These Quick & Easy Cinnamon Rolls are the BEST simple cinnamon rolls to make in only 1 hour – with my pro tips and tricks! Fluffy, sweet and delicious with an easy cream cheese frosting!
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Aren’t cinnamon rolls just the BEST!?!? In my opinion there’s nothing better than a soft, fluffy cinnamon roll fresh from the oven, packed with fragrant cinnamon sugar filling and topped with a delicious cream cheese frosting. If you’re a cinnamon roll lover like me you’ll definitely know the struggle – baking homemade cinnamon rolls is a lot of work and takes hours! But not anymore!! These Quick and Easy Cinnamon Rolls are ready in only ONE HOUR and they’re some of the BEST cinnamon rolls you’ll ever taste!
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not always a fan of taking shortcuts in the kitchen – sometimes the best recipes are those cooked or baked low and slow with classic techniques, but these Quick and Easy Cinnamon Rolls use a few absolutely fantastic shortcuts and simple tricks that create the most fluffy and delicious cinnamon rolls in less than half the time it usually takes to bake up a batch of cinnamon rolls from scratch. Trust me, you’re going to LOVE them!
Ingredients for Quick and Easy Cinnamon Rolls
To make these Easy Cinnamon Rolls in one hour, you’ll need:
- Warm milk
- Instant yeast
- Granulated sugar
- Melted butter
- Egg
- All purpose flour
- Salt
- Brown Sugar
- Cinnamon
- Powdered Sugar
- Cream Cheese
- Lemon Juice
Kitchen Equipment for Making Quick and Easy Cinnamon Rolls
To make these Quick and Easy One Hour Cinnamon Rolls you’ll need these kitchen tools (affiliate links):
- Measuring Cups (liquid and dry) and Measuring Spoons
- Stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment (OR you can make them by hand with a wooden spoon and a large mixing bowl)
- Plastic wrap for covering the bowl
- Another larger mixing bowl (make sure the first bowl fits inside it)
- Rolling Pin
- Oven-safe skillet or baking dish or pan
- A large chef’s knife for slicing the rolls
- A pastry brush (optional)
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5 Pro Tips for Quick and Easy Cinnamon Rolls in ONLY 1 Hour!
- Pro Tip #1: Use Warm Milk
In order to achieve a fluffy dough that rises well, the temperature of the wet ingredients when they hit the yeast is critical: too cold, and the yeast won’t be able to grow; too hot and the liquid will kill the yeast. Both of these situations will cause your dough to be tough and dry, and you’ll be lucky if it rises at all.
To help these rolls rise quickly, use warm milk that feels like the temperature of a baby’s bath water (not too hot!).
- Pro Tip #2: The Dough Should Be Sticky
Cinnamon bun dough should be tacky to the touch, but not so sticky that it’s very messy. It should pull away from the sides of the mixing bowl easily and the bowl should appear fairly clean. If the dough appears too sticky, continue kneading and add flour one tablespoon at a time until the dough reaches that tacky texture.
Too little flour and the dough will be too sticky and will result in dense buns. Too much flour and the dough will be tough, resulting in dry, crumbly buns.
- Pro Tip #3: Use my Warm Water Trick for a Quick Rise
The BEST way to get your dough to rise quickly is to use warm water to warm up the mixing bowl as the dough rises. Once you’ve made the dough, place the bowl inside another larger bowl and pour very warm (almost HOT) water into the larger bowl (between the two bowls- just until the water gets at the same height as the dough is in the initial bowl) so the heat from the warm water is absorbed by the first bowl and warms up the dough inside – just be sure you don’t get any water inside the bowl with the dough! Warm dough rises much faster, and with this warm water trick you’ll be able to cut the rise time from the typical 60 or 90 minutes to only 20 minutes!
Placing your dough in a metal bowl to rise when you use this trick helps the dough rise even faster since metal conducts the heat from the water more than a glass or plastic bowl would. If you’re short on mixing bowls you can also place the bowl with the dough in your kitchen sink and fill the sink with warm (almost hot) water to just below the top of the mixing bowl. Again, just be sure you don’t get any water inside the bowl with the dough!
- Pro Tip #4: Forget the Flour – Grease is Great
Turn the dough out onto a very lightly greased work surface rather than flouring the work surface. This makes the dough easy to roll out and it helps the surface of the dough to remain soft instead of drying it out like adding more flour would do. I like to spritz my counter top with a little bit of vegetable oil to make sure the dough doesn’t stick and it works like a charm!
- Pro Tip #5: Rise the Rolls in the Oven While the Oven Preheats
There’s no need to let the rolls rise a second time – simply place them in a cold oven and set the oven to the correct temperature. The rolls will complete their final rise as the oven preheats, and this will cut down the baking time too!
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I hope you love this recipe as much as we do! Let me know in the comments below, what’s your favourite sweet breakfast for entertaining? I’d love to know!
Kitchen Products I recommend:
Looking for more holiday recipes? You’ll LOVE these:
- Easy Crock Pot Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- Easy Vegan Green Bean Casserole
- Roasted Garlic Butter Carrots
- Apple Walnut Spinach Salad
- Roasted Beet Salad with Greens
- Maple Rosemary Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- Winter Berry Cocktail (Alcohol Free Version Included)
- Rosemary Dill Roasted Potatoes
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Recipe Video
Watch the video below to see exactly how I make this recipe. You can find more delicious recipe videos on my YouTube channel
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Quick and Easy Cinnamon Rolls (One Hour Cinnamon Rolls)
Recipe: Ingredients
For the dough:
- 1 1/4 cups warm milk just above body temperature
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon instant dry yeast (active dry yeast also works)
- 1/3 cup butter melted
- 1 egg
- 3 2/3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
For the filling:
- 1/4 cup butter melted
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 - 1 tbsp cinnamon to taste
For the frosting (optional):
- 1/3 cup full fat cream cheese at room temperature
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
Recipe: Instructions
- Into the bowl of your stand mixer (or in a large mixing bowl), add the warm milk, the sugar and the yeast. Mix together with a fork.
- Add the melted (and cooled) butter to the milk mixture. Be sure the melted butter isn't too hot or it will kill the yeast.
- Add the egg to the milk mixture.
- Add the flour and salt to the bowl on top of the milk mixture and set the mixer to low speed (use the dough hook for this). If making by hand, mix with a wooden spoon.
- After about a minute you should see a sticky dough starting to come together. Scrape down the sides of the bowl if necessary.
- Turn up the mixer speed slightly and allow the mixture to knead the dough for about 2-3 minutes. The dough should be tacky to the touch, but not so sticky that it's very messy. It should pull away from the sides of the bowl easily and the bowl should appear fairly clean.
- If you don't have a stand mixer, you can knead the dough by hand on a lightly floured work surface for 3 minutes after the wet and dry ingredients are combined.
- Cover the bowl with some plastic wrap and place it inside another large mixing bowl. Pour some hot water (from the tap or recently boiled kettle) between the two bowls to gently heat up the dough. This will help it rise very quickly. Be careful not to use water that's too hot as this will cook the dough that's touching the mixing bowl. Also, be careful not to get any water into the bowl with the dough (See the information in the blog post for more tips on how to do this!). Let the dough raise for 20 minutes.
- While the dough raises, grease a large cast iron skillet (or a 9-inch by 13-inch baking dish also works) with butter.
- In a separate bowl, combine the brown sugar and the cinnamon. I use 1 tbsp of cinnamon, but feel free to use a little less if you'd prefer a more subtle taste.
- Turn the dough out onto a work surface that's been very lightly greased with vegetable oil. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough evenly until you have a rectangle that's approximately 18 inches wide and 12 inches deep. Brush the dough with the melted butter. Spread the brown sugar and cinnamon mixture evenly over the dough.
- Roll up the dough from the long side until you've got one long roll. Cut the long roll in half, then in half again, and then each of those sections into 3 pieces until you have 12 cinnamon rolls. Try to cut the rolls to an even thickness as this promotes even baking. You don't want some rolls to be overdone and others to be raw in the middle.
- Arrange the 12 pieces in the pan you've greased.
- Place the cinnamon rolls in a cold oven and set the oven to bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit. The cinnamon rolls will rise for a second time in the oven as it preheats.
- Set the oven timer for 23 minutes. When the oven timer goes off the cinnamon rolls should be baked to a golden brown colour. If 2-3 more minutes of baking are required, allow the rolls to bake for a few additional minutes (every oven preheats differently, so watch them around the 20-minute mark if your oven preheats very quickly!).
For the frosting:
- While the cinnamon rolls are baking, mix together the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and lemon juice in a bowl until smooth.
- Remove the pan from the oven and let the buns cool in the pan for about 15 minutes before smearing the frosting over the warm buns.
Recipe: Nutrition
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated, using Spoonacular, for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
I love this recipe! It’s my go to for homemade cinnamon rolls. We make it probably 2x a month!
So glad to hear that!! Thanks so much for your review Kristina!🙂
Easy to make (yay) super delicious
Loved starting them in a cold oven using a cast iron frying pan.
I am so happy you enjoyed them! Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback!
Can you make these the night before and leave the dough in the fridge?
Yes, you can prepare the dough and put it in the fridge before the first raise. However, the raise time will increase by a bit when you take the dough out from the fridge. I suggest you keep the dough at room temperature for a while before you raise it in the two bowls with warm water. Hope this helps ☺️
What a super recipe – your cinnamon rolls look extra delicious in your cast iron skillet. I love baking in a cast iron skillet. It heats up beautifully in the oven for even cooking. Thanks for sharing this great recipe.
You’re welcome, thanks for taking the time to leave a comment!🙂
There’s nothing better than fresh cinnamon rolls in the morning! I can’t wait to make these this weekend!
Exactly!! Thanks Liz!
Really great post, I love all the details and tips, but honestly? You had me at ‘quick’ and ‘cinnamon rolls’ ~ yum!!
Thank you Sue!!
Cinnamon rolls are totally the best! I love the trick you shared for warming the bowls with hot water. I’m always looking for a way to cut down the poofing time. I’m going to make them this weekend for sure!
Let us know how they turn out!!🙂
It’s a great recipe! Soft dough! With half of the recipe I made the cinnamon rolls and with the other half I made a loaf bread and both turned out delicious! Thank you
You’re welcome Leomar! What a great idea! Thanks!!
This is a simple recipe to make that turns out deliciously every time I make it. The buns need a few more minutes in my oven, but I just watch them, as you note to, and they are light and fluffy every time. My kids have asked that every Saturday be “Cinnamon Roll Saturday” 🙂 Thank you!
You’re welcome Heather!! I’m so glad you enjoyed them and found them simple to make!! 🙂
Love the recipe I didn’t have lemon so I used orange and the frosting is amazing thank you for the recipe
You’re welcome Elise!! Sounds delicious!🙂
Hi there, just made the rolls and the house smells amazing! Can’t wait to try them !!!
Question, do I start the timer as soon as I put them in the oven or do I set the timer once the over reaches 375 . Pls let me know
Thank you
You start the timer when you put them in! Happy baking ☺️
Oh my goodness! Tried your recipe this morning, loved it. I’ve been looking for a good one & have tried others. But yours is one I’ll continue to use over again and again! Thank you for sharing ♡
I’m so happy to hear that! Glad you enjoyed it!
These were delicious, thank you! I will say, though, I doubled the filling, and also drizzled some heavy cream on top before baking to make them extra gooey.
I’m so happy you enjoyed them! Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback!
Hi there! I’m planning to make these in a few days! Hopefully these aren’t silly questions but do you use salted or unsalted butter and what type of milk do you recommend (whole, 2%, skim?). Can’t wait to try these!
I use unsalted butter and whole milk. Happy baking ☺️
Hi there! How long am I supposed to let them prove for? 🙂
As the instructions state, you only prove them once, for 20 minutes. Their second raise happens in the oven as it warms up.
Thank you! I have not had luck in the past with making yummy cinnamon rolls. On Christmas morning, the tin of Cinnamon rolls we bought to go in the oven, didn’t rise.
I did a quick search for an “easy and delicious” recipe and your recipe is the one that came up.
I will use this recipe for the rest of my life! No exaggeration. These are the best we’ve ever had and all of my neighbors agree.
Quick, easy, excellent tips and beyond delicious.
Thank you again for sharing.
I’m so happy you enjoyed it! Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback.
Do you know if this dough is freezable or can be refrigerated to use later? We’ve made them once before and it’s a great recipe!
Yes, you can freeze them after you roll and cut them.
I make these cinnamons rolls at least once a month, they are a staple in our home!!!
Quick question to go with this question/answer above, ….after they come out of the freezer, do I just need to have them come back to room temperature before doing the process of putting them in the cast iron and then into the cold oven and bake them per your instructions, or do I need to do anything differently to cook them if I froze them?
Yes, just bringing them to room temp is enough. Hope this helps. Happy baking!
If you’ve never made cinnamon rolls from scratch before, like myself, I wouldn’t say this is the best recipe to start with. The directions don’t say how long to let the bowl of dough sit in the hot water, how high the water should come up on the side of the bowl, and how much it should rise before rolling it out. My dough was impossible to roll out or cut, it was so sticky. Some more detailed directions would be helpful
Hello Danielle, you can find that information if you read my 5 tips for making these quick and easy cinnamon rolls. As for how much the dough should raise, a good rule of thumb is that it should raise until it doubles in size. I am so sorry your dough was so wet. Are you using a stand mixer or kneading by hand? When your dough is so sticky, you can add 1-2 tbsp of flour and knead it a while longer. As I have already said in the 5 tips, the cinnamon roll dough should be a bit sticky but should pull away from the sides of the bowl- when it does that, it’s a sign that it’s good to work with. Hope this helps and you try again ☺️
This is a good recipe, taste delicious. Only one thing, you might want to look at steps 10 and 11. A non- seasoned cook would get very confused. They need to be switched😊.
I’m so happy you enjoyed them! Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback! As for steps 10 and 11, you’re supposed to use the time the dough raises to mix the sugar and cinnamon mixture. Hope this helps ☺️
I made these and the dough was perfect. The only problem I had was that it burned at the bottom and the sides. I didn’t bake it in a iron skillet though, could that be why? We still enjoyed them !
You should be able to also bake them in an oven safe glass dish as well, however, I suggest that you use an oven thermometer to check if your oven runs hot.
This is absolutely the BEST cinnamon rolls I’ve ever eaten. I’m a pro baker and have tried many! The second rise as a preheat to the oven is brilliant! Excellent!!!!
I’m so happy you enjoyed them! Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback!
Today was my second time baking these in less than a month! We usually do “cinnamon roll sunday,” using the cinnamon rolls from the can. Our grocery stores have been out of the canned ones so I decided to try homemade ones and found this amazing recipe. The instructions were easy to follow..it was my first time using yeast, so I was nervous! These are so simple to make and very delicious! My husband and kids are glad that the stores haven’t had the canned ones! Thanks for this easy and delicious recipe!
I’m so happy you enjoyed them! Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback!
Turned out delish! One question, most of the cinnamon sugar melted to the bottom of the glass dish. Any tips to help it stick between the layers?
I’m so happy you enjoyed them! Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback! The melted butter should make it stick enough so make sure you have the right measurement for that. Another thing you could try is to slightly squeeze the cinnamon rolls on the bottom part before placing them in the baking dish! Happy baking!
Can you start with a hot oven? I am making dinner and already have the oven hot.
No, unfortunately starting with a cold oven is the key to making these yummy cinnamon rolls in an hour. However, you could raise them a second time at room temperature for about 20 minutes and then bake them in a preheated oven.
I’ve made this recipe twice and both times, I needed just a bit extra flour because my dough was too tacky. Thank you for including commentary and step by step instructions – even as a frequent baker I always read the “pro tips.” These are delicious!
We’re so happy you enjoyed them! Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback!
Fantastic! They taste and smell amazing!
We’re so happy you enjoyed them! We also think they’re fantastic that’s why we’re just making a batch for ourselves.
Was a bit concerned as a cinnamon roll virgin because the dough looked oddly smooth when coming out of the oven, but completely successful. Really appreciate they aren’t soggy in the middle. Also found this recipe very adaptable to make pizza rolls (reduce dough sugar by half and layer thin ham slices, mozza slices and pizza sauce) and swedish cardamon rolls or twists (substitute cinnamon for cardamon powder and add 2 pods of black cardamon seeds)
Have made about 10x now, always very pleased.
We’re so happy you enjoyed our recipe! It sounds like you are having tons of fun with it and are becoming a roll expert. Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback! We see you rollin’ WE’RE LOVING <3
Store was out of the frozen cinnamon rolls so tried this recipe on Christmas morning. I’ve never made cinnamon rolls before but these were very easy. I was very proud that I didn’t “kill the yeast”! Lots of smiles on my family’s faces. I will definitely make these again and again!
We’re so happy you enjoyed them! Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback!
When I first saw the recipe I thought NO WAY! Cinnamon Rolls in 1 hour? Now, this is my go to recipe that we make every other week.
Thanks for your feedback Kimmy. We’re happy you’re enjoying our recipe!
These are the absolute best cinnamon rolls! Thanks for the recipe, even my 8 year old loves helping when I make them.
We’re so happy to hear that our recipe is one of your family favourites. Thank you for your feedback!
Delish! My hubby asks me to make them every week.
Ahahahah! We’re happy you and your husband enjoy our recipe!
After testing multiple quick cinnamon rolls recipes, yours has become my favourite! It doesn’t have too much yeast, the instructions are clear and they’re actually done in less than one hour. Keep up the good work!
Thanks for your feedback, John!
Hi,
I don’t have a stand mixer and my shoulder won’t let me hand mix anymore 😢, could I mix it in a bread maker on the dough setting? I don’t have a lot of practices with my machine yet.
Thanks.
You can try but you’ll have to keep an eye on it!
I tried this recipe about a month ago for the first time. A coworker asked if I could make something with cinnamon for the next day. They were a huge hit and the pan was gone in under 2 minutes. They are amazing!!!!
We’re so happy you and your coworkers liked the recipe! Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback ☺️
These are very good! Never made these before made the dough in my 11 cup cuisinart. Made it pretty quick. I skipped the frosting and my kids gobbled them up.
I’m so happy you enjoyed it! Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback!
Uncomplicated instructions… A short list of ingredients I already have on hand… Only 1 hour! Honestly, I didn’t believe it but I made them anyway. I have to admit, “Better than nothing” was my expectation. Let me tell you, I was SO wrong! They were fantastic! Infact, Im making more & wondered if I can double the batch? They are super easy & amazing. Thank you so much.
We’re so happy you enjoyed our recipe! Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback! Yes, you can double it, but ,my personal recommendation would be to use two bowls for the raising time.
Never going back to a traditional recipe again! My go to from now on!
I’m so happy you enjoyed them! Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback
Was easier than I expected but it turned out great ! Thanks. I’m not a very good cook but I did it😍
We’re so happy you enjoyed them! Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback!
I love these and make them often! Could I make ahead of time and bake in the morning?
Yes! You totally can, just leave them on the counter for a while so they get up to room temp before baking!
Decided last minute this morning I wanted to try to make homemade cinnamon rolls. So glad I found this recipe! Easy for a first timer and so delicious.
They look yummy! Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback!
I made these and they were fantastic! It was only the 2nd time I’ve ever made cinnamon rolls and it was easy and successful, not to mention taking less time. I’m making them again today. Thanks for the great recipe 🙂
We’re so happy you enjoyed them! Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback!
Ooops! Forgot to give the rating in my previous comment. 5 stars!
Thanks Charmaine!
Just made these & they’re the first time ever making homemade cinnamon rolls. They were delicious!
They look great, Evie!
Just made these and they are the best cinnamon buns I’ve ever had! Super quick and easy recipe – I’ll definitely be making these again soon!
We’re happy to hear that! Thanks for sharing your feedback!
This recipe ticks all the right boxes — it’s easy to make, it takes much less time, and the result is wonderful. My family doesn’t like overly-sweet baking, so I omit the cream cheese icing, instead, I brush about 2 TBSP of maple syrup on top of the parchment paper (I use a 9″ x 13″ pan). This adds a little Canadian sweetness to the cinnamon buns.
It would have been helpful to note that unlike using water & sugar for the yeast & getting a bubbly result, using milk & sugar, then adding butter makes it appear that the yeast is past its prime & failed to proof. I threw the first try away, then redid the first steps, achieving the same result, but decided to use it any way. It worked, with dough rising as the recipe said it would. It was a great recipe & fast result.
We’re happy you enjoyed our recipe! Yes, it’s good to keep in mind that yeast reacts in different ways, however a live yeast always bubbles even if slightly so.
These are perfect! I had a craving for pecan sticky buns and all other recipes took more time than I had; yours is quick, easy and delicious. I did line the bottom of the pan with chopped pecans and a delicious maple sauce. Set the rolls on top and satisfied my craving! This recipe is a definite keeper!
Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback! Your pecan and maple addition sounds AMAZING!
I made these for breakfast and my kids loved them! This was my very first time making cinnamon rolls and they were super easy to make and delicious! I will definitely make these again.
I’m so happy to hear that. Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback!
I love this recipe, it’s very tasty! My only problem is the website is INCREDIBLY glitchy. It repeatedly scrolls to the bottom of the page make it impossible to read the directions. I ended up having to screenshot the page which was still hard because the page kept moving by itself. Please fix the glitches! Otherwise great recipe.
I’m so sorry to hear about your bad experience but thank you for letting us know. We’re always looking to improve our readers’ experience and fix any glitches so our team is on it! I’m happy to hear you liked our recipe and hope you’ll come back for more.
LOVE this recipe!!! Thank you so much! Pro tip, use the dough as pizza crust. Double the recipe and you have pizza for dinner and cinnamon rolls the next morning! 1 batch made a family size stuffed crust. I prefer thin crust pizza, so I might make 2 family thin pizzas next time. Definitely putting this one in the recipe box!!
Wow! Such a great hack! Thanks for sharing it and taking the time to leave your feedback.
Made for Christmas morning & these were delish! I did 1.5x the recipe & they were gone in a few hours!
I only had 2 issues – the dough was still sticky even after adding extra flour, but they rolled out fine with some care. (My mom’s yeast may have been a little old…)
Second issue – the filling seeped out & was crispy the bottom of the pan.
I did add raisins to one pan & they were divine!
Any suggestions for me? Thanks for the recipe!
Different flours have a different liquid absorption capacity so you might just need to see what works for your flour. As for the filling, it’s normal that some of it gets on the bottom of the pan, but if you butter the pan properly that should not be an issue. However you can squeeze each roll a little on the bottom before placing it down. Hope this helps ☺️
Absolutely amazing!!!! So easy and so so so delicious (even without the icing)! Will be using this recipe for the rest of my life
I didn’t have instant yeast so I used active dry which I (bloomed with 1 tsp sugar and 1/4 water). I removed 1/4 cup of the milk to compensate for the extra liquid.
Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback. We’re happy you enjoyed our recipe!
I just have a couple questions?I’ve seen a few other recipes for cinnamon rolls and they say to bring the egg to room temperature. Is this how it should be done with your recipe? Does”body temperature” for the milk also mean that it shouldn’t be no hotter than 110°F??
Using room temperature ingredients in recipes like this one helps yeast rise quickly but using an egg from the fridge won’t ruin your recipe as the raise is helped by the hot water as well. The milk should be warm but not so hot that it kills the yeast (130°F/ 55°C) so as long as yours is under that, you’re safe. Hope this helps!