Cinnamon Roll Biscuits
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I’ve never met a cinnamon roll that I didn’t like. Cinnamon rolls are the best mind trick, ever. They’re pastries, which means they should be dessert, but we all know that they’re totally meant for breakfast. Anything that can make my brain think that dessert for breakfast is perfectly acceptable is a keeper. Cinnamon rolls are soft, flaky, warm, sweet, ooey, gooey, full of cinnamon and topped with icing. They’re amazing. Unfortunately, they usually take a good bit of time to put together, which means they’re not cut out for spur-of-the-moment breakfast decisions. These biscuits, however, take all the wonderful things about cinnamon rolls (cinnamon! butter! icing!) and all the wonderful things about biscuits (quick! easy! flaky!) and marry them together into one of the most genius breakfast creations ever.
You begin these biscuits just like any other – you quickly mix together the dough (made of flour, a little sugar, baking powder, salt and heavy cream), but instead of cutting out rounds or squares, you roll the dough into a thick rectangle. Now comes the cinnamon roll magic! You brush the dough with melted butter and sprinkle with a cinnamon-sugar. Roll up the dough and cut into individual rolls. Bake them up, then drizzle with icing!
All the awesome flavors of a cinnamon roll with the quickness and ease of biscuits… you seriously can’t go wrong. If you end up eating two or more, well, welcome to my world and don’t say I didn’t warn you!
One year ago: No-Bake Peanut Butter Butterscotch Crisp Cookies
Two years ago: Cinnamon Ice Cream
Three years ago: Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars
Five years ago: Fresh Baked Italian Bread[/donotprint]
Cinnamon Roll Biscuits
Ingredients
For the Biscuits:
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) salt
- 1¼ cups (297.5 ml) heavy cream
For the Filling:
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
For the Icing:
- ½ cup (60 g) powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon whole milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Place the oven rack in the upper third of the oven.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the cream and stir with a wooden spoon until a rough dough comes together. Remove the dough from the bowl and place on a lightly-floured surface. Knead the dough for about 30 seconds, or until smooth. If the dough seems dry, add more cream 1 tablespoon at a time.
- Roll the dough into a 9x12-inch rectangle. Brush the dough with the melted butter. Stir together the brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl, then sprinkle evenly over the surface of the dough. Starting at one of the long sides, roll the dough into a cylinder. Cut the cylinder into 8 equal pieces. Press down on one side of each piece to flatten slightly, then transfer to a pie plate. Repeat with all the pieces.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the biscuits are golden brown. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly. Whisk together the powdered sugar and milk and drizzle the icing over the biscuits. Serve warm or at room temperature. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
Hello,
are there any substitutions for heavy cream?
Thank you
My husband loves cinnamon rolls but looked at a standard recipe and gave up. I started looking up monkey bread and stumbled upon this recipe. My husband makes the rolls for family brunches and neighborhood potlucks. The cinnamon rolls are a big hit.Â
I just made these and they turned out amazing! Question… what do you think the shelf life of these are? I’m wondering if I should plan on eating them all today or if some can be saved for tomorrow.
Hi Abby, I think they’re great the day they’re made, and they do reheat well the second day!
I have a feeling the oven is off – but halfway through baking I could smell a burning smell and lo and behold, my filling was burnt – and so were the bottoms of these lil buns! I’m just baking at work for the kids here, and hopefully they’re cool with slightly under-baked and over-cooked-bottoms… I’m sure they’ll be okay with it. I think next time I’d bake lower for longer.
Instead of making a filling can I just add the filling ingredients to the biscuit dough? That way you have an even amount of cinnamon and sugar in every bite. Thank You
Hi Janet, I really wouldn’t, as you lose the whole “cinnamon roll” vibe that these are meant to emulate.
I am in the middle of a kitchen reno, so am surviving for the first time in my life without a stove/oven. Will be making these sweet little nuggets in my toaster oven tomorrow morning. My only fear is that highest heat I can achieve is 400 degrees….how will this affect the finished product?
These were awesome! So easy. Cutting them into 8 pieces made them too thick, so i cut those in 1/2. Next time I will cut into 10-12 pieces. Ran out of powdered sugar so we drizzled honey on top, SO GOOD!!! Thanks for this, quick and easy!
Do you think I could use light cream instead of heavy? These look so good and I’m out of heavy cream! Thank you!
Hi Charlotte, Yes, I think that would be fine.
These look incredible and I can’t wait to try them. One question – why do you bake them in pie plates? Wouldn’t an ordinary cookie sheet suffice? Sorry. .. that’s 2 questions.
Why would you allow or accept an ad that basically hijacks the page. There is no obvious or not so obvious way to close the ad without it taking over. It’s disgusting…Bill
Hi Bill, I have no idea what ad you’re referring to. If you can, take a screen shot and email it to me, so I can look into it. I apologize for the inconvenience.
Just a quick question… Can I substitute the heavy cream with buttermilk ?
Thank you !
Hi Lily-Pierre, I would not recommend making that substitution, as they have quite different properties.
Michelle,
Thank you for such an easy recipe.
The pictures were so enticing that I could not resist. A word of caution, DO NOT replace ‘Heavy Cream’ with milk – I attempted the, “I don’t have any cream, so let’s just use milk”. My attempt was definitely not a Cinnamon Roll, but more of a ‘Biscuit Roll’ with icing.
Having said, making this recipe was so much fun & will make again with the suggested ingredients:).
Thanks so much for the prompt reply!
Also, would they taste good with cream cheese icing?
Absolutely!
Hi!
Amazing idea! Do these end up being crunchy or soft?
Thanks.
Hi Tiana, These have a firm exterior and are tender inside.
Love this recipe! I made this last night, for a breakfast-dinner and I love how I have most of the ingredients on hand and it didn’t take that long to make. They turned out very well (yummy soft dough, with a nice sugary-cinnamon taste)! The only thing I would do differently, is double the icing recipe because I love lots of icing to cover my cinnamon rolls!
I bought heavy whipping cream, is that the same as heavy cream?
Technically, they’re not exactly the same, but for about 99% of baking purposes they are interchangeable, so you’re fine using the heavy whipping cream.
I’ve found this recipe on Pinterest and have done it about 3 or 4 times already ’cause it’s so easy and every one at my house loves it! Thank you so much for sharing it with the world! Greetings from Brazil :)
I made these while waiting for potatoes to boil….literally, it was that quick and easy! By the time dinner was ready, so were these and they were delicious! Another
winner – thank you ;-)
Have just made these and they are great (even husband, my critic agrees). I made proper cinnamon rolls last weekend (finished them in 2 days) and had a hankering for more, but as you know they take time (the joys of yeast), so thought I would give these a try as have been looking at them for the last month. I was not disappointed and they were so easy. I have seen another recipe for cinnamon roll biscuits but they have butter in them and think the texture would be quite different. So thank you for posting
These look awesome! Is there anything else I could use in place of the whipping cream? I saw greek yogurt in the comments, but is there something else you would suggest? Thank you!
Hi Alexandrina, I wouldn’t recommend substituting for the cream in these, that’s a big part of what gives the biscuits their texture.
I made these this weekend and they were as good as they looked in the picture. After I made them I realized this is pretty much the same recipe of the Bojangles cinnamon biscuits I used to eat all the time when I was a teenager. I haven’t had these in over 10 years and eating them instantly brought me back to those days. Really awesome recipe thanks for providing this I will be making these for years to come
These were delicious! I have a favorite cinnamon roll recipe that is delicious, but these biscuits are my new “go-to” when I want cinnamon rolls without bothering with yeast and waiting for the dough to rise. Pure. Genius. I also like that these have less sugar and butter in them than my regular cinnamon rolls. Not that I’m at all opposed to sugar and butter, mind you… ;-)
These look great! Thanks!
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Would I be able to make this the day before, put it in the fridge, and bake it the next morning?
Hi Dorothy, Yes, you could that, although I haven’t tried it. The only thing I can think of is that they may not rise as high as if you made them immediately (due to the baking powder), but I think they should be fine!
These look amazing! What a clever idea marrying two amazing breakfast breads to make these wonderfully easy cinnamon rolls! Can’t wait to try these out! Just pinned them too!
Amazing recipe!
I hosted a typical Swedish ‘Fika’ today with cinnamon rolls on the menu, but due to lack of time, the ‘original’ were out of question. These were just perfect, and good to make with less time on your hands. I also added some more sugar/cinnamon to the rolls, but otherwise, perfect proportions :)
Really love the texture and the taste of these quick cinnamon rolls, so thanks for the recipe! I am sure this recipe will be used more often :D
OK, I just pinned these because this seems like genius to me!
I Have a soft place in my heart for cinnamon rolls…. all types and all recipes are always welcome!!
Totally excited for a cinnamon roll that i can make in about an hour. I made a few adjustments that I thought you might like to try. for the 1 1/4 cup heavy cream I substituted in 1tsp vanilla 1/2 cup light cream and 6oz plain greek yogurt. I also used about twice the cinnamon sugar inside. The yogurt gives the most subtle tang to the dough, and makes them super moist. took a little extra bake time but was definitely worth it.
These look so delicious and easy!! Does this recipe double well? If so, what size pan would you recommend for baking them in? I’m picturing a 9×13?
Hi Anna, Although I haven’t tried it, this does appear to be a recipe that would respond well to scaling. I would go ahead and double it and use a 9×13-inch pan.
Just a quick correction. The recipe originally appeared in the May/June 2000 Cooks Illustrated, not Cook’s Country.
Dude, I’ve never seen a cinnamon roll made with non-yeasted dough. You are my savior. I am currently on my knees bowing at the computer screen.
This looks very appetizing. I saw it on TasteSpotting.com and clicked over to your site.
Jesus, you took my favourite recipe from you and make it like so much better, now I dont have to plan 4 hours in advanced, I could just be like I want cinnamon rolls and I want it now! You are absolutely amazing!
I have been making these for years. I also spread applesauce on them before rolling them up. My family loves this version.
What a grrrrreat and easy idea!
I’m drooling over here!!
I love cinnamon rolls, and I always want to make them at home fro breakfast, but who have time to make a regular one early in the morning? Now, you are making the rolls without yeast, which means that I don’t have to wait hours to have them done…!!! It’s absolutely great…!!!
What a cool idea! This is such a lovely marriage between two of my very favorite things!
Love the idea of using a biscuit dough to make cinnamon rolls! I must give these a try soon.
I just love this idea! I’ll have to try them the next time I’m craving cinnamon rolls for breakfast but am short on time!
Oh my gosh! You just blew my mind! Cinnamon rolls are one of my favorite things EVER but I almost never make them because they take so long. I will definitely be trying this recipe. Thanks!
Thank you for this great recipe!! I will be making these this weekend :) Just one question-would I be able to make this the night before until step 3-so cut them up and put them in a pie plate, refrigerate, and bake the next morning? I’m not sure if it would affect the recipe or not. Thank you!!!
Hi Victoria, I don’t think there should be any problem with doing that. Enjoy!
I know this was years ago – but did you try making these ahead? Considering doing this for Christmas morning so I wondered how it worked.
I love how quickly these come together!
You can never go wrong with cinnamon buns!
These look really easy and delicious!
Helen
Blue Eyed Beauty Blog
I was craving cinnamon rolls a few months ago and finally satisfied my craving at Cinnabons. I don’t know where to get any here in Utah so I’ll just have to use your recipe and make my own. Thanks!
I’m confused. I have a hard time without visuals, so I might just be an idiot today. :)
Do I need to do anything with the dough after I’ve cut my 8 pieces? Do I need to roll it up into the biscuit?
Liz,
You have a rectangle of dough, then sprinkle on cinnamon. Then roll up to a tube shape. Then slice & put spiral rolls into baking pan. Does that make it clearer? An additional tip – use flavorless dental floss for slicing! I can’t wait to make these.
I think so. Do I take the tube shape and roll it to make the roll? You know what, I’m ovethinking this. I’ll just make some and find out. :)
Thanks, Martha!
The tube shape is the roll dear. Once you roll it up into the log, and then slice them into sections that’s a cinnamon roll.
Cinnamon rolls made with biscuit dough is the only way I will eat cinnamon rolls! I just hate the traditional yeasted dough. I will definitely be making these. They look amazing. :D
I love biscuit rolls! So easy and delicious! That’s what breakfast should be :)
Yum!!
LOVE this! Do you think the dough could be frozen so that you could have easy access to one cinnamon roll at a time in the mornings?
Hi Lauren, I think that would definitely work.
Oh yum, I’m so glad you liked these too! Yours looks amazing, and now I’m craving them big time – I am giving serious consideration to whipping up a batch right this minute!
OMG you are the best. Cinnamon roll biscuits for breakfast on Saturday.
I love that you don’t have to let the dough rise!!! Looks delish!!
These look unreal! Love this idea!
These look great, but how do you they differ from traditional cinnamon rolls? Is it not the same process?
There is no yeast in these biscuits like there is in traditional cinnamon rolls so there is no 1-2hr waiting time for the dough to double. For this you directly make the buns and it goes straight into the oven…so it goes into my tummy MUCH faster!
thanks!
Traditional cinnamon rolls use yeast raised dough, and if you’ve ever made them you know how long of a process that can be! This recipe cuts out a significant amount of time and they still look great. Awesome recipe here!
I don’t know what it is about cinnamon rolls that brings a family together, but it works. Maybe the smell, or the rolling process, or just the warmth you get when you eat it, but my family gathers around the table whenever cinnamon rolls are near.
cinnamon rolls are like heaven to me! it doesn’t get much better than this in my opinion :)
For years, at the holidays I’ve made something very similar only instead of the cinnamon, I used the grated rind of an orange and a little juice in the frosting. Fresh and delightful!!!
I’ve never met a cinnamon roll that I didn’t like either and these are AWESOME b/c they are a quickbread-ish recipe and so much faster than traditional rolls to make it looks like – total bonus!