Maple Pecan Cinnamon Rolls
Updated 5th December 2023
Quick Easy irresistible Maple Pecan Cinnamon Rolls - that is what we have here! No Yeast required with a dough the needs very little work and the result is buttery fluffy soft in the centre cinnamon rolls with crispy edges and a delicious maple glaze. They’re best served warm right out the oven with extra glaze on the side for dipping!These no yeast cinnamon rolls are perfect when you have a craving for cinnamon rolls that needs to be satisfied or if you are feeding a crowd for breakfast or brunch and you want a simple, quick straightforward no fail recipe for cinnamon rolls without the worry of proofing dough. Homemade cinnamon rolls have never been this easy to make!
We were having a conversation at work about cinnamon rolls. We were all in the mood for some and then we got to talking about how we would love to make some but we hate that every recipe calls for proofing for hours or overnight. We just wanted cinnamon rolls and we wanted them like now. I always wanted to make some that didn’t require so much effort and waiting! So I was on a mission to find a good recipe. One that is delicious and produces pillowy soft buns or rolls and a very simple recipe to execute. One that you could prep before having your first coffee in the morning.
No Yeast Cinnamon Roll Recipe Ingredients
Only a few pantry ingredients are need to make these tasty rolls
- SELF RISING FLOUR or ALL PURPOSE FLOUR + BAKING POWDER + SALT: This is what gives these no yeast cinnamon buns their lift and allow them to be nice and fluffy. (either or will work here). If you would like to add a little baking soda you for extra leaving you could add 1/4-1/2 teaspoon
- MILK: Whole milk is what I use for the best flavour but feel free to use 2% if you prefer. These are also great with buttermilk for some tang and also for extra fluffy rolls
- UNSALTED BUTTER: I use unsalted to control how much salt goes into the recipe
- SUGAR: I use both granulated sugar in the filling and just granulated sugar for the actual dough. The dough is not overly sweet but if you prefer it to be slightly sweeter feel free to increase amount of sugar in the dough to 1/2 cup.
- CINNAMON: You can’t have cinnamon rolls without some ground cinnamon
- PECANS: I love the flavour and crunch they add to the filling (optional or feel free to use chopped walnuts or almonds)
- MAPLE SYRUP: Maple syrup is a delicious way to add flavour to the filling (optional or feel free to substitute with honey but you won’t get the same flavour)
For the Glaze
- POWDERED SUGAR or confectioners sugar
- HEAVY CREAM or whole milk
- VANILLA EXTRACT
- MAPLE SYRUP - you can sub this out with something a little boozy like Baileys, eggnog or ponche de creme (recipe below)
How to Make No Yeast Maple Pecan Cinnamon Rolls
- PREPARE FILLING: While preheating oven melt butter and set aside, Combine sugars with the cinnamon, combine chopped pecans and maple syrup and set all three aside
- MAKE CINNAMON ROLL DOUGH: This is as easy as stirring cake batter - combine dry ingredients with the milk and butter until dough is formed then knead a couple of times on a lightly floured surface until it comes together - this won’t take long at all - do not over knead just enough for it to come together in a uniform ball
- ROLL OUT DOUGH: Lightly flour a clean surface and your rolling pin and roll out your dough
- FILL DOUGH: Brush dough with melted butter and sprinkle with the filling ingredients including the maple pecans
- ROLL UP DOUGH: Roll dough tight starting on the longest side of rectangle
- SLICE DOUGH: Slice into approx 1 inch pieces and place in prepared pan
- BAKE: Brush rolls with remaining butter and bake until golden and cooked through
- MAKE GLAZE: While rolls are baking or cooling whisk together the glaze ingredients and drizzle over the rolls and enjoy
Filling Options
Doing a combined granulated/brown sugar for the filling really gives the filling for these rolls a beautiful colour, texture and definition. The options for fillings though really are endless - from jams and jellies to Nutella. I decided on a maple pecan one because I love those flavours and those are the nuts I had on hand and I wanted something nutty to add to them. You can also use cream cheese, any other soft cheese like mascarpone and even coconut oil as the base instead of butter if you wanted to experiment. If you are using fresh fruit or something substantial like that as your filing - ie mascarpone and fresh berries, I suggest mixing into the filling a bit of a thickener like an egg or a little flour or cornstarch to help prevent soggy rolls.
Cinnamon Buns Glaze Topping
When it comes to the glaze there are so many options there too. You can keep it light and basic with powdered sugar and milk or cream or you can go full throttle with a cream cheese frosting. I have made it with ponche de creme for a little extra flavour. It’s like a boozy eggnog with loads of spices in it and it went perfect with the cinnamon rolls. You can sub in other flavours too. There is so much room for creativity. I absolutely love that about this recipe.
Do I Have To Use Self-rising Flour?
For this particular recipe for cinnamon rolls self rising flour or all purpose flour and a combination baking powder and salt is necessary as there is no yeast added to them. I have included the recipe for Self-Rising flour just in case you don’t have any on hand, using basic pantry ingredients. (I did the math for you for the actual roll recipe.) That is what gives your rolls that pillowy texture without the yeast and proofing - the combination of flour baking soda and salt. I have made these rolls using self rising flour and all purpose flour with the added baking powder and salt and they both yield the exact same result - it really comes down to what you have on hand. I know some people always have self rising flour in their pantry so that is great but if you don’t that is totally fine - the end result will be delicious with either the self rising flour or the all purpose blend. When using prepared self-rising flour there is one thing to keep in mind. While the flour itself remains stable, its added baking powder gradually loses potency — just like the can of baking powder in your cupboard does. Yes, you can bake with self-rising flour after its best-by date; but your baked goods may not rise as well, so do check the expiry date on your self rising flour or your baking powder if you are blending your own.
No Yeast Cinnamon Roll Recipe Tips & Variations
- Do not over knead dough. It takes only a minute or two to come together.
- Do not over bake the rolls because they continue cooking or baking in the dish even after being pulled out of the oven. Over baking is one of the biggest reasons we end up with dense and hard – for the lack of a better word - rolls.
- Fill your rolls with anything you like and glaze them with anything you prefer as well
- You really can’t roll these buns or rolls too tightly so roll them as tightly as possible.
- Check the expiry date on your self rising flour or your baking powder if you are blending your own to ensure that ingredients are still active
- Want to switch things up - bake these in a muffin tin. Baking time will be a little less - approx 20 minutes if you bake them in a muffin tin for individual baked rolls.
- Don’t skimp on the butter it really helps give these rolls extra flavour and a nice chewy texture.
Ok are these like yeasted brioche style rolls or buns? - no but are they still irresistible and delicious? - yes!! They do taste as good if not better then the mall ones that always seem to tease your taste buds as you walk by them and they will be the fastest ones you will ever whip up. You will not be disappointed with these rolls. This has become my go to recipe for basic cinnamon rolls and I will keep making them because they are beautiful, delicious and so easy to whip up. You can jazz them up with your own filling concoctions or keep it simple and classic with the cinnamon sugar filling. Hope you give these a try and would love to know how you filled these babies and what you glazed them with.
No Yeast Cinnamon Roll Recipe Ingredients:
Only a few pantry ingredients are need to make these tasty rolls
- Self Rising Flour 0r All Purpose flour + Baking Powder +Salt (either or will work here)
- Milk - whole milk is what I use for the best flavour
- Unsalted Butter - I use unsalted to control how much salt goes into the recipe
- Sugar - I use both granulated sugar in the filling and just granulated for the actual dough
- Cinnamon - you can’t have cinnamon rolls without cinnamon
- Pecans - I love the flavour and crunch they add to the filling (optional or feel free to use chopped walnuts or almonds)
- Maple Syrup - its a delicious way to add flavour to the filling (optional or feel free to substitute with honey but you won’t get the same flavour)
More breakfast or brunch recipes you will love:
Recipe
Ingredients
For the No Yeast Dough
- 5 cups Self-Rising flour (or 5 cups All Purpose Flour + 2½ tbsp of Baking powder + ¼ tsp salt whisked together**)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar (white sugar)
- 2 cups whole milk (room temperature)
- 4 tablespoons or ½ stick of unsalted butter, melted
- ½-1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
For the Filling
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon
- ¼ cups maple syrup
- 1 cup finely chopped pecans plus a little extra for topping the rolls after the glaze
- 4 tablespoons melted butter divided (2 for the filling and 2 to brush on before baking)
For the Glaze
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- ⅓ cup heavy cream, plus more as needed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2-3 tablespoons of maple syrup (you can also use coffee, Baileys or keep them plain by using more cream)
- a pinch of salt
Directions
- PRE HEAT OVEN & PREPARE PAN: Pre heat the oven to 350°F. Coat a 9x13-inch baking dish or very large oven proof skillet with cooking spray or butter; set aside.
- PREPARE FILLING: Mix the brown sugar and granulated sugar and the cinnamon together in a small bowl and set aside. Mix the chopped nuts and maple syrup in a seperate small bowl and set aside
- PREPARE DOUGH: Place the flour and ¼ cup sugar in a large bowl and whisk to combine.
- Mix the milk, 4 tablespoons of the melted butter and vanilla extract (optional) together in a medium bowl. Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture and stir with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until a soft dough forms and no dry bits of flour remain. It may be a little shaggy and that is fine.
- Transfer the dough onto a generously a large clean work surface. Sprinkle with flour, then knead until the dough is fairly smooth, sprinkling with more flour as needed to prevent sticking. Do not over-knead or the cinnamon rolls will be tough. This will only take a minute or two to do.
- ROLL OUT DOUGH: Flour a rolling pin and roll the dough into approx a 24x10-inch rectangle about ¼-inch thick, with the longer side facing you.
- FILL: Brush 2 tablespoons of the melted butter onto the surface of the dough, using it all. Sprinkle it evenly with the cinnamon-sugar mixture, leaving a ½-inch border. Sprinkle the nut and maple syrup mixture over the sugar cinnamon layer
- ROLL UP DOUGH: Start rolling by starting at the long end closest to you, roll the dough up tightly into a log, using a bench scraper as needed to help release the dough from the work surface. Pinch the seam together at the top.
- CUT DOUGH: Position the log seam-side down. Cut the dough crosswise into 14-16 pieces with a very sharp knife or dough cutter/scraper. I prefer to use a thin piece of floss or thread because you get a cleaner cut. Slide floss under the roll, pull it up gently cross over the pieces and pull tight and evenly and you will get a perfect slice with the dough in tact and not smushed.
- Place the cut rolls cut-side up in the baking dish. Fit them in snuggley but not too tight.
- Brush the tops of the cinnamon rolls with the remaining 2 tablespoons of melted butter.
- BAKE: Bake until puffed, golden-brown, and a toothpick or skewer inserted in several spots comes out clean, about 30-35 minutes. (they should read approx 195–200°F on an instant read thermometer)
- PREPARE GLAZE: Meanwhile, make the glaze. Place the powdered sugar, cream, vanilla, maple syrup (or ponche de creme - boozy eggnog or even baileys if you would like) and salt in a medium bowl and whisk until smooth; set aside.
- When the cinnamon rolls are done baking, place the baking dish on a wire cooling rack. Cool for 5 minutes and then drizzle evenly with the glaze, then let cool 15 minutes before serving.
Recipe Notes
- Storage: These are best fresh out the oven or the day they are baked but leftovers can be wrapped in plastic wrap and stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Rewarm in a 300°F oven until warmed through, about 10 minutes.
- Freezing: Baked and cooled rolls can be frozen for up to 2–3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and warm in the oven or microwave before enjoying.
- How To Make Self-Rising Flour: Makes 4 cups. 4 cups all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon fine salt. Measure ingredients: Measure the flour into a large mixing bowl. Add the leavening: Add the baking powder and salt. Combine: Whisk to combine. Storage: Use or store in an airtight container. It can be stored in an airtight container for up to 1 year or at least until the date your baking powder expires.
Recipe for the basic rolls adapted from The Kitchn
