These tender, buttery biscuits are filled with a swirl of cinnamon and sugar, topped with more cinnamon and sugar, and include the option of serving them with cream cheese frosting.
My initial intention with this recipe was to bake cinnamon roll muffins. I wanted them to be rolled and sliced like cinnamon rolls, with a thick cinnamon sugar filling. As such, they kept veering towards biscuit dough until I realized that what I really wanted to make was cinnamon biscuits.
Cinnamon roll muffins may still be coming, in a much different form, but these buttery biscuits, with their cinnamon sugar filling and topping and a thick smear of cream cheese frosting are exactly what I want to eat right now.
One of the the things I love about biscuits, is that you can sweeten them up or down as your mood dictates. My go-to recipe are these flaky buttermilk biscuits. Sometimes I eat them with just a bit of butter, other times spread with a thick layer of sweet jam or honey.
These cinnamon biscuits are sweeter than that, but still not so sweet that you can't serve them alongside a meal. Minus their cream cheese frosting, they are perfect with warm bowls of chili or alongside a simple roast chicken.
The week I took these photographs I was also working on this recipe for Skillet Chicken and Potatoes, so you'll see them in the photos for that recipe and they were the perfect side dish.
Served with cream cheese frosting, these become sweet rolls or dessert. Eat them for breakfast or as a decadent afternoon snack, or for dessert.
And, of course, I'd never begrudge you serving these cinnamon biscuits topped with cream cheese frosting right alongside a meal. Who says dessert can't be served with a meal instead of after??? Break the rules, eat what you want, do what you want.
xo
-Rebecca
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Ingredients needed to prepare these biscuits
- Butter in biscuits, always and forever.
- All-purpose flour + cake flour. You can certainly use only all-purpose flour in these biscuits instead of a mix of all-purpose and cake flour. But, subbing in a bit of cake flour makes these biscuits extra soft and tender,.
- Baking powder + baking soda + salt for leavening, tenderness, and flavor
- Granulated sugar. These biscuits contain a bit more sugar than my standard buttermilk biscuits, but not so much to make them overly sweet.
- Buttermilk. The acid in buttermilk not only makes biscuits that are light and tender, it works with baking powder and baking soda to help them rise. In a pinch, you can use one of these methods to make homemade buttermilk.
- Cinnamon and sugar. These biscuits have a swirl of cinnamon sugar in their center and then are topped with more cinnamon sugar after baking. Play around with the amount of cinnamon that tastes right to you. I like a generous amount, but you might prefer more or less.
What is cake flour and what if you don't have any?
Cake flour is milled from very soft wheat that's low in protein and high in starch. This combo gives cakes, muffins, and biscuits a super light, soft, and tender texture.
If you don't have cake flour you can make this substitute: Measure out 1 cup of all-purpose flour and then remove 2 tablespoons. Replace those 2 tablespoons of flour with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch.
Ingredients needed to prepare cream cheese frosting
You'll need just 5 ingredients and about 5 minutes to whip up some cream cheese frosting for these cinnamon biscuits:
- Cream cheese
- Butter, preferably unsalted so you have greater control over how much salt you like in your frosting
- Vanilla extract
- Salt
- Powdered sugar (confectioners sugar)
I like an equal ratio of cream cheese to butter in my frosting, so that's what you'll find here. But, this ratio can be adjusted however you like. You'll want a total of 8 ounces but the amount of cream cheese to butter is completely up to you.
Likewise, with the amount of powdered sugar. Use more for a sweeter, thicker frosting. Use less for a not-as-sweet, thinner frosting.
Step-by-step photos and instructions
Smear the inside of a cast iron skillet with a thin layer of vegetable oil or shortening. (You can also bake these in a baking dish.)
Cut 12 tablespoons of very cold butter into small pieces, put them on a plate or in a bowl, and pop it into the freezer for about 10 minutes. You want the butter to be very cold, but not frozen.
Put the all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor and pulse a couple of times to blend.
Add the butter and process on low just until the butter is incorporated enough for the mixture to look like coarse crumbs.
Add the buttermilk and process on low (if not using a food processor, stir with a wooden spoon) just until the mixture comes together into a wet, sticky dough.
Dust your work surface with a bit of flour and dump the dough out onto the center.
Lightly dust the top of the dough with flour and then pat or roll it out into a rectangle that's roughly 10 inches long and 1-inch thick. Use additional flour as needed to keep it from sticking. A flat spatula comes in handy here; use it to loosen the dough from your work surface.
Drizzle some melted butter over the rolled out biscuit dough.
Sprinkle about ¾ of the cinnamon sugar evenly over the rolled out biscuit dough. (The rest of the cinnamon sugar will be sprinkled over the biscuits after baking.)
Gently roll the dough into a log. It will be sticky and shaggy, and may want to fall a part a bit as you roll. Use a spatula to loosen it from the work surface if it's sticking and pat it together with your fingers if it breaks. Use your hands to press the dough together into a cohesive log.
Cut the log into 8 pieces and set them close together inside the cast iron pan. Placing them close together helps them rise while they bake.
Cover loosely with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 20 minutes or up to 24 hours.
Bake the biscuits until their tops and edges are beginning to brown and they look set.
To test that the biscuits are baked through, remove the pan from the oven and use a sharp knife to gently separate the sides of two of the center biscuits so you can see if they are doughy in the middle.
Brush the hot biscuits with some melted butter.
And sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
While the biscuits bake, prepare the cream cheese frosting by beating cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and salt with an electric mixer until very creamy. Add as much (or as little) powdered sugar as you like!
Serve cinnamon biscuits warm. Either smear the tops with cream cheese frosting, or serve the frosting along side the biscuits, allowing everyone to add as much or as little as they like.
Can you make these biscuits without a food processor?
Yes! Add all the the dry ingredients to a mixing bowl and stir to combine. Use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the dry ingredients, or use your fingers. Work the butter into the flour just until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs.
Pour in the buttermilk and mix with a wooden spoon until it all comes together in a wet, shaggy dough.
How to store and freeze cinnamon biscuits
These biscuits are best served right after baking, while they are still warm. But they can be reheated. Wrap them in foil and place them in a 350 degree F (176 degree C) oven for about 8 minutes, until very warm.
Cinnamon biscuits can also be frozen before they are baked. This is a trick I use for my standard buttermilk biscuits. I almost always have some frozen biscuits in the freezer, ready to bake when the craving arises. You can do the same thing with cinnamon biscuits!
After spreading the dough with butter, cinnamon, and sugar, roll it into a log and slice the log into 8 pieces. Set the pieces on a parchment covered plate (to keep them from sticking), and set the plate, uncovered, in the freezer for about 1 hour.
At this point, the biscuits will be solid enough to place in a zip-top freezer bag or other airtight freezer container. They'll keep well for up to 3 months in the freezer and can be baked frozen. No need to thaw! Simply place them in a greased cast iron pan and into a hot oven.
Please note that frozen biscuits will take longer to bake.
More popular homemade biscuit and bread recipes
If you give this recipe a try, let me know! Scroll down to rate the recipe, leave a comment, or take a picture and tag it #ofbatteranddough on Instagram.
Happy baking!
📖 Recipe
Cinnamon Biscuits with Cream Cheese Frosting
These tender, buttery biscuits are filled with a swirl of cinnamon and sugar, topped with more cinnamon and sugar, and include the option of serving them with cream cheese frosting.
Ingredients
- 12 tablespoons (170 grams) cold salted butter + 4 tablespoons (56 grams) melted butter for the filling and topping
- 2 tablespoons (25 grams) + ¼ cup (50 grams) granulated sugar, divided
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 cups (240 grams) all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup (90 grams) cake flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoons table salt OR 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup cold buttermilk
For the cream cheese buttercream:
- 4 ounces (113 grams) cream cheese, at room temperature
- 4 ounces (113 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon table salt
- 2-3 cups (226 - 339 grams) powdered sugar, to taste
Instructions
- Smear the inside of a cast iron skillet with a thin layer of vegetable oil or shortening. (*You can also bake these in a baking dish. See note below.)
- Cut 12 tablespoons (170 grams) of very cold butter into small ½-inch pieces, put them on a plate or in a bowl, and pop it into the freezer for about 10 minutes. You want the butter to be very cold, but not frozen.
- Add 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar and the cinnamon to a bowl, stir to mix, and set near your work surface. Melt two tablespoons of butter and set that next to your work surface along with a rolling pin, a spatula, and some extra all-purpose flour.
- Put the all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor. If your food processor has a dough blade, use that. If not, use the chopping blade. Pulse a few times to blend.
- Add the butter and process on low just until the butter is incorporated enough for the mixture to look like coarse crumbs. Alternatively, stir the dry ingredients in a bowl and use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the dry ingredients. You can also just use your fingers; rub the butter into the dry ingredients just until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs.
- Add the buttermilk and process on low (if not using a food processor, stir with a wooden spoon) just until the mixture comes together into a wet, sticky dough.
- Dust your work surface with a bit of flour and dump the dough out onto the center. Lightly dust the top of the dough with flour and then pat or roll it out into a rectangle that’s roughly 10 inches long and 1-inch thick. Use additional flour as needed to keep it from sticking. A flat spatula comes in handy here; use it to loosen the dough from your work surface. Use just enough flour to keep the dough from sticking.
- Drizzle the melted butter over the rolled out biscuit dough then sprinkle about ¾ of the cinnamon sugar evenly over the rolled out biscuit dough. (Reserve the remaining cinnamon sugar and 2 tablespoons of butter for topping the biscuits after they are baked.)
- Gently roll the dough over the cinnamon and sugar filling to form a log. The dough will be sticky and shaggy, and may want to fall a part a bit as you roll. Use a spatula to loosen it from the work surface if it's sticking and pat it together with your fingers if it breaks. Use your hands to press the dough together into a cohesive log.
- Use a sharp knife to cut the log into 8 pieces and place each one in the cast iron pan. Set the biscuits very close together inside the pan so that their sides are touching. This will help them rise while they bake. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 20 minutes or up to 24 hours.
- Heat the oven to 400 degrees F (204 degrees C). After refrigerating the biscuits for at least 20 minutes place them in the oven to bake. Bake for 20-30 minutes, until their tops and edges are beginning to brown and they look set.
- While the biscuits bake, prepare the cream cheese frosting: Beat the cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and salt with an electric mixer until very creamy. Add 2 cups of powdered sugar, taste, and add as much more as you like.
- To test that the biscuits are baked through, remove the pan from the oven and use a sharp knife to gently separate the sides of two of the center biscuits so you can see if they are doughy in the middle.
- Immediately brush the tops of the biscuits with the remaining 2 tablespoons of melted butter. Sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon sugar. These are best served warm. Either smear the tops with cream cheese frosting, or serve the frosting along side the biscuits, allowing everyone to add as much or as little as they like.
Notes
Bake cinnamon biscuits in a cast iron skillet or a baking dish. Smear a thin layer of oil, vegetable shortening, or butter over the bottom of the pan to prevent sticking. Regardless of what pan you're using, place them close together with their sides touching.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1 biscuit topped with cream cheese frostingAmount Per Serving: Calories: 580Total Fat: 36gSaturated Fat: 22gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 96mgSodium: 874mgCarbohydrates: 59gFiber: 1gSugar: 25gProtein: 6g
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