No Knead Fluffy Cinnamon Rolls (eggless recipe)

These buttery soft cinnamon rolls are fluffy, gooey and so delicious. With a tender no knead yeasted eggless dough, classic cinnamon butter filling and topped with a cream cheese glaze that melts into the warm buns.

You must think I have gone crazy over cinnamon rolls. And to be honest I feel like I have gone crazy over cinnamon rolls. The more I bake them the more I have to share about what I’ve learned. So I recently shared my banana bread batter cinnamon rolls and they went viral online. Which led me to bake my brownie batter cinnamon rolls which are also doing the rounds at the moment and its looking promising. What is common between then is the no knead cinnamon roll dough recipe. Before I get into that let us back track a little. I have made the classic and iconic cinnamon roll dough which does need to be kneaded and it is amazing BUT if you are looking for a recipe that is no knead, no machine and no fancy equipment then you are in the right place.

Now, where was I? Yes, no knead cinnamon roll dough. This dough delivers so hard on all aspects of a good cinnamon roll. It is fluffy (check 👍), it is soft (check 👍), it is buttery (check 👍), it is easy to work with (check 👍), it needs simple ingredients (check 👍), it is delicious on its own (check 👍), it out mean I could go on. The recipe is perfect with the cinnamon butter that is so simple to whip up. The dough doesn’t need eggs so it gets the color and flavor from the butter and yogurt. You could half the yogurt and add 2 eggs instead but the dough works well without it. I mean if you have never made cinnamon rolls before then this is the only recipe to get you started as it will definitely blow your mind. I have used this dough recipe as a base for my other cinnamon roll recipes hence this is the OG and it only seemed fitting I share it with you all on here.

For the cinnamon butter there are two ways to do this, slather the butter and sprinkle over the sugar and cinnamon on top, or mix the butter cinnamon and sugar together – which is then slathered on top of the dough. I prefer the second option hence all my cinnamon roll recipes will follow that method. PS: I shared a video for this recipe on TikTok a while back which hit close to 8 million so it is pretty clear that this recipe is already a winner, I am just finally getting down to sharing it win detail on the blog. So let us get to it.

What is a cinnamon roll?

Cinnamon rolls are a sweetened yeasted bread made with dry yeast, milk, sugar, all purpose flour, butter, eggs, baking powder, which is rolled out and spread with cinnamon butter, cut into slices and rolled into scrolls, baked until golden and risen. Which is topped with cream cheese frosting or glaze.

Now, What is the difference between cinnamon rolls or cinnamon buns?

I call them cinnamon rolls and cinnamon buns interchangeably but I have noticed that cinnamon rolls are baked in a large tray that bake into each other making it a pull apart yeasted bread once baked. Cinnamon buns could be baked with space between or in individual muffin moulds for a single cinnamon bun. There is no science to this but that’s the only difference I see in them as the ingredients and equipment needed to make both are the same.

What are cinnamon rolls filling made of?

The classic cinnamon roll filling is with butter, brown sugar, cinnamon powder and a pinch of salt. They are many variations on this recipe though, using castor sugar, cardamom powder, cocoa powder and multiple flavors such as Nutella, peanut butter, pistachio paste etc.

Is cinnamon roll a dessert?

As it is a sweet yeasted bread it can be considered as a dessert, mostly served for breakfast, brunch or a tea snack. You could serve them at any point of the day as well.

What country is known for cinnamon rolls?

Sweden is known for their cinnamon rolls and it originates from there too, especially Kanelbulle and they celebrate Oct 4th as a national holiday for the same. Of course you can find them world over, with some of the highest consumptions in America, Sweden still holds the highest production and consumption rate.

What do you eat with cinnamon rolls?

Cinnamon rolls can be eaten on their own, dunked into a simple syrup, slathered with frosting or drizzled with glaze. Commonly served with coffee or tea these rolls are sweet so they are delicious with a warm drink to wash it down with every bite.

How do you eat cinnamon rolls?

There is no right or wrong way to eat cinnamon rolls, some eat it with a fork and knife, other ice into it directly, while some like to unroll them and eat the dough. You could eat them any way you like. I prefer eating them warm with my hands and biting into them for the best form of satisfaction.

Tips for the best cinnamon rolls:

Bloom yeast don’t kill it
Don’t add more flour
Cutting the dough into slices (I like using a pizza cutter or you could roll up the dough and cut it with floss for those clean edges)
Use correct size pan
Rise in peace don’t rush it
Watch out for over baking
Baking soda regulates the dough’s pH, helping it brown in the oven

What ingredients do you need to make these No Knead Cinnamon Rolls?

Flour –

I have used all purpose flour and I think they give these rolls the best texture, they come out super fluffy and tender. You could use bread flour but it would be a little chewy in texture the next day.

Instant dry yeast –

I have used instant dry yeast, you can use active dry yeast as well. I haven’t made this recipe with fresh yeast, if you do let me know how it goes.

Sugar –

The dough calls for a little castor sugar, you can use granulated sugar or honey as well. This not only sweetens the dough but also helps the yeast bloom well. We also need brown sugar to make the filling, I wouldn’t recommend skipping the brown sugar for any other sugar as it adds caramel like flavor to the filling once baked.

Milk –

The milk must be pleasantly warm to the touch. This helps activate the yeast as well as starts gluten formation in the dough once mixed through. If the milk is cold it will not activate the yeast.

Butter –

We need butter in the dough and the filling. This recipe is not the one to look at your waist line. The butter in the dough keeps it soft like a brioche and the butter in the filling adds flavors and helps the cinnamon become oozy and gooey once baked.

Yogurt-

We yogurt in the dough to make it tender and soft once baked. You could use an egg as well- it has the same effect.

Baking powder & Baking soda-

Might seem odd but this helps keep the bread light and soft once baked.

Cinnamon powder –

Can’t make cinnamon rolls without cinnamon powder. We need to add cinnamon in the filling. I wouldn’t skip on the quality of cinnamon here, as the better the quality the better the cinnamon rolls.

Vanilla & Salt –

I consider these as seasonings but they are absolutely essential in the dough. You need small amount of both but they go a long way.

Frosting –

My cream cheese topping is a cross between frosting and glaze. It is rich, delicious and perfect. We need cream cheese, butter, icing sugar, vanilla and salt.

What equipment do you need to make these No Knead Cinnamon Rolls?

You could make this in a stand mixer to keep your hands clean for the most part. You could also use an electric dough mixer. I prefer making these by hand as we only need a large mixing bowl and rubber spatula, it is therapeutic but also very easy. You need a roll pin to roll out the dough, a tea towel or cling wrap to cover the bowl. We also need a pizza cutter or sharp knife to cut the dough and roll into scrolls. I bake these rolls in a 9 x 13 inch tray in the oven, you could do them in batches. If you bake them in a small tin they will take longer to bake and might over spill in the oven. To make the frosting we need a whisk and mixing bow. When working with any kind of bread I like using a dough scraper to keep it easy. A brush can help remove the excess flour from the dough while rolling.

Make ahead options:

Stir the dough together, cover and let it rest in the fridge overnight, the next morning stir in the remaining dry ingredients (100g flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt) and let it come to room temperature. Alternatively you could swap the dough into rolls and place them in the baking tray, cover and place them in the fridge over night (I love this method), the next morning take them out of the fridge and let them proof until doubled while the oven is preheating, you could pour in 1/4 cup heavy cream before baking as suggested.

Storing and reheating the leftovers:

I have found, the best way to store your leftover cinnamon buns is in air tight containers in the fridge for up to 1 week or in the freezer in air tight continuers again or in zip lock bags for up to 2 months. When ready to eat, allow them to come to room temperate, pour over 2 tbsp milk on top of the bun and place in the microwave (covered), heat for 20 seconds and then heat for 10-20 seconds more to make sure its warmed all the way through. Do not be tempted to over heat these buns as they will dry out and get hard in the process. I now do this technique with all my leftover cinnamon rolls.

Troubleshooting –

What to do if the dough is too sticky?

After the first proof the dough will still be sticky, adding more flour and baking powder will help balance that out. Be patient with the dough and allow it to absorb the flour before adding more than the suggested requirements. After adding the 1 cup flour and baking powder the dough should be easier to handle and less sticky. The flour will help with that. As flour varieties can vary the absorption can vary, making some more sticky than others. But I would recommend to follow the measurements and you could switch to your hands to form the dough into a rough ball before dusting the surface with flour and rolling out.

Why is my cinnamon roll dough so hard?

If your dough is hard before baking it means the yeast has not been activated to create a soft dough that has proofed and risen. Make sure to weigh out the ingredients as suggested. Also check the expiry date for the yeast and the baking soda, baking powder to ensure they are active when baking. If the dough it hard after baking it is because the dough wasn’t proofed enough or they were over baked in the oven.

Why are my cinnamon rolls not fluffy? What is the secret to fluffy cinnamon rolls?

The yeast must be expired, the flour was expired or the dough didn’t have enough time to proof. Sometimes they can take longer to proof as compared to the timing depending on temperature, moisture and humidity. Hence follow the rules of the dough doubling in size to know its time to knead, this can happen in 30 mins in hot climate and in 2 hours in a cold climate. Do not over bake these or else they will dry out.

What does my cinnamon roll dough keep tearing?

This could because the gluten in the dough has no developed or you have rolled out the dough very thin and it cannot hold the cinnamon butter while layering it, before cutting and rolling.

Does cinnamon roll dough need to be kneaded? What is the point of no knead bread?

Most bread recipes need to be kneaded to create gluten build up. However we allow time to do its magic here and create the softest no knead dough you will make. No knead breads have more character, they can be more rustic and hassle free – that being said I am not saying one is better than the other.

Why are my cinnamon rolls always dry?

If you add too much flour the dough can dry out. This recipe creates a relatively sticky dough however we do add a little more flour when stirring it together to create a cohesive dough. Do not be tempted to over flour the surface and use excess flour in the dough, feel free to flour the surface as needed when rollin got ensure it doesn’t stick but don’t add excess flour in the dough when stirring it together.

Looking for more cinnamon roll recipes?

Now that we have covered how to make this No knead cinnamon bun recipe, you can have a look at the recipe video on my socials but let’s get to it. Don’t forget to follow along for more fun recipe inspiration.

If you try this recipe out, don’t forget to share it with me on pinterest & instagram so I can see how it turned out. I’d love nothing more than to chat with you on your cooking/baking.