These one hour cinnamon rolls are soft, delicious and slathered with a melt-in-your-mouth frosting. Just like a classic cinnamon roll recipe, but done in half the time!
Easy One Hour Cinnamon Rolls
One of my all-time favorite things to make around the holidays is overnight cinnamon rolls (and my sweet orange rolls). They are so fun to make with my kids and are such a yummy treat.
Let’s be honest though they just take way too long unless your making this cinnamon roll casserole or cinnamon roll pancakes. But I have finally come up with a homemade quick 1 hour cinnamon roll recipe that tastes just as yummy and is done in HALF the time!
They are perfect for my family of 6. We really don’t need more than 1 cinnamon roll each…so 8 is the perfect amount for us! Feel free to double the recipe though if you have a bigger family or want leftovers.
Why You’ll Love This Easy Recipe
- Fast: That’s right, no need to prep the night before, these quick cinnamon rolls are ready in an hour (plus a few minutes)!
- Flavorful texture: They have a soft, chewy and buttery texture with the best cinnamon sugar flavor that would rival any bakery.
- Perfect for the holidays: The best comfort food for a Christmas breakfast or Easter brunch!
How to Make 1 Hour Cinnamon Rolls
- Proof the yeast: Add warm water (bath temperature), yeast and 1 Tablespoon of sugar to a small bowl (I like to use a large measuring cup) and stir. Cover with paper towel and let sit until bubbly (about 5 minutes).
- Make the dough: Stir together the butter, milk, sugar and salt in a separate bowl. When the yeast mixture has bubbled, add to the bowl with the butter mixture and stir. Add one cup of flour and mix until smooth. Then add remaining flour in 1/2 cup increments.
- Knead: Knead for a few minutes. Add more flour if dough is still sticky. You want the dough to be slightly sticky, but not to the point where it covers your hands in dough. When the dough is soft, cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in warm spot. Let dough rise for about 20 minutes.
Rising tip: If you don’t have a warm spot in your house, turn on the oven to 200°F and then turn it off. Then place the dough inside to allow to rise.
- Making filling: Combine the melted butter, sugars and cinnamon to a bowl and mix.
- Roll and cut: When dough has risen, punch it down and roll the dough on a floured surface into a large rectangle that’s about 10×12 inches. Using a pastry brush, spread the cinnamon-sugar mixture onto the dough (I didn’t end up using all of the filling). Then roll the cinnamon roll dough up and cut into 1″ pieces with a large knife or dental floss.
- Bake in oven: Add dough pieces to a buttered pie dish (about 1″ apart) and let rise for 20 minutes. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes at 350°F. You want them to be golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool.
Frosting
The creamy, thick and rich cream cheese cinnamon rolls frosting is what takes these rolls over the top. You could also make a thinner cream cheese glaze if you want a more subtle taste and texture. A tangy sour cream frosting is also a good alternative if you don’t have any cream cheese on hand.
FAQ’s
You’ll need highly active yeast (or rapid rise yeast). That’s what makes this recipe so quick. The rolls won’t rise as fast if you use traditional yeast.
You can make these up to 12 hours ahead of time. Simply roll them out and place on a baking sheet. Let sit for 30 minutes to rise and then cover tightly with foil that has been sprayed with non stick spray. Refrigerate overnight. Then in the morning, remove from the fridge and let rise about 1-2 hours before baking. Then bake as directed.
Yes, to freeze unbaked homemade cinnamon rolls place them in a pie dish and cover tightly with foil. Store in freezer for up to 2 months. Remove from freezer when ready to bake and let them thaw and rise on the counter for 4 to 5 hours. I like to let them rise in the oven during the last hour. Then bake according to directions.
You can also freeze baked rolls. Let cool completely, then place in a freezer container. When ready to enjoy, set out to thaw overnight.
Want more yummy breakfast recipes? Check out these chocolate cinnamon rolls, my favorite pumpkin cinnamon rolls or this simple liege waffle!
More Cinnamon Roll Recipes
HUNGRY FOR MORE? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all the newest recipes!
1 Hour Cinnamon Roll Recipe
Video
Ingredients
Filling
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
Cinnamon Rolls
- ⅓ cup warm water
- 1 Tablespoon highly active yeast
- 5 Tablespoons granulated sugar , divided
- ¼ cup unsalted butter , melted
- ¼ cup warm milk
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 to 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour , or more or less as needed
- 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter , at room temperature
Frosting:
- ¼ cup salted butter at room temperature
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 Tablespoon milk
Instructions
Filling
- In a small bowl, combine the sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon.
Cinnamon Rolls
- In a small bowl, stir together the warm water, yeast, and 1 Tablespoon sugar. Cover with a paper towel. Let sit 5 minutes, or until bubbly.
- In a stand mixer fitted with a dough attachment, stir together melted butter, milk, salt, and the remaining 4 Tablespoons sugar. Stir in yeast mixture until combined. Add 1 cup flour and stir until smooth. Add the remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time. Knead 1 to 2 minutes. If the dough is too sticky, add a little more flour until smooth and soft..
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot. Let rise about 20 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a pie dish.
- Once your dough has risen, punch it down and roll out on a floured surface. You want to form a rectangle, approximately 10×12 inches. It doesn’t have to be perfect. Spread softened butter onto the dough with a brush and then sprinkle the filling evenly over the top. Gently press the sugar down into the butter. Roll the doll, length-side, into a swirl.
- Cut the dough into 1-inch pieces with floss or a large knife. Place rolls, swirl-side up, into pie dish, about 1 inch apart. Let rolls rise about 15 minutes.
- Bake 18 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool.
Frosting
- In a large bowl, beat together butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk. You can add more milk or powdered sugar to reach your desired consistency. Spread over the top of the rolls.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Categorized as: American, Biscuits + Rolls, Bread, Breakfast, Christmas, Freezer-Friendly, Kid-Friendly, Nut-Free, Sweet Breakfast, Vegetarian, Yeast Bread
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook and shares easy family-friendly recipes and desserts for every occasion.
I was shocked at how good these were for a yeast dough being made so quickly. I was expecting them to be more dense- but they were still quite fluffy and very soft!
So glad you enjoyed the 1 hour cinnamon rolls! Thanks for the review!
These weren’t light and fluffy like the overnight cinnamon rolls, is it because there is no egg? I was disappointed 😕 I have made the Overnight Cinnamon Rolls and loved them😊 I also loved the Homemade Bread😊 Yes, before you ask my yeast was fresh. Thanks.
Hi Raylene, I’m sorry you didn’t enjoy them as much as our overnight cinnamon rolls. Yes, they are not quite as light and fluffy because they don’t have as much time to rise (this is a shortcut recipe). You can try letting them rise longer for a lighter roll.
I was looking for an eggless cinnamon bun recipe that was quick for my son’s birthday breakfast. This turned out delicious. It took longer than suggested 20 minutes for the first rise. I used only half cup powdered sugar and ~2 tbsp butter for frosting and it was perfect for our family. Both my kids loved the buns. This is a keeper. Thank you for the recipe!
Thanks Smita! I’m so glad you enjoyed the cinnamon rolls!
I made these last weekend and they turned out so good! I will definitely be making them again.
I made these yesterday for the first time as a test run for Christmas morning. They are perfect! My family loved them. Merry Christmas and thank you for sharing recipes- batch #2 in the works now!
This is a “must try” for sure! Love learning a new way to make something so delicious ;)
Can’t beat cinnamon rolls done in an hour :D
I’ve been making these since 2015 and my family just loves them! My hubby says, “I don’t think most people realize how great a REAL cinnamon roll tastes!”. I make them vegan with vegan butter and almond milk! They are AMAZING!
`I made these and they are very good. Quick and easy. I did have to add a little more flour results very good! Thank you for sharing!
Made these once and, they were a big hit with the family. So much so, my daughter wants them again. I have a question. I bought Active Dry yeast instead of the rapid rise. The bottle says to add yeast to 1/4 warm water and add 1 teaspoon of sugar. Would it work if I just add it to the warm milk and add the sugar in the milk?
Thank you.
I am glad that you loved these cinnamon rolls! The yeast needs to rise but you are welcome to try it that way too. Let me know how it turns out!
I was hoping for a good outcome based on the reviews and was very disappointed. The dough hook wouldn’t mix the dough so had to hand mix it. Then after that it wouldn’t rise. Very sad indeed.
I’m so sorry it didn’t turn out for you. If it was dense and not rising, I’m guessing maybe too much flour was added or that the yeast may have been bad. I also like to place the dough in a warm spot (or the oven at 100) to help it rise faster.
I’ve made this recipe several times and it has become my go to cinnamon roll recipe. It’s easy and doesn’t take nearly as long as recipes I’ve used in the past.
So glad you’ve enjoyed the 1 hour cinnamon rolls! Thanks for your review!
Can’t wait to try these rolls that only take half the time!! ❤️
I surprisingly have never made homemade cinnamon rolls, but I will be baking them this week using this recipe! I’m super excited! I will be posting a picture of the outcome! Such a perfect Christmas treat!❤️
I’ve made cinnamon rolls before but it definitely took more than 1 hour. Thank you for all the great easy and quick recipes on your site! ❤️
Enjoy!!