From zero to hot cinnamon rolls in one hour flat! These one-hour cinnamon rolls do not skimp on flavor even though they are so easy. The dough is soft and tender, the brown sugar filling is just right. It doesn’t get any better than cinnamon rolls for breakfast! Originally published February 08, 2013.
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This one’s for you, Saturday morning. One hour cinnamon rolls. Seriously, I timed myself. I was stuffing my face with cinnamony goodness almost exactly one hour after I started. Sometimes I crave cinnamon rolls but then I’m like hm, can I wait 3 hours? No, I guess this spoonful of Nutella will have to make do. (Sometimes it kinda scares me how much my body craves sugar. Good thing no one ever offered me heroin as a youngster, otherwise I’d be in the back of an alley somewhere. I’m joking. Kinda.)
My mother-in-law Kris makes these cinnamon rolls whenever all of us come to visit for the holidays. She is one of those on-top-of-it kind of people who is up and dressed by 6 every morning. She is always busy rolling out delightful pastries while the rest of us are barely rolling out of bed. I feel guilty when I finally stumble bleary-eyed down the stairs and she is fully dressed, smiling perkily, breakfast all ready for us. When I tell her thank you, (huge bite of third roll) these are amazing (chug chug chug milk) she always says “It’s no big deal. It’s not hard.”
Kris actually says that a lot, and I’ve taken it to heart. Sometimes I start to complain about things in my head, usually about everyday things, like dishes (shudder), or wiping Charlotte up after she eats, or making the bed. And then I hear Kris, “It’s not hard! It’s easy!!” She’s like my own personal Richard Simmons for housework. And then I don’t feel so grumpy about the laundry I’m folding. Thanks Kris! Next time maybe you could dance around like Richard Simmons though, it might make me even more motivated.
Ingredients for fast cinnamon rolls
I´ll bet you have most of these ingredients already at home. That´s why I love this cinnamon roll recipe. They are perfect for last-minute cravings. Wake up craving cinnamon rolls? No problem. One hour from now you´ll be in cinnamon sugar bliss.
Here’s a quick shopping list to help you gather your ingredients. See the recipe card below for the full ingredients and instructions!
- sugar
- active dry yeast
- oil
- eggs
- flour
- salt
- butter
- cinnamon
- brown sugar
- milk
- powdered sugar
How to make quick cinnamon rolls
This is a quick cinnamon roll recipe, meaning the dough´s rise time is short and sweet–only a few minutes. To make fast cinnamon rolls, combine the sugar, yeast, and oil with warm water and let rest in a warm place for 15 minutes. I turned my oven on to warm (170˚), turned it off, then put the bowl inside and set the timer. You can start to sift your flour while you wait. After 15 minutes, add the eggs and flour mix to the yeast. Just know that this is a sticky, soft dough. Don´t add too much flour–you want these cinnamon rolls to be nice and soft. Knead for 5 minutes then shape the rolls and let rise for 10 minutes in a greased pan before you bake them.
Of course, cinnamon rolls are nothing without glaze. To make the glaze, combine the hot milk and butter with a whisk, then add the powdered sugar gradually, whisking as you go. Drizzle over the hot rolls and serve immediately.
What to serve with these cinnamon rolls
These quick cinnamon rolls are good enough to serve on their own. But sometimes I´ll make a fruit salad to balance things out a bit. If you are cooking for a group like on Mother´s Day or Easter, I´d serve them alongside a big breakfast dish like a Cheesy Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole with Ham or an easy quiche recipe or even just some bacon.
Other sweet breakfast pastry recipes you´ll love
If you’re a fan of sweet breakfast treats, boy have I got you covered! Here are some of my favorite breakfast sweet treats.
Homemade Doughnuts >> the BEST fluffy glazed donuts of your life!
The Best Crepes >> surprisingly easy to make at home
The Best Scone >> crispy on the edges but tender on the inside, yes please
Best Banana Bread Recipe >> super moist (thank you sour cream) and perfectly fluffy
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins >> irresistible pumpkin-y muffins with a surprise inside
Easy Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Muffins from Practically Homemade
Peach Danish from Crazy for Crust
One Hour Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
For the dough
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 3 tablespoon active dry yeast
- 1/2 cup oil
- 1 & 1/4 cup warm water
- 2 beaten eggs
- 5 & 1/4 cups flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 & 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/4 cup butter, melted (1/2 stick)
- 1 & 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon
- 1/2 cup granulated OR brown sugar, I like brown
For the glaze
- 1/4 cup hot water or milk
- 1 tablespoon butter, softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix 1/3 cup sugar, yeast, and oil with warm water until dissolved. Cover and let stand in warm place for 15 minutes. I turned my oven on to warm (170˚), turned it off, then put the bowl inside and set the timer. Sift your flour while you wait.
- Blend eggs into yeast mixture. Add salt to sifted flour, then gradually add to yeast mixture to make a very soft dough. Resist the urge to add more flour.
- Knead dough for 5 minutes on lightly floured surface, or switch to the dough hook on your mixer and let a machine do the work. Roll dough into rectangular shape, about 1/4 inch thick.
- Brush dough with melted butter. Combine cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle over dough.
- Roll up dough and slice into 12. Place in a greased 9×13 pan. Let rest 10 minutes.
- Bake at 425˚ for 12-17 minutes. You want them to be nice and brown on top–it’s easy to under bake this recipe.
- You can see how brown mine were when I took them out, and I probably should have let them go another minute or two.
- To make glaze, combine the hot water (or milk) and butter with a whisk. Add the powdered sugar gradually, whisking as you go. If you’re butter isn’t getting incorporated, just stick it in the microwave for a few seconds. Drizzle over the hot rolls and serve immediately! And everyone will love you!
Notes
Source: Marilyn Chapple, Jean McCray, and Sharon Hansen
I’ve made these DOZENS of times and they always turn out perfectly. I don’t have 3 hours to make cinnamon rolls! These are soft and have the perfect amount of filling. A huge family favorite and we especially love to make them in a Dutch oven when they’re camping. My dad has requested them for his birthday many times. An absolutely 5 star winner.
I followed the recipe but when it came to knead the dough I could not. It was fall too sticky, it stuck to my counter top, i had no choice but to add more flour. I then knead it by hand but when the rolls where done the texture was way too flaky. What went wrong?
Hi Bonnie, this is indeed a sticky dough! You only want to add a little bit of flour and some patience as you are rolling :)
Fellow sacramentan here! Made these for FD today – they look and smell amazing (currently cooling). I followed your recipe exactly, although I cut them a little thicker so I wound up with 9. #worthit!!! Thanks for teaching me how to cook over this last 16 months.
I think I will try these as they look yummy. I have bread flour, can that be used in place of AP? Would I use the same amount?
Thanks
Hi Martha! Bread flour has more protein and will make your cinnamon rolls more chewy. They will not be as light and fluffy. But it would still work in a pinch! Enjoy!
These cinnamon rolls came out perfect! They were delicious! Thanks!
Hi Hun!
The first time I made these they were perfect! And then today the middle just wouldn’t cook? Not sure why. They took ages. Love you’re recipes over here in Australia! 😍
Hey Beti! Thanks so much for trying out my recipes! So sorry the centers didn’t cook. That is so strange. I would cover with foil to help them cook faster next time without browning too much. Enjoy!
Hi Karen, I’m planning to bake the one hour cinnamon rolls. Is instant dried yeast ( dried powdered granules) the same as active dry yeast?
If I bake it the day before, will it still be as moist?
Hi Karen,Please post a recipe for ciabatta bread.
Also I want to bake the one hour cinnamon rolls. If I bake it a day before, will it be as moist?
Is active dry yeast the same as instant yeast ( powered dry yeast)?
Does one keep to the same measurement for instant yeast?
Thanks
Hi Rekha! Instant yeast and active dry yeast are not exactly the same, but you can use them interchangeably in this recipe. If you make them a day ahead they will not be as moist but will still be tasty. Enjoy the cinnamon rolls!
I have been trying to make great cinnamon rolls for over 40 years. I finally did it with this recipe. Followed exactly and they’re great. I got 1 1/2 dozen from recipe. Thanks
40 years and never giving up! I’m so happy to hear it Becky!! Now you have a go to recipe, that’s always my favorite :) Thanks so much for commenting!
I made these yesterday and I already need to make more! Easy to make and so very good! This will be my keeper recipe! Thanks for sharing!!
Once you discover one hour cinnamon rolls, you just can’t stop, right?? :) I’m so glad you liked the recipe Cherylene, thanks for commenting!
I’ve made these often and we love them but i struggle with rolling them out and rolling up tightly they are so sticky. What am i missing? The result is slightly mishapen yet heavenly in taste!
Hey Annie! It sounds like you need to add a bit more flour when mixing up the dough!
Please tell us what type of yeast
you use..there is getting to be more and
More on the grocery shelves. It’s not “rude” is it, if I say your “buns” look
fabulous!
Baha!! Why thank you Colleen!! I use regular active dry yeast for this recipe. Hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
Update: I’m making a double batch of these today, and this is definitely like the eighth time I’ve made them. My Dad, who is a cinnamon roll connoisseur, requested these for his birthday after I made them when my family visited. He has never before deviated in all my life from a yellow cake with chocolate frosting, so you know these are something special. I’ve tried other recipes, but I’m always sorry I did, because these are just the best. Also I like revisiting this post so I can once again imagine Kris dancing like Richard Simmons. :-)
Oh my gosh I love your dad Sarah. I’m so glad you guys love these! They are a classic around here. And yes, Kris dancing like Richard Simmons is the best!
I’m never making regular cinnamon rolls again! SO impressed at how fast these came out. They look gorgeous too. I bartered them for a back massage.
I am so going to try this…have everything except the brown sugar. Thanks for the recipe, I could seriously gain 10 lbs just eating these things-I love cinammon rolls.
And you can even use regular sugar if you want, I just prefer brown. Let me know how they turn out!!
Wow, Karen! Thanks for all the nice comments! I only make stuff for you guys so you will love me – just as the end of your post says! I have an ulterior motive.
By the way, will there be any of these available by the time we see you in a couple days? Just wondering . . . .
That’s the only reason I cook too Kris. It’s purely selfish.
Hi! I loved this simpler recipe for one of my favourite things. The only question I have is what kind of yeast to use? The dry powdered dry yeast? Also the brown sugar can be granulated or has to be powdered?
Hi Shivani! I use active dry yeast. And the brown sugar here in the US is pretty finely granulated but I’m sure any kind will do, as long as it’s sugar :) Good luck! I hope you enjoy!