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These Easy Cinnamon Rolls give you warm, gooey, bakery style rolls in about 25 minutes using one clever crescent dough shortcut, no yeast and no rising required. I whipped these up on a slow Sunday morning when the girls wanted cinnamon rolls but I did not want to wait hours for dough to rise, and they were gone in minutes. If you love our banana cream cheese muffins, these quick cinnamon rolls are your next lazy morning treat.
A sheet of crescent dough, a buttery cinnamon sugar filling, and a cream cheese glaze are all you need for cinnamon rolls in a fraction of the usual time.
Easy Cinnamon Rolls Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 15 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 25 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 6 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 310kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Sweet, buttery, cinnamon spiced
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, on par with our crescent roll cinnamon rolls
Quick Answer
Roll out a sheet of crescent dough, brush it with melted butter, and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Roll it up tightly, slice into 6 pieces, and bake in a muffin tin at 375 degrees for 11 to 15 minutes. Glaze the warm rolls with cream cheese icing and serve right away.
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Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Crescent dough is the shortcut. Using a sheet of crescent dough skips the yeast, kneading, and rising, so you get cinnamon rolls in minutes.
- The muffin tin keeps their shape. Baking each roll in a muffin cup keeps them tall and tidy instead of spreading out flat.
- Lots of cinnamon sugar. A generous filling means every bite is gooey and full of that classic cinnamon roll flavor.
- Cream cheese glaze is the best part. A tangy cream cheese icing balances the sweetness and soaks into the warm rolls.
- Glaze while warm. Icing the rolls fresh out of the oven lets the glaze melt into every swirl.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- They are ready in about 25 minutes with no yeast and no rising time.
- They use just a handful of simple ingredients you can keep on hand.
- They are a perfect easy treat for breakfast, brunch, or a sweet snack.
Key Ingredients
Here is what makes these easy cinnamon rolls so good. Just a few simple ingredients.
- Crescent Dough Sheet: The shortcut star. Use a seamless dough sheet, or pinch the seams of regular crescent dough together.
- Butter: Brushed on the dough and added to the glaze for richness.
- Cinnamon and Sugar: The classic filling. Use all of it for the gooiest rolls.
- Cream Cheese: The base of the tangy glaze that makes these taste bakery fresh.
- Powdered Sugar and Milk: They sweeten and thin the glaze to the perfect pourable consistency.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
These easy cinnamon rolls are simple to customize.
- Add nuts: Sprinkle chopped pecans or walnuts over the filling before rolling.
- Add raisins: Scatter raisins over the cinnamon sugar for classic flavor.
- Simple glaze: Skip the cream cheese and make a quick powdered sugar and milk glaze.
- Cinnamon glaze: Add a pinch of cinnamon to the icing for extra spice.
- Make it a dessert: Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
How to Make Easy Cinnamon Rolls
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and spray 6 sections of a muffin tin with cooking spray.
- Roll out the crescent dough sheet onto a clean surface and brush it all over with melted butter.
- Mix the sugar and cinnamon together, then sprinkle it evenly over the dough, using all of it.
- With the short side facing you, roll the dough up tightly into a log.
- Slice the log into 6 even pieces with a serrated knife or unflavored dental floss.
- Place each roll cut side up into a prepared muffin tin section.
- Bake for 11 to 15 minutes until golden brown, then cool slightly on a wire rack.
- Whip the softened cream cheese smooth, then mix in the powdered sugar, vanilla, and melted butter.
- Add milk one tablespoon at a time until the glaze is thick but pourable, then glaze the warm rolls and serve.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Use a dough sheet if you can find it, or pinch the seams of regular crescent dough to make a solid sheet.
- Use all the cinnamon sugar, even though it looks like a lot, for the gooiest rolls.
- Roll tightly so the swirls hold together and bake up tall.
- Use dental floss to slice for clean cuts that do not squish the rolls.
- Soften the cream cheese fully so the glaze whips up smooth and lump free.
- Glaze while warm so the icing melts into every swirl.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
These easy cinnamon rolls are perfect for a cozy breakfast or brunch. Serve them warm with a hot cup of coffee or a tall glass of cold milk.
They are wonderful alongside other brunch favorites. Set them out with our apple banana oat muffins and some fresh fruit for a sweet spread.
For a fun dessert, warm a roll and add a scoop of vanilla ice cream. They also make a great after dinner treat with our key lime eclair cake on the table.
These rolls are also a hit for holiday mornings and lazy weekend brunches when you want something special without the work. Make a double batch in two muffin tins to feed a crowd, and set out the warm rolls with extra glaze on the side so everyone can add as much as they like. They travel well too, making them a great bring along for a brunch potluck or a new neighbor welcome.
Easy Cinnamon Rolls FAQs
This recipe is built around the crescent dough shortcut, which is what makes these easy cinnamon rolls so fast and beginner friendly. For a from scratch version you would need a yeasted dough with rising time, which takes a few hours. If you want the quick route, crescent dough is the way to go and still tastes wonderful.
A seamless crescent dough sheet works best for these easy cinnamon rolls because it rolls up without gaps. If you only have regular crescent rolls, simply pinch the perforated seams together to form one solid sheet before you brush on the butter. Either option bakes up soft and flaky.
Yes. You can assemble and slice the rolls, then cover and refrigerate them right in the muffin tin overnight and bake fresh in the morning. You may need to add a minute or two to the bake time since they start cold. Make the cream cheese glaze ahead too and glaze just before serving.
Yes. Freeze the baked, unglazed easy cinnamon rolls in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature, warm them in the oven or microwave, and add fresh glaze before serving for the best texture.
If the rolls unravel, the dough was likely not rolled tightly enough or the seams were not pinched together. Roll the log snugly from the short end and place each piece cut side up in the muffin tin, which helps them hold their swirl as they bake.
Store leftover easy cinnamon rolls in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Warm them briefly in the microwave or oven before serving to bring back that soft, fresh baked texture and gooey center.
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Easy Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 can crescent roll dough sheet
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Cream Cheese Icing Glaze
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 & 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter melted
- 3 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F degrees. Spray 6 sections of a muffin tin with cooking spray and set aside.
- Roll out the crescent roll sheet onto a clean kitchen work surface. Brush it with the melted butter.1 can crescent roll dough sheet, 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- In a small bowl, mix the sugar and cinnamon.1/4 cup granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- Sprinkle the cinnamon mixture evenly over the top of the dough (yes, it’s a lot. yes, use it all.)
- The crescent roll sheet is a large rectangle, with the shorter side facing you; roll it up tightly into a roll. Slice into six even pieces with a serrated knife or sharp knife.
- Place each roll cut side into each section of the prepared muffin tin.
- Bake for 11-15 minutes in a preheated oven or until rolls are golden brown. Place the muffin tin on a wire rack and let cool slightly.
- While the rolls are cooling, make the cream cheese icing by placing the softened cream cheese in a medium-sized bowl and whip until smooth with a hand mixer.4 ounces cream cheese
- Add the powdered sugar and vanilla mix to combine.1/4 cup powdered sugar, 1 & 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Add the butter and mix to combine until smooth.1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- Add the milk one tablespoon at a time until desired consistency. The glaze should be thick but pourable.3 tablespoons milk
- Take the rolls from the muffin tin, glaze the warm rolls, and serve immediately.
Notes
- Make sure you use crescent dough sheets and not regular crescent rolls, if you use regular ones, make sure you pinch the seams together to make a sheet.
- These can be frozen, see my tips above.
- We recommend glazing the delicious cinnamon rolls when still warm.
- Adding a little bit of cinnamon to the glaze is absolutely delicious!
- You can easily double or triple this recipe to serve more people.
- You can use unflavored dental floss to cut the rolls if you love that trick.
- This is a fantastic recipe for beginners making cinnamon rolls for the first time.
Nutrition
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