Fastest Cinnamon Bun – Indulgent cinnamon buns that require no waiting! Move over, Cinnabun; this recipe is quicker than delivery.
I came across this fastest cinnamon bun years ago when I used to buy every single fine cooking magazine on my countless trips to Costco.
Believe it or not, it was the best part of my trip. The minute I arrived home, I perused through every page, devouring the pictures with my eyes. The perfectly seared steak, melty-oozy grilled sandwiches, and crackling crusty bread with a chewy interior. I loved all of them.
However, this cinnamon bun was the first recipe that got me. It’s fast (no yeast means no rising time) and comes together in no time and no waiting. What more could we ask for, right?
After making this several times, I can say they’re pretty flavorsome and have as good a texture as yeast dough cinnamon roll.
I prefer a cream cheese glaze. What is it about cream cheese that makes everything taste great? It must be the creaminess and extra tang of the cream cheese that blends well with the sugary dough.
Enjoy!
Recipe Ingredients
The Dough
- Dairy – Cottage cheese and buttermilk deliver richness, moisture, and the perfectly tart flavor that balances the sweetness.
- Sugar – Granulated sugar is the easiest to have on hand, but brown sugar works too.
- Butter – Rich, butter goodness is essential to soft, decadent cinnamon rolls. Unsalted gives you more control of the saltiness.
- Vanilla Extract delivers aroma to include all your senses in the taste experience.
- Dry Ingredients – All-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda make quick work for the fastest cinnamon rolls.
The Filling
- Butter – Make the filling stick to the dough with more butter. Can’t be bad, right?
- Sugar – White, dark brown, or anything in between works fine.
- Spices – Cinnamon for the classic cinnamon flavor is ramped up with allspice and cloves.
- Pecans are the perfect nut to balance texture with taste. Walnuts and almonds also work.
- Glaze – Cream cheese, confectioner’s sugar, milk, and vanilla extract cream together for the perfect glaze.
How to Make the Fastest Cinnamon Buns
The Bread
- Prep – Preheat the oven to 400°F (205℃). Grease a 9- or 10-inch springform pan or baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.
- Moisture – Pulse the cottage cheese, sugar, buttermilk, melted butter, and vanilla in a food processor until smooth (10-20 seconds). (Photos 1-2)
- Dry Ingredients – Then add the flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder and pulse in short bursts until the dough sticks together (it should be soft and moist).
- Knead – Remove the dough and place it on a lightly floured surface. Flour your hands and knead lightly, 4-5 times, until smooth.
- Roll the dough with a rolling pin to about 12×15-inch rectangle. (Photo 3)
- Filling – Brush the cinnamon bun dough with melted butter, leaving a 1-inch border. Mix the sugar and spices, sprinkle it over the melted butter, and pat the surface gently. Sprinkle the nuts over the sugar mixture. (Photo 4)
- Roll – Starting with the end nearest you, roll the dough up snugly like a jellyroll around the filling. Pinch the seam shut so the roll doesn’t fall apart, and place the roll seam-side down. (Photo 5)
- Slice the roll into 4 equal pieces, then slice each piece into 6 equal pieces. (Photo 6)
- Final Stretch – Separate the rolls and place them on the prepared baking pan cut side up. Brush with melted butter. (Photo 7)
- Bake at 400℉ (205℃) for 20-28 minutes or until golden and firm to the touch. Let them rest for 5 minutes, remove the springform ring, and transfer to a serving plate. (Photo 8)
The Glaze
- Whip the cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and 3 tablespoons of milk until smooth and creamy. Add milk as needed to get the desired consistency for drizzling.
- Serve – Drizzle the glaze over the baked cinnamon buns and serve with a cup of coffee.
What to Serve With the Fastest Cinnamon Buns
A cup of coffee is the first thing that comes to mind. Pumpkin spice latte is incredibly delicious with this goodness. And cinnamon rolls also go great with ginger tea and chai tea latte.
More Decadent Quick Breads
Fastest Cinnamon Buns
Ingredients
Dough
- ¾ cup cottage cheese (4% milk fat)
- ⅓ cup buttermilk
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 ounces unsalted butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour plus more for rolling
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
Filling
- 1½ tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- ⅔ cup packed brown sugar (light or dark)
- 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¾ cup chopped pecans
Glaze
- 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- ½ cup confectioners’ sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons cold milk (whole or low-fat)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (205℃). Grease a 9 or 10-inch springform pan with cooking spray and set aside.
- Add the cottage cheese, sugar, buttermilk, melted butter, and vanilla in a food processor. Pulse until smooth in 10-second pulses. Then add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, and pulse in short bursts just until the dough sticks together (the dough should be soft and moist).
- Remove the dough and place it on a lightly floured surface.
- Flour your hands and knead the dough lightly 4-5 times until smooth. Roll the dough lightly with a rolling pin into a 12"x15" rectangle.
- Mix the filling ingredients well: melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves.
- Brush the dough with melted butter, leaving a 1-inch border. Sprinkle it with the filling. Pat the filling gently into the dough's surface. Add the chopped nuts over the sugar mixture.
- Starting with the end nearest you, roll the dough up snugly like a jellyroll around the filling, finishing the roll with the seam side down. Pinch the seam to seal it so the roll doesn’t come apart when slicing it.
- Slice the roll into 4 equal pieces, then slice each piece into 3 equal pieces for a dozen cinnamon buns.
- Separate slices and place them in the prepared springform pan cut side up. Let rise for about five minutes.
- Bake at 400℉ (205℃) for 20-30 minutes or until lightly browned and firm to touch. Remove from the oven.
Glaze
- Whip the cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and 2 tablespoons of milk until very creamy. Add more milk to get the desired consistency for drizzling. Pour over the baked cinnamon buns.
- Remove the springform ring, transfer the cinnamon buns to a serving plate, and enjoy.
Tips & Notes:
- Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
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