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These sourdough discard cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting are soft, buttery, and packed with cinnamon-sugar swirl in every bite. The best part about this recipe is that you can make the cinnamon rolls from start to finish in about 2 hours.
Like this sourdough discard cinnamon roll focaccia, we’re using instant yeast for a quick rise instead of active starter and long fermentation.
It’s the perfect recipe for when you want sourdough cinnamon rolls but don’t have time to wait.
This is a great recipe for Christmas morning or a special occasion breakfast or brunch. My sourdough pumpkin cinnamon rolls are another holiday favorite.
For more sourdough breakfast ideas, try my sourdough granola, sourdough pop tarts, sourdough blueberry muffins, and sourdough vanilla almond scones.
Why You’ll Love Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Rolls
- Traditional Sourdough Cinnamon Roll Flavor: You’ll get perfect delicious cinnamon roll flavor with this recipe!
- Quick and Easy: If you want sourdough cinnamon rolls but don’t have time to wait for a long ferment, give these discard cinnamon rolls a try, and they’ll be ready in just 2 hours!
- Uses Up Sourdough Discard: If you have extra discard you need to use, this is a great way to use it! You can also use active sourdough starter if you prefer.
Ingredients
Find the full list of ingredients, amounts, and instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Here are some key ingredients you’ll need:
- Sourdough Discard
- Instant Yeast (To use active dry yeast instead, just bloom it in the warm milk with a pinch of sugar for 5 to 10 minutes before mixing it in.)
- All-Purpose Flour
- Brown Sugar
- Cinnamon
Equipment
- Stand mixer with dough hook – Makes kneading the dough easier, but if you don’t have one, you can also knead the dough by hand.
- Rolling pin – To roll the dough into an even rectangle for filling and shaping.
- 9×13 inch baking dish – The perfect size for baking all 12 rolls.
- Bench scraper or pizza cutter – Helps cut the dough into even strips.
How to Make Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Rolls
Here are the step-by-step instructions for how to make fresh homemade cinnamon rolls.
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 170°F for 3 to 4 minutes, then turn it off. This gently warms the oven without making it too hot for proofing.
Step 2: In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the warm milk, room temperature discard, sugar, instant yeast, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla until smooth (Photo 1). Add the flour and salt (Photo 2), then switch to the dough hook and knead on medium-low speed for 8 to 10 minutes, scraping down the sides as needed, until the dough is soft and slightly tacky (Photo 3).
Step 3: Lightly grease a large bowl with neutral oil or nonstick spray. Transfer the dough to the bowl (Photo 4), cover, and let rise in the warm (turned-off) oven for 45 to 60 minutes or until doubled (Photo 5). If the top feels dry afterward, rub a little oil over it to soften before rolling out.
Step 4: Stir together the brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl (Photo 6). Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface into a 14×18-inch rectangle (Photo 7). Spread the softened butter all over the dough (Photo 8), then evenly sprinkle with the cinnamon-sugar mix (Photo 9).
Step 5: Cut the dough into 12 long strips (Photo 10). Roll each strip into a swirl (Photo 11) and place in a greased 9×13-inch baking pan (Photo 12). You can also roll the whole thing into a log and slice it into 12 pieces with dental floss or a sharp knife.
Step 6: Cover loosely and let rise in a warm spot for 20 to 30 minutes (Photo 13). If your kitchen is chilly, you can turn your oven back on for just a minute, turn it off, and let the rolls rise inside. Even if the rolls aren’t fully touching after 30 minutes, you can go ahead and bake. The rolls will rise more in the oven.
Step 7: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake for 18 to 23 minutes, or until the tops are golden and the center reads 190–195°F.
Step 8: While the rolls bake, make the icing. Beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth, then mix in the powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt (Photo 14). Add milk only if needed to thin.
Step 9: Let the rolls cool for just a few minutes (Photo 15), then spread the icing over them (Photo 16) while they’re still warm so it melts into the layers. If you want the icing to stay thick and fluffy, wait until they’re mostly cool before frosting.
How to Store
For food safety, it’s best to store these cinnamon rolls in an airtight container in the fridge if they’re frosted with cream cheese icing. They’ll stay fresh for up to 4–5 days. Let them come to room temperature or give them a quick 15–20 second warm-up in the microwave to soften before eating.
If you plan to serve them within a few hours, it’s okay to leave them out at room temperature during that time. Just be sure to refrigerate any leftovers.
Make-Ahead Instructions
You can make these cinnamon rolls the night before. Once you’ve rolled and sliced them, place the rolls in the pan, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, bring them to room temperature, let them rise in a warm spot until puffy, then bake as usual.
Expert Tips
- All-purpose flour makes for a super soft cinnamon roll. Bread flour helps to add more structure. Either flour works perfectly in this recipe. I also love using a 50/50 blend of both flours that helps give the best of both worlds.
- Room temperature discard works best for this recipe. If the discard is too cold, it can slow down the yeast and the rise of the dough.
- If your dough feels dry while mixing, your discard may be thick. Add a small splash of warm milk or an extra tablespoon of butter to adjust.
- Don’t stress if the rolls aren’t perfect spirals. They will still be very tasty!
- If you have time, you can skip the warm oven and proof at room temperature, but it may take longer than 2 hours total to make the rolls.
- When warming your oven for proofing, be sure to set a timer and keep the temperature low. Most ovens have a minimum setting of 170°F. A short warm-up (just 3–4 minutes) is usually enough. You don’t want the oven too hot, or it could dry out your dough instead of helping it rise. What if you let your oven get to the 170-degree temp? I did test and it will rise just fine, I felt the dough did a bit better when it was slightly under that temp in the oven. Don’t stress about it unless you go past the 170-degree mark!
Recipe FAQs
This recipe was developed for a quick rise using instant yeast, so it’s not designed for a long fermentation. That said, with some adjustments and patience, you could likely adapt it to a yeast-free version using just sourdough starter. However, I haven’t tested that variation yet, so I can’t confidently provide timing or results. If you’re comfortable experimenting, it could be a fun weekend project, but for the best results as written, I recommend sticking with the yeast.
Yes! Just bloom it in the warm milk with a pinch of sugar for 5 to 10 minutes before mixing it in.
Thicker discard has less water and can make the dough feel dry. Add a little more melted butter or warm milk while mixing if needed.
You can! Just know the rolls will be slightly chewier. I love using half bread flour and half AP for the best balance.
More Sourdough Discard Recipes
- Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Roll Focaccia
- Sourdough Discard Rolls
- Sourdough Butter Swim Biscuits
- Sourdough Blueberry Bread
If you make this recipe and enjoy it, please leave a comment with a 5-star recipe rating and let me know! Thank you so much!
Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
For the Dough:
- 3/4 cup sourdough discard, about 150 g, room temperature
- 1/2 cup warm milk, 120 g (about 100–110°F)
- 2 1/4 teaspoon instant yeast, 1 packet
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 50 g
- 2 large eggs
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, 85 g
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 420 g, or bread flour (or a mix of both)
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- Nonstick spray or neutral oil, for greasing the bowl
For the Filling:
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, 85 g
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed, 200 g
- 1 1/2 -2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
For the Cream Cheese Icing
- 4 ounces cream cheese, 113 g, softened
- 4 ounces unsalted butter, 113 g, softened
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 180 g
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- 1 to 2 tablespoons milk, optional, if needed to thin
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 170°F for 3 to 4 minutes, then turn it off. This gently warms the oven without making it too hot for proofing.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the room temperature discard, warm milk, instant yeast, sugar, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla until smooth. Add the flour and salt, then switch to the dough hook and knead on medium-low speed for 8 to 10 minutes, scraping down the sides as needed, until the dough is soft and slightly tacky.
- Lightly grease a large bowl with neutral oil (like avocado oil) or nonstick spray. Transfer the dough to the bowl, cover, and let rise in the warm (turned-off) oven for 45 to 60 minutes or until doubled. If the top feels dry afterward, rub a little oil over it to soften before rolling out.
- Stir together the brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface into a 14×18-inch rectangle. Spread the softened butter all over the dough, then evenly sprinkle with the cinnamon-sugar mix.
- Cut the dough into 12 long strips. Roll each strip into a swirl and place in a greased 9×13-inch baking pan. You can also roll the whole thing into a log and slice it into 12 pieces with dental floss or a sharp knife.
- Cover loosely and let rise in a warm spot for 20 to 30 minutes. If your kitchen is chilly, you can turn your oven back on for just a minute, turn it off, and let the rolls rise inside. Even if the rolls aren’t fully touching after 30 minutes, you can go ahead and bake. The rolls will rise more in the oven.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake for 18 to 23 minutes, or until the tops are golden and the center reaches 190–195°F when tested with an instant-read thermometer.
- While the rolls bake, make the icing. Beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth, then mix in the powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt. Add milk only if needed to thin.
- Let the rolls cool for just a few minutes, then spread the icing over them while they’re still warm so it melts into the layers. If you want the icing to stay thick and fluffy, wait until they’re mostly cool before frosting.
Notes
- To use active dry yeast instead of instant yeast, just bloom it in the warm milk with a pinch of sugar for 5 to 10 minutes before mixing it in.
- AP flour makes for a super soft cinnamon roll. Bread flour helps to add more structure. Either flour works perfectly in this recipe. I also love using a 50/50 blend of both flours that helps give the best of both worlds.
- Room temperature discard works best for this recipe. If the discard is too cold, it can slow down the yeast and the rise of the dough.
- If your dough feels dry while mixing, your discard may be thick. Add a small splash of warm milk or an extra tablespoon of butter to adjust.
- Don’t stress if the rolls aren’t perfect spirals. They will still be very tasty!
- If you have time, you can skip the warm oven and proof at room temperature, but it may take longer than 2 hours total to make the rolls.
- When warming your oven for proofing, be sure to set a timer and keep the temperature low. Most ovens have a minimum setting of 170°F. A short warm-up (just 3–4 minutes) is usually enough. You don’t want the oven too hot, or it could dry out your dough instead of helping it rise. What if you let your oven get to the 170-degree temp? I did test and it will rise just fine, I felt the dough did a bit better when it was slightly under that temp in the oven. Don’t stress about it unless you go past the 170-degree mark!
- You can make these cinnamon rolls the night before. Once you’ve rolled and sliced them, place the rolls in the pan, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, bring them to room temperature, let them rise in a warm spot until puffy, then bake as usual.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I made these for our Thanksgiving morning breakfast. We chose to let them rise in the fridge overnight and BOY, they were a hit! Likely, the most delicious cinnamon rolls we’ve ever had. I ended up browning the butter for the icing for that little extra depth. The texture of the rolls was so satisfying: fluffy, slightly dense, and chewy in the middle and just a bit crispy on the outside. We’ve already decided we’ll have these Christmas morning, as well. Thanks for a great recipe!
Thank you so much for the positive review, Jocelyn! Your kind words made my day, and I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe! These would be so perfect for Christmas morning! Happy Thanksgiving weekend!
If you’re wanting sourdough cinnamon rolls but don’t have time to wait, this discard recipe is perfect! They’re ready in about 2 hours!