With only 30 minutes to rise and no stand mixer required to make, you now have no excuse not to make these quicker cast iron cinnamon buns every weekend.

If there was ever something in this world I could faceplant into, aside from a bowlful of buttercream frosting, it’s a plate of cinnamon buns smothered in cream cheese frosting. Ugh!

I have this major cream cheese weakness. It started with growing up in the land of bagels (aka Long Island, NY) and just continued to spiral.

That classic 1990s cream cheese and hot pepper jelly appetizer my gramma used to serve at every holiday she hosted? Still down with it. Thank goodness for Stonewall Kitchen’s hot pepper jelly!

Cream cheese and grape jelly sandwiches as kid? Was that a thing for you? It was one of my faves!

Oreo cheesecake bites? Ok, so not straight cream cheese but surely close enough. Best dessert ever!

You get the point. I don’t know if the rest of the world adores cream cheese like I do but I know FOR SURE that not one person could turn away these quicker cast iron cinnamon buns. Is it even possible to refuse a cinnamon bun?

What about a cinnamon bun that’s been smothered with cream cheese frosting? That’s a big fat NO from me!

Glaze or Frosting for Cinnamon Buns?

Speaking of cream cheese frosting, are you Team Frosting or Team Glaze for your cinnamon buns?

If you’re at all familiar with the popped can variety of cinnamon buns so many of us grew up eating, you’re probably team frosting on your cinnamon buns. I’m WITH YOU!

This cream cheese frosting is a really, really great copycat of those little cans that come with the popped dough. It’s just SO GOOD! And what makes it so much better than the canned stuff is that it only has 6 normal, easy to find, pronouncable ingredients. I love that about homemade recipes!

If you’re Team Glaze for cinnamon buns, I certainly won’t give you the side eye. Because really, I wouldn’t turn down a cinnamon bun covered in a thick, sweet glaze either.

And yes, if you’re wondering, these buns really are quicker to make than most cinnamon bun recipes! I think that’s one of the biggest draws for me about this cinnamon bun recipe!

Made with a heavy hand of yeast and some baking powder, the dough – made, kneaded, rolled up with filling, and sliced all in one big step – rises up quickly without compromising the flavor that a longer-rise dough provides. You’ll only need to allow the dough to rise once for 30 minutes!

How fantastic is that?!

Don’t get me wrong, classic overnight cinnamon buns have their place in this world – and I do loooove them so – but these quicker cast iron cinnamon buns have a place in every lazy weekend morning kitchen. Just like mine.

And speaking of lazy weekend mornings, why not make an iced or hot latte or even an iced pumpkin spice latte at home to go with these cinnamon buns so you never have to get out of your slippers to have your favorite coffee shop drink?

Quicker Cast Iron Cinnamon Buns

Name: Quicker Cast Iron Cinnamon Buns
Prep time: 50 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: ¾ cup packed (5 ¼ oz) dark brown sugar; 9 tbsp unsalted butter, melted; 6 tbsp (2 ⅔ oz) granulated sugar; 2 tsp ground cinnamon; ⅛ tsp ground cloves; Table salt; 2 ¾ cups (13 ¾ oz) all-purpose flour; 2 ½ tsp baking powder; 1 ¼ cups warm whole milk, (110° F); 4 tsp instant or rapid-rise yeast; 3 oz cream cheese, softened; 1 cup (4 oz) confectioners' sugar; 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted; 2 tbsp milk; ½ tsp vanilla extract; ⅛ tsp table salt

Yield: 8 buns

Prep Time: 50 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Cast iron cinnamon buns can be made in under 1 hour! This is a quick-rise homemade cinnamon buns recipe that my family loves to make on easy-going weekend mornings. It's an easy recipe to make with the kids and everyone will LOVE the cream cheese frosting!

Ingredients

For the cinnamon buns:

¾ cup packed (5 ¼ oz) dark brown sugar
9 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
6 tbsp (2 ⅔ oz) granulated sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
⅛ tsp ground cloves
Table salt
2 ¾ cups (13 ¾ oz) all-purpose flour
2 ½ tsp baking powder
1 ¼ cups warm whole milk, (110° F)
4 tsp instant or rapid-rise yeast

For the frosting:

3 oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup (4 oz) confectioners' sugar
2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
2 tbsp milk
½ tsp vanilla extract
⅛ tsp table salt

Instructions

To make the cinnamon buns: Grease a 10-inch cast iron pan with butter; set aside. Mix the brown sugar, 3 tablespoons melted butter, ¼ cup granulated sugar, the spices, and ⅛ teaspoon salt together in a small bowl; set aside.
Whisk the flour, baking powder, and ¾ teaspoon salt together in a large mixing bowl. Dissolve the yeast in the warm milk and stir in 2 tablespoons melted butter and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry and stir them together with a rubber spatula until combined - the mixture will be shaggy and very sticky.
Transfer the dough to a well-floured work surface and knead for about 2 minutes, until the dough forms a soft, smooth ball. Roll the dough out into a 12x9-inch rectangle with a long side closest to you. Brush two tablespoons of melted butter over the dough, stopping within a ½-inch of the edges. Spread the cinnamon filling mixture in an even layer over the dough, stopping ¾-inch from the edges.
Starting with the side closest to you, roll the dough into a tight log, pinch the edge of the dough into a seam to seal, and lay to the log on the work surface with the seam side down. Pat the ends back into the center of the log to bring it back to 12 inches in length. With a serrated knife, cut the log in half and then cut each half in half again. Cut each quarter into 3 equal pieces.
Arrange the buns in the prepared pan cut-side down with the seams facing inward. Cover the buns lightly with a piece of plastic wrap and allow them to rise in a warm spot for 30 minutes.
In the meantime, preheat the oven to 350° F. Once the buns have puffed and risen after 30 minutes (they won't be quite double in size), brush them gently with the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Bake for 23-28 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the time, until the tops are browned and the filling is melted. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and allow them to cool for 10 minutes.
To make the glaze: Add the cream cheese to a medium bowl and sift the confectioners' sugar into the bowl. Whisk in the melted butter, milk, vanilla, and salt until the mixture is smooth. Using an offset spatula, spread the glaze in an even layer over the buns. Serve while still warm.

Notes

adapted from America's Test Kitchen

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