Easy No-Rise Cinnamon Buns
These no-rise cinnamon buns are perfect for when you're craving them but don't have the time to make the yeast leavened dough. I discovered this shortcut method while I owned a bakery and used to make loads of yeast-risen buns and was tinkering with a no-yeast technique. This streamlined version makes light, tender buns in about 45 minutes—no lie. So you don’t need a lot of time, and you don’t have to plan ahead to enjoy warm, homemade cinnamon buns—and that’s a real breakfast treat, indeed.
Servings: 12 buns
Calories: 328kcal
Ingredients
For the dough
- ¾ cup cottage cheese 4 % milk-fat
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 6 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 1-½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour more for rolling
- 1-½ Tablespoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
For the filling
- 1-½ Tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- ⅔ cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 cup chopped pecans 4 oz.
For the glaze
- ⅔ cup confectioners’ sugar Scant
- 2-3 Tablespoons cold milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Grease the sides and bottom of a 9- or 10-inch springform pan with cooking spray.
Make Dough
- In a food processor, combine the cottage cheese, buttermilk, sugar, melted butter, and vanilla. Process briefly until smooth. Add the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda and pulse on/off just until the dough clumps together (don’t over-process). Scrape the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it with floured hands 4 or 5 times until smooth. With a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough into a 12×15-inch rectangle.
Make Filling
- Brush the dough with the melted butter, leaving a ½-inch border unbuttered around the edges. In a medium bowl, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg. Sprinkle the mixture over the buttered area of the dough and pat gently into the surface. Sprinkle the nuts over the sugar mixture. Starting at a long edge, roll up the dough jelly-roll style. Pinch the seam to seal, and leave the ends open.
- With a sharp knife, trim the edges so they are even, and cut the roll into 12 equal pieces. Set the pieces, cut side up, in the prepared pan; they should fill the pan and touch slightly, but don’t worry if there are small gaps.
- Bake until golden brown and firm to the touch, 20 to 25 minutes. Set the pan on a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes. Run a spatula around the inside edge of the pan and remove the springform ring. Transfer the rolls to a serving plate.
Make Glaze
- In a small bowl, mix the confectioners’ sugar, 2 Tbs. milk, and vanilla to make a smooth glaze. It should have a thick but pourable consistency, so add up to 1 Tbs. more milk if necessary. Drizzle the glaze over the rolls. Let stand 15 minutes and serve.
Notes
Try this Apple-Butter Cinnamon Buns variation: Instead of using the cinnamon-pecan filling in the main recipe, mix ¾ cup apple butter, 1-½ Tbs. melted butter, and 1 tsp. ground cinnamon in a small bowl. Omit the melted butter from the main recipe and spread the dough rectangle with the apple mixture, leaving a ½-inch border around the edges. Sprinkle with ¾ cup (3 oz.) finely chopped walnuts, if desired. Roll, cut, bake, and ice as directed. Because this filling is wetter, the buns may need to bake for 30 minutes.
Nutrition
Serving: 12g | Calories: 328kcal | Carbohydrates: 54.6g | Protein: 6.5g | Fat: 15.8g | Cholesterol: 21.9mg | Sodium: 230.3mg | Sugar: 23.4g