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Refrigerated pizza dough makes these cinnamon rolls easy to prepare in just 15 minutes! Let the sweet smell of homemade cinnamon rolls fill your kitchen this weekend.
Instructions
It’s simple – you’ll start with my no knead pizza dough recipe! And it could not be easier to make. Stir together yeast, flour, oil, salt and water and let it rise overnight.
If you’re short on time, feel free to use one lb. of store bought pizza dough in place of my no knead pizza dough recipe.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Use a rolling pin to gently roll dough into a large rectangle.
Spread a thick layer of softened butter across the dough and sprinkle on a bunch of brown sugar and cinnamon.
Roll it tightly into a large log.
Gently push the ends of the log inwards, so that it’s the same thickness throughout. Use a knife to score the log into three equal parts.
Use a knife to score each of those sections into 3 equal sections. Use floss to cut along the scored lines, creating 9 rolls.
Gently form them into round cinnamon rolls.
Place rolls into a greased 8×8 baking dish and let rise for 30 minutes.
Bake for 30 minutes. While the rolls are baking, get that frosting made! You’ll beat butter and cream cheese with a hand held mixer, then add powdered sugar and just a pinch of salt.
Loosen it up with a bit of vanilla and heavy cream until you reach the your desired consistency. I’m a thick and creamy gal myself.
Generously frost freshly baked cinnamon rolls and serve warm!
Cutting Cinnamon Rolls
- The easiest way to cut cinnamon rolls is using floss.
- Just shimmy the floss underneath the log, using your scored lines as a guide. Cross the ends of the floss over each other in a straight line and pull in opposite directions. This will give you a perfect, clean cut.
- Even the sharpest of knives will typically smash the dough and cause the filling to spill out everywhere. Unflavored floss is preferable, but I’ve used mint flavor and you can’t taste it at all.
Frosting
- The frosting for these cinnamon rolls is made by mixing mainly cream cheese, a little bit of butter a whole lot of powdered sugar. A splash of vanilla and a couple tablespoons of cream loosen it up perfectly and give you a rich, velvety, decadent cream cheese frosting.
- The warmth from the cinnamon rolls will melt the frosting and make it perfectly oeey gooey. If you’re into a lot of frosting, feel free to double the frosting portion of the recipe as well.
You’ll Love These
- They take just 15 minutes to prepare! My no-knead pizza dough or store-bought refrigerated pizza dough is going to make these cinnamon rolls a breeze to throw together on a Saturday morning while the kids are still asleep!
- They taste just like your favorite bakery’s cinnamon rolls – but you can enjoy them while sipping your morning coffee and sitting in your jammies.
Hand Mixer
- For the dough, you don’t need a mixer.
- For the cream cheese frosting, you will need at least a hand held mixer.
- I haven’t met a rich, creamy frosting that didn’t require a mixer in fact! I lost a pin to my handy dandy stand mixer so I just use a cheapo hand mixer to make all my frosting now and it works great. With the butter and cream cheese at room temperature, this frosting comes together in just minutes!
Tips
- Pizza dough makes the perfect cinnamon roll dough! My no knead pizza dough is really best in this recipe, but store bought pizza dough will work just fine also!
- Use floss to slice the cinnamon rolls. It might seem crazy but it totally works! You’ll get even, perfectly sliced rolls every time.
- Always let the cinnamon rolls rise in the pan before baking. After slicing the rolls and placing them in your pan, make sure you let them rise for 30 minutes. This step is very crucial. It will make your cinnamon rolls big and puffy and ensure that they are cooked on the outside but tender on the inside.
- Double the frosting recipe if your family loves lots of that ooey gooey cream cheese frosting!
Family Favorites
- No Bake Chewy Granola Bars
- Meal Prep Oatmeal Breakfast Bowl
- Mexican Breakfast Tostadas
- 5 Minute Vegan Granola
Easy Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Prep Time: 45 minutes (30 minutes of this is the dough rising)
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 9 large cinnamon rolls 1x
Description
Refrigerated pizza dough makes these cinnamon rolls easy to prepare in just 15 minutes! Let the sweet smell of homemade cinnamon rolls fill your kitchen this weekend!
Ingredients
For the cinnamon rolls:
- 1/2 a recipe of my favorite no knead pizza dough (or 1 lb. refrigerated store bought dough)
- 1 stick softened butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons cinnamon
- pinch of Kosher salt
For the frosting:
- 4 oz. cream cheese, softened
- 2 tablespoon butter, softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1–2 tablespoons heavy cream
- pinch of Kosher salt
Instructions
- Transfer pizza dough to a lightly floured work surface and use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a large rectangle about 12″x18″.
- Spread butter across the dough in an even layer all the way out to the edges.
- In a small bowl combine brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Sprinkle mixture across the butter in an even layer.
- Roll dough tightly forming a log (so the 18 inch side is going to be the side you start rolling). Then gently pat the ends so that the is the same thickness throughout. You’ll end up with a cinnamon roll log about 12-13 inches long.
- Use a sharp knife to score the log into thirds. Then score each of those sections into thirds, giving you a guide to slice the dough into 9 cinnamon rolls.
- Use a length of floss to cut each roll by shimmying the floss under the log, lining the floss up with the score lines, then pulling the floss in opposite directions.
- Transfer cinnamon rolls to a lightly greased 8×8 baking dish.
- Cover with a clean kitchen towel and allow to rise for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake cinnamon rolls uncovered for 30-35 minutes. Ovens vary, so be sure to check the cinnamon rolls after 20 minutes or so and go from there.
- While the rolls are baking, use a mixer to whip cream cheese and butter together in a large bowl. Add powdered sugar and whip until combined.
- Add vanilla and a tablespoon of cream along with a pinch of salt.
- Whip until the frosting is thick and creamy. Add more cream as needed to loosen up the frosting.
- Spread the frosting over the fresh-from-the-oven cinnamon rolls in an even layer and enjoy!
Notes
Pizza dough makes the perfect cinnamon roll dough! My no knead pizza dough is really best in this recipe, but store bought pizza dough will work just fine also!
Use floss to slice the cinnamon rolls. It might seem crazy but it totally works! You’ll get even, perfectly sliced rolls every time.
Always let the cinnamon rolls rise in the pan before baking. After slicing the rolls and placing them in your pan, make sure you let them rise for 30 minutes. This step is very crucial. It will make your cinnamon rolls big and puffy and ensure that they are cooked on the outside but tender on the inside.
Double the frosting recipe if your family loves lots of that ooey gooey cream cheese frosting!
- Category: Brunch
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: homemade cinnamon rolls, cream cheese frosting, scratch made cinnamon rolls, cinnamon buns
This post was originally published in November of 2018. It was updated in March of 2019 to include process shots and tips for making the perfect cinnamon rolls every single time!
Heidi S Hall
November 4, 2018 at 5:16 pmI always look forward to seeing and making your recipes!! Thanks for this wonderful blog!!
Heidi Hall
Midwest Foodie
November 4, 2018 at 10:49 pmThank you so much for the comment Heidi! That is such a compliment and hearing that is exactly why I share my recipes on my blog 🙂 Thanks for supporting midwest foodie!
Midwest Foodie
January 28, 2019 at 10:32 amSuch a simple and easy to follow recipe!
★★★★★
Luke
February 24, 2019 at 12:10 pmOoey gooey and so delicious!! Genius idea cutting the rolls with floss!!
★★★★★
Midwest Foodie
February 24, 2019 at 1:04 pmGood thing we always have floss!
Aleta
March 6, 2019 at 10:44 pmI am licking my fingers in my mind as I read this recipe. I LOOOOVE cinnamon buns, just LOVE them! And what better to cream them with than cream cheese frosting? Can’t wait to dive into these beauties this weekend!
★★★★★
Midwest Foodie
March 7, 2019 at 5:59 pmI might have another batch rising as we speak. They are TOO GOOD! You’re going to love ’em!
Jacquelyn Hastert
March 7, 2019 at 8:03 pmDelicious cinnamon rolls at the table in 30 minutes! I can’t believe how simply amazing these are.
★★★★★
Midwest Foodie
March 8, 2019 at 10:25 amYou will love this recipe Jacquelyn!! Thank you 🙂
Deseree
March 7, 2019 at 8:04 pmwho would have thought that pizza dough would make great cinnamon rolls? Pure genius!
★★★★★
Midwest Foodie
March 8, 2019 at 10:25 amRight?! Next on my list of things to make out of pizza dough = soft pretzels!!
Katherine | Love In My Oven
March 7, 2019 at 10:41 pmSo genius! This will save me so much time using pizza dough! I have been craving cinnamon rolls big time. Can’t wait to make these!
Midwest Foodie
March 8, 2019 at 10:24 amYou will love them Katherine!
Danielle Wolter
March 8, 2019 at 5:46 amwas actually just sitting here last night thinking about making cinnamon rolls this weekend. what great timing! ive actually never made them from scratch and you make ti look so easy here!
★★★★★
Midwest Foodie
March 8, 2019 at 10:23 amIt is SO easy! And so much better than those canned cinnamon rolls! Thank you Danielle 🙂
Veena Azmanov
March 9, 2019 at 12:48 pmSuch help information and awesome Rolls. Amazing flavor and so simple and delicious to eat.
Midwest Foodie
March 9, 2019 at 8:47 pmThanks Veena!
Marisa F. Stewart
March 9, 2019 at 1:35 pmWhat a terrific idea for the busy morning. We always have homemade pizza dough in the freezer. Now, I can just let the dough thaw out overnight and make some delicious sweet rolls for brunch. Yum! I can just smell that wonderful aroma as they bake. Thank you for the tips.
★★★★★
Midwest Foodie
March 9, 2019 at 8:47 pmWhat a great idea! Planning to make some pizza dough and freeze it this weekend!! Thanks Marisa 🙂
Sara
March 9, 2019 at 8:44 pmYou are a genius for using pizza dough for these! And your step-by-step photos are perfect! I honestly haven’t made cinnamon rolls in soooo long … the idea of having it take under thirty minutes makes it so much more appealing! Just in time for Sunday brunch, too!
Midwest Foodie
March 9, 2019 at 8:46 pmI totally feel ya – it seems daunting, but pizza dough makes it a breeze. Thanks Sara 🙂
Sam | Ahead of Thyme
March 10, 2019 at 9:16 pmWow these cinnamon rolls look amazing! Plus love that they are made with pizza dough, so creative!! Making these asap
Midwest Foodie
March 11, 2019 at 10:12 amLet me know how you like them Sam!
Ruchi
March 11, 2019 at 12:45 amI have a package of some nice pizza dough and i really wanted to do something different with it. What a creative idea! Making it tonight
★★★★★
Midwest Foodie
March 11, 2019 at 10:11 amThis is the perfect recipe for that left over pizza dough! Thanks Ruchi 🙂
Michelle
March 11, 2019 at 5:00 amOh, my word! These look and sound amazing! I love cinnamon rolls but have always been put off making them myself as they look quite hard to get right. Your recipe is perfect for someone like me, thank you x
★★★★★
Midwest Foodie
March 11, 2019 at 10:11 amDefinitely a perfect beginner cinnamon roll recipe! Thanks Michelle 🙂
Natalie
March 11, 2019 at 7:15 amOh wow wow wow… I’m seriously craving these delicious rolls right now. These are fantastic. I love addition of cream cheese. I must make this asap. I bet my family will flip when I make them this recipe. Yumm!
★★★★★
Midwest Foodie
March 11, 2019 at 10:11 amYou’re family is going to love it! Thanks Natalie 🙂
Michelle Lien
January 7, 2020 at 7:09 pmYum!!! I made this recipe Christmas morning. I actually made the dough 2 days before to let it rise, then I assembled everything Christmas Eve and put it in the fridge per the instructions. I let the rolls sit out for an hour before putting them in the oven. They did not rise very well though. Next time I will definitely not assemble them and put them in the fridge. I probably should have let them sit out much longer. Either way, they tasted amazing and were pretty easy. The floss idea is ingenious! Thanks for another great recipe. You never disappoint!
★★★★★
Kylie Lato
January 8, 2020 at 10:18 amI wonder if another hour of rising might have helped…I will include that in the recipe notes. Thank you! I am glad that the flavors were still on point. Thanks so much for the feedback and for leaving a review Michelle!!
Debbie
May 7, 2020 at 12:23 pmSo easy! Used pizza dough from the grocery store. Haven’t baked in years but this recipe made me do it! Delicious! Especially loved the cream cheese frosting!!!
★★★★★
Kylie Lato
May 7, 2020 at 3:54 pmWOOHOO! I love using store-bought dough for this recipe. I might have to make a batch this weekend… I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe – thanks for leaving a review! 🙂