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
These are amazingly easy and delicious! I’ve tried many recipes and this one is by far the best – especially because it’s so quick ❤️