Buttermilk Biscuit Cinnamon Rolls
Buttermilk Biscuit Cinnamon Rolls bring the cozy cinnamon-sugar flavor of a familiar breakfast bake to a quick biscuit-style dough. The rolls bake together in a dish, with golden tops and a soft, tender center.
The dough comes together without yeast, and folding it helps create distinct biscuit layers. Handle it gently as you work: the goal is a shaggy, cohesive dough, not a smooth one.
What makes biscuit dough work here
Cold butter is key to the dough’s tender texture. Cutting it into the flour mixture until the largest pieces are about pea-sized leaves small pockets of butter throughout. Keep the buttermilk cold, too, and stir it in only until the dough comes together.
All-purpose flour gives the dough enough structure to roll around the filling, while baking powder helps it rise. Granulated sugar and salt balance the flavor. Too much mixing can make the biscuit layers less tender, so stop when no dry flour remains and the dough looks shaggy.
Folding and shaping without overworking
Patting the dough into a rectangle and folding it like a letter builds layers without extensive kneading. Rotating the dough before the second fold helps keep the shape manageable. Use a light touch, and dust the work surface just enough to prevent sticking; excess flour can make the dough dry.
Roll the folded dough into an even rectangle before adding the filling. Spread the softened butter, packed light brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt across the surface, leaving a border along one long edge. That uncovered edge helps seal the log when you roll it from the opposite side. Pinch the seam closed so the rolls hold their shape as they bake.
A golden bake and a warm finish
Set the rolls cut side up in the buttered dish so they bake together. Brushing the tops with buttermilk gives them a little extra color as they bake. Follow the recipe card’s oven setting and bake time, checking for golden tops and rolls cooked through.
Let the rolls cool in the dish for the time listed on the card before serving. They are best warm, when the biscuit layers are tender and the cinnamon and brown sugar filling is soft. If the dough feels sticky while shaping, use a light dusting of flour rather than working more flour into it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why should the butter and buttermilk be cold?
Cold ingredients help the biscuit dough stay tender. Cut the butter into the flour mixture until the larger pieces are about pea-sized, then stir in the cold buttermilk just until a shaggy dough forms.
How do I keep the biscuit layers tender?
Handle the dough gently and stop mixing as soon as it comes together. Pat and fold it with a light touch, and use only enough flour on the work surface to prevent sticking. Extra mixing can make the layers less tender.
How can I tell when the rolls are done?
Use the recipe card’s baking time as a guide and look for golden tops and rolls that are cooked through. Let them rest in the dish for the listed cooling time before serving them warm.
Buttermilk Biscuit Cinnamon Rolls
Course: BreakfastCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy8
servings25
minutes22
minutes360
kcal57
minutesThese cinnamon rolls use a quick buttermilk biscuit dough filled with cinnamon, brown sugar, and butter. They bake together in a pan until golden and are best served warm.
Ingredients
- Biscuit dough
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 cup cold buttermilk, plus 1 tablespoon for brushing
- Cinnamon filling
4 tablespoons softened unsalted butter
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
- For the pan
1 tablespoon softened butter
Directions
- Heat the oven to 400°F. Butter a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, granulated sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Cut in the cold butter with a pastry cutter or your fingertips until the largest pieces are about pea-sized. Stir in 1 cup buttermilk just until a shaggy dough forms.
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Pat it into a rectangle, fold it into thirds like a letter, rotate it a quarter turn, and fold it into thirds once more. Roll the dough into a 10×14-inch rectangle.
- Stir together the softened butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt for the filling. Spread it over the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border along one long edge. Starting at the opposite long edge, roll the dough into a 14-inch log and pinch the seam closed. Cut into 8 rolls and set them cut side up in the prepared dish.
- Brush the tops with the remaining 1 tablespoon buttermilk. Bake for 22 minutes, until the rolls are golden and cooked through.
- Let the rolls cool in the dish for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Handle the dough only until it comes together; extra mixing can make biscuit layers less tender.
