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.
Love cinnamon-flavored dishes? Here are other recipes you might enjoy: Cinnamon Raisin Biscuits, Christmas Tree Cinnamon Rolls, Peach Cobbler Cinnamon Rolls, Cinnamon and Spice Oatmeal, and Cinnamon Raisin French Toast.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
The aroma and flavor: There is nothing quite like the aroma of cinnamon wafting through the house during the holiday season. This cinnamon roll recipe has a distinct and rich cinnamon flavor, making them an instant favorite.
Simple and eggless: If you are trying to avoid eggs, this is the perfect dough recipe for you. Using warm milk and instant yeast, this recipe creates the same pillowy texture found in traditional cinnamon rolls, making them equally delicious.
Versatile for any occasion: Whether it’s for a casual Sunday brunch, a holiday gathering, or just a craving for a warm, gooey dessert, these homemade cinnamon rolls fit the bill perfectly.
Recipe Ingredients
You’ll need the following ingredients to make these cinnamon rolls without eggs:
Ingredient Notes
Bread Flour: If you don’t have bread flour, all purpose flour works perfectly, but be sure to start with 4 cups and increase as needed.
Unsalted Butter: This recipe calls for unsalted butter. If you only have salted butter on hand, reduce the added salt by half.
Cinnamon Powder: For the best cinnamon flavor, use high-quality cinnamon powder. It truly makes a difference in the taste of these yummy cinnamon rolls.
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 Tips
- Use a sharp knife for cutting the rolled dough into rolls. This will ensure that your cinnamon rolls have a clean, beautiful spiral.
- Let your dough rise in a warm place in your kitchen. The warmth will speed up the yeast activity, resulting in a softer and fluffier cinnamon roll.
- Always ensure your oven is preheated before you put the cinnamon rolls in. This ensures that the rolls bake evenly and puff up nicely.
Storage & Reheating
Store leftover cinnamon rolls in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days. If you want them to last longer, store in the fridge for up to a week. For reheating, pop them in the oven at 350°F for about 10 minutes. You can also reheat them in the microwave for 20-30 seconds, but they might not retain their crispy crust.
Additions & Substitutions
Feel free to add in some raisins, nuts, or even a bit of lemon juice to your cinnamon sugar filling for a fun twist.
While bread flour works great, you can also use whole wheat flour. It will add a bit of a nuttier flavor to the rolls, and it’s a great way to add a bit of extra nutrition. You can also use instant dry yeast instead of active dry yeast for this recipe. You won’t need to activate it in warm milk first, simply add it to your dry ingredients.
For a vegan version, replace the whole milk with almond milk or another non-dairy milk, and use a plant-based butter substitute. You can make these rolls gluten-free by using a good quality gluten-free flour blend.
If you’re looking for a healthier alternative to brown sugar for the cinnamon sugar filling, coconut sugar works just as well.
Recipe FAQs
What should I serve with this cinnamon rolls without eggs recipe?
These eggless cinnamon rolls are perfect as they are, especially with a good old cup of coffee or tea. However, if you’re serving them for breakfast or brunch, consider pairing them with a savory dish like scrambled tofu or a veggie omelet. For a decadent treat, serve them warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side.
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.
Here are some other cinnamon roll recipes you might like!
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
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.