Easy Cinnamon Rolls - Just 4 Ingredients!

How to make easy cinnamon rolls at home with just four ingredients. The ooey gooey cinnamon roll recipe comes together in minutes, no yeast required!

The best cinnamon roll recipe

These magical cinnamon rolls take under an hour to make, from start to finish.

No sitting overnight, and no waiting for the dough to rise.

They turn out just as soft, gooey, and delicious as classic homemade cinnamon rolls from scratch, without all the work! If you love cinnamon rolls but not the time and effort it usually takes to bake them, this is the recipe for you.

Also try this easy Chocolate Mug Cake

Simple

4 ingredients

Great for a crowd

Just 30 minutes to make

You get the best of both worlds with this easy cinnamon roll recipe.

The lightening fast method lets you skip the yeast and proofing steps entirely. And the taste and texture will make guests feel like the sticky sweet pastries came straight from the local Cinnabon!

While the oven is on, make Chocolate Banana Bread

Watch the easy cinnamon roll recipe video, above

Easy cinnamon rolls ingredients

So what’s the trick to making cinnamon rolls with just four ingredients?

It’s actually pizza dough!

You know the pizza dough they sell in the refrigerated section of stores like Whole Foods, Trader Joes, and Wegmans? This same dough can easily be used in place of homemade dough for cinnamon rolls.

You can buy regular or whole wheat pizza dough. It’s often vegan as well, although vegans should always check the ingredients to be sure.

Or you can make your own dough at home – I like this Vegan Pizza Recipe – and freeze it for a rushed morning or rainy day.

I even had success when I made the rolls with gluten free pizza dough. That doesn’t necessarily mean every gluten free pizza dough will work, but it proves it is possible to make gluten free cinnamon rolls using the pizza dough trick.

I haven’t tried the easy cinnamon bun recipe with an almond flour pizza dough and don’t currently have a keto cinnamon roll recipe on the blog (maybe I should make one?!). However, you can definitely add cinnamon to the batter of these Keto Muffins and ice them with cream cheese frosting for a fantastic and easy low carb cinnamon roll without yeast.

No one should be left out of the cinnamon roll fun!

Cinnamon roll icing recipes

You have many options here.

Cream Cheese Frosting: Beat room temperature 8 ounces of cream cheese or vegan cream cheese with 4 ounces of butter, 2 cups of powdered sugar, and 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract. Add a little milk of choice as needed.

Basic Cinnamon Roll Glaze: Mix 1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar or sugar-free powdered sugar with 2-4 tablespoons milk of choice. Whisk ingredients to form a glaze. Drizzle over the rolls with a spoon.

Nutella Cinnamon Rolls: Instead of icing, top with Homemade Nutella or any chocolate hazelnut or peanut butter spread.

Other Easy Frosting Ideas: Feel free to top the rolls with store bought frosting or melted almond butter or Coconut Butter (my personal favorite). Or you can leave them plain for a healthy breakfast with a similar sweetness to a muffin.

Use leftover frosting on this Apple Bread

The quick cinnamon bun secret

This is my favorite trick for easy cinnamon rolls:

Cut slices before rolling.

After spreading the filling on top of the dough, cut it into slices before rolling up so you won’t have to worry about filling oozing out and getting all over the place.

Once you try it this way, you will never go back to the thread or floss method, because this one simple change makes the entire cinnamon roll baking process so much easier. Plus it’s so much less messy!

How to make easy cinnamon rolls

Start by rolling the dough out on a floured surface. Any flour works here.

If it is too sticky to roll, just add a little more flour of choice, a little at a time. Roll the dough very thinly; just under one fourth of an inch works well. Then spread the remaining ingredients on top.

Cut long strips of dough with a sharp knife. Roll each strip up as tightly as possible, and arrange the unbaked cinnamon buns in a greased baking dish. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Bake for twenty minutes, then frost the cinnamon rolls using either your favorite icing or one of the homemade cinnamon roll frosting recipes written out above.

The recipe was adapted from my Vegan Cinnamon Rolls.

16 oz pizza dough
2 tbsp softened butter or coconut oil, or applesauce for low fat
3 tbsp sugar, unrefined or sugar sub if desired
2-3 teaspoons cinnamon

See post notes above for what types of pizza dough will work. To make the cinnamon rolls: Roll out dough on a floured surface (any flour works, even coconut flour). If dough is too sticky to roll, just add more flour of choice a little at a time. Roll very thinly (just under 1/4-inch is perfect). Spread remaining ingredients on top. Cut long strips, then roll each up as tightly as possible. Put in a greased baking pan. Preheat oven to 400 F. Bake 20 minutes. Frosting recipes are listed above. If you try the recipe, be sure to review or rate it below!View Nutrition Facts