Jiffy Cinnamon Buns

No yeast, no rise, no waiting. These quick cinnamon buns use a tender biscuit-style dough leavened with baking powder, so you can go from craving to oven in 20 minutes and have warm, glazed rolls in front of you in under an hour.

The biscuit-style dough is the crucial swap. Cold margarine cut into the flour creates flaky layers when baked, giving these buns a texture closer to morning biscuits with a cinnamon ribbon than traditional yeasted cinnamon rolls. That’s not a downgrade, just a different (and faster) animal.

Baking in muffin tins is clever design. The spiral rolls get individual cups, so they bake evenly without spreading, and each one gets a sticky brown sugar-cinnamon puddle at the bottom from the teaspoon of filling dropped in first. Flip them out and the sticky side becomes the top.

A quick powdered sugar glaze drizzled over the warm buns sets into a sweet, shiny finish. Mix with milk to your preferred thickness; a pourable consistency drapes best, a thicker glaze sits on top.

Work fast once the dough comes together. Biscuit dough toughens the longer you handle it.

Kitchen Tips

• Keep the margarine genuinely cold until the last moment; room-temp fat won’t give flaky layers
• Knead just 8-10 times, no more; overworking biscuit dough equals tough, chewy buns
• Roll the dough into a tight cylinder; loose rolls unspool in the oven
• Cut with unflavored dental floss or a very sharp knife; a dull knife smashes the spiral
• Eat warm; these are best the day they’re baked, reheat leftovers briefly in a 350°F (175°C) oven

Variations

• Swap margarine for butter for richer flavor
• Add ½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts with the raisins
• Use a maple syrup and vanilla glaze in place of powdered sugar for a different finish