Yeast-Free Greek Yogurt Cinnamon Rolls come together in a fraction of the time of regular cinnamon rolls and are so easy to prepare! Whether you’re new to baking or are an experienced baking aficionado, you’ll love this goof-proof recipe!
This one goes out to my fellow cinnamon roll lovers who are either intimidated to bake with yeast or feel that baking with yeast takes too much time.
I have good news and a special treat for you!
Quick cinnamon rolls made without yeast that are ready in 45 minutes or less.
No activating yeast, no kneading, and no waiting for the dough to rise!
The inspiration for this recipe came from my single-serve Cinnamon Roll in a Mug I shared recently.
That recipe uses Greek yogurt for a single solitary cinnamon roll, so I thought why not employ that same concept to a whole batch?
So let’s dive into the details of easy yeast-free cinnamon rolls.
Traditional cinnamon rolls are made using yeast, which brings a light, airy texture to the rolls and gives them that rich flavor of yeast bread.
The key ingredient used to replace yeast in this yeast-free cinnamon roll recipe is none other than full-fat Greek yogurt.
The yogurt produces similarly magical chemical reactions as yeast, but in a fraction of the time and with zero troubleshooting.
Buttermilk works too for this process, although I haven’t tested it in this recipe yet so I’m not sure what the correct measurement would be.
No yeast means no need to bloom yeast and wonder whether or not it’s active, and no need to set aside time to let the dough rise.
In essence, these cinnamon rolls can be made much quicker and easier than regular cinnamon rolls, shaving off at least 1 hour (closer to two hours) of rise time.
With only a handful of ingredients and less than an hour from start to finish, we’re left with an impressive end result to keep us coming back for more.
So the next time you’re craving a batch of homemade cinnamon rolls, whip out the Greek yogurt and these cinnamon buns will be ready in a jiffy!
If you’re dairy-free or you don’t mind baking with yeast, make my Dairy-Free Gluten-Free Cinnamon Rolls recipe.
Let’s discuss the basic ingredients needed to make no yeast cinnamon rolls.
Ingredients for No Yeast Greek Yogurt Cinnamon Rolls:
Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour: The base of these no yeast cinnamon rolls is a gluten-free flour blend. I use Bob’s Red Mill’s Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour, but you can also use any comparable gluten-free blend such as King Arthur or Pamela’s. Just not that all gluten free blends have varying absorbencies, so the results will vary.
The key is to achieve a dough that is nice and sticky and moist – not overly dry but not so sticky that you can’t easily work with it. If the dough seems crumbly, add more melted butter. If the dough is too sticky to press into an even layer, add more flour 1 tablespoon at a time until it is still moist but easier to work with.
I haven’t tested this recipe using regular all-purpose flour yet, so I can’t be sure it will work as a 1:1 replacement. If you want to try the recipe with regular flour, just note that you want the dough to be on the stickier end, not the dry end, and make any adjustments as needed.
Baking Powder & Baking Soda: The leavening agents here. Baking powder and baking soda bring rise to the dough so that it becomes nice and airy and also holds together nicely.
Because most gluten-free blends contain ingredients like xanthan gum, potato starch, tapioca starch, and baking powder already, you don’t need as much leavening agent as you otherwise would if you were using regular all-purpose flour.
Coconut Sugar (or Brown Sugar): The sweetener used to make these sweet rolls extra delicious. It is used in both the cinnamon roll dough and the cinnamon roll filling. I like using coconut sugar because it is lower on the glycemic index than regular cane sugar and also has a slightly caramel-like flavor. If you feel more comfortable using brown sugar or regular cane sugar, feel free to make the swap.
Sea Salt: A little salt goes a long way in giving the rolls enhanced flavor. Be sure you don’t forget to add it to both the dough and the cinnamon sugar mixture.
Greek Yogurt: The star ingredient of these no yeast cinnamon rolls is plain whole milk Greek yogurt. Yogurt takes the place of yeast in this recipe to bring about all the wonderful chemical reactions to ferment the dough quickly, making it extra puffy and luscious without the need to let it sit.
I recommend using whole milk Greek yogurt rather than non-fat Greek yogurt for the best results because the fat content helps bring moisture and richness to the rolls.
Unsalted Butter: Butter brings that creamy richness to the cinnamon roll dough and is also used in the filling to help the cinnamon and sugar stick to the dough, thus creating delicious buttery layers of cinnamon goodness. Coconut oil or vegan butter spread can be used as a replacement for butter in this recipe if you prefer it.
Egg: One large egg gets whisked up and added into the dough to help make the rolls nice and fluffy. If you’re looking for egg-free cinnamon rolls, make my Maple Pecan Vegan Cinnamon Rolls.
Cinnamon: A generous amount of cinnamon is mixed with sugar to create those luscious layers we all love so deeply. I like using a quality Ceylon cinnamon for this application, but any cinnamon will do.
Now that we’re familiar with the simple ingredients, let’s bake some amazing quick and easy cinnamon rolls!
How to Make Yeast-Free Greek Yogurt Cinnamon Rolls:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and lightly spray or grease a 8-inch square baking pan, cake pan, or pie pan with cooking oil or butter.
Combine the gluten-free, flour, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt, and coconut sugar in a large bowl and stir well (dry ingredients).
Note: if you have a stand mixer, feel free to use it to make this recipe using the paddle attachment.
Use a wooden spoon or a rubber spatula to stir in the melted butter, beaten egg and whole milk Greek yogurt (wet ingredients) until a thick, sticky dough forms.
Turn the dough out onto a floured sheet of parchment paper and press it or roll it into a rectangular shape (I use my hands to press it into a large rectangle rather than using a rolling pin).
In a small bowl, stir together the cinnamon, sugar, and sea salt for the filling.
Spread the softened butter over the dough evenly. It’s best to let the butter come to room temperature so that it is very soft and easy to spread.
Sprinkle all of the cinnamon sugar mixture over the dough.
Use the parchment paper to help roll the dough into a log. It is normal for the dough to stick to the parchment paper a little but it should still roll fairly easily. If the dough begins to break apart in certain places, no sweat – simply press it back together. And don’t worry if this turns out messy! As long as you get some dough into a pan, the end result will be delicious. 😉
Use a sharp knife to cut the log into rolls about 1 inch thick each. Transfer the raw rolls to the prepared pan.
Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the cinnamon rolls are slightly golden brown. You can check to make sure the cinnamon rolls are cooked by inserting an instant read thermometer into the center of a roll. It should be between 190 and 200 degrees F to be considered fully cooked.
Frost the cinnamon rolls using your choice of frosting. I make a basic powdered sugar glaze by mixing 1 cup of powdered sugar with 2 tablespoons of water in a small bowl.
If you’re trying to keep the cinnamon rolls lower in sugar, you can use a sugar-free powdered sweetener.
You can also make a buttercream or cream cheese frosting.
For a dairy-free, refined sugar-free frosting, combine 1/2 cup of full-fat canned coconut milk or coconut cream with 1 to 2 tablespoons of pure maple syrup.
Serve cinnamon rolls immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Tips for Making The Best Cinnamon Rolls:
To get the best result with this recipe, I highly recommend using a sheet of parchment paper to roll the dough. While gluten free dough is still workable, it isn’t nearly as stable and stretchy as regular dough using self-rising flour. Gluten-free dough has a tendency to break apart if you use just your hands. Using parchment paper mitigates this by holding the dough and filling together throughout the rolling process.
Take your butter out of the refrigerator before you do anything else so that it can sit and soften while you’re preparing the recipe. You’ll be using melted butter for the dough, but softened butter for the filling.
This recipe makes a small batch of cinnamon rolls, yielding 6 to 8 smaller rolls. You can easily double the recipe if you’re serving more than 4 people (assume each person would want 1-2 rolls), or if you’re looking for larger rolls.
And that’s it! The easiest cinnamon rolls that don’t require hours of time and can be made in a flash!
Make this yummy simple cinnamon roll recipe for breakfast or brunch on a Saturday morning or any time you’re craving a tasty treat on demand!
If you love sweet treats like this one for breakfast, also check out these delicious sweet breakfast recipes.
More Sweet Breakfast Recipes:
- The Best Gluten-Free Banana Bread Recipe
- Apple Baked Oatmeal Cups
- Paleo Morning Glory Quick Bread
- Healthy Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread
- Peanut Butter Banana Baked Oatmeal
- Belgian Waffle Recipe
Enjoy this no yeast cinnamon roll recipe anytime the craving strikes!
Ingredients
Cinnamon Roll Dough:
- 2 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ¼ cup coconut sugar*
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- ⅔ cup whole milk Greek yogurt**
- 1 large egg, well beaten
For the Cinnamon Sugar Filling:
- 3 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
- ⅓ cup coconut sugar*
- 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
- Pinch sea salt
Powdered Sugar Glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 Tbsp water
- ¼ tsp pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and lightly spray or grease a 8-inch square baking pan, cake pan, or pie pan with cooking oil or butter.
- Combine the gluten-free, flour, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt, and coconut sugar in a large bowl and stir well (dry ingredients). Note: if you have a stand mixer, feel free to use it to make this recipe using the paddle attachment.
- Use a wooden spoon or a rubber spatula to stir in the melted butter, beaten egg and whole milk Greek yogurt (wet ingredients) until a thick, sticky dough forms.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured sheet of parchment paper and press it or roll it into a rectangular shape (I use my hands to press it into a large rectangle rather than using a rolling pin).
- In a small bowl, stir together the cinnamon, sugar, and sea salt for the filling.
- Spread the softened butter over the dough evenly. It's best to let the butter come to room temperature so that it is very soft and easy to spread.
- Sprinkle all of the cinnamon sugar mixture over the dough.
- Use the parchment paper to help roll the dough into a log. It is normal for the dough to stick to the parchment paper a little but it should still roll fairly easily. If the dough begins to break apart in certain places, no sweat – simply press it back together.
- Use a sharp knife to cut the log into rolls about 1 inch thick each. Transfer the raw rolls to the prepared pan.
- Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the cinnamon rolls are slightly golden brown. You can check to make sure the cinnamon rolls are cooked by inserting an instant read thermometer into the center of a roll. It should be between 190 and 200 degrees F to be considered fully cooked.
- Frost the cinnamon rolls using your choice of frosting. I make a basic powdered sugar glaze by mixing 1 cup of powdered sugar with 2 tablespoons of water in a small bowl. You can also make a buttercream or cream cheese frosting.
Notes
Nutrition
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Ju
Sunday 26th of March 2023
Do you think home made oat flour would work ?
Julia
Tuesday 28th of March 2023
Hi there! It's possible, although the dough may turn out fairly crumbly. I would venture to guess it would be somewhat difficult to roll, because gluten-free flour contains more starch than oat flour. Let me know if you try it!