation isn’t your top concern, this is a quick option! For reheating, I recommend removing individual rolls from the pan and using your microwave’s defrost function. Defrost in 30-second intervals until thawed, then switch to normal microwave mode to heat for an additional 20-30 seconds until warm.
3. Freeze Cinnamon Rolls Before Baking: This method allows for fresh-baked rolls any time! After slicing the dough and placing the rolls in your baking pan, wrap the entire pan very thoroughly in several layers of plastic wrap and then foil to prevent freezer burn. When you’re ready to bake, remove the pan from the freezer and allow the rolls to thaw completely to room temperature, which will take about 1-2 hours. Since they will likely have risen a bit during thawing, you might need to slightly reduce the baking time to approximately 18-22 minutes. If you prefer not to freeze them in the pan, you can freeze the cut rolls in the pan for 2-3 hours until they are solid, then transfer them to a freezer-safe Ziploc bag for longer storage.
4. Freeze Baked Individual Cinnamon Rolls: For ultimate convenience, bake, cool, and frost individual cinnamon rolls. Then, wrap each one separately in plastic wrap or place them in individual freezer-safe Ziploc bags. When you want a quick treat, simply reheat a single cinnamon roll in the microwave for 20-30 seconds until warm. Again, the frosting will get a bit messy, but this is a fantastic option for college students or a quick snack on the go!

How to keep homemade cinnamon rolls fresh?

For the freshest possible rolls, cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap or place the rolls in an airtight plastic bag. They will stay wonderfully fresh at room temperature for 1-2 days. If your cinnamon rolls are frosted with the cream cheese icing and you don’t plan to enjoy them immediately (i.e., within 2-3 hours), it’s best to cover them and store them in the refrigerator due to the cream cheese. But honestly, with how delicious these are, do cinnamon rolls ever truly last that long?

Do you have a cinnamon roll frosting without cream cheese?

Yes, I do! While I personally believe the cream cheese frosting truly elevates these rolls and is my preferred choice for its tangy sweetness and rich texture, I understand that some prefer a simpler, sweeter glaze. You can find an alternative cinnamon roll icing recipe without cream cheese in the notes section below the recipe card. This alternative offers a delightful, sugary glaze if that’s more to your taste!