yeast free cinnamon rolls

January 5, 2012

So here’s the thing, I am a sucker for breakfast. I don’t think I have actually met a breakfast food I didn’t like. Bring it on!

Pancakes and Waffles and Eggs, OH MY!

I remember growing up I used to love the weekends because that meant my brother and I had something besides cereal or oatmeal for breakfast. We usually had biscuits or cinnamon rolls.

Thanks to our beloved Pillsbury. 🙂

I still love canned biscuits and canned cinnamon rolls. Maybe because it is what I grew up on or maybe I just figured out my mom’s secret early. It’s easy. Pop a can, into the oven, 20 minutes later she had two happy kiddos.

I know, she’s a genius.

Now as an adult (but still my mama’s kid) I thought I would try my hand at homemade cinnamon rolls.

Oh but without yeast. Yeast scares me.

I searched the internet (what did people do before google??) and found a recipe for Yeast Free Cinnamon Rolls. I made a few changes (nothing major here people. I am not one to reinvent the wheel) and started baking.

Yeast Free Cinnamon Rolls

For the dough:

3/4 cup 2% cottage cheese
1/3 cup vanilla almond milk
1/4 cup granulated sugar (or sugar substitute baking blend)
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour; more for rolling
1 Tbs. baking powder
1/2 tsp. table salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda

For the filling:

1-1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
1-1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
1/4 tsp. ground cloves

For the glaze:

2/3 cup) confectioners’ sugar
2 to 3 Tbs. cold vanilla almond milk
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Heat the oven to 400°F. Grease the sides and bottom of a 9- or 10-inch round pan with cooking spray.

Make the dough:In a food processor, combine the cottage cheese, almond milk, sugar, melted butter, and vanilla. Process until smooth, about 10 seconds. Add the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda and pulse in short bursts just until the dough clumps together (don’t overprocess). The dough will be soft and moist.Scrape the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it with floured hands 4 or 5 times until smooth. With a rolling pin, roll the dough into a 12×15-inch rectangle.

Make the filling:Brush the dough with the melted butter, leaving a 1/2-inch border unbuttered around the edges. In a medium bowl, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves. Sprinkle the mixture over the buttered area of the dough and pat gently into the surface.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, 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 28 minutes. Set the pan on a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes. Transfer the rolls to a serving plate.

Make the glaze:In a small bowl, mix the confectioners’ sugar, 2 Tbs. almond 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.

These were jaw dropping good. Like stuffing our faces because we can’t stop eating good! But I did learn something, as great as these cinnamon rolls were, and they were, my mom had it figured out from the beginning.

Pillsbury, even though I cheated, I still love you. I may stray again but please know that I don’t meant it.

Do you make cinnamon rolls from scratch or is Pillsbury your man?

12 Comments leave one →

Heather @ Side of Sneakers permalink

January 5, 2012 8:36 am

Yummm!! i make cinnamon rolls from scratch, but Pillsbury will always have a special place in my heart- they just scream memories of growing up! {Plus, they’re so, so good.:)}

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Amy @ Second City Randomness permalink

January 5, 2012 8:46 am

Those are yeast free??? That’s amazing!

You know how I’m scared of yeast, too. This is actually something I would do!

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- Kelly permalink*
  
  January 5, 2012 8:54 am
  
  YES! No yeast….I so surprised at how much they rose. Mine even rose more than the picture on the website with the recipe. They were light and fluffy…I mean seriously they were good and they had cottage cheese in them! I was like what?! But you couldn’t tell at all!
  
  Reply
Jessica @ Stylish Stealthy and Healthy permalink

January 5, 2012 9:08 am

I love cinnamon rolls. My mom used to break out the Pillsbury ones for special occasions, and I swear every time I walk by them in the grocery store I swoon a little.

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Kelly permalink

January 5, 2012 9:44 am

I made cinnamon rolls over Christmas, with yeast and everything! It wasn’t too scary, my dough didn’t rise as much as I thought it should though. Oh and mine were not uniform in size, at all.

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Kelly @ Laughter, Strength, and Food permalink

January 5, 2012 10:09 am

I love me some breakfast and cinnamon rolls!! 😉

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Leah @ Why Deprive? permalink

January 5, 2012 11:24 am

I’ve never had Pillsbury cinnamon rolls. I didnt know they even made them. I’ve always wanted to try making my own cinnamon rolls, but I’ve grown up eating my Grandma’s homemade ones, and they’re so amazing I’m afraid I’ll be disappointed in my own. 🙂

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Katie permalink

January 5, 2012 11:46 am

Yesss! I need these in my life…like right this second.

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Malou Prestado permalink

January 5, 2012 5:23 pm

I’m thinking of making cinnamon rolls but run out of yeast. Timely seeing your post where I can use baking powder.

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Tina permalink

January 27, 2012 10:50 am

@ Kelly, Why is yeast scary to you? I use it all the time.

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