Biscuit cinnamon rolls (aka “no yeast cinnamon rolls”) come together fluffy and quick, with no rise time! You’ll love the soft, flaky layers and gooey cinnamon-sugar centers.
Biscuit Cinnamon Rolls with cream cheese icing have a long tradition on the East Coast, where I’m from.
As much as I love the slow-nurturing of the yeasted dough in my impossibly-soft cinnamon roll recipe, cinnamon rolls with biscuit dough are an amazing quick and easy shortcut––no patience required.
Psst. We also make pizza with biscuit dough. There are so many ways you can save time with the biscuit method!
Here’s What You Need
Made with buttery biscuit dough, you’ll love these no-rise cinnamon buns.
Ingredients for Biscuit Cinnamon Rolls
There are 3 parts to this recipe: The dough, the filling and the glaze – here’s what you’ll need for each section:
For the Homemade Buttermilk Biscuit Dough
- All-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
- Baking soda and baking powder: The duo of leavening agents delivers a light and fluffy result.
- Salt
- Salted butter (fridge cold, but not frozen)
- Buttermilk: Feel free to use a buttermilk substitute.
For the Cinnamon Bun Filling
- Salted butter (melted and cooled): Cooling the butter helps it spread evenly without soaking into the dough too quickly.
- Dark brown sugar: Light brown sugar is okay, too, but isn’t as flavorful.
- Ground cinnamon
Ingredient quantities in the recipe card at the bottom of the article
Pro Tips + Science-Based Secrets
As a food scientist, I’ll never gatekeep my little tips, hacks, and foodie secrets:
- Use cold ingredients for the fluffiest texture: Cold butter and buttermilk create steam when they hit the hot oven, which helps the biscuits rise and develop those signature flaky layers. Keep your dough as cold as possible until baking for maximum lift.
- Don’t overwork the dough: Biscuit dough isn’t kneaded like bread. Too much mixing develops gluten, which leads to tough, dense rolls.
- The dough can be quite sticky. Use the parchment paper to lift and roll up the buns. Slide a floured metal spatula or knife between the dough and parchment paper as needed.
- My foolproof, no-guess way of checking doneness is using an instant thermometer. It’s way more accurate than appearance.
Substitutions and Variations
Make these swaps if they suit you and tweak the recipe slightly to make it your own!
- Flour: Use gluten-free 1:1 baking flour if needed. Avoid using almond or coconut flour, as they don’t behave the same in biscuit dough.
- Add-ins for the filling: Sprinkle chopped pecans, walnuts, or add raisins like in my cinnamon raisin rolls. I also make cinnamon rolls with apple pie filling recipe I love!
- Maple glaze: Swap the cream cheese glaze for a simple maple icing made with powdered sugar, maple syrup, and a splash of milk.
- Mini rolls: Roll the dough into a thinner log and cut into 12–16 smaller rolls for a cinnamon roll bites—perfect for brunch spreads.
Tools to Grab
- I use mixing bowls, a whisk, a cheese grater for making the dough.
- A rolling pin, a baking pan, and a sharp knife for assembling.
- An instant-read thermometer can also help check that the rolls are totally cooked, if you are unsure.
How to Make Biscuit Cinnamon Rolls: An Easy Guide
Here is exactly how I make these easy treats:
Make the dry mix
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
Cut in the butter
- Grate or dice the cold butter, then use a pastry cutter or your fingers to work it into the flour mixture. You’re aiming for a crumbly texture with small, pea-sized bits of butter throughout.
Add the buttermilk
- Pour in the buttermilk and gently stir until a dough forms. If it feels too dry, add a splash more buttermilk—about 1 to 2 tablespoons.
Shape and fill
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface (preferably floured parchment paper). Press or roll it into a 15 x 12-inch rectangle.
- Brush with the cooled melted butter, then sprinkle the cinnamon and brown sugar evenly over the top.
Roll and slice
- Starting on the long side, roll the dough up into a log. Slice into 8 even rolls using a sharp knife or unflavored dental floss for clean cuts.
Bake
- Arrange the rolls close together in your prepared baking dish. Bake for 22–26 minutes, until golden brown and baked through.
- The center should register 190ºF on a thermometer. Transfer to a cooling rack.
3 Common Mistakes When Making Biscuit Cinnamon Rolls
Check out these issues that creep up when baking biscuit rolls like these:
1. Using warm or soft butter: Biscuit dough relies on cold butter to create flaky layers. Keep your butter cold until the moment you cut it in. You can even freeze it briefly and grate it for better distribution.
2. Overmixing the dough: Overworking the dough makes the rolls tough instead of tender.
Stir just until the dough comes together. Don’t worry if it looks a bit shaggy or uneven. Then use gentle folds, you are not kneading.
3. Skipping the floured parchment: The dough can stick. Flour your parchment paper well to help the dough roll easily and bake up with a crisp, golden bottom.
Make Ahead and Storage
Biscuit cinnamon rolls are best prepared and baked fresh, but you can prepare the dough and filling a few hours in advance.
To Prep in Advance
- Make the rolls the night before. Store the unbaked, shaped rolls in the fridge, covered tightly with plastic wrap. Remove wrap and bake them straight from the refrigerator, adding 2-5 mins to the baking time.
Freezing Unbaked Rolls
- Freeze unbaked rolls on a tray until solid, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 1 month.
- Don’t thaw on the counter. This warms the butter too much and it’ll melt out fully before the dough sets.
Baking Frozen Rolls
- Thaw overnight in the fridge and bake cold the next morning, adding 2–5 minutes to the bake time.
- To bake from frozen, cover with foil and bake at 375ºF for 35–45 minutes, uncovering to brown at the end.
Storing Leftover Biscuit Cinnamon Rolls
- Leftover rolls can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Do not refrigerate them, as this makes them stale and hard.
- To reheat, warm individual rolls in the microwave for 20–30 seconds or bake covered in a 300ºF oven for 10–12 minutes. Add glaze after reheating, or reheat with foil if the dish is already glazed.
FAQs About Biscuit Cinnamon Rolls
Just skimming through? Here are a few key takeaways:
Yes! Mix regular milk with a tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar and let it sit for 5–10 minutes to create a quick buttermilk substitute.
If the butter or dough gets too warm, the rolls may spread during baking. Chill the shaped rolls for 15–20 minutes before baking to help them hold their shape.
Not at all! You can skip it, use a simple powdered sugar and milk icing, or drizzle with maple syrup or honey instead.
Reader-Favorite Baked Treats
Fluffy Biscuit Cinnamon Rolls (Quick, No-Yeast Recipe!)
Video
Ingredients
Biscuit Dough
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tbsp granulated sugar
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 ½ tbsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 7 tbsp very cold salted butter
- 1 cup buttermilk
Filling
- 3 tbsp salted butter melted and cooled
- 6 tbsp light brown sugar
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Line an 8×8-inch baking dish with floured parchment paper.
- Mix the dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- Cut in the butter: Grate or cube the cold butter. Use a pastry cutter or your fingers to work it into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized bits throughout.
- Add the buttermilk: Pour in the buttermilk and stir just until the dough comes together. It'll be shaggy with dry patches.
- Fold: Transfer the dough onto the floured parchment. Pat it out into a rectangle, then fold it in thirds and press it down again. Repeat twice. TIP: Be very gentle with this movement, you are not kneading.
- Roll and fill: Roll dough out into a rectangle about 15 x 12 inches. Brush evenly with cooled melted butter, then sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon.
- Roll up and slice: Starting from the long edge, roll the dough up tightly. Slice into 8 pieces using a sharp knife or dental floss.
- Arrange and bake: Place the rolls snugly into the prepared pan. Bake for 22–26 minutes. They should be golden and fully baked in the center (190ºF on a cooking thermometer)
- Cool slightly before serving. If using glaze, wait about 10 minutes before drizzling over warm rolls.
Notes
- Use cold butter and buttermilk for the flakiest layers. Keep the dough cold until it goes into the oven.
- Mix gently to avoid tough rolls. Biscuit dough needs minimal handling.
- The dough is sticky. Use the parchment to help roll it up or slide a floured spatula underneath if needed.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
