All the sticky deliciousness of cinnamon rolls but with none (and I really mean none) of the effort! This No Knead Cinnamon Pull-Apart Bread needs about 10 minutes of hands-on time and will totally fit around your schedule. It can be ready in a couple of hours, or you can leave it to rest in the fridge overnight & bake it up in the morning. It makes THE perfect holiday or weekend brunch!
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"Oh my goodness, these were amazing! I'm normally terrified of anything involving yeast and rising, but these were so easy. I will definitely make again!" - Kristen. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ More reviews →
Be prepared to wow your family and friends with this easy and incredibly delicious no-fail No Knead Cinnamon Pull Apart Bread!
It is just incredible, and what makes it even more incredible is that it is such low effort for such high reward. You do not have to knead it at all. Not even once. Just a quick mix, then it does all the hard work itself while you do quite literally nothing.
If you have made my No Knead Focaccia Bread or No Knead Vegan Dinner Rolls, you will know how easy and how good they are. Well, this No Knead Cinnamon Pull Apart Bread is made in a very similar way to both, and is even better because it involves lots of cinnamon and sugar. It's kind of a cinnamon roll and monkey bread hybrid and is absolutely perfect for brunch. Perfect for those of you with a sweet tooth like me!
If you plan to be up early, you can mix it up that morning. All it needs is 2 hours to do its stuff, but that time is all hands off. Or you can mix it up before you go to bed and leave it in the fridge all night. It's such a flexible recipe, which is a major part of its appeal.
Once baked up to perfection, it's soft, chewy, sticky, and caramelized. Where the balls of dough conjoin, it's super pillowly and soft, the top is caramelized and crusty, and the underneath (my personal favourite part) is chewy, sticky, and caramely.
If you choose to frost it then it gets over-the-top sticky and delicious. Like seriously irresistible.
This recipe is absolutely made for sharing and enjoying with family and friends. Put it down on the table and watch them turn into a pack of hungry wolves!
Mel x
Recipe
No Knead Cinnamon Pull Apart Bread
Author:WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Ingredients
For the dough
- 4 cups (500 grams) all purpose flour or bread flour , (in the UK, use strong bread flour)
- 1 tablepsoon instant yeast or quick rise yeast , NOT regular active yeast
- 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
- 1 cup (240 mls) dairy-free milk
- ½ cup (120 mls) cold water , straight from the tap
- ¼ cup (60 mls) maple syrup , real, not pancake syrup!
To assemble
- ½ cup (120 mls) melted dairy-free butter , or aquafaba for oil-free
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- ½ cup (100 grams cane or white sugar
For the glaze
- 1½ cup (187 grams powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- About 5 to 6 teaspoons dairy-free milk
RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT
INSTRUCTIONS
- Make the dough: In a large bowl or in a stand mixer add the flour, yeast and salt. Mix them together so they are distributed evenly, then add the milk, water and maple syrup. Mix until all the flour is combined and you have a sticky dough, making sure you get right into the bottom of the bowl. Cover the bowl tightly with a lid or cling wrap.
- If you wish to leave the dough overnight (or all day) before baking, leave it out on the counter for 45 to 60 minutes after mixing (no longer), then move it to the fridge and leave it there for anything between 8 to 10 hours.If you want to make the speedier version, you can put the bowl somewhere warm and leave it for 1½ to 2 hours. If you have a chilly kitchen (under 19°C/66°F), you can leave it for anything between 3½-4½ hours.
- Assemble: Once the resting time has passed, line an 8 x 8 pan (or similar, it doesn't have to be exact) with parchment paper.
- Take your melted butter and make sure it is cool. Don't use it if it's hot.
- Mix the cinnamon and sugar together in a small bowl.
- Dust the top of the dough with a sprinkle of flour and dust your hands too. Pull the dough away from around the edges of the bowl, then pull off chunks of dough about the size of golf balls. Roll them in your hands to neaten them up a bit. Don't worry about being too tidy though.
- Dip each ball into the butter, then roll in the cinnamon sugar before placing in the pan. Repeat until all the dough is gone. Make sure all the balls touch each other. They should be nestled snugly.
- If you have any leftover butter, pour it over the dough in the pan, and spoon any leftover sugar mixture over too. It will be a little sludgy because of the butter getting mixed into it, but that's fine.
- Cover the pan loosely with cling wrap or a damp, clean dish towel and place on or next to yout stovetop.
- Bake: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Let it preheat for 30 minutes with the dough nearby to benefit from the warmth.
- After that time uncover the pan and place in the oven. Bake for 26 to 30 minutes until puffy and bubbly.
- If you like really soft, moist buns, leave them in the pan to cool, or if you prefer them a little less soft and moist, lift them out onto a cooling rack using the parchment paper as handles. Be careful because there could be some hot, sugary drippage.
For the glaze
- In a small bowl, add the powdered sugar and the vanilla. Gradually add the milk, stirring as you go to work out any lumps. 5 or 6 teaspoons should be plenty to make a thick, drippy glaze.
- While the bread is still warm and just before serving, drizzle over the frosting very generously.
NOTES
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Cathy says
Hi! LOVE your recipes. This cinnamon bread sounds sooo good and easy! I want to make for office gifts this year - do you think I could put the "golf balls" (maybe 4-5?) into mini aluminum loaf pans, bake (for the same amount of time?), cool, frost, wrap up, refrigerate until I gift them? Or freeze? The recipients would have to take a roll out of the pan and microwave to eat, but they would still be delicious, right? Thanks so much for any suggestions.
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you Cathy!
That's a lovely idea.
Bread and bread-like things like this don't generally do too well in the fridge. They get dry and stale quickly.
I think they would freeze really well though and once defrosted they could be warmed in the pan in the oven at about 350 f for about 10-15 minutes, or in the microwave out of the pan.
As you are making them in smaller pans, baking time might be a bit less. Not much though because the balls will be the same size. I'd check them at 20 minutes.
Have fun and I hope your colleagues enjoy their gifts!
Cathy says
Well, I made the little loaves and they taste delicious! I froze and handed out to coworkers- they are all too nice to let me know if the bread didn't come out well when reheated lol. I froze and reheated for myself and my boyfriend just to try it, and we loved it! I might be a little biased, haha. I wish I could upload pictures to show you how they turned out. :) Thanks again for receipe and have a great holiday!
Patricia Giannelia says
I made these this week using the aqua faba option and they were AMAZING- even the next day. Also, there was more dough than the 8x8 pan so I put the rest in silicon muffin cups- two balls each, and they also were very good. Finally a healthier version of much missed pull aparts!
Melanie McDonald says
I'm really pleased you enjoyed it Patricia. Thanks so much for stopping by to leave feedback!
Randy Johnston says
Hove you tried using your vegan brandy butter instead of the frosting for this recipe . . . or maybe instead of the vegan butter??
Melanie McDonald says
I have not but that could be pretty amazing! I think I would use it instead of the butter when dipping the balls of dough before baking. I wouldn't use it as the frosting. But keep an eye on it when baking because the extra sugar in it might cause it to darken up a bit too much. You might need to tent it in foil towards the end to stop it getting too dark.
Then, when you make the frosting, you could then use brandy instead of the milk (you might need a bit less as it's thinner). I'm thinking some raisins or sultanas mixed into the dough would work really well with the brandy and cinnamon flavours too. If using, add them when you initially mix up the dough.
I might need to try this myself. It's a great idea!
Angeline says
Hi there, this sounds insanely amazing! Question though, is there an upper time limit to the slow rise in the fridge? Will it overrise if I make in the afternoon with my kids and let rise for tomorrow's breakfast? Or can I punch down before I go to bed and let rise in fridge overnight again? Many thanks :)
Melanie McDonald says
Hi Angeline, I haven't personally left this recipe for any longer than 10 hours, but I think it should still work ok. I've left other similar doughs when things have come up and they have been fine. As long as it stays in the fridge for the whole duration I doubt if it would over-rise. It really slows the yeast down. I wouldn't punch it down before bed unless it's looking huge. I doubt it will be. Just have a quick peek before you go. It's a pretty forgiving recipe and a great one for kids to make. They'll have fun rolling up the balls and dipping/coating them!
Kal says
These look great!
If I wanted to add in chopped/grated apple, which step would I do that? just after they're dipped in butter?
Thanks!
Aaron says
These were absolutely amazing. They reminded me of Miller & Paine cinnamon rolls from Nebraska when I was growing up. So easy and oh so good. My 13 year old did say there was too much cinnamon so I will make half the batch with half the cinnamon next time since I did reduce a little in my first go around. Oh, and I did do half the sugar with Sucanat Cane Sugar and it still was perfect. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS RECIPE!!!
Jane says
Could you replace the non-dairy butter with coconut oil?
A Virtual Vegan says
You could but I don't think it would taste as nice.
Kristin says
wow, this looks insanely good!
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you!
Carol Schultz says
Sorry, I do not understand what non-dairy butter means.
Ben says
Loved them!
Jenn says
Can these be made with a gf all purpose flour?
A Virtual Vegan says
I have never tried. I doubt it because the gluten formation is pretty crucial.I think the recipe would need adapting pretty significantly to work. Rather than risking a fail you would probably be better off finding a good gluten-free no knead bread recipe and following that to make the dough, then use my method of rolling in butter and sugar etc before cooking.
Monique says
If you double the recipe, do you double the yeast as well?
A Virtual Vegan says
Yes you would need to double the yeast. If you double it, it might be difficult to stir it all up with a spoon by hand. It might be easier to mix it in a stand mixer if you have one.
V says
Making these now. Is it possible to freeze some of the dough or baked cinnamon rolls? I might have made too many!
Sarah says
Ah, we love this pull apart bread! Such a perfect dish for a cozy morning at home!!!
Amy says
Truly amazing. I've never made bread dough of any kind before and even I found it easy.
Becky says
Was perfect for Christmas brunch! I love how much easier it is than making traditional cinnamon rolls!
Tanya says
Made this for Christmas morning and it was a huge hit with vegans and non-vegans!! Thank you. Definitely going into the “will make again” file!
A Virtual Vegan says
I'm so glad you all enjoyed it! Thank you for stopping by to let me know. It's much appreciated!
Cindi says
We did too! It was a big hit and kept us satiated until dinner time. Making it again this morning. It's definitely a keeper. I use coconut oil plus a little salt for 1/2 of my dipping mixture. I'd like to try it sometime 100%, but I'm chicken. Also adding some raisins this morning.
Isabelle says
I made these for breakfast and wow, not only it is easy to make but, it's freaking delicious!!! Thank you for this recipe, we love it!
A Virtual Vegan says
Yay! That's great Isabelle. I'm so glad you enjoyed it. Thanks so much for taking the time to come back and let me know too. I really appreciate it!
Shaun says
Made for my girlfriend. She loved it. And I agree, the chewy caramely bits at the bottom are the best!!!
Jenn says
Um, OMG, what???!!! This actually worked. I can't believe it.