Self Rising Cinnamon Rolls

These self rising cinnamon rolls come together with no proofing time. Make them the night before and bake in the morning!

What is self rising flour?

Self rising flour is simply flour that already contains baking powder and salt. The absolute best use of it (in my opinion) is for making biscuits. In fact, most bags of self rising flour have a biscuit recipe on the back. I have been experimenting a little bit with self rising flour lately and have come across quite a few recipes that use it.

The best thing about using self rising flour for this recipe is that the dough for the cinnamon rolls comes together super fast. It took me about 10 minutes to make these one evening, stick them in the fridge, and then I baked them in the morning. They rose and connected in the pan beautifully, as all cinnamon rolls should.

What is the difference between self rising cinnamon rolls and yeasted rolls?

The biggest difference in the resulting, baked cinnamon rolls that I noticed was the texture. These cinnamon rolls almost have the texture of biscuits. They are a little bit cakey rather than that classic, chewy texture you get from yeasted cinnamon rolls. They may be different, but they are still light and delicious!

You will also notice that they don’t brown as much as a yeasted dough.  Add an egg or milk wash to the top of the dough before baking if you want that golden brown look on top. I was just covering these with a cream cheese glaze and decided to skip the egg wash.

How to make self rising cinnamon rolls

1. Whisk together wet ingredients.
2. Stir in the self rising flour to form a dough. The dough for these is stickier than a yeasted dough so you may need to add a little additional flour and use plenty of flour when rolling out the dough.
3. Line a 9 x 13 pan with parchment paper. Use some butter or cooking spray on the bottom of the pan to keep the parchment paper in the pan. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. if baking right away.
4. Make the filling. Roll out your prepared dough on a floured surface until it forms a rectangle that is about 18 x 24 inches. It should be about 1/4 inch thick. The dough will be slightly sticky so use plenty of flour for rolling.
5. Spread the softened butter all over the dough in an even layer and sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar mixture. Starting on the long edge, roll tightly so that the seam is facing down. Cut into 12 slices and arrange slightly apart in your prepared baking pan.
6. Bake and frost!

How to make cream cheese glaze

The most important step is making sure that your cream cheese is at room temperature so you don’t have a lumpy glaze. Set the cream cheese out before you bake the cinnamon rolls. It should really sit out for about an hour.

Use a mixer to beat the cream cheese until it is smooth and fluffy. Add the milk, vanilla and powdered sugar and mix until you have a smooth glaze to drizzle over the cinnamon rolls. You can use any milk, dairy or non dairy or just use water for the glaze. Add additional liquid or powdered sugar as needed to get the consistency that you like.

Common questions

1. What is the difference between self rising cinnamon rolls and yeasted rolls?
   The biggest difference in the resulting, baked cinnamon rolls that I noticed was the texture. These cinnamon rolls almost have the texture of biscuits. They are a little bit cakey rather than that classic, chewy texture you get from yeasted cinnamon rolls. They may be different, but they are still light and delicious!
   
   The biggest difference in the resulting, baked cinnamon rolls that I noticed was the texture. These cinnamon rolls almost have the texture of biscuits. They are a little bit cakey rather than that classic, chewy texture you get from yeasted cinnamon rolls. They may be different, but they are still light and delicious!
2. Can I make self rising cinnamon rolls ahead?
   Yes! I make these cinnamon rolls all the way up through rolling, slicing and putting into the prepared pan the night before. Just cover the pan, store in the fridge overnight and bake in the morning. Set them out at room temperature while the oven preheats in the morning.
3. How do I store self rising cinnamon rolls?
   These cinnamon rolls are best eaten same day (similar to biscuits), but you can store them in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave for 30 seconds before serving.