Get your cinnamon roll fix without all the work. In only about 30 minutes using ingredients you have on hand, you will have delicious hot cinnamon buns. Even the most inexperienced cooks can do this recipe.
Introduction
I have never made a secret of my cinnamon roll cravings. Nor my allergy to real work. So these two things have clashed several times on this webs site and now they will again.
With the first try, I was hungry and just did it. No recipe, although I do know my drop biscuit recipe by heart. It was really good. But I had no pictures and no research, I must have researched.
After the research, I had discovered I had not "re-invented the wheel." I wasn't so smart after all. So while my "inspiration" recipe is me, but Cinnamon Biscuits at food.com helped with some refinements.
My Rating
Ok, a lower five but it's a very nice fake cinnamon roll.
👨🍳Method
After some research, there seem to be 3-4 ways to make cinnamon biscuits. The ones I don't do: I don't roll out the dough and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar pinwheel style. I don't make a "well" in the center for the good stuff - that's odd. And I don't think you should just sprinkle the top. Too lazy.
- I mixed in the cinnamon and sugar.
- Reserve the top for the glaze - I love glaze.
- I added an egg for more structure and a little more flour to take care of the egg.
✔️Tips
The "cutting in" of the butter is what puts most people off from a recipe like this. If you want to be lazy, then melt the butter or use oil. It won't be quite as "flaky" but really good.
Do not knead or refrigerate the dough. Just cook biscuit style.
You can make this a "drop biscuit". That will cut out a few steps but not much.
The glaze is optional but you really want the glaze.
These are a nice size, but you can make it bigger by dividing the dough into 6 equal parts.
❄️Storage
Fresh is best but will be good for up to about 2 days at room temperature if sealed airtight.
You can freeze them, but I'm not a fan of freezing the glaze. So freeze up to 3-4 months without any glaze. And then just make a bit of glaze when needed.
📖Breakfast Recipes
🖼️Step-by-Step Instructions
Preheat oven to 425°.
Mix dry ingredients of 2 ¼ cups flour, one tablespoon baking powder, one teaspoon salt, one teaspoon cinnamon, ½ cup sugar. Mix well. Cut in ¼ cup butter.
Add ¾ cup milk, one egg, one teaspoon vanilla extract.
Mix until completely combined. Then roll into a log and cut into eight equal slices.
Spray a baking sheet with PAM. Place biscuits on a baking sheet. Melt 1 tablespoon butter and brush tops.
Bake until golden brown. About 18-20 minutes.
While biscuits are baking, combine 1 cup of powder sugar, ¼ teaspoon vanilla, and 1-2 tablespoons to make the glaze the thickness you want.
Remove from oven and allow to cook for about 5 minutes before glazing.
📖Full Recipe
Glazed Cinnamon Biscuits
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cup flour
- 1 tablespoon aluminum free baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ cup sugar
- ¾ cup milk
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup butter - cut in
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon butter - melted for top
Glaze
- 1 cup powder sugar
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1-2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°.
- Mix dry ingredients of 2 ¼ cups flour, one tablespoon baking powder, one teaspoon salt, one teaspoon cinnamon, ½ cup sugar. Mix well.
- Cut in ¼ cup butter.
- Add ¾ cup milk, one egg, one teaspoon vanilla extract.
- Mix until completely combined. Then roll into a log and cut into eight equal slices.
- Spray a baking sheet with PAM. Place biscuits on baking sheet. Melt 1 tablespoon butter and brush tops.
- Bake until golden brown. About 18-20 minutes.
- While biscuits are baking combine one cup of powder sugar, ¼ teaspoon vanilla, and 1-2 tablespoons to make glaze the thickness you want.
- Remove from oven and allow to cook for about 5 minutes before glazing.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- The "cutting in" of the butter is what puts most people off from a recipe like this. If you want to then melt the butter or use oil. It won't be quite as "flaky" but really good.
- Always use aluminum free baking powder.
- Do not knead or refrigerate the dough. Just cook biscuit style.
- You can make this a "drop biscuit". That will cut out a few steps but not much.
- The glaze is optional but you really want the glaze.
- These are a nice size but you can make bigger by dividing the dough into 6 equal parts.
- Fresh is best but will be good for up to about 2 days at room temperature if sealed airtight.
- You can freeze them but I'm not a fan of freezing the glaze. So freeze up to 3-4 months without any glaze. And then just make a bit of glaze when needed.
To adjust the recipe size:
You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.
Nutrition
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Originally Published May 8, 2016. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Matt
No mention of butter in the ingredients... Then boom instructions mention butter...
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Hi Matt,
Welcome to the blog.... puff.. butter suddenly appears on the ingredient list- twice.
Thanks for the proofread. It has been like that for only 4 years. Nutrition adjusted also.
Dan
WT
You can freeze the butter and grate it on a cheese grater. Really fast and easy
nina
we would make these cinnamon biscuits again needed more flour because unable to form log but modification is the key
DrDan
Hi Nina,
Welcome to the blog.
The flour to fluid ratio can vary some when the flour is measured by volume (like we do in America) vs weight like Europe. If your flour is "fluffy" the you have less wt in a cup. This recipe is based on my drop biscuit recipe. Mostly, right on but sometimes it needs a bit more milk or flour.
Thank for the note and rating.
Dan
Jill G
Great recipe, will definitely make these again. I also had issues trying to roll the dough into a log, but the drop biscuit method worked fine - thanks for that tip !