Cinnamon Rolls Without Eggs

These soft and fluffy cinnamon rolls without eggs only use everyday ingredients and a little time. The richness of sour cream adds wonderful tenderness to the dough. Perfect for weekend baking or any morning when you’re craving a sweet, cozy breakfast treat.

Close-up of a cinnamon roll without eggs, with cream cheese frosting partially eaten, revealing its soft, fluffy texture and swirls of cinnamon filling. The roll is on a white plate, and a fork is partially visible in the background.

Egg-Free Cinnamon Rolls

Egg-free cinnamon rolls can be just as soft, fluffy, and delicious as traditional rolls. Sour cream is the key here. It adds moisture and tenderness without needing any eggs. The result is a dough that’s sturdy enough to roll and fill with cinnamon-sugar, yet light and pillowy once baked. Sour cream works as an egg replacer because it contains both fat and protein. This helps bind the dough while keeping it soft.

Why you’ll love these egg-free cinnamon rolls

  • Fluffy & soft: Two rises guarantee airy, pillowy rolls every time.
  • No need for eggs: Sour cream steps in to enrich the dough.
  • Sweet and tender: The acidity in the sour cream creates a wonderfully tender dough.
  • Make-ahead friendly: The dough can rest overnight in the refrigerator, so you can finish and bake it the next day.

These sour cream cinnamon rolls are wonderfully plush and flavorful. Just the thing to share for a weekend brunch or a sweet afternoon snack.

A close-up of a cinnamon roll with creamy icing on a white plate. A fork is slicing into the soft roll, revealing its fluffy texture and cinnamon layers. The background is slightly blurred, emphasizing the delicious pastry.

Here’s what you need

Here’s a rundown of what you need, you can find the amounts in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.

  • All-purpose flour: The base for a soft but sturdy dough. Choose one with around 11-12% protein.
  • Butter: A little goes into the dough for flavor and tenderness, and more goes on top of the rolled-out dough for the filling.
  • Sour cream: Gives the dough moisture and richness without the need for eggs.
  • Sugar: white sugar sweetens the dough; brown sugar combines with cinnamon for the filling.
  • Warm milk: at 100–110°F (38–43°C) it encourages the yeast to bloom.
  • Yeast: Choose an instant or active dry yeast, just make sure it’s fresh.
  • Cinnamon: The star spice.
  • Salt: don’t skip it, it balances sweetness, boosts flavor and helps with dough strengthening.

Extra mixing time for gluten development. Because sour cream brings extra fat into the dough, it can slow gluten formation. A stand mixer fitted with a dough hook is especially helpful here, ensuring your dough develops the necessary elasticity and structure before the first rise. You can test for gluten development by gently stretching out a piece of dough and seeing if it can become almost see-through without immediately tearing.

How to Make

  1. Start by mixing yeast and sugar into warm milk.
A metal mixing bowl filled with flour and a scoop of shortening placed in the center. The bowl is resting on a light-colored marble countertop.
  1. Add flour, salt and sour cream and mix with a dough hook until a thick dough forms.
A hand holds a piece of butter above a bowl of dough in a stand mixer. The mixer is set to blend the dough as the butter is about to be added.
  1. Add in the butter a few cubes at a time and keep mixing until it’s incorporated.
Close-up of a dough being mixed in a metal stand mixer. The dough appears smooth and elastic, spinning under the mixers attachment, with the stainless steel bowl reflecting light.
  1. Keep mixing for around 15 minutes for optimal gluten development.
Close-up of a person stretching a piece of dough with both hands. A mixing bowl with more dough is in the background. The person’s nails are neatly trimmed, and the image conveys a sense of preparing dough for baking.
  1. Let the dough rest for a couple of minutes then see if you can carefully stretch a piece out until almost see-through.
A round mass of risen dough in a metal mixing bowl sits on a white countertop. The dough is smooth and lightly floured, filling most of the bowl, indicating its ready for baking or further preparation.
  1. Let the dough rise until doubled in size.
A hand spreading brown sugar and cinnamon mixture onto rolled-out dough with a metal spatula. The mixture appears evenly spread over most of the dough surface.
  1. Roll into a rectangle and spread with filling.
A hand gently rolls dough with a cinnamon and sugar filling on a light surface, preparing a pastry. The persons nails are visibly manicured.
  1. Roll the dough into a log, from the long side.
A close-up of an uncooked cinnamon roll dough spiraled with brown cinnamon filling, placed on a white surface.
  1. Cut it into 12 equal rolls. I use dental floss to cut them evenly.
Close-up of uncooked cinnamon rolls arranged on a surface, showcasing their spiral shape filled with cinnamon and sugar. The dough appears soft and creamy, ready for baking.
  1. Arrange the rolls in a 9×13-inch baking pan.
Close-up of unbaked cinnamon rolls arranged in a pan. The rolls have a spiral shape with visible cinnamon filling, showcasing a soft and fluffy dough texture.
  1. Let them rise until they double in size, then bake until golden.
Close-up of two metal beaters mixing creamy white frosting in a large white mixing bowl. The bowl has a textured surface and is set on a light gray countertop.
  1. Beat the frosting until light and creamy.
Close-up of freshly baked cinnamon rolls covered in a thick cream cheese frosting, placed in a rectangular glass baking dish. The swirls of the rolls are visible beneath the creamy topping.
  1. Spread over the baked rolls while they are still warm.

Tips for success

  • Check your milk temperature: Aim for that sweet spot of 100–110°F. Too hot, and it could kill the yeast while too cool the dough may rise more slowly.
  • Don’t add too much flour: The dough should remain pretty soft so don’t be tempted to add extra flour.
  • Mix for long enough: The sour cream will inhibit gluten formation a bit, so you’ve got to give it ample mixing time.
  • Overnight option: If you prefer fresh rolls in the morning, let the dough do its first rise in the fridge. Then shape, fill, and continue with the second rise.
  • Oven environment: If your kitchen is cold, place the covered dough in a slightly warmed (but then turned off!) oven with the door cracked. This creates a cozy spot to help the dough rise faster.
Close-up of a cinnamon roll topped with creamy icing on a white plate. A portion of the roll is bitten, revealing its soft, fluffy interior with swirled cinnamon filling.

Storage & freezing

Enjoy these rolls fresh from the oven for the softest texture. If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Warm them gently to soften them. You can also freeze baked rolls for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat.

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Close-up of a partially eaten cinnamon roll on a white plate. It is covered with creamy icing, highlighting the fluffy texture and warm, cinnamon fillings inside.

Cinnamon Rolls Without Eggs

Elien Lewis
These soft and fluffy sour cream cinnamon rolls only require everyday ingredients and a little time, and they’re completely egg-free. The richness of sour cream adds wonderful tenderness to the dough.
No ratings yet
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 6 minutes
2 hours
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 12
Calories 423 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

  • 240 g milk
  • 2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast or active dry yeast
  • 50 g granulated sugar
  • 125 g sour cream full-fat
  • 530 g all-purpose flour plus more for dusting
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 85 g unsalted butter softened to room temperature

Filling

  • 55 g unsalted butter
  • 100 g soft brown sugar
  • 2 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • Pinch salt

Frosting

  • 113 g cream cheese block-style, full-fat
  • 30 g unsalted butter
  • 120 g powdered sugar
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions
 

  • In a small saucepan, warm the milk to around 95-104°F / 35-40°C and pour it into the bowl of a stand mixer. Sprinkle yeast and sugar over the warm milk. If using active dry yeast, let this sit for around 5-10 minutes until it becomes foamy; if using instant yeast, this step can be skipped.
  • Add the flour, sour cream and salt to the yeast mixture. Fit the stand mixer with a dough hook attachment and mix until a thick dough forms.
  • Add the softened butter, a few cubes at a time.
  • Mix at medium speed for around 15 minutes until the dough is soft and strong. To see if it’s been developed enough, let it sit for 5 minutes, then check if it passes the windowpane test. Take a small piece of dough and see if you can stretch it slowly between your fingers so it becomes almost see-through and doesn’t tear immediately.

First rise

  • Once kneaded, form the soft dough into a ball. Transfer the ball of dough to a large, lightly greased bowl and cover it with plastic wrap or a damp dish towel.
  • Let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled in size, around 1 to 1 ½ hours. The total time will depend on your room temperature. The dough can also be covered tightly and refrigerated for up to 16 hours.

Filling

  • With an electric mixer, beat softened butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl into a creamy paste.

Shaping

  • Grease or line a 9×13-inch baking dish with parchment paper.
  • Punch down the risen dough, then pull it from the bowl onto a lightly floured work surface. Dust the top of the dough with some flour. If the dough has come from the fridge, it will be very stiff.
  • Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a large 12×16-inch rectangle (30cm x 40 cm). Add the cinnamon mixture and use an offset spatula to spread it out.
  • Roll the dough up, starting from the longest side up the top, into a jelly-roll style log.
  • Cut the log into 12 equal pieces using unflavored dental floss for extra clean cuts or a serrated knife. Place the rolls into the prepared pan.
  • Cover the pan and let the rolls have their second rise in a warm spot until doubled in size.

Baking

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F /180°C.
  • Bake the rolls in the oven for 25-28 minutes until golden brown. If they are browning too fast, you can cover the top of the rolls loosely with aluminum foil.

Frosting

  • While the rolls are baking, make the frosting. In a large bowl, using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter together on high speed until smooth and creamy.
  • Add the confectioners' sugar. Beat on low speed to incorporate the sugar, then switch to high and beat until creamy. Let the baked buns cool for 20 minutes, then spread on the frosting.

Notes

Both metric and US cup conversions are supplied. Please use the toggle to switch between the two.

Serving & Storing

Enjoy these rolls fresh from the oven for the softest texture. If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Warm them gently to soften them. You can also freeze baked rolls for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat.

Nutrition

Serving: 1rollCalories: 423kcalCarbohydrates: 59gProtein: 7gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 49mgSodium: 240mgPotassium: 141mgFiber: 2gSugar: 24gVitamin A: 579IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 66mgIron: 2mg
Keyword cinnamon rolls, Eggless, sour cream and chives
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