No-Yeast Cinnamon Rolls

These no-yeast cinnamon rolls come out of the oven about 40 minutes after you start. The dough is flour, baking powder, Greek yogurt and a little butter, so there's no rise at all: mix for a minute, roll out, spread a filling of butter, brown sugar and cinnamon, roll up, slice and bake for 20 minutes. The batch makes 10 rolls in one round pan.

How they differ from yeast rolls

Yeast dough rises twice and develops a stretchy, stringy crumb that pulls apart in threads. Yogurt dough with baking powder only puffs in the oven, so the crumb is soft and tender, closer to a scone than to a bun. The yogurt adds a slight tang that balances the sweet glaze, and the butter in the dough keeps the rolls soft the next day.

Don't knead much. Mix only until the dough comes together and stops sticking to your hands. Long kneading builds gluten, and the rolls bake up tough. If the dough is too sticky, add one tablespoon of flour, no more.

How to roll them without losing the filling

Three things matter. The butter for the filling should be soft, not melted: liquid butter slides off the dough and pools at the bottom of the pan. Leave a strip of about 3/4 inch (2 cm) bare along the far long edge so the roll seals on it. And roll tightly, without trapping air between the layers.

Slice with a serrated knife, sawing gently without pressing down, so the log doesn't flatten. If the dough is too soft to cut, ten minutes in the freezer firms it up. For another bake with no waiting, try the 3-ingredient tahini cookies, and if you do want a yeast dough, there's a no-knead chocolate yeast cake.

The recipe

No-Yeast Cinnamon Rolls

Cinnamon rolls made with a yogurt and baking powder dough, no yeast and no rising. 10 rolls in about 40 minutes.

• Servings 10 rolls
• Prep 20 min
• Cook 20 min
• Total 40 min

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Ingredients

For the dough

• 2 1/2 cups / 350 g all-purpose flour (plus a little for rolling)
• 1 tbsp / 15 ml baking powder
• 2 tbsp / 25 g sugar
• 1/2 tsp / 3 g salt
• 1 1/2 cups / 350 g Greek yogurt
• 3 1/2 tbsp / 50 g butter (melted)

For the filling

• 4 tbsp / 60 g butter (soft, at room temperature)
• 1/2 cup / 100 g brown sugar
• 1 tbsp / 8 g ground cinnamon

For the glaze

• 1 cup / 120 g powdered sugar
• 2 tbsp / 30 ml milk (plus more as needed)

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and grease a 9-inch (24 cm) round pan.

2. In a bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Add the yogurt and melted butter and stir only until the dough comes together and stops sticking to your hands.

3. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a rectangle of about 12 x 16 inches (30 x 40 cm).

4. Spread the soft butter over the dough, leaving a 3/4-inch (2 cm) strip bare along one long edge. Mix the brown sugar with the cinnamon and sprinkle it over the butter.

5. Roll up tightly from the other long edge toward the bare strip and press to seal. Slice with a serrated knife into 10 pieces and arrange them in the pan.

6. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until golden. Stir the powdered sugar with the milk into a thick glaze and drizzle it over the rolls while they're still warm.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make no-yeast cinnamon rolls ahead?
They're best baked the day you serve them. You can make the log, wrap it and keep it in the fridge for up to a day, then slice and bake. Baked rolls keep two days in a closed container, and 30 seconds in the microwave softens them again.

What can I use instead of Greek yogurt?
Sour cream or labneh. Regular yogurt is thinner, so add a little flour until the dough stops sticking.

Can I make them dairy-free?
Yes, with thick plant-based yogurt and plant butter. The crumb comes out slightly less tender.

Why did my cinnamon rolls come out hard?
Usually from kneading too long or adding too much flour. Mix only until the dough comes together, and roll it out on a lightly floured surface.