Pillowy, gooey, and bursting with cinnamon-sugar flavor, eggless cinnamon rolls are an easy and egg-free version of the beloved classic. Every bit as delicious and dreamy as cinnamon rolls enriched with eggs, this version uses a double dose of milk to achieve a silky soft dough that comes together in minutes.
Best of all, nothing needs to be room temperature like classic cinnamon roll recipes, so you can make it on a whim and have excellent results!
Eggless cinnamon rolls are great for impromptu breakfast or brunch gatherings, and perfect for accommodating guests who don’t eat eggs. They’re lovely with a fresh cup of coffee and are an ideal pairing for bacon, breakfast sausages, bagel sandwiches, and avocado toast. Or serve them as dessert, fresh out of the oven for a decadent end to any meal.
If you prefer using a stand mixer, you can use the dough hook to mix. Just proof the yeast in the bowl of the stand mixer, add in the flour and mix on low for 1 minute. Increase the speed to medium-high and knead until the dough is soft and pulling away from the edges.
To cut the dough into rounds without compressing the layers, unscented dental floss is used to make a clean cut. Alternatively, you can use a serrated knife, but take extra care not to flatten the dough.
What You Need to Make Eggless Cinnamon Rolls
To make eggless cinnamon rolls you’ll need a handful of pantry staples, milk, butter and cream cheese for the frosting. If you prefer using non-dairy milk, reach for something thicker and relatively neutral in flavor like almond milk or oat milk.
The recipe calls for bread flour, but if you don’t have bread flour, all-purpose flour works perfectly well in this recipe. If using all-purpose flour, start with 4 cups and increase as needed.
Ingredients:
- Bread Flour
- Whole Milk
- Active Dry Yeast
- Kosher Salt
- Granulated Sugar
- Butter-Room Temperature
- Brown Sugar
- Ground Cinnamon
- Plain Cream Cheese
- Powdered Sugar
- Neutral Oil (vegetable, peanut, sunflower, etc.)
How To Make Eggless Cinnamon Rolls
In a medium bowl, add the bread flour, ¼ cup +1 tbsp sugar, and salt. Whisk thoroughly to combine and set aside.
Heat the milk to 100-105F, then pour into a separate large mixing bowl. Add in yeast and 1 tablespoon of sugar and stir to dissolve. Let the yeast activate for 5-10 minutes. Once the milk starts to bubble and froth, it’s ready.
Add the melted butter to the activated yeast mixture and whisk to combine.
Add the flour to the milk and yeast mixture in two additions, and stir with a spatula to incorporate. Make sure all of the flour in the first addition is fully mixed into the milk before adding in the second.
When a dough starts to form, lightly flour your hands and knead the dough directly in the bowl. If the dough is too wet, add more flour ¼ cup at a time until it’s manageable.
Once the dough is soft and pliable, shape it into a ball and lightly brush the top with a neutral oil to keep it from drying out as it proofs. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap, then place it in a cold oven with the light turned on. Let the dough proof for 1 hour or until it has doubled in size.
While the dough is proofing, whisk together the brown sugar and cinnamon until thoroughly combined. Line a 9×13 inch baking dish with parchment paper and set aside.
When the dough is done proofing, punch it down, and turn it out onto a floured work surface. Lightly sprinkle the top of the dough with flour and form the dough into a rectangle. Roll out the dough into a rectangular slab that’s approximately a ½ inch thick.
Evenly spread the softened butter across the surface area of the dough, stopping just short of the edges. Generously sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture over the butter and press the mixture into the butter so it adheres.
Gently but tightly, roll up the long edge of the rectangle until it forms a large log. When you reach the opposite end of the dough press lightly to seal the edges. If needed, cut off the ends to form an even cylinder.
Slide a large piece of unscented dental floss underneath the dough until you reach the middle of the log. Grip the dental floss on either side of the dough, then cross the floss ends and pull down to the counter to create a clean cut. Using this same motion, cut out 9 rounds that are approximately 2 inches thick. Transfer the rounds to the prepared baking dish.
Cover the baking dish and place it in a warm corner of the kitchen. Proof again for 45 minutes to an hour, or until the cinnamon rolls are doubled in size.
While the cinnamon rolls are proofing, heat the oven to 350F. Make the frosting. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the powdered sugar, cream cheese and milk and whisk until homogenous. Set aside.
Once the cinnamon rolls are proofed, bake, uncovered, for 10 minutes, then turn the pan 180 degrees and bake for another 10-12 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown.
When the cinnamon rolls are ready, remove them from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes, then spread the icing over the top.
Serve warm and enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
Can I use white sugar instead of brown sugar for cinnamon rolls?
Yes! If you don’t like the taste of brown sugar or don’t have it on hand, it’s perfectly fine to use granulated sugar in the cinnamon filling. They’ll likely be a little less sweet, but they’ll still be delicious.
Can uncooked cinnamon rolls be left out overnight?
Cinnamon rolls can be prepped the day before, but should be kept tightly covered in the fridge. If you leave uncooked cinnamon rolls on the counter overnight, they’ll overproof and collapse while baking.
Can cinnamon rolls be made vegan?
Absolutely! You can easily make vegan cinnamon rolls by swapping out milk with a plant-based alternative, using vegan butter in place of regular butter, and using vegan cream cheese for the frosting.
Eggless Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 4 ½ cups bread flour
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2 ½ tsp active dry yeast
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ¼ cup + 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- ½ cup butter- melted
- 1 tsp neutral oil
For the Filling
- 5 tbsp butter- room temperature
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1 ½ tbsp ground cinnamon
For the Frosting
- 1 cup plain cream cheese
- 3 tbsp milk
- 1½ cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, add the bread flour, ¼ cup +1 tbsp sugar and the salt, whisk thoroughly to combine and set aside.
- Heat the milk to 100-105F, then pour into a separate large mixing bowl; add in yeast and 1 tablespoon of sugar and stir to dissolve; let the yeast activate for 5-10 minutes.
- Add the melted butter to the activated yeast mixture and whisk to combine.
- Add the flour to the milk and yeast mixture in two additions, and stir with a spatula to incorporate; make sure all of the flour in the first addition is fully mixed into the milk before adding in the second.
- When a dough starts to form, lightly flour your hands and knead the dough directly in the bowl; if the dough is too wet, add more flour ¼ cup at a time until it’s manageable.
- Once the dough is soft and pliable, shape it into a ball and lightly brush the top with a neutral oil.
- Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and place it in a cold oven with the light turned on; let the dough proof for 1 hour or until it has doubled in size.
- While the dough is proofing, whisk together the brown sugar and cinnamon until thoroughly combined and line a 9×13 inch baking dish with parchment paper; set aside.
- When the dough is done proofing, punch it down, and turn it out onto a floured work surface.
- Lightly sprinkle the top of the dough with flour and form the dough into a rectangle, then roll out the dough into a rectangular slab that’s approximately a ½ inch thick.
- Evenly spread the softened butter across the surface area of the dough, stopping just short of the edges.
- Generously sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture over the butter and press the mixture into the butter so it adheres.
- Gently but tightly, roll up the long edge of the rectangle until it forms a large log and lightly press lightly to seal the edges; if the ends have tapered, cut them off to create an even cylinder.
- Slide a large piece of unscented dental floss underneath the dough until you reach the middle of the log, then grip the dental floss on either side of the dough and cross the floss ends and pull down to the counter to create a clean cut.
- Using this same motion, cut out 9 rounds that are approximately 2 inches thick, and transfer the rounds to the prepared baking dish.
- Cover the baking dish and place it in a warm corner of the kitchen; proof again for 45 minutes to an hour, or until the cinnamon rolls are doubled in size.
- While the cinnamon rolls are proofing, heat the oven to 350F, then make the frosting.
- In a medium bowl, combine the powdered sugar, cream cheese and milk and whisk until homogenous; set aside.
- Once the cinnamon rolls are proofed, bake, uncovered, for 10 minutes, then turn the pan 180 degrees and bake for another 10-12 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown.
- When the cinnamon rolls are ready, remove them from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes.
- Spread the icing over the top of the cinnamon rolls.
- Serve warm and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Here are some other recipes you might like!
- Cookies & Cream Cinnamon Rolls
- Christmas Tree Cinnamon Rolls
- Peach Cobbler Cinnamon Rolls
- Blueberry Cinnamon Rolls
- Brioche Cinnamon Rolls
Rebekkah is a food writer, recipe developer and sommelier who is obsessed with all things food and drink. When she isn’t lingering too long in her kitchen, she can be found making music in her apartment or traveling the globe in search of the perfect noodle.