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Biscuit Cinnamon Rolls

These Biscuit Cinnamon Rolls are made with gooey cinnamon sugar, sweet dough, and a glaze that’s irresistibly good. Even better, this sweet treat is ready in about 30 minutes!

3 cinnamon buns on a plate with a bowl of icing in the background

Gooey Biscuit Cinnamon Rolls

Is there anything more decadent than a cinnamon bun? Gooey cinnamon sugar, soft dough, and a sweet glaze. I love picking up a warm bun from my local bakery and have fond memories of making the canned version when I was a kid. But when it came to making homemade cinnamon rolls, I often just wasn’t interested. It was just too much work for something I could buy without any fuss or mess.

So, needless to say, I resisted making cinnamon rolls for quite some time… But, eventually, I overcame my internal block and went for it. And boy, do I mean that I went for it! 

A bite taken out of a cinnamon roll

This Cinnamon Rolls Recipe is Fast and Easy

I embraced the no-yeast method and used biscuit dough for the base. The magic starts with my recipe for Cream Biscuits, which is my go-to quick and easy biscuit recipe. There are only three ingredients, and they come together really quickly. Turning these biscuits into cinnamon rolls was a no-brainer. Take the same dough, roll it into a thin rectangle, add some cinnamon sugar, and then roll, slice, and bake!

To finish the buns we’ll add a simple icing that’s drizzled over the top of the warm buns. The end result is the best cinnamon rolls ever in about 30 minutes. Crave-worthy cinnamon buns usually take a few hours to make when you go the yeast-based route, so this quick cinnamon bun recipe is a real superstar that’s perfect for spur-of-the-moment baking.

Ingredients for biscuit cinnamon buns

What You’ll Need

With only 5 ingredients in the rolls and 2 ingredients in the icing, these homemade cinnamon rolls couldn’t be easier to make. Here is a quick overview with some notes. Scroll down to the recipe card to see the ingredient amounts and full instructions.

For the Cinnamon Rolls

  • Self-rising flour – Self-rising flour contains baking powder that helps the dough rise without adding yeast. If you don’t have self-rising flour on-hand, you can make your own quite easily. Learn more: How to Make Self-Rising Flour at Home.
  • Heavy cream – Don’t substitute a lighter product here. This is the source of fat for the dough, and it won’t work the same without it.
  • Butter – We’ll be melting the butter for this recipe, so you don’t need to bring it to room temperature.
  • Light brown sugar – This plus the cinnamon makes the filling. I prefer light brown sugar for this recipe, but you can use dark brown sugar if you prefer its stronger molasses flavor.
  • Cinnamon – Make sure yours is fresh by giving it a sniff. If it doesn’t have a strong aroma, it’s time to replace it.

For the Icing

  • Confectioners’ sugar – This is also called powdered sugar, icing sugar, and 10x sugar.
  • Milk – I like to use whole milk for this icing instead of heavy cream to keep the icing a little thinner. However, if you still have some heavy cream from making the biscuit dough, you can use that instead.
overhead view of three Biscuit Cinnamon Rolls on a white plate

How to Make Biscuit Cinnamon Rolls

Are you ready to dig into homemade cinnamon rolls? Here’s how to make them in just about 30 minutes:

To Make the Cinnamon Rolls

  • Prepare for baking. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan. If you like, also line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and grease the paper.
  • Make the biscuit dough. Place the self-rising flour in a large mixing bowl. Gradually stir in the cream, adding just enough to moisten the flour and form a sticky dough. You’ll add just a bit more flour in the next step.
Ball of biscuit dough on a floured surface
  • Knead the dough. Gather the biscuit dough into a ball and place it on a lightly floured surface. Sprinkle the dough with a little more flour and knead it a few times to help it be a little less sticky. This process will make it easier for you to roll the dough.
  • Roll out the dough. While the dough is still on the floured surface, use a rolling pin to roll it into a 9×12-inch rectangle that’s about 1/4-inch thick. 
  • Brush the dough with butter. Brush the top of the dough with melted butter, leaving about a 1/2-inch margin along one long end. Dot that end with just a bit of the melted butter to help the dough stick to itself when we roll it up.
  • Make the cinnamon sugar. Place the brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and mix to combine. Sprinkle the mixture over the dough, leaving the same 1/2-inch margin as before.
  • Roll the dough. Starting with the long buttered end, roll the dough tightly. 
  • Cut the dough. Place the rolled dough on a cutting board with the seam side facing down. Use a sharp knife to cut 1-inch wide slices.
  • Put the cinnamon rolls in the pan. Place the sliced cinnamon rolls in the prepared cake pan, laying each piece on its side. Space them evenly. You’ll have plenty of room for the buns; they’ll expand as they cook.
Cooked biscuit cinnamon rolls
  • Bake. Bake the cinnamon buns for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.

To Make the Icing & Finish the Buns

While the buns are baking, start making the icing:

  • Make the icing. Combine the confectioners’ sugar and 2 tablespoons of milk in a small bowl. Stir the mixture and add more milk a little at a time until you reach the desired consistency. I like thick but pourable icing for these cinnamon buns. 
Icing cinnamon rolls
  • Ice the cinnamon rolls. Dollop spoonfuls of icing on the cinnamon rolls while they’re still warm. Spread the icing around as needed until the rolls are covered.
Fully iced biscuit cinnamon rolls

How to Store Biscuit Cinnamon Rolls

These homemade cinnamon rolls store really well. If you happen to have any leftovers, you can store them on the counter for up to 2 days in an airtight container. Extend their life for up to a week by placing them in the refrigerator. Make sure you place them in an airtight container so that they don’t become dry.

A cinnamon roll on a spatula

Can I Freeze Cinnamon Rolls?

The easiest way to freeze these homemade cinnamon rolls is to freeze the unbaked dough. It’s also a great way to avoid devouring an entire pan in one sitting!

Place individual cinnamon buns on a baking sheet and stick them in the freezer for 4-6 hours. After completely frozen, put them into a freezer-safe container or bag. When your cinnamon roll craving strikes, place them on a baking pan and leave them at room temperature while the oven heats up. You may need to add a minute or two to the baking time, so keep an eye on them. Whip up a batch of icing while they bake, and you’re all set.

overhead view of iced cinnamon rolls in a round baking pan

Biscuit Cinnamon Rolls

Yield 12 cinnamon rolls
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes

These Biscuit Cinnamon Rolls are made with gooey cinnamon sugar, sweet dough, and a glaze that's finger-licking good. Even better, this sweet treat is ready in about 30 minutes. Love at first bite!

3 cinnamon rolls on a plate

Ingredients

For the cinnamon rolls:

  • 1 & 3/4 cups (210g) self-rising flour, plus more for rolling the dough
  • 1 cup (236ml) heavy cream
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons butter, melted*
  • 1/3 cup (67g) firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

For the icing:

  • 1 & 1/2 cups (165g) confectioners' sugar, sifted
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons milk

Instructions

To make the cinnamon rolls:

  1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Grease a 9-inch round baking pan. If you like, also line the pan with parchment paper and grease the paper.
  2. Place the flour in a large mixing bowl. Gradually stir in the cream, adding just enough to moisten and form a sticky dough.
  3. Gather the dough into a ball, and transfer it to a lightly floured surface. Sprinkle the dough lightly with flour and knead a few times to make the dough a bit less sticky and ready for rolling.
  4. Roll the dough into a 9"x 12" rectangle about 1/4" thick.
  5. Brush the top of the dough with the melted butter, leaving about a 1/2" margin along one long end. Dot that end with just a bit of the melted butter to help the dough stick to itself when rolled.
  6. Combine the brown sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle over the dough, leaving the same 1/2" margin as with the butter.
  7. Starting with the long end that is buttered, roll the dough toward the opposite long end.
  8. Place the rolled dough with the seam on the bottom. Use a sharp knife to cut the dough into 1"-wide slices.
  9. Place the sliced dough in the prepared pan, laying each piece on its side. Space them evenly in the pan.
  10. Bake 12 to 15 minutes, or until the rolls are golden brown.

To make the icing:

  1. Combine the confectioners' sugar and 2 tablespoons of milk. Add more milk, a little at a time, and mix until the icing is the desired consistency.
  2. Dollop the icing on top of warm cinnamon rolls, spreading as needed to cover the rolls.

Notes

*I usually need just a bit more than a tablespoon of butter to cover the surface of the dough.

See How to Make Self-Rising Flour for substitution information.

Biscuit dough recipe slightly adapted from White Lily.

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    8 Comments on “Biscuit Cinnamon Rolls”

  1. How do I get my icing to taste like bakery cinnamon rolls? Mine always has a bland taste, and not the taste I want. Help, please. 

    • Add a good quality vanilla to the icing, a cheap vanilla extract is fine for some things, not for icings though. I use Watkins which is not expensive, but is much better than any other grocery store vanilla extract that I’ve found, and I’ve tried a LOT of them. . Also try adding a little cinnamon to the icing.

    • Try adding vanilla extract. 

  2. Could I use milk instead of the heavy cream? It’s what I have on hand right now – not having seen this ‘must try ‘ recipe until after I finished shopping!  Love the content, have tried a lot of your recipes, and even the picky hubby loves what I make from your site!  Thanks for everything, happy holidays, seasons greetings, and Merry Christmas:)

  3. Could I prepare these the night before and leave in the fridge and then bake in the morning??

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